The Sun.
London, England, 1863-10-20 00:00:00

)
•
• 46, .
444

LONDON, TUESDAY, OCT. 20, 1863.

There is a curious avoidance in the new number of the Quarterly
of any political
theme whatever.
The silence of the chief organ of the
Conservative
cause, at this juncture, we take
4. 1--
tot
the fury of the coming storm e as ominous of
as that d
pectancy" in which the observant poet um. ex.
of a The
Seasons" recognised the secret portent or th
ap-
proaching hurricane. To compare map e , thing,
with great, the conspicuously careless and Yet irri-
tatingly arrogant bearing of one or another among
the motley members of the present Administration,
in regard to matters of the most vital import, has
seemed to us quite as distinctly to foreshadow their
Own proximate subversion, as that haughty disregard
of all pretence even of conciliation on the part of the
last GUIZOT Ministry in France, which immediately
preceded the crash of the Revolution in February.
Than Earl RUSSELL'S flagrantly inexact assertion
that all England is Federal, when quite notoriously
the sympathies of the vast majority in this coun-
try go heart and soul with the Confederates, what
Possibly could be :nore irritating ? perchance
V7O Unless
were to
hine,,i, say the capping, by the noble Earl
Si likk- ', of that climax of political effrontery, which
gpt-
nE has dubbed so very happily
Plain Wordsin four
1 "the insolence of office"—namely,
when Lord
in
the
course RUSSELL immediately after-
wards,
at
B of that same portentous
speech of his
ult hrgowrie, coolly recommended
those who mie.hty
a hankering wistfully
after Reform toßest here
deno
Thankful! And then
as if the Forei,n
b Secretary's two-e
a speech, had not done mischief ge sword of
d d
f enoughb in severing
some of the staunchest ben;
their verindingthe great
Liberal Party (even in
against
hope) to the Government of Loryd hoping
a discretion
the Irish Secretary, with VLAIERSTON—
Worthy of
his antecedents, must needs bound foal: into the poli-
tical arena—his tongue armed with slang, his hand
' a
with a thick stick, bearing (ce.lially, of course
peculiar resemblance to a shilelagh. Amore daring
outrage upon the freedom of election has notng
within our remembrance been perpetrated any-
where within the three kingdoms, than the one ad-
ventured upon only the other day down at Tam-
worth by the .Right Ilon. f it ROBERT PEEL--that

is, by one of her MAJESTY'S Privy Councillors.
There, at least in the instance of Sir ROBERT PEEL,
it is, beyond the smallest dor,bt of it, " the inso-
lence of office." This Privy Councilior—this, in
one sense, subordinate, in another, insubordinate,
member of the Administration—this inheritor, of
a great historical name, a name honoured by all the
English race as that of " the greatest member
of Parliament who ever lived"—(vide, for which
noble phrase, Mr. DISRAELI'S biography of Lord
GEORGE BENTINCK)—this Sir ROBERT PEEL, the
third of the name and of the baronetcy, must
needs drag that name, in the very dustthrou
all the rowdyism of a vulgar electioneering
skrimmage ! So recklessly—that
in l
he, the Right Hon. Sir ROBERT PEEL, th e
actuallyturm ° i
ith
his fist—getting soun
goes the length of knocking kin
g caneda mhaiam sdeol fw, in n
his
turn, however, so soLoantearsetel: theienrdei,vaidt Tuaalmhwadorth:
re-
gained
u p
the hisdey
of
footing.
this unseemly exhibition on the
Part of the Irish Secretary, he, the Right Hon.
Sir ROBERT PEEL, on being told of an elector
having voted for the opposing candidate,
elegantly bids the mob to " bonnet him !
—whereupon the mob bonnets the elector,
accordingly. The incident—disgraceful enough of
its kind not speedily to be list altogether to our
recollection—is vividly recalled to mind at this
moment by the profound silence preserved upon
all home politics by the Quarterly Review—that
profound, and significant, and even ominous silence
to which we have already referred. Miching
malecho, as HAMLET says—it means mischief. Of
that we may be certain. Time was when the Great
Liberal Party laughed to scorn the so-called
Conservative reaction. Call the reason for the
change what we may, the change itself is unde-
niable. The reaction commands our recognition,
whithersoever we turn. Seat after seat is lost to
the Government, and is gained by the Opposition—
each of those seats making a difference of two
upon any great party division. The majority by
which Ministers come in, small enough in itself, has
long since melted away altogether, and has at
length dwindled down into a minority. All the
Opposition has wanted of late, has been a motion
upon which to divide the House. And we question
very much indeed whether that petulant destroyer
of Administrations, that malapropos upsetter of
political coaches, now the noble Earl at the head of
the Foreign Department, has not contrived once
more, with his customary adroitness of perversity,
to prep3re for the Opposition their long looked for
opportunity.

There are few classes more to be pitied than
pauper children. The very name signifies the de-
privation of all that makes childhood the most
enjoyable period of life. It is, of course, impossible
to dissever many of the most painful attributes of
the case from the existence of these unfortunate
little ones ; but, at all events, some means should
be adopted to render their state as little irksome
and inconvenient as possible. The last accounts
that have appeared concerning these little outcasts
are not at all of a satisfactory nature. Ophthalmic
disease has appeared among them to a great extent,
and sad and serious as this evil is originally, it is
of course increased tenfold by the circumstances
which attend it in the schools and places
where these poor children are congregated.
The parish of St. Pancras have been great
sufferers during late years, owing to the
practice that has prevailed of patting the chidren
out to various places, instead of keeping them at
home and training them in schools appertaining
to the locality ; they seem to have run their heads
into storms, and to have imbibed the various ills
that were afloat in the many places of refuge to
which they were consigned. The report of Mr.
THOMAS WIARTON JONES is well worthy of con-
sideration. This gentleman is the ophthalmic sur-
geon to the University Hospital, and is therefore
well qualified to give his testimony regarding the
peculiar nature of the malady referred to, and
also of the treatment that ought to ensue after
the evil has once become apparent. The rapidity
with which the disease spreads is alarming to
contemplate, and it requires the greatest care to
prevent the contagion from increasing to a fright.
ful extent. It is therefore most distressing to
fins that there is not sufficient means adopted to
arrest the progress of the complaint. In this re.
port it is specially mentioned that the towels they
use are in common amongst them, which is a most
deleterious practice. Of course the uninitiated are
not to blame for failing to detect the earlier stages
of the disease, but more diligence should be used
:n calling in efficient medical aid promptly.
Hardly anything can be more disastrous to these
poor children, who are all destined, if spared, to
earn their livelihood by toil, than to be
afflicted with this sad complaint. Its cure
and its prevention alike demand assiduous
care and prompt attention, and it is almost
impossible to expect that these can be
obtained in the crowded confines and amid the
conflicting claims of such crowded establishments.
This is one of the many cases in which prevention
is better than cure, and precaution to begin with
outweighs the skill of science and the most devoted
efforts subsequently. Some mention of this sort
was made at the Board of Directors. It appears the
Anerley schools do not employ a doctor as a resi-
dent, but have occasional assistance and advice. Of
course, though this plan might answer in ordinary
cases, it stands to reason that it will not avail in
desperate and dangerous contingencies. Without
imputing blame to any special individual, or decry-
ing any particular plan, it seems obvious that there
i 8 ample room for improvement in the mechanism
and management of these establishments for pauper
children.
Notwithstanding the vast and various
alterations
and changes that have taken place for
the better
in these institutions of late years, there
remai mere to be done, and that with no niggard
nor sa n-
paring hand. In the first place there should
simple regulations stringently carried out.
~ the spread of an infectious be some
If there was
towels, Prohibiting the indiscriminate
&erule
use
dis-
order like this could not
of
take could its ravages be so place so rapidly, nor
difficult to stop. It would
appear as if there Were
Consciousness of this
in the minds of some, for the gentlemen appointed
to inspect the to inquire were not permitted
Had they done so they mailgthertations,
that
important and necessary have sag.
lava-
tories.
would have materially affected the statgested
e of the case
as regards the future management of the
Apart from the wellbeing
place. that
now
there is another point to
prevails, be con.
if these children afflicted with sidered,blind-
ness will be burdens for life on the parish. Even
in a mercenary point of view, it is therefore incum.
ho have the charge of them to
bent upon those w
ea health as much as possible, and pre-
protect their .
serve them as independent members of society. It
is idle to be deterred from making due inquiries
into the affair from the fear of giving offence and
raising awkward discussions. There is so much
offence given unavoidably, snd so much anger pro.
thing to
yoked intentionally, that it seems a slight
increase their average by taking pains to arrive at
the knowledge and investigating the details with
accuracy, that concern the well-being and welfare
of hundreds of our little paupers. 'Their lot in life

heritageafflict seemshnm
a nit
yt.o cilsund
ne
talmost
aisllsathdeeniloleugthha,t cantheir
It
° h
philanthropists, en to
lexpect
t who
that the enlightened and Chris-
tian go about endeavouring to
benefit
and whose efforts have effected
tm
classes,
so much in various phases of society, should turn
their attention to the pauper children. There can
hardly be a more helpless and unprotected branch
of sufferers to watch over, and the consequences of
their efforts will be not only present gain, but
benefits to themselves and society at large. Too
much may be made of these affairs, is the opinion
of some ; but such views are short-sighted, and
these notions are most erroneous, for nothing can
in the long run so militate against the well-doing
of a State as the lamentable occurrence of the seeds
of disease taking root and spreading their baneful
influence and casting their withering blight among ,
the rising generation.

The office of a Cabinet Minister at a complimen-
tary banquet is an easy and pleasant one. He has
not to fear the awkward inquiries that greet him
when he sits in state behind the red boxes; he
need not anticipate the sharp retort, or the keen
analysis that proves fatal to his plausible statements
or his impressive perorations. He is generally the
hero of the occasion, and has only to receive and
acknowledge compliments and courtesies ; while
his office as an orator consists not in annihilating an
opponent, or carrying a forlorn hope, but in recount •
ing the achievements of his Government, and dilat-
ing on their vast superiority to their adversaries.
The good they have done swells into dignified pro-
portions, while the evil which belongs to them, if
not "interred with their bones," is at least left in
convenient temporary oblivion. The public dinner
given by the Mayor of Ripon last week to the mem-
bers of his Town Council assumed something of a
political character, from the presence of Earl DE
GREY and Roost among the invited guests. The
noble earl, in acknowledging the toast of her
MAJESTY'S Ministers, was naturally led into some
observations on the foreign policy of the Cabinet of
which he is a member. The post of Secretary for
War is in reality almost a sinecure, since Earl
RUSSELL holds the seals of the Foreign-office.
That
valiant statesman takes especial pains to inform
every Power with whom he has dealings that on no
consideration will he commence hostilities; and,
indeed, in some instances his conciliatory spirit has
carried him so far as to awake doubts in the cynical
as to whether he would fight if attacked. The office
of War Minister, however, as Earl DE GREY re-
minded his hearers, is one which he has held but
for a very brief period. The lamented and pre-
mature death of his distinguished chief called
him to the additional dignities and responsibilities
of the position which he
,now occupies, and the
tribute which he paid to the memory of Sir GEORGE
CORNEWALL LEWIS was worthy of both. The rare
and remarkable faculty, which made the departed
statesman seek the recreation of his leisure hours in
severe and abstruse study, was particularly referred
to by Earl DE GREY as one who had unusual oppor-
tunities for observing Sir G. LEWIS'S assiduous ap-
plication to his Ministerial duties. Independently
of the old rule," De moriius nil nisi bonwn," the late
War Secretary left behind him a name which all
parties have united to honour, and a reputation for
industry, moderation, and scientific acquirement
which even his adversaries agreo to respect. Passing
from such topics to the more stirring and engross-
ing questions of the day, Earl DE GREY declared
that he accepted the warns reception given him bY
his friends and neighbours as an expression of ap-
proval of the Ministerial policy. Whether such
were the fact may very fairly be doubted, the ruling
political powers not being sufficiently popular to
eclipse the recognition readily accorded to a re-
spected and influential neighbour. The noble lord
took some credit to the Government for having
been able to maintain peace amid the
storms and
disorders around them. That the task had been
one of no ordinary difficulty is an unquestionable
fact; the point at issue is whether the Ministerial
policy has been the best adapted to the time. "It
we have accomplished the task," said Earl DE
GREY, " it has been by adhering to distinct and in-
telligible principles—principles which have com-
mended themselves to the approval of the country,
because they were founded in justice and fair deal-
ing." When we recall the inconsistent and vaci!-
lating policy of our Government during the progress
of the American war, the merit of acting upon dis•
tinct and intelligible principles is one of the very
last we should accord to them. Is it a distinct
and intelligible principle which permits the em-
barkation of arms and ammunition unchecked for
the Northern States, and forbids the departure of
vessels supplied with neither one nor the other for
the South ? Is it a consistent and comprehensible
policy which defends the departure of the Alabama,
and puts the broad arrow on the El Toussein ? Is
it a policy founded in justice and fair dealing which
patiently takes insulting orders and directions from
the Federals, while holding no communication with
the Southern authorities ;
which recognises the
South as a belligerent, and yet will
not receive its
representative; which suffers English vessels trad-
ing to neutral ports to be seized and confiscated
with but feeble remonstrance, while the Washing.
ton Cabinet is allowed to have its spies in our pri-
vate dockyards, and to supply the English Govern-
ment with information as to the proceedings of
independent English firms ? The partiality which
the Federals accuse us of showing for the South
has in truth been exhibited towards themselves,
but as spoiled children are always hardest to please,
so the North professes to believe itself the illused
party. American 'cuteness must long ago have
discovered that a blustering tone of defiance and
professed injury would extract concessions to any
extent from the British Government. The abuse
levelled at this country by both sides is accepted by
the Government and their partisans as testimony
to their impartiality. They forget that a strict
neutrality would at least have commanded respect,
even if it excited anger, but a weak and vacil-
lating policy is certain to irritate, while
it never impresses. The favour shown to
the North has been too palpable to leave
mobstng roomo ern for du
ent in seizing , while the last act of the
G the rams at Birkenhead has
yet to be proved legal. It is even rumoured that it
is the intention of the Cabinet to introduce a bill for
Government
the extension of the Foreign Enlistment Act next
session, but it may be very much doubted whether
such a bill would ever get further than the intro-
duction. Earl DE GREY censured the intemperate
and extravagant language of Mr. SUMNER, justly
observing that it would have been absurd to ac-
knowledge as belligerents " those who were every
day proving in the clearest manner that they were
belligerent; and belligerents
of the most formidable
character." The American statesman may certainly
learn a lesson
from the English Minister, so much
his junior in
official experience, for however wo
may differ from Earl DE GREY'S foreign policy, his
able and temperate exposition of the views of his
party, such as they are, prove his powers as a
speaker and his sense of the responsibilties of a
statesman.

KING GEORGE OF GREECE is dark, and promises
to be a robust man, being already tali: Re speaks English
neatly, is affable, and without pretension,