The Press. — London, England, 1856-10-04 00:00:00

,z ~-~ No. 179.—V0L.1V. (1.,)'12t Vrtss. LONDON, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 4, THE perils to which Party Government posed are neither accidental nor tra.) They are rooted in the nature of men ; tl insidious in their approaches ; and the; disguise themselves under the high-soi names of purity and independence. If I lot zealously watched they will sap th, tution they attack, and, as worms ravage her, eat away the substance, while leav, outside still fair to view. It is obvious that there must always siderable difficulty in keeping a Party in sition together while the Administratioi day is possessed of enormous and inc, patronage. The danger from this soul comes greater as the influence of the GI ment spreads wider, and as the political nection to which it is attached seems ' a firmer hold of power. In such case, sons who take up with politics with a their personal advancement, are attracted the winning side ; and if profeSsions of inde pendence be in fashion, or if constituencies are so credulous as to accept them, adventurers, by pretending to perfect freedom of action, have all the better opportunity of making a good bargain for themselves. This practice is likely to gain ground as a commercial spirit prevails more largely in the Legislature. That spirit has commonly shown itself adverse to Party combinations, partly through not un derstanding the principles on which they are founded, partly through the want of that standing in the State and those traditional in fluences which are essential to the solidity of political connection, but principally through the dislike of commercial men to any fetter being imposed on that liberty of action which they have been accustomed to exercise, and which they foresee may turn to their profit. Adding this class of independent men to the class directly affected by the enjoyment, or expectation. of Government favours, and it will be under stood, that when skilful dealers in human frailty have enormous means of influence at their disposal, there will always be some danger lest the Party in Opposition should sink into insignificance, and the vigorous, healthful play of the representative principle be impaired. But another, and perhaps greater, danger resides in the tenacity with which politicians, free from all official engagements, and from all prospect of personal advantage, arc accus tomed to insist on those questions to which they have become especially attached. Their obstinacy may arise from that narrowness of mind which is unable to perceive how many things must be taken into account in con structing a scheme of policy, or from that absolute devotion to one subject Which prevents the mind from estimating at their due value the projects of others. Another peril to Party Association arises from the difficulty of dealing with the special are They would make the whole science of Govern ment consist in carrying their particular sen-. timents irto effect. It is when a Party is in Opposition also that the baser instincts of its lowest members have opportunity for development. The allegiance rendered by a Party to its leaders at such times must be disinterested and loyal ; and of this kind of loyalty there are some minds incapable. They cannot be content with the subordinate station assigned to them, and they conceive that any change which can be brought about must operate to their advantage. Ac cording to their capacity and their power they are instruments of mischief, and their malig nancy of intention is usually in proportion to their sordidness of character, and the low esti mation in which they are held. History is full of the political disasters re sulting from these elements of dissension. At critical periods of a nation's existence, they have baffled the wisest counsels, they have defeated the most patriotic efforts ; and, as often as they have been successful, they have sacrificed great public interests, and secured the ascendancy of corruption or tyranny. If Party is still to subsist among us as an active agency for elevating the aims of public men, and for purifying the struggles of public life, we must resolve to discard all those influences which tend to impair its efficiency. We must never lose sight of the fact that there can be no political honour without faithful adherence to a political standard, and that " independence " in politics is usually but a term to disguise brigandage. The Conserva. tive connection, if united, would be the most powerful connection in the State. Ts it not a scandal that its strength should be frittered away through sectional feeling ? If the Con servatives. as a body, have not the wisdom to insist on the consolidation of their strength, and on unity of political action, they are in danger of losing much more than the power which is duo to them in the State ; they are in it was supposed that the commercial classes of the community far exceeded the other orders of English society in intelligence and patriot ism. That delusion has passed away. The commercial scandals of our age have cast into shade aught that can be cited from the annals of political jobbery. Two commercial M.P.'s, —Messrs. BROWN, of Tewkesbury, and MAC GREGOR, of Glasgow—are now before the bar of public opinion in relation to certain banking transactions ; and a variety of causes have combined to dissipate much of the confidence and respect which was formerly given to the commercial class, and its special representatives. We are, of course, far from identifying all commercial M.P.'s with the peculiar notions of meum and tuum entertained by Mr. JOHN SADLEIR, or Mr. HUMPHREY BROWN, or even the notable Mr. JOHN Mac- GREGOR himself. But it is really singular that while the corn• mercial classes have receded in moral prestige, the aristocratic " Liberals" have been sterile in producing men of practical ability to fill the public offices. Where are the clever young Whigs upon whom the public eye is turned hopefully? Or where, amongst the Liberal connection, are those men, produced by the Liberal party, who show practical talent for public measures ? His parasitepl:sB2.lo4 point to the Premier. in repl . • r Noble Viscount was reared un I-r et. TLEREAGH and Mr. PsacsvaL. ability of Lord JOHN RUSSELL ale ,7 1 1 I 43* a may be tested by the fact that yite-tftifi though a pseudo-Liberal party ":"7 , ROBERT LOWE must confess • : have not hitherto been suited r A ttl , -; • • tAiiiiftz.-111:•6;V 6 '`'' !`. - ':',1":41:i #'' ~ ' ",. • - • • ''' ••'.. ' #./ ' 4 .' 4 ... ;.i.' 4 . 4 • •- ' -'.. • r• , . f; Y • . ' I • . / A " . //7t, I) • .': a •-, ) 13[31 r I C 1 + ... ot.t . 4... 2 • 1; :4 LONDON, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 4 , 1856 ' STAMPED ....SIXPENCE UNSTAMPED-FIVEPENC - - -- - - opinions, and reconciling the conflicting sen- danger of seating the Liberal connection— timents of men, who, having long dwelt on one whatever chiefs it may choose to select—so particular question, and made it in a manner firmly in office, as to establish their permanent . ~ ,-- ', their own, conceive an exaggerated notion of ascendancy in the country, and thus deal a its importance, and, with great good faith but mortal blow to the whole system of Party .., , 1856. great short-sightedness, insist that it shall be Government. •., .• elevated into a scheme of policy. Such men, •. t, however estimable, do not understand what a PRACTICAL POLITICS. •,. scheme of policy implies. They do not see tis ex- that it must necessarily be of a national, and SOME time since a paragraph went the round tinsient. not a sectarian, character ; that it must corn- of the journals stating that the Premier had they are prehend many interests and many sentiments; issued orders that the heads of the various and that by reason of its comprehensiveness, y often it must embrace elements, which, anart from departments should, in the month of Nevem - minding Party ties, are antagonistic to each other. To ber, forward to the Treasury an abstract of the they be insist on the predominance of any one of those measures intended to be brought before Par- ie insti• elements which naturally enter into the compo- liament during the next session. By many sition of a great Party, is to insist that the Party ge tim- persons the paragraph was read as a verity , shall be dissolved. Party does not require a sacri - ring ring the five of individual opinion; it does not attempt b ut there were not a few who accepted it as to coerce the consciences of men, but it does one of those sly jeux desprit which occasionally Ibe con- require very great toleration of opinion upon pass into circulation. It certainly savoured a o ppo _ all those subjects respecting which difference strongly of retrospective censure, and satirical of opinion may and does prevail among the In of the depreciation of the existing heads of depart- members of a political connection. Without creasing this toleration, men are unfit for the really ment, and bore sharply on the way in which irce be- great and noble uses of Party Association. the public business has been mismanaged. Govern- Devoted to their one idea, they cannot look during the last three years. But, joke or no beyond it. Loom, in one of his rare flashes cal con- joke, we, must; recollect that, in point of fact , of wit, speaks of a musical enthusiast, who to have accommo d ate d th e seven d a ys of the week to there is a prodigies* sweat of business ta be all per- the notes of music, as if from thence had been brought up in the next session of Parliament, ,view to taken the measure and method of creation. and the performances of the present Ministry • %, acted to There are political enthusiasts just ao emAy. do not inspire us with any confidence in their They would make the whole science of Govern- ..; capaciuy . _ Govern - of inde- for dealing with the practical ques - ment consist in carrying their particular sen-: dons of the time. ides are timents into effect. , uturers, It is when a Party is in Opposition also that When we look, also, at the character and. r action, the baser instincts of its lowest members habits of those members who are designated aking a have opportunity for development. The as " the commercial interest," our hopes do i I": actice is allegiance rendered by a Party t o - its its leaders not much brighten. There was a time wh en , . , :..... ~,,....,„..,1 tho 2 thch .•nminercial classes ••