The Press.
London, England, 1857-05-23 00:00:00

led away by the unreal professions of
Liberalism, to this more practical view of the
question
In the eyes of some enlightened persons,
institutions are encumbrances to civilisation.
In our opinion, they might just as well assert
that its fruit is an encumbrance to the tree.
We consider the maturity of civilisation to be
then attained when the institutions of a people
have arrived at that state of perfection in which
it is relieved from the necessity of depending
on the services of individuals. When men of
rare genius arise, they impart a stimulus to all
around them, and enable their country to
make great and sudden strides. But in the
intervals of their appearance we must have some-
thing more permanent to rely upon—a system
so excellent in itself that it can be successfully
administered by statesmen of average abilities.
And such a system as this is most likely to be
the result of institutions which have stood
the test of centuries. and been subjected to
every variety of criticism and contrast.
Those persons who concur in Mr. DISRAELI'S
remarks on the character of our institutions
may, if they choose, sneer at the party by
whom those institutions have been preserved
—Here est ctrugo mera—but to opponents who
have no choice between inconsistency such as
this and a tardy acknowledgment that their
previous abuses of Toryism have been wrong,
much may certainly be forgiven. The
dilemma is tantalising. They cannot, however,
expect that any but their own little cliques
should imitate their perversity. The world at
large forms a truer estimate of men and actions.
It is undeniable that during the last twenty
years the Tory party has openly resisted and
defeated more than one serious attempt to
change the character of our institutions. We
need go no further back than the last two
sessions of Parliament, which witnessed the
rejection of life peerages, and of the periodical
efforts at abolishing church rates and primo-
geniture. These are patent facts, and it is
scarcely too much to believe that the pre-
sence of a powerful Tory party within the
walls of Parliament has prevented the intro-
duction of other measures of an equally per-
nicious character. An army is as useful to
deter as to repel aggression, and that it is
able to be inactive is often the best proof of
its efficiency.

We look forward to the contest—which on
one of the points above glanced at we know to
be approaching, and which cannot be far dis-
tant upon all—if not without anxiety, yet with-
out diffidence. The battle, indeed, is not so
unequal as at first sight it may appear.
The one party is flushed with recent suc-
cesses. The other relies on the intrinsic
justice of its cause and the calm sagacity
of Englishmen. The English public,
when taken by surprise or heated by preju-
dice, has often done foolish things. But
when allowed time for reflection it has seldom
mistaken the interests of a class for the in-
terests of the country, and has never delibe-
rately become the tool of personal passion or
the d f democratic .

:11

t
4•
No.

the dupe of democratic plausibility.
THE JOBBERY OF LIB
IT has often been remarked, wire.
does not rely upon strong par ,impw?" l'er":„.ar6
that there is a tendency to incr.—. m... 4 .1 C... 7,
and to swell the public expendi Ffr
rather than political support, 61
(OC•Ar
id I 00