The Press.
London, England, 1857-03-14 00:00:00

MA2CH 14, 1857.

THE PREMIER AND THE Mock
LIBERALS.

THE conduct of those Liberals who support
Lord PALMERSTON must leave a lasting dis-
grace on the fame of the party which arro-
gates to itself the furtherance of " Reform."
Their professions are belied by their proceed-
ings. They talk in one way and vote in
another. To hear them repeating their
political catechism, one might take them for
democrats ; and, after witching their conduct
in electioneering, one would judge them to be
the janissaries of Downing-street. They call
for the Ballot, for Electoral Districts, vast
" Extension of the Suffrage," and yet they give
their electoral support to the statesman who
derided the Ballot as " nonsense," and who
only a few days since opposed the motion of
Mr. LOCKE Kisu. They desert their old
friends and leaders, and they seek to oust
from the House of Commons independent
politicians who will not cringe to the Trea-
sury, nor succumb to the ephemeral clamour
of the hour.

In such conduct there is something infi-
nitely worse than mere popular fickleness, or
democratic inconstancy. If Lord PALMERSTON
had ever been a Liberal Reformer, we might
excuse the party-worship manifested forhim by
the Radicals at the present time. But what
is the history of their present favourite?
Lord PALMERSTON was a Tory official in what
the Radicals call " the dark days of SIDMOUTH
" and CASTLEREAGH." From 1809 to 1828 the
Premier was Secretary•at-War—that is to say,
for nineteen years his Lordship was a place-
man, in the days of what were denominated
" gagging acts," " the spy system," and " Pe-
terlou massacres." Nor is it any great literary
secret that the Noble Viscount's pen was most
active in mocking the Liberal leaders in " The
New Whig Guide." In point of fact, Viscount
PAr.mmisToN remained a Tory while that creed
was the passport to place, power, and personal
influence ; and then, dexterously shifting his
course, his versatile Lordship canted with the
current of Reform. But, to do him justice, his
Lordship never concealed his contempt for the
nostrums of Radicalism. To make use of
popular claptraps, without ever sharing the
illusions of his dupes, has always been his
fertile resource in politics. There is not a
man in England by whom Radicals and Radi-
calism are so sincerely despised as by the idol
of the multitude, who cry " PALMERSTON and
the people."
But it is said by his retainers, " We know
" all that you can say about his utter inconsis-
" tend•, and the levity of his character. But
" PALMERSTON carried the country through its
" difficulties, and saved the national honour."
If the assertion was true, we would warmly
applaud the Premier. But what are the
facts ?

Lord PALMERSTON accepted office under Lord
ABERDEEN, and concurred in the War-office
being given to the Duke of NEWCASTLE. While
the army was rotting in the Crimea, and while
his Lordship, as a Cabinet Minister, must
have known how things were going, Lord
PALMERSTON never made any sign of disappro-
bation. He delivered several jocose speeches
which were most ill-timed, and which won for
him from Mr. DICKENS'S tongue the title of
"The Comic Old Gentleman." It was the
conduct of Lord Jowl' RUSSELL which led to
tile change of arrangements of the War Depart-
ment ; but the worst had then passed. The
bad weather was nearly over. The country
had been previously roused, but not by Lord
I'ALMERSTON. Parliament and the public at
large saw that the war should be carried on in
earnest, and we defy any one to point to a
single great measure at that time Mrhich Lord
PALMERSTON can fairly call his own. Adminis-
trative Reform and Reformers were scoffed at
as "Private Theatricals," nor was there any
concession to the popular feeling about a new
organisation of departments.
What, then, is it that Lord PALMERSTON did
for the " Liberals," who now shout at his heels,
while he grins at them as " gregarious green-
horns"? Ile kept their party in place. There,
then, is the reason why they strive to support