The Express.
London, England, 1864-08-11 00:00:00

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Tula Even. BOBS TO GOOD LUCE. Mr. D. Murray.
And THE STREETS OF LONDON. Mesas. J. W. Bay, David
Fisher, D. Murray, J. Nelson, B. Forrester, and H. Mellon;
Mn.s H. Marston, Misses Barnett and Gwynn,.

ILLITLNYLL.

ITIXII4. THE SLAVE OP CHIME.-- fteng by Mr.
H De Bremer, Mr. C. Bees& and Mr. H. Baker.—Dancing by
Mdlle. C. Stephan.—lad THE LIGHT-HOUSE YF.F.PF.B.3
DAUGHTER.

SIGH WATII AT LONDOS 71117301.
Tam DAY Morntad 7d lid....Albmsed 7k Um.
To moutow —lslaratas. Ad Sid ....Alisrased /id 40..

LONDON, TEURSDAY, AUGUST 11.

ONE of the most flourishing and energetic centres
of British industry has given our oldest living
statesman a thoroughly national welcome, and
that no doubt is all that Lord PALMERSTON Can
have desired or expected in accept4ng the invita-
tion to lay the first atone of a New Exchange at
Bradford. No one who knows anything of Brad-
ford, or of its distinguished guest on this occasion,
could imagine that such • visit at such a time was
designed for a political demonstration or a party
manoeuvre. Time, place, host, and guest, every
circumstance and condition of the visit, the very
season of the year and state of the weather, not to
speak of the condition of parties and of the
Government, and of the whole aspect of public
affairs at home and abroad, all equally conspire to
forbid such an interpretation of hospitalities
offered and accepted in the frankest spirit of
personal sympathy and mutual regard. There
is no need to strain the meaning of • very
simple, • very English incident. Bradford has
done itself honour in doing honour to • fine old
English (or Irish) gentleman who has spent the
beat part of a century in the service of the State,
in downright hard labour by day and njght, in
public offices, and in the House of Commons.
The toiling and thriving citizens of Bradford
know what hard work means, its virtue and its value,
and they are nothing loth to pay respect to a man
who, born to ease, and luxury, and pleasure, as thou-
sands are born to distressful drudgery, from early
manhood to a green old age has worked for honour
as hard as humbler men work for bread, and whose
delight in the cares of responsible administration
and the conflicts of free debate is as alert, as

eager, and as strenuous at eighty as a boy's first
passion. A population of vigorous and suc-
cessful workers, one of those communities that
build up the mighty fabric of England's greatness,
recognises instinctively in such a man as this—
who might have been a mere " vain lord of wan-
44 tonnes& and ease"—an example, and a type of
character, not unworthy of the honest admiration
of Englishmen of all classes, parties, and opinions.
Surely the bitterest partisan or the most un-
compromising advocate may take for granted this
ungrudging and unquestioning public homage to
the long services and perennial freshness of our
veterannursurs. Nor is it any disparagement tothose
purely personal and characteristic qualities which
have much 'more to do with a good digestionthan
with principles or policy, to express a belief that the
most Tory public that could be got together in
this country would be ready to give Lord Pm-
WANTON quite as rapturous a welcome as, we are
happy to record, he has found at Bradford. The
present is an age of criticism in literature, philo-
sophy, and religion, but not in politics ; and we
are persuaded that if Lord CAurrmassoa or Lord
SIDMOVTH could reappear among us for a few
hours on some great occasion, he would be re-
ceived with the enthusiasm due to noblemen who
suffer the pains of office for their country.
It was most judiciously and properly arranged
that the Panarra's visit to Bradford should not
be in any way converted into a political demon-
stration ; and it was on this understanding that
Lord I'moms-rex went to "mix on easy terms"
with the "manly intellect" of people who, as
their representative, Mr. W. E. FORSTER., re-
minded their honoured guest, "hold extreme
" opinions." Bradford, it seems, is a town full of

real flesh and blood Radicals, who in these easy-
going times (and even in the dog-days) hold
• strong opinions, and are not ashamed to avow
them. They are not only advanced political econo-
mists, but advancing parliamentary reformers, and
with a simplicity of nature moat uncongenial to
well-regulated minds are not quite satisfied with a
" liberal" ministry, but demand a liberal policy
and liberal legislation. Can we find it in our
conscience to complain of that unseasonable ar-
dour—that " nets of provinciality", as Mr.
Marrucw ARNOLD would describe it—which dic-
tated the draft of a" respectful but firm" address of
the working men of Bradford to the Pants Mims-
TER, protesting against his assumption that they are
spathetin and careless about reform, and "exhibit-
" ing their disapprobation and disappointment f "
We leave to our ministerial contemporaries to twit
the democracy of Bradford with having abandoned
their address of censure and broken the dignified but
respectful silence they had recommended, and even
joined among the loudest in welcoming the Minis-
ter to whoa they would have refused a cheer. For
our part we cannot affect to be sorry that such a
protest was contemplated and recorded—and aban-
doned. It is well, no doubt, for men who are in
earnest in days of apathy to be instant in season
and out of season in affirming their principles.
But there is a time for all things ; and there are
even in political agitation considerations of taste
and tact and fitness which cannot be disregarded
without mischief to the best of causes. Lord
PALMERSTON'S visit to Bradford, at the invita-
tion of the municipality and the Cham-
ber of Commerce, to lay the stone of
the New Exchange, was certainly not, to our
thinking, a fair opportunity for any exhibition of
political displeasure or party discontent. And we
are inclined to believe that on second thoughts the
working men and the Nonconformists of that
town will be very far front regretting that
Instead of standing silent in the streets, aa