The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1866-09-17
DAILY PRESS.
ND.
Monday Morning. September IT, 1866.
rhe poii,icn, Crisis in England.
PORTLAND,

The Political Crisis in England.
We publish to-day vivid account ofthe re-
ception Of John Bright at Birmingham three
weeks ago. The speech was delivered i'll Jug
Town Hall, in the evening, ana hau oeeh pio-
ceded by an immense demonstration III the
omen air during the afternoon. The meeting
was not broucft together by ingenious tricks.
A onarter of a million of English people came
together. stirred bya common interest, q COM
mon expectancy of some great change which
NAV prove of advantage to themselves and
their children. They were people whose
sbare-in the government of England is limited
to the payment of taxes to support it-pee-
pie who cannot vote, but are beginning to
think very seriously. Mr.. Bright's voice was
SO impaired, that he was scarcely able to 60
on for the last half hour, but his hold upon
his hearers was not weakened for an instant.
As he drew near the close of his speech. he
said, "The address which has been presented
to me referred to the time of 1882. remem-
Der the time well. Ny young heart was then
stirred with the trumpet blast that sounded
from YOUR midst. There was no part Of this
kingdom where your voice was not heard
LET IT SOUND AGAAN'-and the cry of the
great ,ou:tit lde in and outside OF the hall took
I'D the words from the orators lips with
sudden and irrrpressible energy that was
startling. lss. .;s,-. =
The time unquestionably draws near when
tie motto of the American colonies century
ago will be adopted as the railying cry OF Eng
lisii Liberals, and mo taxation without rep
resentation' will be the inspiring principle OF
Reform bill which will shake the nation. In
the midst OF an astonishing material prosper
ity, their government seems smitten with a
sudden palsy. Ireland remains in her chron-
ic state of irritation, and may any day be con-
vulsel by revolution; yet nobody seems capa-
bic of suggesting any wise policy respecting
that unfortunate island. The outrage of the
+. Irish Church Establishment has hardly de-
fender in the United Kingdom; but nobody
moves TO abolish it. The need of Reform
act of some kind is almost universally &C
knowledged; but neither Tory nor Wing min
istry has been able to present a bill thatlwould
pass. The misery Of the agricultural laporers
is loudly lamented; but nobody proposes a
remedy. England dares not undertake the
charges Of a foreign w&r, because every politi-
clan knows that the additional burdens would
not be peaceably borne unless larger piopor
ton of the population were permitted by
their votes to direct the expenditure of their
own money. She has accordingly abandoned
her roe as one Of the Great Powers Of Eu
Iope, and looked on during the late conflict on
tue Continent with helpless show of indifrer
enca. 81
The English army, like the Austrian, is still
organized on the aristocratic scheme which all
standing armies in Europe adopted on their
first formation. The rank and file are COM
posed Of the lower classes, while the officers
are exclusively gentlemen" In actual war
that arrangement has been proved futile again
and again. Our militia generals have beaten
the British gentry on these shores. Napole-
on made the French army democratic insti-
tuition. and oyerran Europe. In the Prussian
amy promotion is the reward of merit, and
the two systems come face to face at Sadowa
last summer. The English army, in its pres
Gnu conulCloD, Is llOt only lneIlclenJ DuC uIl-
popular. Men will not enlist. 1t is barely
sufficient at tais moment for the garrison duty
o!the empire. As for the navy, Sir John PAX
inston, the new Secretary, confessed the 9TH
er day, that practically England has no navy.
England has tried aristocratic government,
she is now trying combination Of aristocrat-
ic and middle class government. She has
gained mercantile credit and lost warlike
strength by the experiment. She has seen a
Republic where almost every man personally
-3 asrriifiG inategJn under most trying circtr-
r e-,sSs, the lesson IS not lost we were
indeed lighting the worlds battle on this con-
tinens. The era Of political equality in Eu-
rope has been broughtimmeasurabl nearer by
or glorious success. i 'ff1i)