The Press. — London, England, 1858-02-27 00:00:00

194 side the mark at the present day. There is no pclitical party in the State to which it would not be fatal ; least of all that which has recently been defeated on a vital Cabinet question in as compliant a Parliament as any that could well be assembled. The Conserva tives are not less averso than their opponents to the evils of the prevailing system. But they did not inaugurate it. In 1853 they re signed office rather than carry on Government subject to the dictation of others as the Whigs had carried it on before them. To this in dignity they will not submit now any more than they submitted to it then. But Govern ment by a party less than one-half of the House of Commons has become a necessity of the period. It may be hoped, perhaps, that one good effect of a Conservative Administra tion will be to extinguish that necessity. But, in the meantime, none of the conflicting parties in the House of Commons can assume the direction of affairs with any better chance of a permanent majority than Lord DERBY. The Whig followers of Lord JOHN RUSSELL are as a party unserviceable. Reform they make of no effect by their traditions. The spirit of their foreign policy has been too long regulated by the late Premier to admit of an immediate change. Sir CHARLES WOOD is their financier, and Lord JOHN RUSSELL himself is their schoolmaster. We need not say how pointedly the House of Commons has condemned both the budgets of the one and the educational programme of the other. The only two occasions on which the Noble Lord has tried his strength in the present session did not find him at the head of a " fixed majority." But had there been any doubt upon the subject, his vote against the first reading of the Conspiracy to Murder Bill must have concluded his pretensions to office. Neither the followers of the late Sir ROBERT PEEL nor the genuine Radical Reformers are, we need scarcely say, in a condition to take office by themselves. Whatever the future may have in store, such a consummation is at present entirely out of the question. The word " Liberal " has been strangely misapplied of late. It is truly an epithet of character. It has been twisted into the title of a creed. But, to waive this objection for the present, if we fall back upon the so-called Liberal party, what do we find ? Either that it is no party at all, or a very much smaller one than it commonly represents itself. That it is simply the name of a genus, under which Whigs and Radicals, Palmerstonians and Peelites, rank as distinct species, or else that it represents Palmerstonians alone, with a few recruits from each of the other three. In whichever sense we regard it, it is equally ill-adapted to assume the functions of Govern ment. If the various elements are united, they form as explosive a compound as charcoal, sulphur, and saltpetre. If we take the latter by itself; it is far weaker than the Tories. Of the 215 members who voted for Lord PaI }MARTON on the 19th of February, upwards of 30 were Conservatives, and of the remaining 180 more than e n ) have no bond o f uni on b u t the foreign policrof Lord PALMERSTON. They were returned, to recur to our language of last ' week, as the Minister's " friends," but it is exceedingly doubtful whether he could have held them together on questions of domestic policy. For a certain time, no doubt, they would have continued to follow his standard, but probably not longer than his foreign policy was triumphant. But now that the Minister has fallen, the Minister's " friends " are free. Nor is it to be supposed they will readily encounter the chances of a dissolution which any factious opposition to Lord DERBY must necessitate. They must redeem their character before they can meet their consti tuents. But few would be returned again ; and the probability is that in a new House of Commons the Palmerstonian Liberals would no longer have a separate existence. Thus, from whatever point of view we regard Parliainentaly parties, the Conserva tives can show a better front than any si ogle section of their opponent*. The Whigs are in a state of solution, anti totally destitute of resources for the construe tibn of a strong Government. The Radicals . THE PRESS, FEBRUARY ,(27, 185 R and Peelites are out of Court. The Palmer stonians, already weaker than their rivals, would be still farther neakened by a dissolu tion ; and there is no possibility of a combina tion between all three. A Conservative Govern ment, then, would seem to be the natural re sult of the present political situation. The Con servatives are numerically equal to the most numerous section of their enemies. But that which renders them stronger in proportion to their numbers is the fact that they aro now the only party in the State animated by a common spirit, inspired by defined principles, and governed by a leader whose title nobody disputes. Flectors who vote for a Conserva tive at least know what they are voting for. Members who vote ngainst Lord DERBY are at once made to feel themselves seceders. These are important advantages. They insure una nimity and energy in their country sup porters, and compact organisation among themselves. So far, then, as the despatch of public business is concerned, fur more vigour and decision is to be expected from a Conser vative Government than from any other Government at present possible. One thing yet remains for• the sake of which alone perhaps it was worth while to enter on the above considerations. Twelve years of Whig• Liberal government have wrought a great change upon the people. Un• like the House of Stuart, they have learned much and they have forgotten much. They have forgotten the prejudice which identified Toryism with obstruction, and titled dema gogues with true Reformers. They have learned what is to be expected from the alternate domi nation of kindred cliques, distracted by all the petty animosity of family dissensions. They will no longer be victimised by those hoary politi cal hacks to whom experience has taught nothing but a mastery of official slang. Eng land is weary of that old old tale, A tale of little meaning, tho' the words are strong. She sickens for a National Administration— for a party which shall display something of the old characteristics of English statesman ship; that pacific but dignified demeanour towards foreign Powers which adds moral weight to our alliance, and insures its permanence by insuring its due appreciation : that wisdom and sincerity in domestic legislation which, while yielding to the universally expressed wishes of the people, resist the clamour of agitators, and sustain the efficiency of Govern ment, ; and, though last not least, that cordial sympathy with ancestral institutions which is still a component part of the Englishman's character, and leads him to detest the political gambler who uses them as counters in the game. We have reason to believe that the above considerations will be found to have great weight outside of the Conservative ranks, and that considerable support will be accorded to Lord DERBY'S Government by many who do not belong to his connection, but are weary of the weakness and vacillation of their own. • standard, and seek to exercise the right of independent views on all occasions. Such men may be, and often are, animated by none but the worthiest motives, and it is well to expose here the cardinal fallacy which misleads them. Their grand error is in forgetting that we dwell under representative instittitions. It is not the tongue of an orator s nor the brain of an ad. ministrator that are of value merely in poli tics ; there must be representative force in the politics and line of action recommended and enforced by the debater or the Minister. English society is a vast agglomeration of weighty interests and important connectio na , and how can " isolated " n o bl emen and gentle.. men attain their full representative significance while they choose to live apart, without inti. mate association with the great parties of the State? We may admire the talents and various good qualities of such men, but they will never obtain that decisive force which they deserve to win so long as they hover on the borders of party, changing their passports so often that one at last forgets to what demarcation they belong. Such politicians in place of becoming ruling statesmen can graduate only as spirited speakers or for midable critics. But they want originative power, and instead of mastering events, they are moulded by circumstances, and, in spite of genius, personal standing, and public worth, they at last sink down in general estimation as " the gifted impracticables of the Senate." These reflections occur to us while we think with regret on the course followed by somo eminent politicians to whom Lord DERBY ten dered office. We entertain feelings of much personal respect for those distinguished per. 80113. Their talents are undeniable, and their political convictions and modes of thought are certainly more favourable to Conservatism than to the incongruous faith called "Libe ralism." We are certain that the connection to which we allude could never work harmo niously with a Coalition made up of " The Fox Club " and Marylebone Radicalism, and their views on religious affairs would not tally with any section of the Radical party. They prefer to seclude themselves, and act together, with out aspiring to lead either of the hostile par ties in Parliament. We are sure that in in tentions those eminent persons are swayed only by honourable motives ; but we would ask them, is their conduct likely to be as useful to the country, or as honourable to themselves, as ought to be the case with men of tried abilities and practised powers ? Have such politicians reflected on the history of " the Grenvilles?" There was a connection that hesitated between " court and country," between Whigs and Tories, between Protestantism and Roman Catholic politics• " The Grenvilles" had grand tilt ' ditions, vast wealth, and a powerful following. Independently of their own names and of their influential kindred, " the Grenvilles " reinforced themselves with the talents of the ablest lawyers, and they called even dema gogues and pamphleteers to their aid. They grew to entertain the idea that between "im practicability" and "indispensability" there was some necessary connection. They de. dined the handsome offers made to them by the Duke of PORTLANDarId Mr. PERCEVAL ; and they derided the notion that " two young Irishmen " like Lord CASTLEREAGH and Mr. CANNING could play leading parts in the Senate. They also scoffed at the opinion of " Sir A. WELLESLEY " being a great general. Alas ! for human foresight ! " The Grenvilles" saw the Peninsular war carried on triumphantly, the Peace of Paris made in 1814, and the Battle of Waterloo fought, while they were " out," and carping at the talents that carried both " court and country " through the diffi culties of the time ! A few years rolled by, and the proud and intractable " Grenvilles" were glad to strike their colours to Lord LIVERPOOL, and get worse terms in 1822 than had been offered them many years previously. And they had in the meanwhile lost the glory of having concluded the war! Ought the example of such a case he lost upon the consideration of certain " isolated politicians," whose weight and following are not greater than those of " the Grenvilles „ " ISOLATED POLITICIANS." Fr is always matter for regret when one sees high talents wasted, and great opportunities neglected, owing to some mistaken principle of conduct. Alen of brilliant abilities and great attainments have in repeated instances not reached their full fame owing to some fatal perverseness or strange wilfulness. Parliamentary history records many such cases, and a most instructive chapter might be written on the text of " isolated politi cians." To stand alone, and act solely from himself, was a fatal error iu Lord CHATHAM ; and the fathers of the present generation saw the splendid qualities of WINDHAM compara tively useless on account of his indifference to the value of connection in politics. Not merely single individuals, but small cpinnections of a few eminent Politicians, have oof,asionally betrayed the propensity to "isolation." Living in the influence of "ply," they disclaim allegiance to its