The Express.
London, England, 1862-02-05 00:00:00

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LONDON, WEDNESDAY, L

%VIM,. heartily interested in the onward pro-
gress of Liberal opinions, we do not profess to be
in the secret of party organization and party
straggles, and cannot therefore sympathise very
actively with the special anxieties, disappoint-
ments, and recriminations of those who are.
Nevertheless, as outsiders, we cannot but watch
with a certain amount of curiosity the singular
proofs of party vitality which the thoroughgoing
organs on either side periodically supply. During
the recess the Whip have notoriously lost many of
the seats that hare been contested, and their special
journals have from time to time expressed consi-
derable surprise and displeasure, and in some
cases not a little suppressed indignation, at this
result. These feelings are of course perfectly
natural, but we really cannot share them, nor will
the grounds on which they are made to
rest bear a moment's examination. So
far from there being anything surprising in the
loaves which have befallen the party during the
recess, it is clear from the admission of these
journals themselves that no other result could have
been rationally expected. It is impossible to
bold a great party together on mere negations. In
the battle of public life and political opinions, as
in every other arena where the struggle is real,
there must be something to fight for. The life of
a party is its principles, and its success must de-
pend on the resolute fidelity of its leaders, their
known determination to carry out the opinions
they profess and represent. If this position is
practically abandoned—if the firm, courageous,
awl progressive spirit which alone can impart vigour
and animation to a political organization based on
file. tat principles be allowed to evaporate—the party
miiit id necessity languish and decline. When the
beer: has lost its power, and the pulse is reduced
to a feeble intermittent beat, the extremities must
gradually become chilled and paralyzed. Without
definite principles and a distinctive policy no body
of public men, however liberal their professions, Or
however great individually their abilities may be,
can long command a majority of supporters in
the constituencies, or permanently retain the con-
fidence of the country. If a Government stead-
fastly refuses to identify itself with any of the
questions in which the electors are really inte-
rested, few who know anything of public life in
this country, or anything of human nature, will be
much surprised to find the representatives of this
political negation defeated by a little active and
determined opposition.
Now, how does the matter actually stand with
reszanl to the recent elections which hare termi-
nated so unfavourably for the Whig party t The
party journals lay the blame of this untoward re-
sult on the constituencies, attributing the dant
of their favourite candidates wholly to the apathy
and indifference of the Liberal electors. But by
a curious inconaistency the very columns iu which
these charges are brought against the Liberal
electors, furnish • decisive and unanswerable re-
ply to them. Yesterday, for example, a leading
contemporary tool the Liberal electors of
tifordshi re rather severely to task for
their want of energy in allowing the
Tory candidate to win. " A little more enemy on
" the part of the Liberal side," we are told, would
have returned Sir H. DAMMO4,I. ; and we have
no doubt this is perfectly true. But the pertinent
inquiry is, how cornea it to peas that there is so
little energy on the Liberal side? Oxfordshire is
not an isolated or exceptional case, but only one
amongst a number of other' e.ivally striking. It but
ex emp: ities afresh what has been the rule of contested
elections during the recess. There must be some
adequate cause for such a series of striking effects.
Nor is the true explanation far to seek. Our
contemporary supplies it with cynical candour
and in ample detail. The plain truth comes out at
once in the intimation that there is in these days
no assignable interest whatever in a contested
electiou. Formerly, we are told, a candidate really
had opinions, and could inscribe on his banner
" Emancipation," " Reform," " Free Trade," or
something else, which really had a meaning, end
the electors knew, accordingly, what they were
voting for. "In these days any elector would
" be sorely put to it if he were asked what he
hoped to do by voting for this or that candi-
" elate." Our delightfully frank and utterly
Noe, contemporary goes on to say that neither
party has any definite principles or opinions, at
least none they would venture to act upon. The
only object which public men strive for in this
country, we are told, is office. " The only dil-
l" ferenoe between the rivals is, that one has one
" set of friends, and the other another." If that
is a true account of the matter it seems rather
hard to condemn with such severity the Liberal
electors oft nfordshire, " who sat at home last
" Friday, or employed themselves on their own
" affairs." Why in the world should they
neglect their own affairs, simply for the
sake of supplying some friend of Lord

ip or a

l'si.mcirnires with an
colonial appointment T This may be a strong
motive to exertion with the immediate friends of
the Government; but it is hardly sufficient to
rouse into activity large bodies of independent
electors through:nit the country. It place is the
only object for which political parties in
this country are striving, it is quite clear that those
who are out of office have far stronger uso-

tires to aggressive and sustained action than
those who are in. Nor can thoughtful electors be
justly condemned for taking no part in a mere
personal squabble, where there is no assignable
Public interest at all.
It is true that the party organs make ono excep-
tion to the low and degrading views they take of
the position of the Government and the duties of
the electors. They justly emphasize the Foseign
policy of the Government as firm, liberal, and
dignified. It thoroughly deserves this praise,
nor has it been withheld in any quarter. All
parties have agreed in celebrating the admirable
manner in which the Government has maintained
the honour of the country in a most difficult crisis.
But the Government of a great and active country
like this cannot live on its Foreign policy alone.
Its mistaken friends and obsequious flatterers, in-
deed, may strive to persuade themselves and
others that this is possible. They may pretend or
profess to believe that the public mind is occupied
" with national affairs in the highest son-re," "to
" the total exclusion of ordinary party topics and
" ordinary party interests." But this short-witted
ostrich policy will deceive no one. Such a
miserably impotent excuse for the open neglect of
the more important half of its duties cannot help
the Government, and is simply an outrage on the
nation at large. A spirited Foreign policy is all
very well, but the country cannot be always
singing " Rule Britannia." Whatever the
Government may resolve to do, or to leave
undone, there are a large number of
home questions in which the country is deeply
' interested. There are wrongs to be redressed,
and rights long withheld to be conceded, which,
however steadily statesmen may labour to forget,
the people will be sure to remember. We will not,
however, too hastily accept the injurious date-
ments of the Ministerial journals, that the 00111111-
client intends deliberately to ignore these preeing
questions. It needs no special sagacity to predict
that the days of any Ministry that seriously at-
tempts to carry on the Government of the coun-
try without a Home policy are numbered.