We adverted, on Wednesday last, in terms of indignation and disgust, to the brutal conduct displayed by a part of the rabble at the funeral of the late Marquis of Londonderry. We stated, also, what we believed to have been the operating causes of that conduct—the writings of the seditious press. The same causes have produced, if not the same, at least analogous, consequences, in other places besides the Metropolis. It is with shame and humiliation we state, upon the authority of a Provincial Paper, and of a private letter, that in two villages, the church bells actually rang a rejoicing peal, when the intelligence of the melancholy catastrophe arrived? This is not a question of political feeling; it is one of a much deeper and a much more serious character. It involves the moral habits and dispositions of the people of this country, and forebodes awful results to us all. The terrific depravity of mind which can savagely exult at such a deplorable event, in every point of view, as that we now allude to, must fit its possessor for the perpetration of any crime, however bloody and detestable, which could be safely committed. We do most firmly and conscientiously believe, that the wretch who can smile in triumph over the bleeding corpse of a good man, whose own frenzied hand had hurried him before his MAKER, is one, who wants that opportunity to riot in blood and murder.—Good God! Let us admit, to its fullest extent, all that is asserted by these miscreants—let us allow, that the late Marquis of Londonderry was, and deserved to be, an unpopular Minister; still he was a man—aye, and a man whom his worst enemies allowed to have teemed with every private and domestic virtue. Is, then, the death of such a man, under any circumstances and, least of all, under such sad ones as terminated his earthly career—to be made a theme for devilish joy? Oh! Shame to England, that she has nourished in her bosom such degenerate sons! The existence of but one such being would be enough to fix a blot upon the country; yet, we fear that there are many, many, upon whom the irreligious and demoralising writings of the present age have worked this fearful change. These too—and let it not be forgotten while we live—these are the men who are seeking to gain ascendancy; these are the persons who tell us we are misgoverned, who call for Reform, who affect patriotism, who cry aloud that till we change our masters, we can have no public prosperity or private happiness.—Courier.
The following are the two cases to which we alluded at the commencement of this article.—A Correspondent from Portsmouth writes thus :—
“In consequence of your remarks, in the Courier of yesterday on a very disgraceful occurrence that took place at the funeral of late lamented Marquis of Londonderry, at the door of the Abbey, I send you an account of a similar disgraceful scene that actually took place at Hambledon, a short distance from this.—When his Lordship’s death was first made known in the village, a subscription was immediately set on foot, and the church bells actually rung for a considerable time in the evening, by way of rejoicing. It is worthy of remark that the Rector of the Parish, who resides in the village, is respectably connected, and is one of his Majesty’s Justices of the Peace, yet he suffered the Church to be disgraced in this way. How different did the ringers at Petersfield act. When a contemptible pettifogging Lawyer sent them a sovereign to ring a merry peal on the occasion, they returned it back with disdain, stating, that if they did ring, it would be gratia, with the bells masked, when the funeral should take place.”