The Sun.
London, England, 1868-06-18 00:00:00

SPIRIT OP THE PUBLIC JOURRLLS,

The Times declares that the untiring spirit of our public
men is a matter of standing wonder to the rest of the
world. Any ono who would direct the course of political
life and shape the destinies of his age must be above re.
taxation. He must never shew sign of satiety or of
weakness. He must always be ready to confront new
difficulties, to defy new dangers. Last night Mr. Dis-
raeli told the guests in Merchant Taylors' Hall that just
twelve months since he had returned thanks there,
when his health was drunk in connection with the
house of Commons, and the reflection might
have suggested the terrible sameness, and iteration
of a politician's existence. But Mr. Disraeli seemed to
feel nothing of the sort. No sooner bad he referred to his
position last year, and exulted over the nearly approach•
ing end of the Reform legislation upon which the House
of
_Commons was then hotly engaged, than he proceeded
to address to his audience a manifesto with the evident
object that this time next year be may still return
thanks for her Maks.sty's Ministers in the hall of the
Merchant Taylors' Company. He talked bravely of the
great principles which have made this country so great,
and discoursed, with a dexterity which no one but
himself can hope to rival, upon the springs of society
and the life of States ; but the central figure of the
picture left upon the mind—the one thing constant amid a
whirl of inconstancy—is Mr. Disraeli returning thanks
year after year in Merchant Taylors' Hall to a crowd of
constitutional citizens. Mr. Disraeli's manifesto is worthy
of his ingenuity. If it is flimsy, what could be expected
from his materials ? If his principles be somewhat incon-
sistent with each other, how is it possible that he should
be able to reconcile his position with himself ? A general
election is at hand, and Merchant Taylors' Hall is the
accepted place for the vindication of the party newly
called Constitutional, and Mr. Disraeli did his best
to be worthy of the occasion. The nation is warned
of the issues before it, and bidden to choose
whether it will follow the. right or the wrong. We
have said that Mr. Disraeli takes great credit to himself
and his colleagues for the work they have done, and it is,
indeed, admirable to see how he contrives to place himself
right at the outset in the eyes of his countrymen. The leaders
of the Constitutional party have accomplished the most diffi-
cult of tasks, they have carried a reform of the House of
Commons. The next generation will approve labours
which will have left the people of England more fully
and more completely represented in Parliament, and will
bless the controlling spirit which succeeded in recon-
ciling the traditions of the past with the require.
meats of the present. Parliament has been recon-
structed; and the great reconstructor, the man who
bore the heat and the burden of the day, was
speaking at Merchant Taylors' Hall. It has ceased
to be strange that the Constitutionalists who
heard the speaker should vehemently applaud his boast
that he had accomplished, through their supple obedience,
the transfer of poer they had so long • and -stubbornly
resisted. But though Mr. Disraeli was willing to claim
all credit for the past, he was more anxious to raise
a war-cry for the future. "The Churth is in danger."
"The sacred union of Church and State is threatened."
" Men seek to divorce authority from the principle of
religion." These are Mr. Disraeli's warnings, and he
modestly adds that he traces " the baud of Providence"
in the fact, or, as •he calls; it, " the awful dispensa.
tion," that the rejuvenescence of • the Constitution
should be immediately followed' by an attack
upon , its integrity. We may appeal from the Mr.
Disraeli of yesterday to the Mr. Disraeli of a freer life, to
enforce the prudence of being cautious in tracing " the
hand of Providence." In one of -his most brilliant novels
he lavishes his.sarcasm on Bishop Blomfield for seeing the
" hand of Providence " in some good news which arrived
from West Connaught one year, and voting within a
twelvemonth fOr the suppression of an indefinite number
of Irish .bishoprics. Nobody will be surprised if Mr.
Disraeli proves hereafter capable of an inconsistency
similar in kind, perhaps greater in degree, and hie
prophecy last night was gratuitously imprudent.
The ro3t, criticises the action of Sir Robert Napier
before Ma.gdala. It feels grateful to Sir Robert Napier
for his foresight and military sagacity in so truly estimat.
ing the necessities of the expedition, and for his firmness
in resisting proposals for a reduction of his force; and all
the more so as the balance of opinion was decidedly in
favour of a much smaller army. It is, indeed, much to be
hoped that we have learned, and for ever, the wisdom,
nay, the absolute necessity, of leaving the commander
of an army every possible latitude in arranging and
conducting his enterprise according to his own views.
As regards Sir Robert Napier insisting upon the surrender
of Theodore himself, whatever may have been previously
thought as to the necessity of his adopting that course,
the fact stated in the despatch that Theodore's troops,
recovering from their fright and confusion after Arogie,
were re-assembling at Mae-dela, completely vindicates his
decision. And although at present we may not be able
to see so clearly the propriety of burning Magdala, still
no doubt Sir Robert Napier will be able to show good
cause why, upon political grounds, he ordered the destruc
tion of the town.

The Herald reminds us that the official despatches tell
ns nothing that we did not know before ; but they enable
the Govern:nent to ask the acknowledgments of Parlia-
ment for the good work which has been so well done. It
is a work of which the country may justly be proud, and
the more so as it has had the happiest effect upon
our reputation on the Continent. We know that in
France particularly officers of the highest rank and
experience have expressed themselves nothing less
than astonished at the masterly organisation with
which the expedition has been conducted, and the
courage and devotion of our soldiers in kcing known diffi-
culties to arrive. at unknown dangers. That our physical
superiority is estimated far more highly in Europe than it
was before our success in Abyssinia, we are well assured,
and it is equally important, too, to have proved to our
continental neighbours that England, although reluctant
to interfere in foreign quarrels with which she has no
concern, will go to war even for an idea when that idea
is her own and is identified with the cause of honour and
humanity.
The Daily News comments on the annual meeting of
tue English Church Union. It shews, our contemporary
says, sports and the severer pleasures of the turf to be
incapable of satisfying the redundant energies of our
young nobility and gentry in this moving age. Young
Liberals and young Tories of high degree are disporting
themselves in a new field of volunteer ecclesiastical war.
fare. Nothing can be more innocent or more worthy of
respect than this emulation of the clerical party in France.
It is curious and diverting to note how the president of
the meeting took the pleasing and kindly tone of the
Ultramontane bishops and journalists over the water when
he spoke of Bishop Colenso. It seems, indeed, that " the
party of Catholic truth " is not quite at unity with itself.
The Rev. Dr. Lee objected to a paragraph in the
report which repudiated lay politics, and being interrupted
in reading it to the meeting, he remarked that " if it were
after dinner he could understand the gentleman's interrup-
tion." The speech of Dr. Pusey seems to justify in some
degree Dr. Lee's honest objection to the repudiation of all
political motives by the Church Union, although it dealt
with 4.'ee political question of the Irish Church in charac-
teristic ecclesiastical fashion, as one merely of the dis-
posal of so much surplus revenue. There is nothing id' all
this that is not as innocuous as a game of clerical croquet.
It hurts nobody ;it promotes universal flirtation. And
we heartily acknowledge that it is far better that young
laymen of distinction should atuuse their leisure with this
dilettante crusading than like the young French nobles of
1832, in revenging themselves on liberal age by invent.
ing the cancan.

The Standard says that the delegates from Nova Scotia
cannot be congratulated on their choice of a champion for
their cause in the Imperial Parliament. Mr. Bright
has a powerful tongue at the command of those who
employ his services ; but of all advocates in behalf of such-
a cause as that of the separation of Nova Scotia from the
North American. Confederation, he is perhaps the worst that
could be chosen. It is impossible not to regard Mr.
Bright's action in any matter of this kind without refe-
rence to his own political opinions, and especially to his
known leanings towards the Government of the United
States. It is true that Mr. Bright has formally repudi-
ed the character of an admirer of American institutions,
and that he has done so with a warmth which seems to
imply that he considers the' allegation to be a kind of
insult. But we cannot forget that the whole course and
tendency of Mr. Bright's teaching has been to refer us to
the United States as a model of good government—to
approve of every step taken by that Government in the
extension of its boundaries, and to justify the destiny
which he believes to have marked out all North America
for one Democratic Republic.

The Tdegraph warns us that if We do not mind what we
-tout Nova Scotia may become a portion of the United
The sullen dislike which Nova Scotia entertains
to her enforced alliance with Canada might certainly dis-
appear in course of time. But, unfortunately, one
AmPrican colonists have an 4..li.ernative, and do not
tate, to tell in that they will have recourse to it, if we do
not consult their deep-Seated convictions. They assert
openly that they prefer to join the --United States. It is
possiLle that there may. be exaggeration in these threats,
but no prudent statesman will deny that they challenge
notice, and that it is most desirable to ascertain their exact
value. A cintnission of inquiry, therefore, is not by
any means so " insane " an idea as Mr. Adderley seems to
suppose.

1-3tatel,

The inhabitants of roacw..ter gave decided to adopt
- the Eno Libredis Act.

THE GOVERNMENT TELEGRAPHS BILL.

A. deputation of newspaper proprietors waited on the
C:ancellor of the Exchequer yesterday, to urge upon
him the importance of passing the Telegraphs Bill during
the present session. The deputation was introduced by
Mr. Clay, M.P., and was accompanied by Mr. Norwood,
M.P., Mr. Ramsay, M.P., Mr. Walter Morrison, M.P.,
and Sir John Gray, M.P. The Duke of Montrose, the
Postmaster-General, was present, and also Mr. Scuda-
more, the assistant secretary to the Post Office.
Another deputation of bankers, merchants, and traders
in favour of the bill subsequently waited upon the Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer,