The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1849-03-08
Cobden's Retrenchment Reform.

Cobden's Retrenchment Reform.
Macaulay, speaking of England, remarks, " the
change, great as it is, which her policy has under
| gone during the last six centuries, has been the
effect of gradual development, not OF demolition
| and reconstruction and adds that mo Other
society has vet succeeded in uniting revolution
with prescription progress with stability, the en-.
ergy of youth with the majesty Of immemorial
antiquity" The first chapter of this authors His
tory, recently published, is nothing more than an
expansion of the leading idea contained in the two
sentences we have quoted. He traces the grad
ual development through all the struggles of Nor
man and Saxon, Catholic and Protestant, Cavalier
and Roundhead, Wing and Tory. Coming down
to the great battle fought on the passage Of the
Reform Bill, the historian dilates on the cautions
manner in which the nation effected the most radi-
cal changes in its representative system; and the
remarks are peculiarly striking, written as they
were, at the time when France, after short agi-
tation of six months, was carrying out by means
of revolution, those same principles which it
required more than forty years for her sowerpaced
neighbors to reduce to practice.
Mr. Golden has been at the head of the next
important change effected in Britain after the pas
sage of the Reform Bill-the abolition of the Corn
Laws and the establishment of free commerce.
He now appears as the reformer of the Civil List
the demolisher of all those pensions, sinecures and
salaries which have since the time of the Stuars,
supplied the place of the fiefs which earlier sove-
regns were accustomed to bestow on their favorites
and haerers. John Bull, with all his sluggishness
and stolidity has not been able to escape from the
examples which the world is daily furnishing of
great and rapid changes in Government; and now,
after few weeks of agitation on the part of Mr..
Golden, the Queens speech contains the gracious
intimaton that every thing asked for shall be
granted If this beralty of feeling is peculiar to
the Wing party of Great Britain it is well for her
interests that Lord John Russell is at present
Prime Minister.
The difference between the fates of the Chartist
movement in last April and the movement lately
begun by Mr.. Golden, and now advancing rap
idly towards successful termination, gives an
insight into some of the peculiarities of British
character and British legislation. The Chartists
wished to effect a revolution entirely political-a
revolution based on certain theoretical opinions,
which, however intimately they may be connected
with all the transactions of life, do not seem to
touch very nearly those great interests which mer
camille men in the habit Of calling practical"
Though the overthrow of the monarchy and the
establishment of republic in England would have
vast effect on the financial affairs of that country
and of the world in general, the consequences
would be those of all violent and sudden changes
in Government on money matters. But the re-
trenchment at which Mr.. Golden aims is one of
those reforms which Immediately concern the
pockets of her Majesty's subjects, and the eco
nomical bearings of the scheme may be clearly
observed, without the necessity of any inductive
reasoning process All Continental political phi
losophers have been struck with the fact that
EnsI-h revolutions have always had reference to
taxation and the money transactions between the
governors and the governed while the French
revolutions, especially those of late years, have
been undertaken for the purpose of modifying or
overthrowing certain personal relations existing
between different classes of society. Last Spring.
the Chartst leaders undertook to get up revolu-
ton according to the French plan, and they failed
as sgnally as did Price, Priestey and others, who
attempted to domestcate the revolution of 1889 in
England. Mr.. Golden takes care to select the
plan of agitation adopted by Grey, Brougham and
the other leaders of Parliamentary Reform, to imi-
tate the wise and prudent, and essentially British,
examples furnished by the patriots of 1910 and of
$685. and we see that he has before him the pros
pect of speedy and complete success.
1t is impossible for nation to forget its past-to
blot out all its precedents, and begin the world
entirely anew. The traditions of history will cling
to us the actions of our forefathers will stare us
in the face and suggest to us the propriety of fol-
lowing their examples. In order to benefit the
society in which we live, we must thoroughly I'M
derstand its temper, sympathze with its feelings,
and identify ourselves with its interests. Especially
is this true of any one who undertakes to modify
the existing laws and government of a country.
Mr. Golden has shown, by his conduct through the
whole course of the Free Trade movement, that he
Possessed thoroughly English head and heart
and for this very reason, he was able to bring into
successful Operation those great principles for which
others had long been fruitlessly contendng. In
the success which attended his previous efforts,
together with the tone OF the last ueen's speech,
we see ali earnest of Mr.. Cobdens carving out the
retrenchment reform he has recently undertaken
1t is step towards good government in England,
which must please all who take an interest in the
welfare of other nations as well as their own.
->>s-
o. We obliged to the officers Of the steam
boats Gen. Washington and Homer for late papers.
POSTAL TREATY.-Mr Bancroft returned from
a visit to Paris few days previous to the sailing
of the Europa. The object of his visit was to
conclude Postal Treaty with the French Govern