The Sun.
London, England, 1853-04-07 00:00:00

trait was taken by one fashionable artist, his bust
was taken in marble, ore perennius, by another.
His career has been altogether an
exceptional one ; none but himself can be his
parallel," to say, in reference to the charge of
political inconsistency, as if it could not just as
well (not to say better) be observed in English,
" Les extremes se touchent" (p. 430), to observe
in another part (p. 433), " a blot is not a
blot till it is hit" (till it is hit !) or, in another,
to remark very elegantly (p. 435) that " the ex-
Premier acted on the drunkard's maxim of ' a
hair of the dog that bit you !' " If these be not
slip-slop, what is ? But as a conclusive testimony
of the pervading unfairness of this attack in the
Edinburgh, take the following really remarkable
paragraph :

ci In 1837, Mr. DISRAELI obtained the long-coveted
object of his ambition. He was elected member for
Maidstone. The effect of his maiden speech in the
House of Commons is well known. It was cut short
[what a phrase U by an irrepressible burst of laughter,
and he concluded with the memorable words : I have
begun several times many things, and I have often suc-
ceeded at last. I shall sit down now, but the time will
come when you will hear me.' When WOOD'ALL told
SHERIDAN after hearing his maiden effort that public
speaking was not his line [here's another phrase, that
might have thrown CHESTERFIELD. into hysterics !], the
future rival of PITT and Fox replied, after leaning his
head upon his hand fora few moments,---' I have it in
meandbyG— it shall come out.' This was the in-
stinctive consciousness of latent power, and in the same
category of sayings may be ranged NELSON'S, when,
finding his name omitted in the dispatches [qucere
despatches], he exclaimed, ' Never mind, some time or
other I will have a Gazette to myself.' But Mr.
DISRAELI'S threat, vow, or promise was simply one of
his characteristic ebullitions of assurance."
Why ? The reasoning of this, we take it, is rather
obscure. Why SHERIDAN'S remark should have
arisen from " the instinctive consciousness of
latent power," and why NELSON'S should be ranged
"in the same category," and Mr. DISRAELI'S be
pooh-poohed as " simply one of his characteristic
ebullitions of assurance" is not rendered quite as
clearly apparent as would be desirable under the
circumstances. Are we to take the bare assertion
upon the ipse dixit of the Reviewer ? Before we
can consent to that, we must see his judgment a
little less warped by prejudice, a little less jaun-
diced by jealousy, and a little less fired by the
heat of what one might almost suspect to be a
personal, and certainly a most bitter animosity.
SHERIDA.N was'prophetic when he said—" I have
it in me, and by G— it shall come out." It did
come out. NELsoN was right when he said, " I
will have a Gazette to myself " for he had
afterwards. Mr. DISRAELI, again, was not very
far, we believe, from being correct in his pre-
diction when he told the House of Commons,
in 1837—" The time will come when you will
hear me." We rather fancy that time did come
at last, and that the House of Commons, just
once or twice perhaps, has heard him. Yet forth
comes this blundering Edinburgh Reviewer, main-
taining that the two former exclamations were
indicative of the " instinctive consciousness of
power," whereas the last was, on the contrary,
only a simple "ebullition of assurance." Why this
is the mere absurdity or fatuity of spitefulness.
EVerything considered, as Free-traders, as
Liberals, or as admirers of impartial criticism,
we cannot but lament the indecorous, and even
at moments vulgar, passion displayed in the pre-
sent instance by our usually sedate and dignified
contemporary.