The Sun.
London, England, 1867-03-12 00:00:00

THE PRESENT CRISIS.

A Conservative M.P., in a letter to a contempo-

rary says :—Sir—You are evidently bent on a Reform
Bill being carried this session, and, like a practical

man, you do not much care what instrument, pro-
vided it be effective, is employed for the purpose.
Agreeing with you in this, I am prepared to sup-

port the present Government through all its way-
ward courses as long as the slightest prospect exists

- -
of its being able to end " this bitter and dangerous
controversy."
But there is another question beyond the boun-
daries of Reform, and of greater because more
enduring interest, on which I would desire, with
your indulgent permission, to make some observa-
tions before the crisis comes actually upon us. I
mean the condition of political parties in the country.
The full significance of the present crisis has not
as yet, I think, been fully appreciated. It seems to
me to mark an era in English politics ; or perhaps,
rather, to be an important link in a chain of events
which together constitute an epoch. The first link
in this chain was Lord Palmerston's death ; then
came the disruption of the Liberal party last ses-
sion on their dealing with Reform ; to-day we wit-
ness a parallel breach in the opposite ranks from
the same cause; aud, lastly, we have Lord Derby's
formal announcement to his party that he intends
at an early period
.to withdraw from their leader-
ship.

It used to be a common saying that during the
last years of Lord Pahnerston's life that after him
there would be a great change in the state of par-
ties—a new shuffle of the cards. But things
seldom turn out in the exact way and at the precise
time that is expected. The singular vitality of old
watchwards and party organisations enabled them
to survive Lord Palmerston, nor is there any say-
ing how long they might have lasted had not the
crucial test of the Reform question been applied to
them.

This question, not inaptly called the touchstone
of parties, first resolved the great Liberal party into
its component elements, and this far more efficiently
than was manifested by the patent fact of the for-
mation of a Cave. Perhaps Mr. Brand could tell
us the exact numerical relations of Liberals and
Democrats within the bosom of the same party.
The same question has now resolved the great Con-
servative party into its component elements, and
this far more efficiently than is manifested by the
secession of three prominent members from the
Cabinet ; for by it the heart has been cut out of the
Conservative party. These men were the most re-
presentative men of their party ; till yesterday they
were supposed to represent in an especial manner
the sentiments and feelings and opinions of the
country party.
I say till yesterday, for since the late meeting at
the Carlton Club has not a change come over the
spirit of the dream of country gentlemen ? This
meeting was, certainly, the strangest incident of the
many strange incidents which have marked the
progress of this question. It was a saying of Pul-
teney that the heads of parties were like the heads
of snakes, for the most part moved by their tails.
He could not have desired a more apt illustration
of his meaning.' Mr. Disraeli's speech on intro-
ducing his Resolutions sounded to many of his party
like the famous invitation, " Duckies, duckies, come
and be killed ;" but here were the Carlton dickies
crowding round the Conservative housewife
and clamorously demanding summary stran-
gulation. No wonder that the seceding
members of the Government preferred honour-
able retirement to fighting any longer a
losing battle against the majority of their own col-
ic us on behalf, as they had hitherto imagined, of
the
a4r every men who were now tumultuously urging
them to surrender at discretion.
But what is the Cabinet without them ? Look
at the Treasury bench in the House of Commons
now, and ask what principles, what party, what

sympathies it represents. One thing alone saves it
from utter contempt— the matchless audacity of its
chief. But even he must yield to what the old
Greeks called " fate," and we moderns " the force
of circumstances." Ile may carry Reform through
yet, but the odds arc wofully against him. The
situation may be summed up thus :—At the be-
ginning of the Session the Government had scarcely
one enemy, to-day it has scarcely one friend. But
whatever comes of the question of Reform, one
thing is clear, the integrity of the old Conservative
party is irretrievably destroyed.

Lord Derby has declared his intention of resign-
ing. Who will be his successor ? Will it be a
" universal succession ?" Undoubtedly not, I should
say ; the inheritance will have to be divided. The
old Tory party, representing principles deeply rooted
in the minds of large classes in this country, will find
its natural leaders in the men who have lately seceded
from the present Cabinet, reinforced by others who
will join them as soon as the spell of office is removed.
But the more Liberal section of the party, the men
who lean to Lord Stanley's views rather than to the
principles of Lord Cranborne; where will they find
their natural place? As long as the patrimony was
entire, as long as the old names afforded a common
bond of union, these men were content to fight
under the old flag; but when the old names have
passed away, and new leaders have to be chosen, a
crisis arises, the importance of which, as influencing
the course of politics in this country, it is impossible
to exaggerate.
_ _

I take it, sir, that one of two things must happen.
The Moderate Liberal party must absorb the Liberal
Conservative party, or the Liberal Conservative
party must attract the Moderate Liberal party into
its own ranks. Which of these contingencies is the
more probable I believe depends entirely on the will
and conduct of one man.
If Mr. Gladstone chooses to break definitely with

the Democratic party in the country and to regulate
his policy by a Liberal and not a Democratic
standard—if he chooses to follow out steadily the
programme which he seems to have laid down for
himself this session, I should say that the almost
certain result will be that a large section of the old
Conservative party, those who cannot .sccept the
platform of Lord Cranborne and the Tories, will
definitely and openly transfer their allegiance to
him. From his genius, his character, and his politi-
cal antecedents he is probably mere sympathetic to
them than any other single public man in England.
Accident, rather than delib?rate choice, made him a
leader of the Liberals. His Liberalism is untainted
with want of reverence and love for the institutions
of the country. He, better than any single states-
man, seeais capable of dealing with the problem of
our age,—how to adapt our inherited laws and in-
stitutions to the new wants of our times; in a word,
to reconcile the Old England with the New.
Should this consummation be arrived at, the
" organised hypocrisy" of old political parties will
be exploded, and politics will regain their tone. The
nominal divisions of parties will correspond to actual
divisions of opinion. But to bring this about two
conditions are absolutely indispensable—first, that
there should be no mistake about the breach with
the Democratic party ; and, secondly, that upon
Lord Derby's retirement the Whig Nestor should
likewise withdraw and leave the boards for the men
of a younger generation to form new combinations,
in order to deal efficiently with the great problems
of the age. You cannot put new wine into old
bottles.

ANOTHER ACCIDENT ON THE GREAT WESTERN
RAILWAY.—A collision between a passenger train
belonging to the Great Western Railway Company and
a Metropolitan passenger train occurred on Thursday,
close to the Green-lane-bridge, Paddington. A train
for Hammersmith left Bishop's-road station three
minutes beyond its time, and seeing the danger
signal up at Green-lane-bridge, the driver immediately
reversed his engine and stopped the train, which two
minutes afterwards was dashed into by a train which had
been despatched from the Paddington terminus, and which
was bound for Birmingham, the result being that twelve
persons were more or less injured, but none of them very
seriously. Two of them wore taken to St. Mary's Hospital,
and after having had their wounds dressed were sent to
their homes. Mr. Superintendent Durdle, with a staff of
men, bOOll cleared the lino, and then the ordinary traffic
was resumed. The accident originated through the break-
ing of the wire at Green-lane-bridge, xhich prevented the
danger-signal being taken off, and the driver of the Great
Western engine was unable to see another danger signal,
which was near the Paddington station, because of the
suow, which was falling heavily at the time.