The Sun.
London, England, 1860-07-24 00:00:00

THB ARMY.

On Sunday afternoon Lord Clyde, G.C.8., arrived
at Chatham garrison on a visit to Major-Gen. Eyre,
the commandant. Although the visit of his lord-
ship was a strictly private one, immediately the in-
telligence became known that the gallant General
had arrived at the garrison the greatest desire was
manifested among the soldiers of the various corps
who had fought under him in India to obtain a view
of his lordship, and hopes were entertained that he
would make an inspection of the troops. His lord-
ship remained at Government-house on Sunday
night, and yesterday morning returned to London
on his way to Osborne, having received her Majes-
ty's commands to visit her Majesty at Osborne-
house.

THE _FATAL DESCENT-GOING-

GOING'.

(From the Norfolk News.)
The Whigs are again sliding gradually and in-
gloriously down the slope into the muddy quag
where they have so often found themselves wallow-
ing before. They are slip—slip—slipping. Every
one can see tkem nearing the fatal swamp. Fuellis
descensus averni. Friends warn them. Enemies
cannot restrain their exultations. But all in vain.
Remonstrances avail nothing. Even jeers, usually
so hard to be borne, move them not, It seems to be
the fate of Whig leaders to throw away every
chance of making a fortune and to die in a ditch.
We instinctively despise a heartless set. It
seems strange, but there is something in energy
and daring which wins respect, even when asso-
ciated with bad designs. We are wont to make
some sort of favourable qualification in condemning
an arrant rascal if he has only shown anything
akin to courage. We hold the memory of Richard
Turpin in some kind of respect, because he was
outrageously brave and bold. We are prone to dis-
like even a saint, if he assumes an excessively meek,
puling, whining tone. What mankind want, to
win their regard, is Manliness.
Our Ministers govern the country—we refer
particularly to domestic affairs—in the most un-
manly fashion. They have brains enough, and
power of talk in great abundance. But they are
heartless. They have no faith, no creed, no energy,
no " go." They legislate as if they lived on slops.
A more contemptible jumble of make-believes, mis-
haps, and blunders, never occurred in any one ses-
sion. If Lord Palmerston could blush he would,
at the ridiculous contrast between his professions
and his performances. 'With the exception of the
Budget changes, on the merits of which the best
informed men differ, it seems likely that we shall
have nothing in the way of " acts" for which to
remember the session. It is doubtful whether even
the Bankruptcy Bill will pass.*
We would not be so ungenerous as to blame the
Government for defeats if those defeats were be-
yond their control. But the languor of the Go-
vernment and their manifest half-heartedness have
invited the repulses of which they have hardly
energy enough even to complain. It was open for
them to refuse to bring forward a Reform Bill. It
was open to them, too, to determine to what extent
any Reform Bill to be proposed should go. Having
resolved to bring forward a bill, and having agreed
on its provisions, they were thenceforth bound to
do one of three things—to carry their bill, to
resign, or to appeal to the country. Their
answer to this would probably be, that neither the
Commons nor the country eared for their bill. To
this we rejoin, that if the Government had thown a
determination to carry the bill, the country would
have rallied at this proof of earnestness, and Par-
liament would have been glad to dispose of the
question. We have, however, every reason to
believe that Lord Palmerston and his section of
the Cabinet are not, at heart, Reformers at all,
and that this being known outside, has excited
insubordination amongst the Liberals, and sug-
gested a Fabian policy to the Opposition. Similar
remarks apply to the Paper-duty Bill, and to the
constitutional question raised by the Lords' re-
jection of that measure. The Government were
known not to be in earnest, and Lord Derby, there-
upon assumed an attitude which found encourage-
ment and support amongst the Liberal Peers and
led to the " gigantic innovation" which we 'hope
will in its turn lead to the overthrow of a no less
gigantic imposture.
Of all the nuisances known or possible in the
political world, the most unendurable is that ex-
hibited by stagnant Liberalism. Corruptio optimi
pessima. If obstructions are to be laid in the path
of progress—if the rights of the people are to be
treated with contempt—if Reform is to be shuttle-
cocked about from session to session—if of every
ten bills proposed nine are to be withdrawn—if lc!.
gislat.ion is to be brought .to a standstill, and this
advancing nation is to be told that its institutions
have been all duly. perfectionated already, let the
Tories have their rightful prerogative and conduct
this inglorious policy. Real Liberals cannot coun-
tenance the sacrifice and disgrace involved, in
Liberal statesmen forgetting their distinctive prin-
ciples, laying down the pioneer's axe, and hinder-
ing the host behind them from taking one single
step more in advance.
We hear of the reaction that has set in, and are
inclined to believe that just now it is really ebb-
tide, but whoever heard of an ebb without a flow ?
Granted that there is a reaction at this moment.
Let the reaction men go to the head of affairs.
They best represent the feeling, or want of feeling
in the country. Now is the time to prepare for the
change that must come when the ebb is over. If
Liberals fall a prey to the prevailing epidemic,
breakup their party, and abjure all their principles,
what shall be done when the tide comes which
" taken at the flood," would " lead on to fortune."
In this censure of the Government we have re-
ferred to their domestic policy. Their foreign
policy,
as ably conducted by Lord John Russell,
appears to us as deserving of the highest commen-
dation. And the only misgiving we have in the
expression of our desire to get rid of the present
Government, arises from the apprehension that
Italian freedom, which has gained so much from
the
.principle of non-intervention, enunciated and
insisted upon by our Foreign Secretary, should
suffer,
were Lord Derby, with his Austrian lean-
ings, to resume the reins of power.
In every view of public affairs there is cause for
dissatisfaction and uneasiness, but nothing dis-
tresses us so much as the half-heartedness of the
Liberal chiefs. Oar cause, founded in right, sus-
tained by the best sympathies of the people, can-
not be driven back by active opposition, but it may
suffer for a long season through the treachery of
those professed friends who seem to aspire to lead
the popular forces only t.hat. they may surrender
their flag and reverse their victories.

*A telegram informs us that the Government have with-
drawn this bill, and thus left the session like a mountain
which, after a long labour, has not brought forth even a
mouse 1