The Press.
London, England, 1858-10-30 00:00:00

THE WEEK.

TIM most important foreign event of the past week has been the un-
fortunate misunderstanding between France and Portugal. The question

can hardly rest where it is. But we are sorry to see that certain English
journals have seized the opportunity to scatter imputations broadside
against our own Government, before anything can possibly be known of its
intentions. From Prussia there is nothing new of any consequence. The
formalities attending the inauguration of the Regency are still in progress,
and it is thought that the existing Prussian Ministry will not be displaced.
In Turkey there is another hitch about Montenegro. The Sultan seems
disinclined to make any concessions ; and we rather sympathize with his
sentiments. That Montenegro is a dependency of Turkey can be doubted
by no one who impartially studies the relations that have existed between
the two States for between two and three centuries.

The speech of Mr. BRIGHT to his constituents on Wednesday last has
been to many people the event of the week. The gist of his address is
exactly what might have been anticipated—an attack upon everything
which constitutes an Englishman what he is. But had the millstone which
Mr. BRIGHT affects to see round our necks been really there, we must have
been sunk in the sea long ago. A people whose strength lies in represen-
tative institutions are not represented ; the riches which they win by their
industry are squandered by a selfish aristocracy; and the crimes and follies
of their servants are screened and defended by their rulers ! Now, as Mr.
BRIGHT, we presume, will be the last man to deny that progress is pro-
gress, and that the present generation is an improvement on the last, we
must conclude that all these evils were formerly still worse than they are.
Will Mr. BRIGHT, therefore, condescend to inform us how this country
can have risen to her present height of grandeur, power, and liberty, in
the teeth of such tremendous obstacles ? Independently of the direct
results which one would think must have ensued from centuries of mis-
government and corruption, surely the perpetual and helpless contempla-
tion of so much iniquity must have vitiated the national character, and
rendered needless Mr. BRIGHT'S lamentations by destroying the virility
which provokes them. But, leaving Mr. BRIGHT to deal with these diffi-
culties as he pleases, we can do no more in this column than call attention
to the salient points of his discourse. Naturally Mr. BRIGHT begins with
the question of Reform. Even on this subject his arguments are singu-
larly wrongheaded. Nobody wants to be told that particular boroughs, if
taken by themselves, are less fully represented than particular counties.
What we want is a comparison of the entire borough representation with
the entire county representation. For Lord Joini RUSSELL'S " dodge "
about agricultural boroughs will not hold water for a moment, there being
just as many county constituencies influenced by the commercial interest
as town constituencies by the agricultural. As to an aristocracy, on which
subject Mr. BRIGHT was very eloquent, we are not going to write an essay
on its uses here. For that, we refer Mr. BRIGHT to the greatest philosopher
of the purest democracy in the word, ARISTOTLE ; to one of the most saga-
cisus and unprejudiced of modern French writers, DE TOCQUEVILLE ; and
to one of the truest friends of the British people, Lord BROUGHAM. In
the next place, we cannot but point with the utmost sorrow and indigna-
tion at Mr. BruGErr's unworthy effort to resuscitate a war of classes by his
observations on the country gentlemen. Whatever their shortcomings
may once have been, none can now deny them the praise of coming for-
ward as the sincere and unflagging champions of popular improvement.
With the meetings of the last fortnight yet present to our mind, we know
not whether to think Mr. BRIGHT'S invective more wanting in judgment
or generosity. His scandalous attack upon Lord STRATFORD DE REDCLIFFE
was conceived in the same spirit. His allusion to American Diplomatists
was most illtimed, in the face of Mr. REID'S performances in China. And
the whole address was marked by a design to create mischief; of which we
trust the Hon. Member may live to repent.
When Lord MONMOUTH wanted to regain his political influence in the
Borough of Darlford he went down to Coningsby Castle, after a long
period of absenteeism, to live and die, he said, among his old friends. What
mattered it that he had treated his neighbours like dogs for twenty years ?
A few great banquets, a few skilful compliments, and the "old friends"
were at his feet again. The exclusiveness of his Lordship, and the doubtful
character of his lady visitors, were all forgotten. The Marquis was a
fine old English gentleman. His "pluck" in facing people whom he had
so long neglected had won the day. His popularity was greater than
ever, and the Marquis, whose contempt for mankind was thorough, was
amused at his own success. We confess we were irresistibly reminded of
the above passage by the Bishop of OXFORD'S recent performances at
Bradford. His appeal to " Yorkshiremen "—his delightful assumption of
frankness—his bold defiance of his calumniators, all bore a striking resem-
blance to the successful manoeuvres of Lord MONMOUTH. His coquetting
with the Scarlet Lady, and other delinquencies, gradually came to seem
like unaccountable delusions to his hearers. The fools who came to hiss
remained to cheer, and the sturdy Protestant mob were fairly talked over
by the ingenious and eloquent Prelate. After this, let no one lament the
decaying eloquence of the nineteenth century. At Ripon, last Tuesday,
the Right Rev. Orator had no such opposition to contend with. There he
spoke earnestly and well on the serious obligations imnosed on the country
by the profession of Christianity, and pointed out the danger of giving
the Hindoos our education without our religion ; in proof of which he told
his audience that more Deistical works had lately been republished in
India than had been published during the same period in this country.