Litchfield enquirer., 1865-11-16
DEATH OF LORD PALMERsTON.

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 Henry John Temple, Viseount Palmerston, aud Premier of the British Ministry, ( First Lord of the Treasury died on the morning of the 18th ult. He was the cleverest and one of the oldest of the British statesmen, and his death forebodes important changes in the poli- tics of Great Britain. if not of Europe. He lacked barely day of attaining the ripe age of Sl. Born in Ireland, but of the conqueriDg race, he was never in heart or purpose Irish ; succeeding to his peerage when but eighteen, he might have hoped to be selected to represent his order in the British House of Lords, but he choose to enter the Commons, ard at 2l con- tested uDsuccessfully as Tory, the representa- ton of Cambridge University. but was bea aten by Lord Henry Petty, since Marquis of Lans- downe, Whig. He was next year returned 1 almost sixty years ago---as Tory from the rot ten borough of Betchngly, and Tory at heart he remained to the day of his death, though not being fool--he, with others like him sup ported Parliamentary Reform, and other such measures, and SO, being denounced and dscar- ded by the owlish bigots of Toryism, he was thrown into the arms of the SO called Liberals, and alter having been for twenty years mem- Der of successive Tory Admin istrations, he ac- cepted in 1890 the post of Foreign Secretary in that of Earl Grey, whereby the Parliamen- tary Reform Bill was pressed and carried. Since that time-though never Radical, and never proclaiming himself Whig--he has acted gen. eraily with the Wings, and has been member of every Whig or Collution Cabinet, generally Foreign Secretary until 1855, when, on the re- tirement of Lord Aberdeen, he became Premi- CT, which post he continued to hold, with one brief interruption, till his death. Succeeding to the representation of Cambridge University in 1911, he held it till 1881, when he was thrown out for supporting the Reform bill, but at once returned for Bletchingly, and soon after for South Hauts, and in 1855 for the borough of Tiverton, which he has steadily represented for 30 years. His sixty years of Parliamentary service, though chequered by several reverses, may be regarded as practically unbroken, and he led the House undisputedy when 30, though in Gladstone, his Chancellor of the Exchequer that house boasted of the most accomplished, fluent and effective orator since Demosthenes
 It is at best doubtful whether the i'll compac- ted Liberal party can be held together under another lead than his; it is notorious that many members, who are at heart Tories owe their seats to loudly-vaunted devotion to his rule, ard it is exceedingly doubtful that the Liberals could have carried majority of the House of Commons at the recent election di- vested of the potent spell of his name. Let new election be held next month, with Russell, Clarndon, Granville, or even Gladstone, as Pre- mier. and a Tory triumph is more than proba- ble. A
 British politics need an infusion of young blood, Earl Russell is 73 years old, Earl Clarn- 65, Earl Derby (the Tory chieD is 66, even DIsraell, who leads the Tory side of the House of Commons, is 60. The time is ripe for youngea and more progressive statesmen, and it is possible that Palmerston's s death will has, ten the desirable consumation. True to his Tory education, Lord Palmersten never loved this country and, though too wise to assail us wantonly, would gladly have aided the estab. lishment of the Southern Confederacy, could he have done so at mcderaae cost. It is scarcely possible that any liberal administrs. ton shall now be formed that is more friend y to us than he has been. The fact that an avowed Tory has just been chosen his colleag- ue for Tiverton is significant of his tendencies and real views. Let another be now chosen his successor, and the record he opened when the last reform bill was beaten by his conni- vance will be complete. He leaves DO children and the title expires with him.-1ribune