The Sun.
London, England, 1865-07-12 00:00:00

The Elections.

(From the Quarterly Review)
Contrary to modern maxims, inenare just now of
than far more importance measures. So far as the
votes at the ensuing elections are given from a poli-
tical motive at all, the vast majority of them will be
of
given in support nota policy, but of a statesan.
It is the personal question m
that must, therefore, take
precedence of any oter in a discussion of political
probabilities. Who are the rulers whom we may
expect to have if the present election should result
in favour of the existing Government? All the
Liberal papers are l arguing upon the hypothesis that
will Lord Palmerston continue to be Prime Minis-
ter. Most of the Liberal electors will probably go
to the poll under the influence of the same idea. We
sincerely hope that no further diminution of Lord
Palmerston's health or strength will take place for a
i
long time to come. lis strong constitution holds
out every hope that he will live for many years to
enjoy the honour which men of all opinions will
gladly pay to one._ who has devoted so large a por-
tion of his life, and such unwearied assiduity to the
service of his country. But it is idle to expect that
he can continue to hold the position of First Minis-
ter and leader of the House of Commons. He would
probably have resigned it many months ago but for
the importunate entreaties of his colleagues that he
would not forsake them at this crisis of their fate.
No man less courageous or less robust could have
borne the exhaustingthe Psalmist
of such an office at
h
the age at which has ascribed nothing
but weakness and se orrow. Not only is it a feat
that is unexampled in English history, but no ap-
li proach to it even can be found. Sir R. Peel used
to say that no man could perform the duties of the
office with efficiency after 60. All honour to the
vigour of mind and freshness of feeling which have
induced Lord Palmerston to sacrifice to what he
believed to be his country's good ho large a portion
of the repose which old age may justly claim.
But it is obvious that such a marvellous strain
upon human powers must at last reach the limit
at which they would refuse to answer to the call ;
and it has been too evident, for many months past,
that that limit has been reached. Ever since Easter
Lord Palmerston's leadership in the House of Com-
mons has been little more than nominal. He has
appeared on a few occasions to answer important
questions, and has remained in his place for a short
time before dinner. Once or twice he has remained
till late in the evening. But with
these scanty ex-
ceptions the practical leadership of the house has de-
volved upon Sir G. Grey. Yet the actual presence
in the House of Commons--a duty which in former
years Lord Palmerston used to perform with unre-
mitting diligence—is the lightest of all the labours
which the First Minister is called on to perform. If
this is beyond his power to accomplish satisfacto-
rily, all the other and more onerous portion of his
task must of necessity be laid aside altogether.
The arduous duty by which alone a statesman can
keep abreast even with the progress of the most im-
portant public question is a toil compared to which
attendance in Parliament is repose. Yet without
this toil no Prime Alinister can hold an unques-
tioned supremacy over his colleagues. No man can
be master of those who act under him if his know-
ledge of the subject-matter of their labours is pal-
pably inferior to theirs. For two or three years
past it has been painfully apparent that Lord Pal-
merston no longer possessed any effective control
over his colleagues. The acts of the Government
have borne upon them little traces either of the old
spirit or the old sagacity. It is difficult to conceive
that Mr. Gladstone would have been permitted to
utter a manifesto in favour of manhood suffrage if
Lord Palmerston had been really master in his own
Ministry. It is still more difficult to imagine that if
the despatches of the Foreign-office had passed un-
der Lord Palmerston's eye, those ambiguous and in-
sincere intimations of support would have been made
which betrayed the Danes to their ruin. But all this
administrative neglect mattered little, so long as the