The Sun.
London, England, 1865-07-19 00:00:00

LONDON, WEDNESDAY, JULY 19, 1865.

-ii..-

The speech of the right hon. baronet, who has
long been the most distinguished of the representa-
tives of Hertfordshire could hardly fail to secure the
attention even of the unruly mob who form the
audience of a hustings address. Sir E. B. Lyrrox,
as in duty bound, passed in favourable review the
measures of his own Government when in power,
and subjected the reigning Cabinet to some severe
though humorous strictures. But there was so much
of truth in the indictment, and that indictment
itsrlf was so cleverly framed, that it would be
very difficult for the Palmerstonians to find an
answer to it. Yet, for all that, the speaker was
too wary and too enlightened to divide the political
virtues and vices exactly in half, retaining the first
for himself and making a present of the other to his
rivals. The Conservatives he declared could afford
to be candid. " Our opponents claim for the Whig.
Government every conceivable merit, and impute to
the Conservative Opposition every conceivable fault,
whereas, I believe, on both sides we are human
beings, and have that mixture of merits and faults
which is the ordinary lot of humanity." Atcting upon
this benevolent theory, the right hon. baronet pro-
ceeded to award to Lord PALMERSTON'S Govern-
ment the credit to which he considered them justly
entitled, though he naturally enough added the
assertion that on those points the Conservative
policy would have been identically the same.
First and foremost he places the preservation of
neutrality during the American War. Secondly,
the moral support which the English Government
has given to the cause of Italian independence. " I
said from the first," observed Sir EDWARD, " that
it was for the interest of civilisation that Italy-'
should shake off the Austrian yoke, and with her
magnificent seaboard, her fertile soil, and her intel-
ligent population, assume her proper rank in the
great family of nations." The interest of England,
too, as the speaker justly added, must always be in
favour of the establishment of free States, since she
is the parent and model of them all. But, having
accorded thus much praise to the foreign policy of
Lord PILMERSTON'S Administration, it was only to
be expected that the speaker should proceed there-
upon to animadvert upon some of their dealings with
other -Powers, which have been less satisfactory.
Their conduct towards Denmark was of the same
character as that towards their own countrymen:
In both cases they committed the fault " of excit-
ing hopes that they deceived, and making promises
that they broke." Sir B t7LWER LYTTON disclaimed all
wish to exaggerate the offence ; he admitted that it
was very likely that no positive pledges of assistance
were given to Denmark that a clever lawyer could
not explain away ; but then, he added, -kith
both force and justice, that great nations ought
not to act towards weaker Powers like clever
lawyers, but, far rather than that, like
plain-dealing, loyal gentlemen. On one point,
however, of this Danish question we cannot
agree with the right hon. baronet. A war between
this country and Germany was alike unnecessary
and undesirable, but if England had thrown the
aegis of her protection over the Danish territory, no
shot need have been fired. Holstein might have
been allowed to exchange King Log for King Stork
unmolested, but if the British flag had been hoisted
On the Eider, Schleswig need never have been torn
from the Danish Crown to have been forcibly in-
eprporated with Prussia, or quarrelled for among
German statesmen. Sir E. B. LYTTON contents
himself with saying, very quietly, however, that for
us to go to war with Germany unaided by France
would be simply impossible ! Overlooking the fact
that England, single-handed, has before now come
off victorious from far greater odds. The nation
that could drive back the veterans of NAPOLEON ]
need not shrink, we should imagine, from encoun-
tering the present generation of German soldiers.
Coming at length to the great domestic question,
Sir EDWARD LYTTON attacked the Liberals on their
neglect of their pledges. The ur.fortunate Libe-
rals have, indeed, furnished their adversaries with
a weapon against themselves by their abandonment
of the much talked-of Reform. The right hon. •