The Sun.
London, England, 1868-11-09 00:00:00

(FROM A CORRESPONDENT.)

Mr. GATHORNE HARDY has just told the electors
of Maidstone that the only policy which the Liberals
can suggest is " Mr. GLADSTONE." The Liberals can
hardly retort that the Conservative policy is " Mr.
DISRAELI." This was only to be expected.
Schoolmasters are scarcely the heroes of the
playground. The Conservative party could not be
expected to feel very enthusiastic about their educa-
tor. But while " Mr. DISRAELI" is certainly not the
policy of the Conservative party, it would be difficult
to say what is. There are a dozen important subjects
which will be discussed in the new Parliament; but
the Conservatives have nothing to say upon any of
them. To take the least generally interesting
first—lndian politics—concerning which the Indian
papers have just been entreating us to take more
notice than we have done hitherto. Upon this
subject both Liberals and Tories are for the most
part silent; even the few who have broken silence
are not members of the Government. Even Sir
STAFFORD NORTHCOTE, the Secretary of State for
India has not, if we remember rightly, thought the
government of 150 millions of people worth referring
to, although one would have supposed that he would
gladly have escaped from his tormentors respecting
the Irish Church by speaking of a matter with
which he must be well acquainted. Then,
to come home, we find that with regard to
such questions as education, imperial expendi-
ture, local taxation, trades unions, the rights of
women, the law of primogeniture, land tenure, and even
the Irish Church itself, the C onservatives have n o policy.
All that they can say is, that they will welcome any
wise and well-considered plan. But they never have
any plan. It is not in their way to have
any. It is their fashion rather to steal
the plans of their opponents and then to gloat over
the manner in which these have been dished. The
country might fairly say, " You are the responsible
Ministers of the Crown, and it is for you, therefore,
to exercise your wisdom in considering the questions
above named." But the task is beyond them. They did,
indeed, once devise a new Constitution in ten
minutes ; but the country would have none of
it. Since then the Constitutionalists have been
cautious. They told the Opposition that the question
of Reform had passed out of the region of party
politics, and must be dealt with by the whole House.
They will shortly make the same declaration with
regard to the Irish Church, if they are allowed the
opportunity. " It is for the gentlemen of the Opposi-
tion," they say, " to devise measures, and then we will
say if we approve them. If we do, we will help to
pass them ; if we do not, we will submit to their
being passed. Only do not expect us to offer any
suggestions. That is not in our line."

Mr. HARDY'S assertion that the policy of the
Liberals is " Mr. GLADSTONE" is very remarkable.
Eight months ago it was a Liberal who said that his
party consisted of leaders who could not lead, and of
followers who would not follow. The Conservatives
repeated this epigram from day to day with ecstacy—
it was so true. It so accurately represented
the condition of the Opposition—a mere mob—
and of Mr. GLADSTONE, a man whom no
one trusted. Yet now, in November, the leader
who could not lead has become the hero of the
nation, and the followers who would not follow are,
it is. Mr. HARDY'S lament, able to say nothing
more than that they will follow Mr. GLADSTONE.
What has produced this marvellous change ?
_We
will tell Mr. HARDY. It is this—that Mr. GLADSTONE
has a policy, and means to carry it out ; that
it is the policy which the nation approves ;
and that he is the man in whom the nation
trusts. It is because the nation sees in Mr. GLAD-
STONE a leader of the nation, one who goes before
it, and endeavours to anticipate its wishes and realise
its aspirations, instead of yielding reluctantly to brute
force ; it is because Mr. GLADSTONE is the embodi-
ment of a policy; is, in a word, a statesman, and not a
mere party leader—it is for these reasons that, not
the Liberal party only, but the whole nation, now
adopts for its policy " Mr. GLADSTONE."

ROYAL FREE HoSPITAL, GRAY'S INN-ROAD.--The
number of patients relieved at this hospital during the
week enfling Nov. 7 wag 3,055, of which 1,036 were new
cases.