The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-04-30

sion in the ranks of the chief political parties.
Individual members of Parliament must find
it hard to say positively on which side they
really stand. The old-fashioned Tory squire
has been metamorphosed by the dexterous
hands OF Mr.. Disrael, and we now behold him
with questionable cap of liberty on his head
and red republican colors in his button-hole.
Mr.. Gladestone's breath has been so utterly
taken away by the rapidity and completeness
of the transformation, that he has lost his
presence of mind, and half ruined his party
IN consequence.
Mr.. Disrael proved too shrewd and expert
for him. He has profted by every mistake,
by every error of judgment, by every defect of
temper which the leader of the opposition was
betrayed into. Never has the present Chan
cellor of the EXchequer displayed greater YER
satilityOr alertness-never has he made so great
an impression upon the House of Commons by
his speeches. always unrivalled in felicity of
expression and vigor of thought but this year
distinguished by an intensity of power which
his enemies seldom gave him credit for. As
we heard by the mail the other day, he has
won in another stage of the great contest A
majority OF twenty-One in his favor, in a
crowded house, and in spite of all the efforts
OF his practised adversary, is victory of which
any leader of party might well be proud.
It's impossible not to perceive, even at this
distance from the scene of contention, that the
result OF the Reform debates thus far has been
moulded in no small degree, by the personal
character and qualities of these two eminent
men-Mr. Gladstone and Mr.. Disraei. Ac-
cording as they have evinced a spirit of states
manship and wise torbearance, or been un-
mindful of their responsibilities, they have
gained or lost influence with their followers
But it has happened that the larger proper
tiOn of mistakes have been committed by Mr.
Gladstone, and his wary opponent has seized
in IN inst aud t,,r,, ,,,,1 .,
good account. Able as Mr.. Gladstone is,
there are many grave, almost fatal defects in
his organization, and not the least of them are
his inability to discern what is the most mate
rialpoint in the controversy, and consequently
the one best worth fighting for his tendency
to overwhelm every subject with torrent of
words, and his utter want of command over
his temper
lie will take up wrong issue, and stake
the fortunes of his party upon it. He did so
In the recent instance of the foolish 'instruc-
tom to Mr.. Coleridge, and he underwent the
modification of seeing it withdrawn amid the
jeers of the whole House. His tongue runs
away with him whenever he speaks on a great
question. He elaborates and re elaborates till
the minds OF his hearers wander away from
him, although their ears are still pleased by
his eloquence. They listen, but he ceases to
convince. A slight incidental smile, for
instance, on the face of Disraeli opposite
vi u SJrdy lTOulCdl Cneef-S6tS him atlame
with anger. He becomes insolent and
arrogant towards the other side, and these
are faults which the House of Commons is
swift to resent. 1t is not so long ago that
Mr.. Gladstone bitterly offended his own party
by the contemptuOus tone and naughty man
ner which he assumed when answering
questions as leader of the House. This ses-
sion he began with better promise. He had
evidently set guard upon his unruly mem
ber. He was studiously, sometimes almost
painfully, courteous and deferential to all.
He listened to everybody's opinion, and honey
dropped from his mouth whenever he ad-
dressed the Philistines. Sweet and pleasant
were his words, even when he attuned them
for his successor. Everybody began to think
that the House had, indeed, been well swept
and garnished. But before the Liberals had
had time to render thanks for this mercy
their eccentric leader turned round upon
them and began to rend them, and it was too
evident that many other spirits had entered
in worse than the first. He abused the Minis
try, and dictated to them what they should
do in terms which Mr.. Disrael afterwards
very happily mimicked. One night he
pledged his party to course upon which he
had not consulted them, and which they were
not prepared to follow. He led them into the
mire in all directions. At last he conducted
them to sure defeat, and, if the telegraph is
to be trusted, he has resigned the leadership
of the party. But this we greatly doubt,
Things have not yet arrived at such pass as
to require that step.
The relation in which Mr.. Disraeli stands
towards the Reform question is too large a
subject to enter upon here, but it is perfectly
evident that he was placed in circumstances of
very great embarrassment and that he is
emerging from them with skill and credit
He has had to force his party along a road
they were indispOsed to travel The CON
servatives, as a body, were opposed to anv
large measures of reform. Many of them
would have preferred to remain out of office
until the question was settled. But thew came
into power, and Mr.. Disraeli, little bv little,
brought them to the measure which is now
before the English Commons. There is no
reason to suppose that he does not honestly
believe tito be a sound and satisfactory sor
tiOn of the problem, for he has too much tact
to trihe with the opinion of England, and to
give the people quack mixture, the ineficacy
of which would be discovered as soon as it had
passed from his hands. There would be
another agitation, and in that Mr.. Disrael
and his party must hOpeessly go down. On
the other hand, if he succeeds in devising a
good and suitable measure, he will, as Mr.
Bright told him, thoroughly establish his
fame. All the considerations naturally lead
him to try his utmost to accomplish the task
successfully. What, then, is it that he is
attempting, and what are the prospects before
himl
In seeking to arrive at conclusions upon
these points, we are met by many difficulties.
The Ministerial bill is being discussed on theo-
retical grounds. We do not believe that any
party understands precisely what will be the
tull elect OF its working. The English press
is very much divided unon its n,arifs Az our