The Sun.
London, England, 1868-04-08 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

Dealing with the impeachment of the President of the
'United States, the :Times remarks : So far as the case has
gone, the Senate appear to be desirous of giving a fair
judgment on the issues before them, and the Chief Justice
is manifestly resolved to preserve the impartiality and
dignity of his office. The demand for time to prepare
their defence has not been conceded to the President's
counsel to the extent they sought, but the limited number
of days allowed will probably prove sufficient to exhaust
all that can be urged on points so narrow as
those presented by the impeachment. The advo-
cates for the defence are among the ablest law-
yers of the States, including the late Attorney-
General, a Judge of the Supreme Court of Massachusetts,
and the accomplished lawyer sent to England by Mr. Lin-
coln at the time of the war to support Mr. Adams in his
communications with our Court. But if the technical
nature of the issues involved in this great trial makes it
interesting to lawyers, it exhibits also the passion of the
prosecutors at the bar of the Senate. The impeachment
is another illustration of the jealousy of democratic
assemblies of all rivalry, and is so far a discourage-
ment to the friends of free government. It is little
consolation that the party now predominant should,
as all elections shew, be losing its power over the
people of the North, because all that can be hoped for by
this change of sentiment is that one tyrant majority shall
be succeeded by another, and perhaps a worse. The true
lesson to be derived from the spectacle of American parties
is different, and can only be indicated. The recklessness
and violence of conduct of political affairs do not spring
from too great a development of freedom, but from too
little. They are ultimately due to the fact that by the
imperfect electoral machinery of the States the Congress
is not a council of the nation, but a delegation of a victo-
rious party.

Reviewing the Paraguayan war, the Post observes that
there is one substantial advantage which the Brazilians
claim to have obtained, albeit upon a very precarious
tenure, and that is the opening of the Paraguay river. If,
however, Humaita can be still held, the Brazilian fleet
nay have to run the gauntlet of its batteries again on
some future day, in returning to the sea. Above
Asuncion the Paraguayans are said to be still in possession
of a fleet of war steamers. If Humaita were abandoned,
as Asuncion has been already, the Paraguay river would
indeed be opened—and this is said to be one of the chief
objects at which the allies have aimed. Its per-
manent freedom, however, would still be depen-
dent upon the ultimate issue of the war. Whether
the late events will make the Paraguayans lose
heart or not is in a great measure a question of
resources—a question of recruiting the army, paying and
feeding it. On this subject there are not sufficient data
for forming a decided opinion. According to some ac-
counts the Paraguayans are completely exhausted and
their resources eaten up ; there are no men left to recruit
the army ; no supplies to be had for maintaining it in the
field. According to other authorities they are not by any
means in the deplorably straitened condition which many
suppose. The Paraguayans keep their own counsel, and
in their last despatches the allies seem quite in the dark
about their enemy's movements and intentions ; his
" tenacity " seems to be beyond doubt. There can be
no question at all, however, that these successes have
come just in time for the allies, who were getting very
tired of their no progress, and this will serve to account
for t'aeir inflated congratulations, such, for instance, as the
boast by the Brazilian commander that his fleet has done
what the united navies of Europe would have failed to do
if they had had the temerity to attempt.

The Daily News regards Lord Malmesbury's resolutions
for reforming the House of Lords as a failure. The
Minister who cannot prepare two simple standing orders
such as the House can adopt is hardly the man to guide
and direct and moderate it under circumstances of political
difficulty. Such clumsiness in details, in matters of form
and procedure, as to notices of questions and the composi-
tion of committees, gives no promise of judgment, or skill,
or prudence in the management of the haute politique
which is looming in the distance. It is all very well
to say that in Lord Cairns he has a man of eloquence,
learning, and tact ; but Lord Cairns as yet is chiefly
known as an extreme and able partisan. Confi-
dence is a plant of -slow growth in aristocratic,
as Lord Chatham on a memorable occasion said
it was in aged, bosoms. And, wanting Lord Derby, in
what member of the Cabinet ought the House of Lords
now to have confidence ? On the Opposition bench in the
House of Lords sit statesmen of experience, of great and
varied judgment, of deep and profound convictions, united
to an enlightened policy. How is so feeble a man as Lord
Malmesbury has this session shewn himself to be, able to
lead an immoral and now a retrograde Government in
that House against the combined ability of Earl Gran-
ville, the Earl of Kimberley, the Duke of Argyll, and
Earl Russell ? This is a question that must be beamin g
on Mr. Disraeli, as it is soon likely to be felt by the
nation.

The difficulties iu the War Office have arisen, says the
Standard, from the existence of so many different depart-
ments, without any real or efficient controlling authority
over them all. The Secretary of State, overwhelmed a.=
lw is with questions of moment and parliamentary
business, has no such power. He has gradually collected
under him a tribe of under-secretaries and assistant under-
secretaries ; but they only add to the trouble by forming
so many more steps through which every matter must pass
before reaching the chief authority, thus increasing the
number of endorsements on the documents. Daily routine
overwhelms them, too, and they can do nothing towards
simplifying the system. Hence arose the appointment of
Lord Strathnairn's committee, and its investigation of
War Department affairs ; and hence has arisen the ap-
pointment of Sir Henry Storks as Controller-in-Chief,with
the sole and special duty, for the present, of examining the
work of these many departments, with a view to their
simplification. As Controller-in-Chief his duty will then
be to control them when simplified ; and so we have taken
another step in the direction of the French system—
another step towards centralisation and control. Sir
John Pakington sheaved very clearly the advantage
already derived from this course. An able and elaborate
report on the subject of audit has been drawn up and
presented by Sir Henry Storks and his assistant,
General Balfour, shewing, how to increase both economy
and efficiency in that branch. Already Sir John Paking-
ton feels himself in a position to state that the adoption of
the plan suggested for a Department of Control will
probably cause a saving of some £25,000 on an annual
expenditure of £175,000, giving greatly increased effi-
ciency. Changes in the transport system are in progress
with a view to the introduction of an expansive system,
and other matters have yet to be decided. But the War
Minister assured the House of Commons of his firm belief
that when the plans to which he alluded are fully carried
out they will result in solid improvement in the efficiency
of the army, and a decided reduction in expenditure.

The Herald, in the course of some remarks on the
matter of the French Empire, says : There are domestic
causes for the general diStrust of the intentions of the
Imperial Government, which are more influential, because
more enduring, than foreign sources of disquietude.
We do not refer particularly to the ex tensive military pre-
parations of Marshal Niel, or to the Army Reorganisation
Bill of last year. It is most natural that the Emperor,
after the startling events of 1866, should wish so to re-
model his forces as to place France on a footing of poten-
tial equilibrium alongside of the vast armed hosts of Ger-
many and Russia. Nor do we attach must weight to the
many unauthenticated stories about the doings and sayings
of Prince Napoleon, who went to Germany for his own
satisfaction, and came back for the same. What we have
in view is something quite different. That these doubts pre-
vail—that these rumours are constantly floating—is one
of the regrettable accidents of that system of personal
government which prevails in France, and which, perhaps,
is best for France. It is certainly, as far as it goes, an
argument in favour of the parliamentary system. Here,
or in Austria, Ministers are responsible to Parliament,
which will not suffer them to say one thing and mean
another ; to speak of peace, for example, while preparing
for war. An Emperor like Napoleon is his own Prime
Minister. He may change his mind, if he pleases, as often
as his coat. He is responsible to no one for his intentions,
and no one can call him to give a public account of them.
It is not because the Emperor of the French is preparing
for war, but because he may make war whenever he
pleases, that the public mind of France is uneasy and the
Bourse is agitated. His great responsibility is a danger
both to himself and to his cotntry ; it will certainly be a
relief, it will perhaps be a benefit to both, when the load
can be lightened by putting part of it on other shoulders.
Whatever may have been the cause of Prince Napo-
leon's somewhat unexpected visit to Berlin, the Telegraph
has no doubt that the result of his journey has been
favourable to the interests of peace. Since the return of
his Imperial Highness, the lan.:;nage of the French
papers has been far more cordial towa: di Prussia than it
was before ; and, contrary to the impression which com-
monly prevailed, the Prince is now understood to be a
decided partisan of a steadfast alliance with the great
North German Power. Since the panic which followed
the victory of Sadowa has died away, and the irritation
created by the sudden aggrandisement of Prussia has
exhausted itself, Frenchmen are beginning to recognise the
obvious truth, that the independence and greatness of their
country are not incompatible with the existence of a
united Germany.

THE BISHOPRIC OF EXETER.—The Church Netcs
states that the Bishop of Exeter is about to resign his see,
and that the Rev. Canon Courtenay, a brother of the Earl
of Devon, is apolgn of as his successor.