The Express.
London, England, 1867-10-31 00:00:00

rs DIIRAEL/ AT EDINBURGH.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Times
rya, undertook a work of considerable difficulty at Edin-
burgh in endeavouring to persuade his hearers that the
English Reform Act was • very good measure and was
thoroughly the design and execution of the conservative
party. It is • question which may be discussed, and pro-
bably will be discussed to the end of time, who really
carried the bill. The conservatives claim it ; so do the
liberals ; but, as the former remained masters of the field,
the pretensions of the latter must be of a mere speculative
character. It must be observed, however, that the great
majority of the half-million now to be admitted are
by no means such as the conservatives look to with hope.
The agricultural labourers are left outside, and the small
boroughs, supposing they remain, may not show much
gratitude to their conservative saviours. The increase of
the county representation is • lean equivocal conservative
gain ; but when we consider the mixed character of the
counties subdivided and the lowering of the county fran-
chise, our old tories will sigh to think how small the gain
and how doubtful. The real conservative triumph is that
the constitution has now been placed on the firm basis of
the rate-paying class. From the indiscreet sallies of hostile
and captious writers Mr. Disraeli escapes by showing that
an opposite course would have committed his party to a
living suicide and inaction, and the world, which will always
spare a little worship for snoop's, will probably be of his
mind on the point.
The feeling with which Mr. Disraeli has been received in
Edinburgh, if analysed into its several elements, would, the
Daily News thinks, probably be found to consist in about
equal proportions of curiosity, amusement, and such admi-
ration as is compatible with the predominance of the
other two sentiments. He is the hero of a revolu-
tionary epic aa strange as he ever wrote. Now they
have seen him, the citizens of Edinburgh probably
persuade themselves that they know him ; but the
riddle of the Sphynx is not so easily solved. Like the
hero of the " Strange Story " of a distinguished brother
novelist and late colleague of his own, Mr. Disraeli has the
power of projecting phantasm. of himself in such moods as
he chooses to adopt—phantasms which hold commerce with
his auditors and are mistaken for Ids real selL The entertain.
went was perfectly sueoessful, and portions of his address
sufficiently amusing. To the true character of the charge
against him he professes to be utterly blind. As there are
men born without • mus'eal sense, so there men to whom
nature has denied an ethical sense. The life of the speech
was in his picture of the two Quarterlies ; his hit at his
coadjutors and muter, of the Reform League ; his tribute
to the "Albertans movement," which will not be a bad
letter of introduction to Balmoral, and the compliment to
the Scotch character. His narrative of the reform ques-
tion was as ingenious • piece of fiction as ever proceeded
from the author's fertile imagination. For the rest, if by
persuading his party that the tortes are the traditional
reformers of England he can make them liberals, we at
least have no cause to resent the beneficent fraud.
The Post sees about Mr. Disraeli's recent utterances •
cynical contempt for the understanding and memory of
those who have the pleasure of listening to him, which in
its way is splendid. Shall we agree to accept the account
that, although apparently anxious to prevent a large and
comprehensive enfranchisement, the leaders of the tortes
were really working towards it all the time, unknown to,and
in opposition to, their own followers ? It remains to be seen
how long such audacity and effrontery will be endured as
the governing principles of English statesmen.
To the Herald, Mr. Disraeli's vindication appears about
as perfect both in form and substance as any political ex-
hibition it can remember, and the Standard reckons the
speech one of the happiest efforts of the brilliant and in-
cisive eloquence of which the Chancellor of the Exchequer
is so consummate • master.

The Star considers it on the whole a fortunate thing
that Mr. Disraeli was leader of the House of Commons
last session. It is always, we suppose, accounted a very
lucky thing for a besieging party when the governor of the
beleaguered fortress is willing to surrender his flag and his
garrison for a little personal consideration. In one sense,
too, that sort of governor may be considered a much
more dexterous and sensible fellow than the chivalrous
zealot who holds out, is defeated, and gets nothing. But,
after all, we are still not educated enough in the Disraeli
school to give our homage to success of his kind.

The Tel;9rap4 asks ;hat can be better than that Mr.
Disraeli and his apprentices should stand, as at present,
behind the counter of the state, rubbing their hands in
submission to each will and demand of public opinion,
prepared to " execute the order with the utmost prompti-
tude and in accordance with those principles of business
for which our well•known establishment has ever," &0.,
The only remark to make upon this new division of la.
boor, where the opposition dictates and the government
complies, is that so agreeable a compact must may last
while the beneficiaries arc obedient.