New-York tribune., 1866-12-03
HJGH DEBATE IN OXFORD.

HIGH DEBATE IN OXFORD
II :, very drol--a party Of undergraduate gentle
men in the tremendous exercise Of prebaccalauIeate
wisdom, discussing they have lately done ID de-
batting society in oxford, England the question
Whether M John Bright is or Is not reproacn 10
the country that gave him birth? we admit 'ha1
the subject Of the debate, for the reason that has
present and living interest is somewhat more sensible
than most OF those which usually divide college de-
hating societies such a., Which was the greatest
general. Julius Caesar or the Duke OF Wellington
(Which was the wisest man, Soon or Periclesi OF
even the fine old stock subject, Did the trench hoV
olution do more good than harm1 " But the EnghSh
of modern times pride themselves ana perhaps
Justly, upon their common sense, and OF all common
sense men of the United Kingdom, Mr.. Bright Is the
foremost About his patriotism there is no false
plitter in his advocacy of reforms which are vitality
necessary there is no selfsceking; he is neither
place hunter nor pensioner fawner upon the great
nor Aaterer of the common people; he Is more than
a Member of Parament--he is a representative IN
the House of Commons out Of IT, OF the great MD
die class % its energy its prosperity its intelligence
and its humanity; and depending as England Is al tnlS
moment for its national existence upon that class, II
is hard to see how It's leader in any respect be
reproach to the country. II Mr.. Bright were bor
ough.mongering peer, plurast clergyman, cham
pion of high and Of low wages, of restricted SUI
fage and Of unrestricted land titles of education for
the wcllbor and Of ignorance for the lowly, OF Irish
slavery and a domineering Church Establishment OF
laws for the preservation of game, of Smony and oi
sinecures-if this great all that in this nine
teenth century he should not be- bgoty conservative,
femninely timd, and with "quieta non mOrcre for
ever on his lips he would be adored in Oxford as, in
that seat of learning and Of lumber, so many thick
headed and purblnd responsibilities have been exalted
into demi. .godshp. Rcproach! A college which idol
lied Lord Edon cannot be expected TO entertain any
overwcenng affection for Mr. Bright
There are several things il must be allowed, which
this able gentleman has omitted to do, and which, II
he had done them, might have rendered him iuStrl-
GUS lie has run away with nobody's wife-he has
never transported poor devil for shooting his rabbits
he has never sworn to a creed which he did not be-
eve-hc has never voted for wars to bolster up de-
cayng ministry-he has not scoded the Amei ciaS
for exercising the natural right of seipreserVaton-
he has never played high Whites nor betted at the
Dcrby-hc has never sold his brthrght OF free thought
aud free speech for mess of pottoge-he has never
hung upon the strings Of bishops nor been daz-
2led by the epauletes of generals-hc has never by
smooth speech and fair promise the hearts of the
people only to betray tben-he has been neither Idle
nor luxurious neither contractor of debt nor
pleadcr of privilege. In all these qualities and re-
spccts he differs from several men who have never
been considered "arcproach" to the country but who
have been written down in history its safeguards and
is ornamcnts-mcn whose Latiniled names are re-
splcndcnt upon the rolls of OXford-men who have
been dogcs and senators while living, aud who have
been carried 10 snug corners Of Westminster Abbey
when dead The political annals Of England are full
of personal bargans-but Mr.. Bright isneither Bubb
Doddiuigton nor an Eldon, and has never traihcked
either his popularity or his unpopuary for peerage
very di,credable course iudced-ii pcerages were
all,
An Engshman who points out the sources aud the
secret of English decay entitled to the credit, and
will probably meet with the fate Of discoyerer. He
may rescue the land from mortal evils, but he viii be
very spcily abused for doing it. This to him, how
ever. i, a matter Of small consequence II would,
probably, MI the .bosom Of many square-toed Don
with horror TO know how little Mr.. Bright thinks OF
what they think Of him in Oxford. or how little he
cares whether they think OF him at ALL Men who are
merely scholarly, however great they may be in tho
closters, will play but an unimportant part in that
great British revolution which is impending. The work
aud the power will be in the hands Of those who have
a capacity for public affairs like Mr.. John Bright.