The Sun.
London, England, 1867-01-04 00:00:00

never be absent from the doings and sayings of

men who put themselves prominently before the
public as the pioneers of a work of progress,
and the exponents of popular opinion on a subject of

interest and importance. We have all along con-

sidered that a very unnecessary fuss was made
about a particular passage in one of Mr. LowE's
speeches about Reform last session. No doubt he
was rather exaggerated in his language, and might

have so arranged his sentences that it would have
been impossible to put a wrong interpreta-

tion on them.

But more than once has

the mistake, whether accidental or wilful,
that some jealous critics made about it, been rec-

tified, and therefore the matter should be allowed
to drop. Instead of this, however, Mr. BRIGHT
has boen making political capital of the unlucky

expression while he has been starring it in the pro-
vinces, and a new DANIEL has come to judgment in
the person of JOSEPH GUEDALLA, who deems it a
sufficient reason to give for his interference that he
is a member of the Reform League Executive. He

as written to Mr. LOWE to request that gentle-
man to say whether he has not modified the

" harsh, unjust, and unfortunate opinions" which

be expressed about the working-classes during
last session, opinions, he goes on to state, which

have " tended more than aught else to raise a
spirit of stern inflexible resolve, and which, if

allowed to foster among the masses a sense of

wrong and insult, may lead to consequences which
few expect and none desire." We really must pro-

test against these members of the League, who
presume to know by intuition the feelings
and thoughts of the lower orders ; they talk as
if the working classes of England were mere
puppets, and by drawing this string and making
that sign they could make use in overtaking dam-
nation round the land, and put down all dissen-
tients at once and for ever. Mr. GUEDELLA then
ealls upon Mr. LowE, and advises him to retract his
assertions, this being a very suitable time to do so.
To this very uncalled-for and intrusive epistle,
Mr. LOWE makes a fitting reply, commencing by
stating that for months past the Reform League has
" by resolutions, handbills, and speeches, accused him
of charging the entire working class of this country
with venality, drunkenness, and other misconduct."
This is strictly true, for the charge has been made
with great vehemence, and reiterated with a persis-
tency that betrayed a purpose. After so many mis-
statements, and so many essays upon a false test, it
is as well to have Mr. LOWE'S own explanation,
which ought to satisfy those of justice and discern-
ment, whatever party they belong to, and those
who hold such qualities in contempt will never
be content, whatever they hear and see that
militates against their views and sentiments.
Mr. LOWE says therein that the passage in his speech
of the 13th of March, on which this accusation pro-
fesses to be grounded, only " states that such things
do unhappily exist in the constituencies, and that
where they do exist they are to be found among
the poorer rather than the richer voters." As he
justly observes in sequence, a comparison of the two
statements will show, first, that he was speaking of
constituencies, not of the working-classes at large ;
and next, that he only pointed out where " such ven-
ality and misconduct as does exist is likely to be found."
" The Reform League," adds Mr. LOWE, " having
thus fastened upon me assertions which I have not
made, has loaded me with most virulent abuse, and
has striven to make me an object of the hatred,
perhaps a mark, for the vengeance of my fellow-
countrymen." After this statement, which is true,
we are not surprised to see that Mr. LowE declines
to accede to the request made to him, and " leaves
the case to the judgment of the country."
In concluding these remarks, we would
say that we do not come forward as the ex-
ponents of Mr. LOWE'S views, nor as the
defenders of his political opinions, but we con-
sider that those who judge others should first
judge themselves. They who criticise the speech of
Mr. LOWE persist in twisting and turning his re-
marks to suit their purpose of exciting and irritat-
ing those they address ; and such is not a course to
pursue with any likelihood of gaining the respect or
the confidence of the public. It is high time that
these contemptible devices for gaining an end should
be put aside, and since Mr. LOWE has given
a direct denial to these oft-repeated assertions let
the matter drop. If, however, these zealous
patriots permit in going on with the affair, the
public will now have to appreciate their sincerity
and their straightforwardness. We have often said
that the worst enemies of real Reform were its
candid friends, and this confusion worse con-
founded about the misrepresentations of Mr. LOWE'S
speech is an admirable illustration of the manner
in which these misguided individuals mistake cause
I for effect, and waste time in personal attacks that
should be given to public services.

The news which we have received from New York
on the 22d ult., tells us that the few days before
the adjournment of Congress had been compara-
tively unimportant, consisting mostly of debates.
The territorial plan to which we alluded the other
day is still under consideration, but judging from
appearances we may hope it will not be passed. It

will most likely be brought up in two or three bills
on the reassembling of the members, but it is under-
stood that a careful canvass of both houses has con-
vinced its promoters that it will not be possible to
secure for the measure the two-thirds majority ne-
cessary to carry it over the PRESIDENT'S
certain veto. It is generally believed that
little in the way of reconstruction will
be effected during the present session. Perhaps,
judging from the specimens of Radical legislation
for the South that we have had, and remembering
the predominance of that party in Congress, the less
that is done the better. It is safer to leave the South
even in its present unsettled state in which the people
can at least hope for better things than to force
upon them violent changes, which are supposed to
be permanent, and which are therefore certain to
irritate and incense them. But we are not without
indications that a better state of things may
prevail. The fact of this territorial scheme
failing to secure a larger and more certain
amount of support is encouraging. Very possibly
among the Republicans of America, as among the
Radicals of England, there are many who support
and advocate extreme theories who would shrink
from actually putting their own professions into
practice. If some prominent members of our Re-
form League were given the power to overthrow the
House of Lords, the Established Chnrch, and to
institute universal suffrage and payment of members,
it is most likely that the most vehement orator
among them would think twice before he ventured
on any of those measures. In the same way, the
very additional political strength of the Radi-
cals of America may act as a check upon
the extravagance of their leaders, because
the party is not composed of a few fanatics, but in-
cludes many thoughtful men, who, under the sense
of national responsibility, may well hesitate to push
their theories to extremity. It is a very different
thing to quarrel with the PRESIDENT and to try to
limit his power, however mischievous the ultimate
result of such interference with the constitution may
be, and to involve the country in a fresh outbreak
of civil war, to derange trade and commerce, and to