The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-04-18 00:00:00

some incipient rebel has to be put down; but the
main stream of legislation flows on without a
ripple. Sir Robert nods approvingly at Lord John.
The followers of each appear to understand the
meaning of each other, and the unwonted harmony
between their chiefs. On the main practical mea-
sures which are brought before the legislature, op-
position there is none worthy of the name; and the
ex-leader is either virtually a silent member of his
late opponent's government, or he is "biding his
time ' for a movement of his own in advance.
The latter, we suspect. is the case : and such
ought to be the conclusion of every man who has
dispassionately studied the history of the past poli-
tical career of that very slippery statesman. The
mind of Sir Robert Peel is never more actively
taxed than when, to all external appearance, it is at
rest. His most important movements have ever
followed such periods of apparent inactivity. His
political triumphs have ever been surprises. He has
lulled his unsuspecting opponents into the con-
sciousness of security ; and then overwhelmed them
with a step in advance, so far beyond expectation
as to take away not only their breath, but that of
the party which he drags with him, with pure
amazement at his daring and his monstrous incon-
sistency. We need not refer to his repeal of the
Test Acts, to his conduct with respect to the Eman-
cipation Bill, to his extensive modification of the
Tariff, or to his latest and greatest strategic effort,
the repeal of the Corn Laws. His policy has been
all of a piece throughout, disappointing and unac-
countable alike to his own supporters and to the
party o,posed to him.
What, then, it will be asked, is the most proba-
ble field upon which the daring versatility of this
man will next be displayed. To enable us to ap-
proach a solution of the question we must enquire
what is the great difficulty, with which the present
or a future Government will have to deal. It is
the old and acknowledged difficulty of Sir Robert
Peel—lreland. That wretched country has to be
tranquillized, either by concession or by force. In
its present condition, and in the present threaten-
ing aspect of European society, it is manifestly
dangerous; a source of weakness to the British
empire rather than of strength; a cancerous sore in
our side, instead of a useful and efficient limb.
Disaffection and threatened rebellion in Ireland
must be crushed, or be coaxed into a state of rest.
There are other monster evils, too, to be grappled
with in that country. Whilst Great Britain is
taxed by her turbulence, she is taxed tenfold more
heavily by her teeming pauperism. .She is inun-
dating our large towns with helpless and degraded
oatcasts—a population ready to snatch the bread
out of the mouths of our own labouring masses,
and even to appropriate the offal which they cast
from them—a population bringing with them the
contamination of filthy habits, steeped in ignorance
and superstition, and but too ready to rush into
crime. This evil can be dealt with only. in Ireland;
and must he grappled by a strong hand, guided by
a vigourous determination. The attempt must be
made not only in consideration of Ireland herself,
but in justice to England. To this task, we are
satisfied it is that Sir Robert Peel is directing his
mind; and the important question arises—" what
is the nature of the policy to which he is likely to
resort ?—to force, or to a large measure of conces-
sion ?" We believe most firmly that his policy will
be of the latter kind ; and that the measure of con-
cession resorted to by the Right Hon. Baronet will
stop little, if at all, short of a REPEAL Of THE
LEGISLATIVE UNION BETWEEN GREAT BRITAIN
AND IRELAND.