The Express.
London, England, 1857-07-18 00:00:00

(From the new number of the Quarterly )ainc.)
In our times there is a set against personal con-
niving, not unnatural whet' roretituenure ore too molt
larger, and when to extend them still further fa thought by
many people the lilorieon's pill of politics which is to cure all
diseases. But this distaste for the ancient practice is also
partly owing to the fact that the qualities of • good canvasser
are rare, and the work of a good cauvasser heavy. lie must
have unwearied activity, imperturbable good temper, popular
manners, and a wunderful nientory. Every person who has
made • trial of electioneering can testify to the exhaustion
and fatigue of the brat canvass, the swum of sew foes seen
and flitting through the mind in strange confusion, the im-
possibility of distinguishing between the voter who had a
leaning to you but doubted your fidelity to the Maynooth
grant, and his text-door neighbour who was coming round
to you against his former prejudiee because of your freedom
froM religious bigotry. The mental eye wearied of the kalei-
doscope that has been turning before it for hours. The hand
aches from incessant shaking. The head settee with in-
cessant observation. You fling yourself wearied, at nightfall,
into an easy chair in your committee-roam, and plunge
eagerly into sherry and soda-water. You could lie down and
sleep, like a general after a battle. But your committee is
about to meet, as • staring blue-bill on the hotel wall informs
the public ; and • score of people have new* for you. Tom-
' kin., the hatter to wavering—a roan who can influence four or
five; the enemy have Pet going a story that you beat your
wife, and you must hove a placard out showing that you are a
bachelor ; a gang are chinking ehampague at the Blue Boar
(one of the enemy's Morati), fellows whose potations ordi-
narily are of the poorest kind; your opinion is wanted en a
new squib; the manager of the tlllagre is below, waiting to
sec if you will palroniee his theatre, one night early, and
whether you will have Black Eytd Sues,, or llougloa; a de-
putation of proprietors of donkeys wants to hear your views
on the taxation of French imam milk. Who, under such
circumstaneeP, can retain in his memory all the details of
the canvass of the day ?
And yet eanmesing—if a man have a dash of Lord Wharton
in biro—it' a real pleasure, too. lu no way can a men with
an eye for character see an much character in a short time.
The varieties of the genus voter are no infinite ! There is
the cowation dubious voter, a little shy as you enter, and who
fumbles with aomethimr on the counter while you are talking.
Ile has not made up Ina mind. lie "pledme himself to no
man." He "will see on Monday' You You Collie away,
doubtful, but feeling that you have a chance. The next
voter is the Blotf Briton, who "disapproves of your prin-
ciples," and " tells you so frankly." There is a story of ono
of this breed in the grand °rawest for Westminster in 1784,
when Fox fought Sir Cecil Wray and Lord Hood. Fox
called to canvass him in the regular way. " Sir," said the
voter, "1 admire your abilities, but -- your principles:"
"Sir," replied Charles Jarnes, "I admire your sincerity,
but your manners:" These meu have • sympathy
with a ready stroke of wit which may get you their votes
after all ; especially if the opposite party should boast of the
vote, in which case our fihnd is us likely sa not to change
his mind, only to show his independence. The wont kind of
eccentric voter is the fellow who sated. a rude Aw.ih.rity
first, and then votes egainat you after all ; sad an equally
dieagrecabla specimen is your small politician who draws von
into • discussion on politics that he stay s"-ow off to Iris Wife
and the apprentice, duly intending, all the while to plump for
your opponent. These are the phenomena which make wit.
sliming so admirable a test of the tact and the temper of can-
didates. Again, r. human-La constituent will eoutetimis hear
you in inscrutable silence, and all of a sudden burst out with
the fact that he has teen pledged to you for a week. The
obdurate inameasiblc voter belomrs to a class by himself, and
of hint we have • capital anecdote which has come down