New-York tribune., 1868-12-19

now to prepare definite and complete scheme
for the disendowment and disestablishment of
the Irish Church; and what opportunities may
not the development of any such scheme afford
TO his hateful rivalF Ii would hardly be in
human possibility to carry such a measure in
the next session; and meanwhile events, and
the force Of rivalry and jealousy, ambition and
disappointment. will be doing wonderful work
toward the education of the Tory fparty. If
it be true that Mr.. Gladstone and Mr.. Bright
have resolved to make the Marquis of Sails
bury Governor G enoral Of India-an appoint
meut quite likely to DO made by men so mag,
unanimous and so wise-a grave difficulty would
be removed ont of Mr.. Disraeli's path The
Marquis of Salisbury is by far the
ablest, the best. the most high-minded of
the Tories he has long watched Mr.. Dsraeli
with jealous eye, and Disraeli feared him. If
Salisbury were bestowed safely in India the
way of the great adycnturer would be much
more clear. Nobody supposes that Disrael in
lIis heart, cares three straws about the Irish
Church. If he has any Individual feeling in
the matter il must rather be secret sympathy
with the cause Of religious equality. Given
free choice, he would probably rather be re-
membered in history az the statesman who
abolished the Irish Church, than as the Tory
leader who sustained it. But he wanted to be
Prime Minister nnyhow-that first all the rest
secondhand he could no more work himself up
to the political virtue OF a Bright or Glad
stone than he could make himself young again.
so he went in for Protestant asccndency because
il gave him the first and apparently the best
chance and he must lately have felt very much
as Becky SHARP did when, after having secretly
contliyed to get married to Rawd0n Crawlcy,
the DOOR younger sou, she found ont that she
might have married Sir Pitt CTawley. the rich
father.
DisraelTs game, then, we fancy, is this; He
will wait, watch delay, harass, baille-he viii
seize every chance clutch at every qulbble,
bring into play every parliamentary form, to
prevent the accomplishment of Gladstones
scheme. lie will do all he can 10 lead his
own party gently up to the brink oil new
policy. Already the programme OF the Tory
party. even of the dullcst and most b'goted
among them. includes what they call Reform
of the Irish Church Who shall say that the
party who begin by cOncedne reform may
not end by adopting aboltionP We do not
venture to predict that they will so end; but
wc do venture to affirm that Mr Dlsrath
thinks OF hopes he can "lead them thither
with gentle hand" By his prompt rsigna-
ton he has made himself, in the eyes of the
outer clclc ol Tories, "A sort ot martyr IN the
cause of Protestant principle They will begin
many of them for the tirst time--to think
that, after all, they may trust themselves
and their Professionalism to the guidance
Of 50 faithful leader. There was
4 lady, mentioned by Brnoine, We think, who
struggled hard and successfully against the
Establishments Of her lover while she dstrusted
his religious principles, but yielded without
scuple or murmur when she discovered that he
had taken 10 going to church Some OF the
Tore, arc inst the persons 10 make tins sa'rl-
flee of virtue for virtues own dear Sake. AT
all events, this is we doubt not, Mr. DSrach's
present hope aud puipose. He sees that the
No-Popcfy business Is an anachronIsm. lie
knows-no one knows bcitor-that the Irish
Church must 90. lie is not "A man to "Mgne
with the inexorabler Since the Church must
fall there i, no reason why It's fate shonld only
profit it, cnemics; and if Mr. Disracli can. he
will mount into power again upon It's runs.
A campaign of two sessions long will see him,
wc venture 10 predict. as ready TO abolish the
Irish Establishment a~ lac was last year to iu-
tIoduce household suffrage.