CALUMNIES AGAINST LORD JOHN RUSSELL.
LORD JOHN RUSSELL is distinguished in public life for courtesy of demeanour. As a debater, his tone and language are remark- ably free from asperity. His speeches are never disfigured by personalities. His manner is perhaps too calm : he would be a more effective were he a more animated speaker. When he is animated and energetic, it is in maintaining some great principle of civil or religious liberty — not in attacking a political antago- nist. For these reasons, he would seem to be the very last person to provoke the species of hostility which he has lately encountered from the adherents of that party whom the loss of ollice has stung into fury. But the " crew" would fain do for him, if possible, what they are supposed to have done for CANNING. They accuse him of the extremity of political wickedness—with treasonable designs to overthrow social order, introduce anarchy, and establish Popery on the ruins of Protestantism; and they scruple not to invent and borrow the most palpable falsehoods to holster up this ridiculous charge. The week has produced a precious specimen of their exertions in this line. The Gazette de France is notorious. as being one of the least trustworthy journals in existence. It is the tool of the French and Spanish Carlists, and of the Miguelite rebels in Portugal. Scarcely a week passes in which sonic monstrous lie, or gross absurdity, is not vouched for in its columns. It was therefore the fitting receptacle for a paragraph of which the following is a trans- lation by the Standard. It is declared by the latter journal to be "Lord JOHN RUSSELL'S scheme of policy, as communicated to the Gazette de France, and published in that journal on Wednes- ia }the 6th, bearing date Thursday the 7th of May."
4, I have seen England placed between despotism and anarchy, and I have preferred anarchy ; but anarchy is necessarily a stage of transition—it will bring back England under the sceptre of a religious legitimacy—the Roman Catholic faith, for it is in the restoration of this that all revolutions end. Before the lapse of a few years, the bond of union amongst the Three Kingdoms will have been severed ; and nothing but the band of Catholicism will be sufficiently power- ful or its restoration ; that is, if such a result enters into the mysterious views of Providence respecting this country."
This absurd rigmarole is worthy of the Gazette de France ; but it has been actually copied by the Standard, and ostenta- tiously paraded as the real opinion and principle of action adopted by Lord Jonsi RUSSELL. That the Standard is sincere in its professions of belief' in the genuineness and authenticity of the declaration imputed to Lord Joirsr, is incredible ; for no one who reads the Standard can suppose its editor to be the egregious simpleton he pretends to be. Thoroughgoing partisanship has not SO entirely destroyed his judgment. The Standard declares its perfect reliance on the honesty and sagacity of M. DE GENOUDE, the editor of the Gazette de France, and intimates that the declaration may have been communicated to him through Mr. O'CONNELL, or Mr. SHEIL—fellow conspirators with Lord JOHN ill his traitorous designs. This supposition adds to the ridicule which justly attaches to the whole affair ; and the thing would be far beneath notice, were it not for the zeal and pertina- city with which it is sought to be made the engine of raising the prejudices of the ignorant against Lord JOHN RUSSELL and the Ministry to which he belongs. The Standard hopes that the lie will be placarded all over England. What must be the condition of that party which finds itself compelled to employ such means as these in order to obtain a show of popular sympathy and support Lord JOHN RUSSELL may be assured, that the intelligent and enlightened portion of the community will be stimulated in his behalf by these malignant attacks of the displaced faction. His enemies have overshot the mark. They have not even exhibited their wonted cunning in selecting him as the object of calumny. They should have aimed their shafts against some unpopular, violent, or inconsistent member of the party, instead of the rational, calm, conciliatory, but determined, and successful advocate of Reform.
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