The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-06-17

II
aoteristio uacrimony and bitterness and has
ever since been the most violent and impia-
cable opponent It has had. Yet he still sits
on the same Benches; he is still member
of the party. Imagine caucus pretend
ing that II could eject or ostraoize him
The party which attempted such intolerance
and bigotry in England would cover itself
with ridicule and confusion, and the people
would wash their hands clean of il In twenty |
four hours. These refnements of free Gov |
ernments are reserved for the enjoyment of |
the greatest Republic in the world.
But there is still more marked peculiaritv
of English political life; and that is the view |
which a foremost public man in that country !
is found to take of his duty, at times when he |
discovers that his personal convictions are in |
antagonism to those of the bulk of the people. |
Compare, for instance, the conduct of the Pre- |
sident of the United States and that of M. |
DisTaeli, under nearly similar circumstances
When these two functionaries assumed the |
leadership of affairs, their situation before
their respective countries, in relation to public
feeling, was almost identical. Mr. Johnson
held very strongly to certain opinions which
were obnoxious to the general community
Mr.. Disraeli was in the same plight. Mr.
johnson tried by various expedients, which
are too recent to need recounting, to bring the
public sentiment into conformity with his
own. Mr. DisIaeh, by numerous speeches. in
which he made no mistakes which his oppo-
nents could turn to advantage, also tried to
persuade the English people out of their con-
victions into the adoption Of his theories. Mr..
Johnson failed, and did not see it, Mr.. DisraeH
also failed, and did see 1t. Both these great
officials labor under the reproach of being out
of accord with the true feeling of their coun-
| try, and both estranged themselves from the
| hearts of their countrymen. Mr.. johnson may
sometimes think himself hardly judged, but
| he has not to complain of thirty years of in
Ts
| may. How different was the course followed
| by these two men when the hour of trial came!
The glory and boast of Mr.. Johnson was
| that he stood firmly and unchangeably by his
| principles. Every one knows how much
there is to be said for this line of conduct. A
variety of phrases, which are supposed to
have manly and imposing sound have been
adapted to such occasions. We may talk of
mailing colors to the mast, of going down
| with the ship, of no surrender, of planting
| our feet upon the rock, and use great deal
more of fine language to the same effect But
A to a reflective man, or a reflective people, the
] question will recur, whether firmness is
always duty or a virtue in a public man
4 intrusted with the destinies of his country at
| a time of great difficulty and emergency. His
first, his commanding obligation, is to guide
the people safely through the embarrass-
ments which surround them. The claims
of 'frmness' or CONSISTENCY are slight in
comparison, and there are periods when
statesman would be criminal If he did not
| ignore and discard them altogether. Pitt
did so; SO did Mr.. Gladstone, Lord Derby,
Sir Robert Peel and hundred others, and
they have thereby gained, and not forfeited,
the respect of the world. The Duke of Wei
lington struck at the Reform bill of 1882 with
might and main, but he gave way at last
solely in Difference to public opinion and not
in the least degree because his own opinions
1 nd oIa 1Ioa ILL.,. of
side, ever blamed him for This act? Has It
not, on the contrary always been placed to
his credit as the crowning good service of his
life Charles was consistent and true to his
opinions. He believed that ship money and
governing without Parliament were good
things, and his consistency brought him to
the scatfold. George III was firm in his colo
NAL policy, and it lost England, under circum-
stances which she has graver reason to regret
with the lapse of every year, the noblest pos
session nation ever held, and suffered an
imbeoile monarch to trife with.
The lessons of the past-these commonest
of all lessons, and at the same time the most
unregarded-were lost upon Mr.. Johnson. He
seemed it dishonor to yield. He seemed to
think that the human mind is constructed
upon the principle of the solar system, re-
volving only in certain given cycle, and in
capable of change. He was like a knight
errant who held himself bound to perform his
VOW, even when all grounds OF reason and all
motives of prudence demonstrated its mex
cusable folly. At this very time the English
statesman was boldly pursuing the opposite
course. He threw aside old prejudices and
traditions. He marched step by step with the
opinions Of the age. He shifted his position
lom day to day, almost from hour to hour.
'NObody can tell what the effect of this bill
will be-" complained Mr.. Lowe; chow can we
when it is changed from day to day % The
| House heard the reproach in silence and indif-
ference. If the conservatives chose. with
! their eyes open, to go over to the side of the
| country, so much the better for the country
and the conservatives too. Such is the iudg-
ment of England upon the recent changes.
We do not mean to say or imply, that
man should always go over to the side of the
majority. But, as we have said, II is a matter
of sacred duty under many circumstances.
that he should be receptive of the opinions of
others rather than over tenacious of his own.
II was so, we think, in Mr.. Johnson's case.
The country was to be studied before the in
dividual-the public safety is of greater con-
sequence than the uniformity OF the "record''
OF any one man in the community. Above
all, when the nation is beset with difficulties
which battle all human calculation, which
defy even analysis, which in their very nature
are incapable of being illuminated by the
experience OF the past, and which divide men
OF thought into innumerable seotions-at such
an epoch, fraught always with possible peril,
sometimes with imminent and quick disaster,
1t is the duty of a ruler to hear other
voices besides his own, to doubt himself, to