The Sun.
London, England, 1868-08-22 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS,

The Saturday Review says the twenty or thirty thousand
clergymen who are annually abused for not preaching two
millions of original and impressive sermons in the year
have at least a wider range of subjects on which they can

expatiate than the candidates for Parliament who are now
attempting to execute variations on one or two hackneyed
themes. In operas an air is sometimes allotted to two
semi-choruses, who, in their respective characters of per-

secutors and martyrs, or of courtiers and conspirators,
declaim contradictory sentiments to the same tune, and,
with the necessary modifications, as nearly as possible in
the same words. With the same harmonious discord,
Conservatives and Liberals are at present insisting that
the Irish Church shall perish or shall flourish ; and Mr.

Gladstone is exalted to the skies or denounced with

amcebean uniformity. It is remarkable that, while the
Liberal leader is introduced into every address for praise

or for censure, Mr. Disraeli, who is, far more than his

rival, the ruling spirit of his own party, is seldom men-
tioned by his adherents. Mr. Disraeli's qualities are more
appreciated in the House of Commons than at a distance.
Constituencies, having little sense of humour, prefer a

statesman who expresses his convictions, if not in the

plainest language, at least without covert irony. Mr. Dis-
raeli's fine praises would often be ridiculous if they were

not evidently intended to delude or puzzle simple minds ;
while Mr. Gladstone attaches to every proposition which

he announces deep and grave importance. If he had
unnecessarily dated a published letter on Maundy Thurs.

day, he might have been credited with a sincere belief in

the paramount solemnity of the festival. Whatever may
be the loyalty of professional politicians to their daring
leader, the single-minded Conservatives of the country
intuitively feel that they are not represented by Mr.

Disraeli. The few among them who understand their own
principles would have sacrificed a dozen Irish Establish-

ments on condition of retaining the parliamentary con-
stitution which Mr. Disraeli has destroyed ; nor can it be
believed, except in the remotest political regions, that the
actual champion of the Irish Church would not greatly
have preferred the antagonistic task which circumstances
have assigned to Mr. Gladstone. A sagacious critic,
wholly unacquainted with electoral statistics, might
perhaps discover, from a comparison of addresses, which
is likely to be the winning side. The Liberal candidates,

with one considerable exception, repeat with disciplined
fidelity the party confession of faith ; but the Conserva-
tives seem for the most part to be conscious that some
apology is required for their determination to support the
Irish Church. On the matter of retrenchment, the
Saturday Review remarks that, with the exception of Mr.
Childers and Mr. Hankey, few of his adherents have
hitherto dilated on the alleged extravagance of the present
Government. Whatever may be the causes of the excess,
it is undeniable that the estimates have been largely
increased since the accession of Lord Derby to office ; and
as the cost of the Civil Service constantly advances with
the extension of the functions of Government, the only
opportunity for serious reduction must be found in
military and naval expenditure. As the services are not
unduly large or superfluously efficient, it might be doubted
whether any saving could be effected in the army or the
navy, but for the circumstance that the modern increase
of outlay has been largely due to necessary improvements.
Financial questions would perhaps occupy a larger space
in election addresses if Mr. Gladstone and Mr. Disraeli
had not accustomed the country to the easy and vicious
resource of providing all exceptional revenue by an increase
of income tax. There is no reason to suppose that the
reformed Parliaments will become more frugal than their
predecessors, while it is nearly certain that they will be
comparatively reckless in adding to direct taxation.
Perhaps, as the autumn advances, and the store of com-
monplaces is exhausted, retrenchment may take its place
by the side of Mr. Gladstone and the Irish Church.
The Spectator believes that most Tories distrust Mr.
Disraeli, and many Tories cordially dislike him, but there
is not one who has not a profound faith in his strategic
capacity. He is not sure, they think, to adhere to the
principles of his party, but he is sure to have some device
some " combination," son.e wile by which to attain for the
party all that can by possibility be obtained, to extricate it
from any scrape, to evade any unexpected form of opposi-
tion. This confidence, so often justified within the House
of Commons, so seldom justified on any broader arena, will,
we suspect, be greatly shaken by the course of the present
contest. At present, unless we misunderstand all the
signs around us, Mr. Disraeli is mismanaging the cam-
-paign. The " cries" he has started, instead of increasing
his party, are breaking it into fragments, which slow
every disposition to fly off in different directions, while his
" cue "is taking the heart out of his best supporters. For
the first time in our modern history the cry of "No
Popery" has elicited but a faint response. In Ireland
that cry creates nothing but irritation among two-thirds
of the people, and the remaining third whom it
excites were rigid Tories before it was ever uttered.
In England the upper classes have never as a body
re-echoed it, the ten-pounders over whom it had influence
have lost much of their power, and the householders
receive it only with deris'on. The second cry, " The
Throne," has ceased even to be repeated, the electors being
as well able as their members to perceive that the throne
is not in question, that the Queen will still reign even
though the Anglican Church in Ireland should be main-
tained like the Wesleyan Church in Great Britain. Then
came the cry of " The Church in danger," but to this also
there was but slight response, except in Wales, where it
will probably break the power of the Tory landlords.
Then we had "Down with Ritualism," and the " grand
demonstration" at the Crystal Palace skews us exactly
the value of that "trumpet call." The mass of electors cannot
be brought to believe that a Premier who dates letters on
Maundy Thursday, and who appoints High Churchmen
to every vacancy worth having, and who furnished ideas
for Young England, can be a sincere foe to Ritualism,
while the cry alienates some of the best supporters of the
Tory party, the high-and-dry section of the Church.
The London Review reminds us that the increase
of insanity among our poorer classes has long been
admitted by those who have specially directed their atten-
tion to the subject, and there is much in the recently pub-
lished report of the Commissioners in Lunacy, despite its
lamentably defective statistics and decided lack of informa-
tion on vital points, in support of the painful and dis-
heartening allegation. Of the 31,917 lunatics officially
mentioned as remaining, on the Ist of January, 1867, in
the various county and borough asylums, registered
hospitals, metropolitan and provincial licensed houses,
and naval, military, and State criminal asylums in England
and Wales, no less than 25,998 belong to the pauper class.
On the Ist of January, 1868, the number of insane patients
confined in these institutions had risen to 33,213 ; this
Marked increase being wholly among the pauper lunatics,
the number of which at that date was 27,361, the better
class of patients exhibiting a decrease of 67 during the
same period. These figures do not include the patients
confined in the lunatic wards of our workhouses ; this
species of information being apparently considered of
remote importance by the commissioners, who merely
inform us—in a separate table—that in the 299 workhouses
in England and Wales visited under their direction in 1867,
the number of insane, idiotic, and imbecile inmates was
7,987. The London Review comiders the commissioners' re-
port far from reassuring, and is convinced that things are
considerably worse than they are made to appear. So far
as we can ascertain, it would appear that it is the lower
and most degraded section of the poorer classes which fur-
nishes the great proportion of lunacy cases. It is amongst
these that drunkenness is most rife. They certainly are
the largest consumers of the vilely adulterated malt
liquors and spirits common in poor neighbourhoods, and it
is most desirable that it should be ascertained whether
there be any connection between the wholesale system of
drug-poisoning practised by large numbers of beershop-
keepers and publicans on the one hand, and the increas-
ing prevalence of insanity among their customers on the
other.

The Imperial Review descilbes the past achievements
of the Government and its future policy: —What
the Conservative Government has achieved during the
two years which it has held power is a sufficient justifica-
tion of its appeal for a renewal of the confidence of the
constituencies, and a sufficient earnest of the course that
will be adopted if that appeal is favourably received.
Never, perhaps, has a Government in the short space of
two years achieved such important results as those which
have proceeded from the legislative and administrative
action of the present Ministry. It has successfully dealt
with the difficulties incident to an attempt to reform the
electoral system, and has passed a measure that whilst
providing securities for the adequate representation of all sec-
tions of opinion, has extended the suffrage to all who bear
a share in the public burdens, and has removed the
chief anomalies of representation that previously existed.
The Radical party is about to attempt the spoliation of the
Church, and thus inflame the dying animosities between
Protestant and Romanist ; and by thinly veiled hints as to
their future action with regard to the tenure of land is
rendering almost impossible the growth of mutual good
feeling between proprietor and occupier in Ireland, in-
flaming the latter with illusory hopes, and deterring the
former from displayir‘, that equitable kindness to tenants
which is only shewn when it is felt that there is a commu-
nity of interests. To this policy the Tory party will give
a strenuous opposition. With regard to the Irish land
(petition Toryism would legislate in a spirit of complete
equity. It would wish that the right of the tenants should
be recognised. But it would also take care that the rights
of the landlords were not ignored. On the other great
questions of the day that press for settlement, the
indications given in the past sufficiently shew what
would be the action of the future. The practical reforms
that are acknowledged to be necessary would be
carried into effect ; and the conviction that much
may be done by well-timed legislation to aid in
the development of the national resources, and in
ameliorating the condition of the people, would be actee
upon. To seek the prosperity of the nation rather than
the ephemeral advantages of party—to govern in accord.
ance with justice rather than expediency—to be guided by
definite convictions rather than defer to temporary agita-
tion—are the principles by which the Conservativepolicy
has been inspired, and this policy is undoubtedly entitled
to be regarded as truly liberal. -