The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1832-12-11 00:00:00

TZ-rte LONDON" V2IMSS.

IRELAND.

Whether there be any truth in the report which has got
into the Dublin papers, that the Marquis of Anglesey is
to be recalled from the government of Ireland, and re-
placed by the Duke of Richmond, -tye do not pretend to
know ; but we do know that the Marquis of Anglesey,
without impeaching his intentions, never was and never
can be equal to the adequate and efficient discharge of the
duties which devolve upon a Chief Governor of Ireland.
We have more than once taken occasion to express that
opinion, and every day's additional experience tends to
confirm its accuracy. We should not wonder if some
light upon this subject had at length found its way into
the inmost recesses of Downing-street.----As to the result
of Mr. Stanley's measures for the tranquilisation of Ire-
land, they seem to have been nearly as abortive as those
of Lord Palmerston for the peaceful settlement of-the
Dutch and Belgian disputes. The latter has so managed
the work Of " pacification" as to "let slip the dogs of
war," and the blood of that war already cries to'heaven ;
the other has so conducted his tranquilising measures as
to bring Ireland to a more distracted state than that in
which he found it—a state in which all parties, however
opposed to each other in some points, cordially agree in.
one sentiment, and that is a sentiment of hatred to the
present administration. It is in vain to disguise the fact
—lreland is in a more distracted state than she ever has
been since the rebellion of 1798, and the cry of a repeal
of the legislative union with this country has become
more general and decided than ever.—We should be.sorry
for an instant to place Mr. Stanley on a level, in point of
intellect and political respectability, with Lord Palmerston.
The present Secretary for Ireland could not stultify him-
self by such productions as the Belgic protocols. He
neither talks nor writes nonsense. His parliamentary
powers in debate are undisputed; but his Irish policy
adds another example to many that could be mentioned,
of the vast difference which may exist between the 'talents
of a smart and able debater and the-capacity of -a states-
man. But we cannot see how matters will be mended if,
as the. report goes, he is to be succeeded by Sir 'John
Hobhouse. This report the Morning
.Register affirlris,
on what is called good authority. It would-be exceedingly
improbable if political fitness were much consulted, at
the present day, in the appointments to political office.
Most assuredly Sir John Hobhouse is not the man to re-
trieve the errors of Mr. Stanley. The;Secretary at War
is an. individual who has had the good or evil fortune to
have his abilities greatly over-rated. The' atronage of
Burdett, and the favour of the 'electors' of Westfiiinstor,
which was a consequence of that patronage, gave'hino a
degree of political distinctiou which he never could have
earned for himself. He has displayed nothing beyond.
mediocrity of mind, either in parliament or ut of it; and
no man of mediocre. powers can grapple with the dig-j-
-ellifies which Ireland presents.—A Morning Pape r„which
usually supports4ninisters, draws a melancholy picture of
those difficulties. It says' that " Mr. Stanley's.policy has
been, from the first, utterly inexplicable on any received
principles," and, after soine other observations, proceeds
to say, "The result has been most unfortunate; on the
eve of a general election the mass of the population, by
the absurd perseverance in an -irritating system, are
• alienated, beyond recovery, from the government."—Mr.
O'Connell is now completely lord of the ascendancy.
We are assured by those who know- well the state of
things in Ireland that the elections will almost every
where go against ministers. Mr. Stanley has made re-
peal the sine qua non for appearing. before the electors-of
Ireland. 'Some stood out for a longer---scine for a shorter
period,----but all have at length been, obligedlo "con-
form." This is 'a deplorable state of things to follow so
soon upon the track of that "healing measure" which
both the Duke of Wellington's administration and the
Whigs assured the people would be the panacea, or
universal and infallible remedy, for all the political evils
of Ireland. Superficial doctors of the body politic 'have
they proved themselves to. be. • They attacked some of
the external symptoms, but the disease that corroded the
vital parts they left unnoticed and untouched. As an
inevitable consequence, the symptoms have broken out
in a more frightful form with the aggravation of the
disease. The whole constitution of s_eiety is in an un-
sound state. A bold dragoon, who has about as clear a
notion of civil government, and what constitutes the
prosperity of a state, as his own charger has of the art
of war, is not exactly the person qualified to remedy this
state of things. Nor is a ready debater, who substitutes
for political sag;aCity an abundance of aristocratiehauteur,
just the sort of man to supply the political wisdom which
the -Viceroy wants.—Whether the report to which we
have alluded be true or not; it is quite clear that ministers,
unless infatuated, must change both, the men and mea-
sures by which Ireland is governed—if that can be called
government under which the elements of society seem
rapidly resolving theniselves into the wildest state of con-
fusion. And when we think of the expense which it
costs this country to have Ireland badly governed, we
feel more truly the importance of the question to every
linglisliman.—Morning Herald.

' The condition of affairs in Ireland has obviously filled.
• the ministers with dismay. NV_ e will do some of them;
• the justice to admit, that the alarm which they feel is more
than the emotion of placemen on the eve of dismissal.,
Some there are among them so far sagacious as to see; in
the signs before them, indications that the crash of a
:broken empire is at hand, sufficiently patriotic to grieve
at the approaching ruin, and with-enough of conscience
•to contemplate this result of their political activity in the
bitterness of remorse. •The Globe last night gave again
"to the people of England a chart of the present state of
the IriSh canvass. The following is its general conclu-
sion :—Conservative candidates, jorty-six:—Repeal can-
didates, SIXTY-SEVEN :—Whig (or ministerial) candidates,
sixty-four. The 'enumeration is not exact; for besides
that amongst the Whigs are enrolled several Roman Ca-
tholic gentlemen, who, if they are not such already, must
sooner.or later become "repealers,"—as for example,
Lord Killeen and Mr. Serjeant O`Loghlin; some •are
Conservatives Mr. T. Gladstone for instance; and many
common papist repealers, Mr. Thomas Flannagan, the
Athlone petitioner and soi-disant Sheriff of. Sligo, and
ethers. But though the calculation is naturally enough
inaccurate in. magnifying the pretensions' and prospects
of time ministerialists; it has enough of, truth to fill every
reflecting man with serious apprehensions. SIXTY-SEVEN
candidates pledged, to the dismembermott of the empire,
confessed by the ministerial-organ ; but s-l'ity-fbur claimed
as likely toofFer themselves upon the ministerial interest;
and but forty-Aix presenting:themselves ,from7among the:
rank, property,•loyalty, and -intelligence of the country.
If, as there.ig,too much reason to-fear; the whole-ornear-
ly the whole repealers shall be returned, the
question of repeal vJill, in, the- jiidgtxient of
.the vulgar
Irish; be, virtually carried acebrding :to thaargoinents:ern.:.
pla'y'ed by:
_them .tipou . the iPopisit question, and mere_
boldly put forwarclnponthis igneStion itself; namely, that
the vote of a Majthity tof is in'right
sive of :every irzsla question., The enforcing-or not en-:
forcing..the.- legislative partition of ilia-kingdom by a
thus, afterthe i return •of,a:matority of re-
pealers; bedorne, in theopinibn of the, Pc Dish populace, •
a mere questiOn'oPexp-eoieney. We certfer,stliat wahava
t: rent diitictilty in treating ;this subject; -our embarrass-
ment, is riot as to the advice whii!li•• we ought
but as to the nmode.-in. which we
to give upon the matter,
ought to give it, so as not, in limine, to arouse the jealous
resentment of those for whose opinions we entertain the