THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON AND THE PRESS.—We utterly disbelieve that
his Grace ever nominated a newspaper editor in his life—ever interfered in the dispensation of newspaper patronage—and could swear safely as to any thing we have not seen, that his, Grace never wrote a newspaper article against Reform, or any other article that has ever appeared in a newspaper, except those splendid records of his own glorious achievements which con- stitute the most brilliant ornaments of British history since Britain had a name. However ambitious we should be to enrol his Grace in the corps of "gentlemen of the press," we feel that we have no claim upon him. We may be allowed to possess some authority upon a question of this nature, as we have stood in two relations to the Wellington Administration : first, as devoted supporters of that Administration; next, we are more sorry than ashamed to say it, as its bitterest opponents. In both relations, we found, as we have reason to be- lieve, that the Duke had nothing to do with either the corruption or the prose- cution of the press. We can answer for it, that during our period of sup- port, his Grace never insulted us by any offer of patronage; though we saw a great deal, no doubt, of baseness and corruption amongst the underlings of office—the " Rump" of the Canning and Goderich faction, which stuck in the lower offices of Downing Street. Of the practices of these people his Grace was, we know, ignorant, because many of them were plainly directed against his own interest, and all of them were most abhorrent to his manly character. They, we know, had communications with newspapers, and, for aught we know to the contrary, may have nominated and dismissed editors. They were all willing enougk to scribble, if permitted ; and quite as willing to impose their nonsense upon us for the composition of the Duke of Wellington, or Sit Robert Peel, or any body else.—Standard.
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