The Express.
London, England, 1848-04-20 00:00:00

the whigs heading the pespie, and feeding them
with m of ries, of
Woad standing
panic at the sebirommt d liberty ahead,
and at the idle mimicking ci seveintien by agitators
here. Let as, however, net esmismn prematurely.
The events of France, and the shag of Ireland, joined
to an exaggerated fear of dfslerbanee and conspiracy
here, have for &moment frightened ministersfrom self-
possession. lard J. Resent., in his speech, last night,
alluded to concessions to Ireland, to be dimmed after
Easter. Let us hope,.that England, though tranquil,
is not less worthy of similar attention, and that in the
move about to be made for the extension of the fran-
chise and the completion of the reform bill, we shall
not find a Russell Cabinet arrayed spinet it. 1
There is, indeed, a danger to thiseountry, far greater
than anybody or than any vision of chartists or of
communists could menace or devise. And that would
be the sight of the three aristocratic parties in the
House of Commons—the protectionists, the practical
tories under Pm, and the whigs—all uniting to present
a hostile front to the Mends of popular liberty, and
holding up conjointly
other atal banner of " finaliextendedty," in
opposition to that f pgress and more
11 rig ts.
The prevalence and the triumph of such a coalition
as that in parliament might indeed smooth over the
difficulties of the session. But the re-action which it
I would cause in the country would be fearful, nay.
I dangerous. And the re-action we mean would come,
not from the lower but the middle classes. We de
trust, therefore, that ministers will take advantage of
the recess, and make up their minds to come forward
after it with concessions to English as well as to Irish
exigencies, and thus wipe away the disgrace of a
liberal ministry in England being absorbed with police
and repression, when every. other country is making
large strides to pass us in the career of popular
freedom.
Nor is it so much a desire of the advantages which
sliest follow from the development of this freedom,
es a sense of the danger of refusing and resisting
them, that weighs with us. S
ICsk of government
is this country is difficult. has an enormous
amount of expenditure to meet, from resources not of
the most prosperous or full ; and the burdens have
been laid on most awkwardly, in the way which is moat
felt and most galling. Government seems afraid to
fling itself on the country for advice and help in a
radical re-arrangement. Yet, without this, govern-
ment must remain in a deplorable state of weakness,
fettered in every movement, and terrified by every stir
in domestic or in foreign affairs.
In such a state of things at home, combined with
events abroad, never did a British government stand
more in need, in imperative need, of satisfying and
rallying to it all classes of the population. It will not
do to disoontent, or alienate, or distress any. A
tory minister, who would repeat Fire's tricks,
appeal to panic first, and then proceed to the next
necessary consequence of panic, vie., war—a minister
who would attempt this, would bring destruction on
his own head and revolution on the country. The
present storm is to be weathered by a very different
kind of pilot from him, who saved us at the expense
of eight hundred millions of debt. It will be
idle to continue appealing to people's fearsf
o
revolution, if it be apparent that in avoiding revolu-
tion the country is to fall back under the des-
potic, unegaal, and prodigal yoke of our aristo-
cracy. It is in the power of the present ministry to
rally all classes round them by measures of liberalism
and confidence. If, on the contrary, they shrink into
mere prefects of police, people will be prompt to com-
pare the narrowness of our government and legislature
with other governments and legislatures. Our best
security lies in having always the advantage in such
a comparison.
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