Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-10-07 00:00:00

without let or hindrance from any influential

Opposition

All we contend for is, the mainten-

ance of such a Conservative majority as will
insure the respectable character of the Council,

and be a guarantee that its proceedings will ever
be directed to promote, not the political interests
of any party, but the Municipal interests of the

town at large.

THE Aberdeen manifesto of Lord JOHN RUSSELL,
if it is to be taken as the prelude to a definite
course of political conduct, gives so strange and
novel an aspect to Liberalism, and is so likely to
exercise an influence on the fortunes of parties in
the coming struggle, that we think no apology
necessary for recurring to a subject which will,
notwithstanding, be of more immediate interest

next February than now. Yet, in any case, we
know not whether' it is not as well for Conser-
vatives to be informed of the exact relative

positions of themselves and their opponents,
before they are in the midst of the strife, and
placed by the force of circumstances in battle-

array,

In: the first-place, if Lord JOHN. RUSSELL be
sincere in his recent utterances, he cannot avoid

looking upon the designs of Mr. BRIGHT and his
followers with disapproval and alarm. To

receive them, either with a qualified dissent or
an easy indifference, would be a very grave im-
putation either upon his patriotism or his intelli-

Bence. To dismiss the question of an entire

remodelling of .our political system, such as that

rich our incipient democrats contemplate,

merely' as a debateable scheme which is beyond

abilities to conceive. or his. strength

to execute, is to throw .an air of insin-

over ' his ' profeS§ions, or to misappre-
hend- fatally the magnitude and :value of the

cerity

stake at issue:— Conservatives are often derided

for apprehending too Much danger from the
dreams of those wild and reckless empirics. But
can any one who has happily achieved that know-
ledge of the Constitution which Mr. BRIGHT.
tells us he has failed to master, doubt that an

entirely new basis is involved, both in the avowed
and in the secret plans with which the Manahei;
ter School are now about to inflame the igno-

ranee and selfishness of mobs ? It may be an
advantage that we are not called upon to argue
With Lord JOINT RUSSELL the reality or the
merits of the English Constitution, or that all
our reforms should b-e. 'based upon its characteris-

tics,.and _even considerate of its eccentricities.
But if so, he must perceive as well as we, that to

invest one class of the nation with a great pre-
ponderance, of political power, and to elevate the
numerical theory above the dictates of political
yrisdom, and the natural pre-eminence of social
and political virtue, is to drift into a theory
wholly foreign to the English Constitution, certain
to, change entirely the face of English society, and
turn away the current of our national life. But if so,
why- this coquetting with the mob leaders, who
have identified themselves With these revolution-
ary principles, and even make no secret, or a very
transparent one, of their ultimate intentions ?
Why give encouragemeut.to the general
impres-
sion,that these political alias are parts of the
" Great Liberal Interest," that they inspire its
" Liberality," and are prepared to goad it; when
it hesitates or falters, into its legitimate work ?
Why was it complained of with so confident an
appearance of reason, that Mr. BRIGHT had no'
Place offered him in the Whig Cabinet ; and
accepted as a just and natural arrangenieni that
Mr. COBDEN'S assistance was solicited ? What !
Ii there any natural alliance bet Ween the author
of those Conservative sentiments at Aberdeen
and the Manchester seiolists, who are about to
put the English plebs through a course of demo-
cratic instruction.? . 'What part could Mr.
BRIGHT take in deliberations of which Lord
JOHN . RUSSELL is to have the direction ? What
duty could Mr. BRIGHT discharge fo a reform
bill of 'which Lo'id JOHN -RUSSELL isto have the
preparation ? Is there no danger, is there no
crime, in patting these popular misleaders on the
back, and in giving the people to know that they
hold a recognised and respectable position among
patties l
? a
.section even compose so large and for-
m,dabe
to consult their prejudices, or respect their
,ionin the State, that there is need
D seo they