Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1859-09-22
THURSDAY MORNING. SEPT, &c, 1853.


THURSDAY MORNING, SEPT, pc, 1859.
The Opposition i'm EngIand---irs origin.
We have proposed to derive what instruction may
be sttsinsble from contemplation of the position
Of parties as present constituted in England and
America respectively; the present paper win be
devoted to the existing state of Euglish politics
Wepropose, not 50 much to discuss the merits Of
the various questions which have been the subject
Of controversy, as the mode of tactics adopted in
reference to them snd the fluctuations Of party pre-
ponderance dependent upon them.
1t is necessary to premise that for long time it
has been found impossible in England for a
cabinet to retain office after any leading adj
sOoated by it hss received a negative in the
House Of Commons. So that throughout the
whole space Of time of which we shall take
notice, 1t has only been necessary to defeat some
measure introduced by the administration or to
~ an act which they oppose tor their resignation to
be secured
During the long Tory reigns Of GEORGE III and ",
with Few short intervals, the party in power was
Tory the opposition Wing; since 1900 during the
Teigns Of WILLIAM Nv and VIcroRIA, the reverse
hiss been the case, the Wing Liberal party having
been in office; the Tory or Conservative party in OPP
position The tactics whereby the Tory party tried
to resist the predominaBcs Of the Wings in the ear
ly part Of this period and to rsinsste themselves
in later times, will be the principal objects of our
consideration.
The first measure in cOniestiug which the Wings
made decided impression upon the ranks Of the
Tories, was that Of Cathode Emancipation it was
called, by which was meant the removal of those
disabilities by which Catholics were disqualified
from setting ir Parliament, and holding political
Offices.
This question had long been sgitsted even in
the reign of GEoRGE ILL., who was invineihly OPP
posed to 1t; the cause Of Emancipation, however,
gained ground, AMI in the reign of GEORGE ~
majority was gained in the House OF Commons;
against which, however, the Administration felt
em5oldened to hold out by the ms ority 10 the Houae
Of Peers against it and the support Of the crown,
GEORoE " being as sverse to the measure as his
father had been 1t should be mentioned, that pre-
Vously to this the question had been what is called
sn Open Cabinet Question; in other words, it was
agreed in the Cabinet that no member Of it should
bring such measure forward, but if q member Of
Parliament, outside of the Cabinet, should do so,
the members Of the Cabinet were to be free TO vote
for or against it. Messrs. CANNING, HUsKrssoN and
Lord PALMERsToN all held off ces under this cOnGi-
ton, and when upon the death Of Lord LIVERPOOL,
the Premier, Mr.. CANNING became Premier, Sir
ROBERT PKEL, the DUKE of WELLINGToE and other
Tories resigned, because of their unwillingaess
TO hold Office under an Emsncipationist. CAN
SING died soon after, and now Tory admin
IL. fl,o1;S
vas no longer an open one; all the members were
pledged to vote against the measure Ireland was
in rebellion; civil war which would have rendered
Il necessary for England to rule ireland thereafter
Austria rules Italy, by the force of bayonets,was
the only alternative, the responsibility of which the
Tory administration did not venture to encounter,
and some retreat from their position was necessary.
What did they DO then Did they resign and leave
their political antagonists to carry the measure
which they we're no longer able TO resist Motley
turned round themselves, and passed an Emanoips-
ton bill they who had worried the life out of CAN
MING with their hostility because he was
an Emsucipationist who had upon his death for
the first time formed an administration in which
Emancipation was not even to be an open question;
in which every member was to be pledged to oppose
the measure Whosoever should bring it forward.
They, finding that even the courage ola WELLINGTON
declined the awful responsibility ofTesisting, became
themselves emancipstors introduced their measure,
which was of course supported from the Wings and
the prescription of lac years removed from the
Irish Catholics by those who had most actively AMI
pertinsciously defended it.
II the passage of this bill saved ireland from re-
lgious prescription, and England perhaps from mil
itary dsspoiism, the in which it was carried
was disastrous TO public morality. The principles of
political honor which, in the hottest party warfare
of the day of PITT and Fox, had been rigidly Ad
bored to- received in this their death blow, ana
the Tory party adopted what it has ever since sd-
hsred to, the policy of dispensing with principles,
of opposing popular movements as long as there
was any ground to fight on, and then turning on
their heel and taking to themselves the credit Of
them by 8 sudden advocacy of them or even Of
measures more extreme than those they had been |
resisting.
Very seOn after this The Tory administration was /
broken up through having 10 yield the question Of
Parliamentary Reform, and from that time 10 this |
they may be called the Opposition, for though they
have been occasionally in Oiice, they have, whether
in or out heen opposed tue pred Omnant spirit Of
the age that of social progress opposed to it, how
ever, without the power of successful resistance
And the principle upon which they have conducted
this opposition if principle it can he called has
been that Of having avowed principles Of their
own, but watching the weak points and blunders of
their opponents; taking questions originated by
them and getting theoredi to themselves Their real
principle is resistance to improvement-this is as
persistent the grip Of the bulldog their avowed
principles whatever they think likely to lead to
Ofios and has been described above in regard to
Catholic emancipation, it is no objection with them
TO sn available that their advsrssries have
hitherto advocated it and they themselves bitterly
opposed il.
But the details of the manner in which they have
carried out their principle Of having no principles
must be reserved for another paper.