The Sun.
London, England, 1868-01-02 00:00:00

general disorder, and have to take the places of
those in whose minds they have lighted up the
fires by which they themselves are to be consumed,
let them distinctly understand that they are simply
reaping their own harvest, and that having sown
the wind they will reap the whirlwind.
For what has been their action ? What has
been the almost unanimous teaching of the leaders
of the nation ? Has it not been that men are free to
choose what government they like, that each " na-
tionality" is to constitute itself, and that robbery
and murder are not too great a price to pay for the
mere chance of completing an ideal nationality by
the wresting from others that which is theirs by
the most sacred rights acknowledged in the world,
and by an antiquity of prescription unequalled in
any empire of the West ? The Earl of Denbigh
could not restrain his noble indignation against
those leaders of the nation who could thrust into
the mouth of the first lady of the land a: statement
which he designated by the only epithet of which
it was capable of being expressed in the English
tongue. When the " powers of darkness " would
thus place themselves in " high placts," and thrust
the brand of destruction into the hand of the
highest representative of order in the land, it was
time to protest, and raise a voice against the cut-
throat policy of leading minds. The foreign policy
of the English Government—which is visible to the
poorest man in the penny papers--being in accord-
ance with popular " aspirations," has been seized
hold of, and is being applied by the people to the
condition of England at home. The "people" will
reject the policy of restraint which the Government
would apply to them, and will embrace the policy of
"liberty" which that same Government would apply
to the Continent. The rulers of the nation cannot
help this. They cannot alter the action of princi-
ples, nor their relations to the conditions of the
people and the cravings of the popular mind, any
more than they can prevent the steady rising of
the tides with the palms of their hands. it is of
no use to exclaim, "It is not meant for you." The
very authority which would enforce this view upon
the people on the one hand, is cut to pieces by the
" gladius acutus" which is brandished in the other.
If two contrary principles are taught, that one,
and that one alone, will be learnt which is most
in keeping with the " aspirations,"—that is to say,
with the rapacity and passion of the popular mind.
The principles of Messrs. Bright and Potter, atid
other political agitators, the views of Mr. Beales,
M.A., and Mr. Bradlaugh, though far in advance
of the views held by the Government, are much
more honest and much more consistent. The
leaders of the people do not disguise their senti-
ments, and would to-morrow, if they could do so,
change the constitution of Parliament, destroy the
House of Peers, and constitute themselves in power
as leaders of the nation. Whether their aspirations
are ever to be realised, or in what form a chalige of
a more radical democratic nature will be brought
to pass, of course we cannot prophesy with cer-
tainty. But this we can declare, without fear of
contradiction, that if ever a revolution takes place
in England, the cause will lie at the door, not only
of the leaders of the people, but of thoie whose
policy it has been to encourage principles on the
Continent which issue in destruction when applied
to ourselves.— Westminster Gazette.