The Express.
London, England, 1866-06-29 00:00:00

OUR CONTEMPORARIES.

(THIS DAY.)

THE CHANGE OF MINitTERM.
The Times proceeds to trace the progress of the
radical element in the government of the country for the
last 11 years, from the first administration of Lord Pal-
merston, during which it was kept down, through its rise
to something like equality in the earlier period of
Lord Pabnerston's second government, and its repression
by a sort of understanding between whip and tones during
his later years, unto its indisputable predominance on the
accession of Lord Russell to power. From the latter date,
according to the Tiers, the whips have occupied a compa-
ratively subordinate position. But as a condition of suc-
cess was an absolute submission of the whole liberal
party, the experiment has failed, and we are now asking
ourselves whether we are to be gores ned, RI heretofore, by
some kind of coalition between whip and radicals,
or is the whig party to be split in two, one part
of it being lost in the radicals and the other
namely distinguished from the conservatives? In
the opinion of the Times it is not unnatural that a
certain portion of the liberals should be disposed to unite
themselves to political opponents. The only condition
which must be required of them is that the change must
proceed from conscientious convictions alone, and not be-
cause of the attractions and emoluments of office. In
another article the Times argues, apropos of the discussion
in the House of Commons last night, that all parties are
profoundly dirsatisted at the circumstance of the change
of government now in progress, and it concurs with Mr.
°shot ne in throwing the blame on the ministry.
The Daily News observes that what we are now witness-
ing is no mere party movement, but an attempt to coca.
bine the two sections of the hereditary aristocracy of Eng-
land against the common enemy. the British people. This
is a manlier coarse than to be undoing reform administra-
tions by tricky resolutions moral by thei^ sons, or the
votes of their " kept members " in the people's house. The
chivalrous abandonment of party exclusiveness is really a
compliment to the progress of the age, for it shows
that the intelligence and energy of the people
have become so formidable Cud notidn7 but a union and
concentration of the whole landed aristocracy can defeat
the claims it makes to a fuller share in the management of
its own affairs. The liberal party is to be congratulated
on the fact that they are now likely to be rid of the pre-
sence in their camp of men whose hearts and on critics'
occasions whose swords were with the enemy.
The Post thinks the delay which Lord Derby finds
necessary is a tolerable proof this the difficulties in his
way are greater than had been expected, and that
there was no cut and dry mi'siati; ready, as some
Pappcx.ol.
The Herald is so anxious that a coalition should be
made that it pleads for dropping the word "liberal" out of
the political dictionary, and for distinguishing between
the new ministry and the opposition by the titles of con-
servatives and radicals or constitutionalists and democrats.
Half the popularity enjoyed by the one party, and the
distrust felt towards the other In " liberal" communities,
has arisen from a delusive nomenclature ; and with its
disappearance the real conservatism of England will, for
the first time, find free scope.
Construct the cabinet as Lord Derby may, the Telegraph
says, it must still prove the most unpopular ministry since
1832-a government of patokwork and compromise—a go-
vernment that cannot live a month except by the rueful
forbearance of the House of Commons. The fair play
which the new government must expect is open and
honest but unsparing opposition• That government must
be regarded, while it exists, as a disaster and a danger ;
and not until it falls, as it will fall, before the extraordi-
nary popular animosity that heralds its entry upon office,
will any liberal, high or low, known or unknown, cease
from strenuous efforts to achieve its overthrow,