The Press. — London, England, 1853-05-14 00:00:00

MAY 14, 1853. policy. There are no passages in the work so swell written as the " Letter to the Electors of Str, ant," or the " Edinburgh letter" which olietated a policy to sir Robert Peel ; but there is much careful thinking in the conclusions , so ,lamaging to the fame of his own party, at which the author has arrived. The present portion of his work is more of a trophy to Mr. Pitt's wisdom than a monument to Mr. Fox's genius. The insight \VC obtain from these revelations into the strong family partisanship' and pre scriptive animus of the Whigs is of great historical value. In these pages we final es tablished the grave charges made against the Whigs, of attempting to turn the King into a Doge. and of monopolising power within the Revolution ftuuilies. " Uncle Tom's Cabin" has been published with a "Key," and many of the notes and comments in these volumes might seem as pieee* justifioutires for certain chapters iu " Coningsby." We will at once adduce passages from the work tat support our statements ; and in the outset we must call the special attention of a our readers to the deeply important remarks f the noble Lord upon the celebrated coalition between Mr. Fox and Lord North. Hitherto it has been the practice of Whig writers to decry the verdict against the Fox- North Coalition as "an opinion after the event." Lord John Russell aloes not follow previous Whig critics, but boldly condemns the conduct of Mr. Fox. He says : •Loird Holland has placed in the most favtamtlile light the etailition between Mr. Fox and Lord North. Yet its :labors .eented to leave condemned their own conduct by anticipation. `• Nothing lint success can justify it," is re !milled to have been the declared opinion of Mr. Fox. I itless a real good tiovermnent is the consequenee, malting rim justify it to the public," is the sentence of General ritzpatrick. The. want of its success, therefore, is its con tlemnat hti. Yet this alliance had consequences so lasting, anti so tinfoil-Ornate, that it is worth while to look some what further into the reasons which were alleged for the coilition, and the muses of its failure. 1. It was alleged in the first place that it was necessary t a I-mutter:let, by a wide parliamentary union, the personal influence of the King. lint this personal intlnence had been mischievous, chiefly because Lord North's good-nature made him yield ing to the King and popular with the publie. Lord Shel burne had no such popularity, nod was not likely to retain his power king. unless Lard North or Mr. ['ox should join him. Besides. Lard North in his conversation with Mr. Fox declined a n d engagement tot this ground. and .timed off the suject by an idlusion Ua tiovernment by de partmems, so that the security was not wanted. and if it hall been would not have been obtained by this measure. o " It. was desirable to secure a gawsi GO% elllllll . llt fOr the e try." But the Coalition atforded no guarantee for such good tiovernment. The fons• put upon the King was sure to excite in him the strongest desire to shake off his masters, and opportunity could searcelv fail him. It is a poor evasion to say, that without the * East India Bill the itivernment could have gone on without a cheek. The Prince of Wales' allowtmce had nearly driven out the \linistry, and nothing lint the King's, or rather Lortl Tem ple's. sagacious perception that such a gmund for a rliptlllY would not be popular preserved the Coalition on that itectimion.* Having thus rapidly confuted the reasons .for the Coalition, the noble lord enforces the strong arguments (Irina it. We may be per• milted to express our surprise that the noble writer, for the sake of his Peelite colleagues. did not soften the censure upon some of them conveyed in the first sentences of the tbllowing extract. Lord John Russell here may be said to give his approval of the senti ments of the PnEss upon (Audition : *While the masons fur the Coalition appear thus unsub stantial, the reasons against it were many and weighty. First. Mr. Fox's invectives au.9tinst, lontl North were tither well or ill fontalisl. If moil-founded he was nut justititsl in joining a man branded not only with inciqswity, but with duplicity, treachery, and falsehisid. If ill-founded, which is nearer the truth. Mr. Fox owed it to public deeormn nut to proclaim to the world that his invectives were the sill= sluing of en unreasoning passion. He could have found stow• better means of retracting or mitigating his hives!. tiers than by a pitlitical jmuliim with the object of th ou . Ni Or was his reflection In in brerecamicilier xempilerne, a just defence. The enmities he had engaged in were not private lint public quarrels, and, as they were not incurred, so they might not to have been dropped from pineability and good-nature. Mr. hitirremarks wily that laird Noaila reallily forgave the uttming of these invectives, lint the public nevcr forgave their being retincteil. + Secondly, the iiartiettlatr occasion chosen for the Coali tion was very unfortunate. The pence of 1753 was a very had one. hut it was not more so than might have been ex pe c ted from the misgovernment of Lord North. Any penee which saved the honour of the country shonla have Appeared venial to Mr. Fox: at all events the blame. if blame was justly dne, should have fallen rather on the head Pastel North than on that of Lord Shellamw. In the previous Ministry of Lord llockingham, Mr. Fox had Pritit's Life of Burke. THE PRESS. , o nnsoy exprei.t...ll.4l, In rniiittnion. and in in+ toter the King of Prussia. his sense of the eat : 111 l nt tlis shoe t" which the country hall been reanyea. lii author of thos e mi.' pert s. Mr. Fox th.mght at that time, ought to be punished: lie now aide , ' him to return to ismer. Thirdly although it might he allege,l th.it the Amerik•an war was ow'.. anti that 'womanly:it reform Ita.l been earriea. the great distinct' sot ' the Whig and For parties haa not Meru ett:teell Th ell ) llkeo f IttellttllMlll. L o rd, c a n t aen, NI r. Fox. Lora John eavelai,ll. anti \I r. Pitt. were fat tow able to retOrm of Parliament : Loral North. a nd Mr. nun. du,, were against it : and although \I r. Burke dith•rea Inollt his friends on this mai:wet. het, OH the }rent eult,tittlti al (LINA line's of a euntn d Of t h et ht 1.411111:11. institution , . Mr. Burke, As Well as tietlVllll 141 14. Willett to the States Men t llaYe llllllltr l . I t N 11•4 1M 11111 l Ilt 11E31 l'olllllj- Hat 101 l 11 lids milted Mr. Fox with Lora N o rth a nd ball Stormont, and eVen ItItE01111gt• lio Los\l Mauer wieh; while the Inike of llieliniona. tieneral and rural CllllOl.ll were left to defend toryrogative against a emistittitional Minktry. Thus it 1111:It the fadhur of the 4'ololoow wits not MI M1'414.'111. bill a /IV elt MeNfit atf Whiek iI eras emiti•xed.• The conehttling remarks of I A ult .101 m Russell on the folly of the Coot " that fittal event," SS he calls it, are very tall of weight, especially his valuable stpittion sill the evil in our English system of *displacing the tiottitml atilinitet's of statesmen" : *Thais Was brok4 , ll tutu diSporm . 4l l W Its own dissensions that grunt eotafesleime of freedom. %Melt. nortured ill 1114. SliVetsity of the American war. Wel revived tlw ancient Ar I latchliitte with daylights of 1406(4.6M uud 1.11811108 . 0. Thus vanished the hope of seeing a more brilliant VaIN and II Moore oiloti.itelit Pitt ; the one stalornieg wet advising his et anatry ha the esmslitet of foreign affairs. whirl. he above all WWII lerstimat and the other implying to the management o f • b o otees th e economical principles of ,with. and the wise fen :dill sal sully. The I 'oalitism prevented a eat t• ass deStrithle. it wits dear that I.4)1 . 11 Shethittitet , nt ld neither intooduesa tool N• 1111 lilts his t .:411114.1. HOE e 411114 he rt.hit the Whig party its the 1-iststse of Commies's. lie himself foresaw that Mr. Fox and Mr. Pitt st upon his tall unite. Mr. 01111dits. turtatin, to wilts I A 01 . 11 North to I Ord shel borne, forced Lord North into she 'otalition with NIE. Fox. The rout of the Whig part : the Pitt Administration I the war of the Inrush Ile% solution ; were the results sat this fatal event. There is one remark, however. which must not be omitted. Mr. Fox ant Lord North 'Matto persistent otatip:a thies to over in uniting with each other. laws! Hol land has described them truly as Is•ing both men of gene. rolls tetnper, of kind feelings, of shawls.. straightforward. and s.mallid nature. lint these sintaatlties dial not e sai s apeo. matte for the Is's, of great paddle emass• ill the Noel* sat meta joined togetlwr by agreement on public gomnals. The Coalition flispiarrei the *dorn, On jagiceg et( dritexim m a d brought on a tiros. costatention, tt his•li dodo It rd \I r. 1••••1 of the support of the people. awl weakened for the test of his life the 11101'1.11re of his genius. his elamptenee, and his wisdom.* --- It is a rentitrk of M. I inizot Hutt the laws of history repeat and justify themselves." The prineiples enunciated in the foregoing extracts will receive abundant continuation from the history of another transitory Coati thm which we need not name. On a Hattie occasion we will submit to our readers our own views upon the whole eha meter of Mr. Fox ; but at present we desire to fix their notice upon the damage done to the memory of that great orator by the reve lations in his correspondenee. He seems from first to last to have laboured under a great infirmity in at politician, an ineapacityfor ,s'roirssdy frl. Throughout his whole eareer his judgment was overborne by his passions. The following brief notes give strong proofs of his blindness. When the whole country had revolted againAt his ron/ition he could ,nearcely perceive it.. Thus he writes : I_When the Win 1101 was thrown out, Mr. Fox gave vent to his first feelings of iii.oppointment in the following short note :1 "1 nut too nitwit hurried to write to you ! orronnt. tow misfolione. We :am heat in the 141111111. 14 LIM'S lel 141111111vill'ilery om the 111111 of the King. nod in n + 1111% .Sllllll the pent of his friend. iu the Home of Lords. os one mold not eqss•t either from him or them. I will write to you more in a day or two. We are not yet out halt I %oppose we sholl i.e totnorrow. However, we are en strong, tied nobody ean undertake. without madness; mid, if they do. I think we shall destroy them 111111114 IU4 1101111 as they are formed." " I think we skill destroy them as score they are formed!" Such was his opinion ut the very time Adieu the greatest politiertl rout in parliamentary history Watt Shoat to take place. He thus writes to lord Northing ton : Rnonk I►rerm►lr•r'llhl►. I 7 .... _ Yon w w i t that I lime mat •no write to flit fully by Pelham** titesNenger. lam quite viewr lin mhoallil take nn step talW.1111: re , i1111111.555 1 exeort, 1.0111.11 14 . 111.111 ititeutiisti ) till gun ha m. tile event of the I.2th of 1111 l try. 1 1111‘4 . 119 1111111 It lint it will he the nictht ileci•sive vietiory oat our :4111 that ever hamtieil in Parliament. If I ant right in thim, visa will, lam mire. 39 agree %ids me that it is de'is ' ts you should take no APT till you hear the event. YouN ever sincerely, F.... The " most derisive victor; on our side that ever happened in Parliament" eventuated in that fatuous general eleetion that strewed England with Fox's Martyrs. - Nor w i ts be more acute in reining( the charneter or earl city of individuals. tie was almost as had a judge of the strong points of character as the late Sir Robert Peel. Thus we iind him writing of the " efilfferdire of Lord Temple." the tibt being that at the very time lord Temple is defrating the India Bill he was taking the boldest step ventured on by ally British peer since the memorable proceedings Oil the death of Queen Anne. It has always been a standing reproach to " the great Ni'hig party" that they have sr( eluded from their 'abinet those men of genius who have borne their standards in triumph through pa rtv eoutest•. (in the eXellthioll of Burke trout the Rovkinghani Cabinet. Lord .1. Russell writes *lint %Ink the iire.emitient qualities of Mr. Fo p o ols ' 4 l hint oat its the stiet.es..i , r of lcarl Rockingham. it :eons atninge is. us unit \lr. !Writ... NM. hi. iteniqs iota h . .• ill the %%Ilia party. Oa stilt' mit Is eti it alt in leer of ill.. it I mint Rockingham 111 . sit I 1• • littk.. tor 1 . ..1111110. t.‘l.lll..iiiit .if Milli 1 1 1111111 •celll. It. u. 1111R11 1 .1 1 411151 1111.01.4 at its, tint.. it .hie, out 11111 1 4 lir ha: it Was It'Seilteli 1.% 1I r. or by ono of his hicials.• It would have been of no use tOr \lr. Burke or „ any of his friends - tit have resented his exclusion. We are very glad. however, to have And .1 ithit clattleintiatit that extlitsion. But the Rockingham Cabinet was not the only one that excluded commoners of genius. without pedigree. from its counsels . It is a matter of history. confirmed by the me tnoirm of Hominy and • Hotter, that although Mr. lox was in favour of the admission of Shoiditti to the Cabinet in 1800, that the Duke of Bedford steadily opposed it, and carried his point. It is .1 tioitt44* of history, also. that when Idr. Canning was compelled. in 1527, to coalesce with the Whigs. that eminent person expressed his surprise lit the name of Ntack intosh not being one ttf those given to hint by the party. Again. in IP 4 :11, Mackintosh WA% C I E' chtded Oil the plea that he hail no capacity for business, although the late Earl of Carlisle was admitted. who had so little talent for ad ministratisni that no cabinet. offiee WOK given to him at sill. We sire glad to have, even upon paper, I John Russell's condemnation of the conduct of his party in their aristocratic exclusiveness. We (timid desire, h o wever. that the noble Lord multi have shown a juster *predation of the qualities, dashed though they were by infirmities, of Burke and Sheridan. Many parts of this work contain most injurious a n d unqualified statements upon those two great. men. On the other hand, it is very remarkable that the qualities of Mr. Pitt are lauded and extolled. almost as much as a moderate !Indy child desire. We can Vonthlently slate that. no one political work has been so useful to the memory of Pitt. and so injurious to the fame of lox., its these " Nlemorials," Thus we find the noble Lord writing of Mr. Pitt : *WIMP 111« metootres of \lr. created Ow him it just popularity with the mercantile clinate., a treaty with till SI Mild Millie hint luliou. to Mitillifilet WITS. lIr.FOS% 11utt i .. I t owl intim ise .1... but 1 144,111;1E 0411111011 r, and eiilllll 1 . 11M11 4 ' 1 1 this 1/1111i1111 , 11 4 111111 11111.1 . 111 thßt Ike Frills+ Werl• oillr 1111111E111 Even his 1 . 1 . 11` , 11 rl . \lr. l'itt is qualified with iimiiiiitl praise : • titsttiq i.r kat C Levis the ell1111(11 . 1 of Mr. Pill in making 111111% 1 1f ter of it I ' uint intrigue, canoloor tills iii that Ili% stil 11l i l ii%trution .lorits.4 ware mu% tosork...l bti bolo- public 'inns, was anti lea is, happy repiolts.• It has been remarked. that it is a curious eireimistance in our polities that in the reettr roue of a Coalition which " displaces the allianees of English statesmen" as tuueh Its the junction of Vox and North, an India Bill should be one of the great oineslions of the age. The importatiee of that ..sibject will justify our lengthy quotation from the remarks Or Lord John Russell upon the question of Intlian rule. Refine he be many weeks older he will perhaps hear some of the following sentences repeated to his face : onto.• of the Brat memoirs.% of Mr. Piten wat neves% wily an Italia Bill. Articling t` c tusks 01'03