The national Republican., 1868-12-04
ENGLAND AND THE UNITED
STATES.

elections in England; so We may afiru in the
terso uttsrance of John Bright, that "tbe
nation 10 now q power" The aristocFacy
have now taken their departure upon the
road to decay, and ali the high privileges and
vested rights which have inhered in British
customs, laws, and the framework Of society
for so many years must give way, and tho pso.
pie must rule. The law Of priuogeniture
must be modified and essentially revised, edu.
cation must become general, and free SCHOOL
must spring up all over the land in short,
that time has tully come 10 England when, to
use the significant phrase of Lord Brougham,
"the schoolmaster 10 abroad" We msy con.
Sdently conclude that 10 that country, as in
this, reforms must 60 on till a just government
and universal liberty everywhere prevsil.
We may predict that the election which
brings the Liberal party into power will place
its great leader, Mr.. Gladstone, a. Its head in
the Government. He must henceforth and for
a time direct the policy Of the British Govern.
usnt.
Mr.. Gladstone 10 q great MIN AL, in h'
true meaning Of the term, q Statesman. Th'
Liberals having obtained a controlling power
must, OF necessity, in order to hold that powe
and to do the needed work, moderate thei
ssal witnessed on the hustings, and becom
somewhat conservative. Mr.. Gladstone, there
fore, is just the man to lead, and to be Pre-
misr of England. Thirty years sgo this gen
tlsnan was High Church Tory, but to.da,
he is the distinguished aud hanored chief o
tho Liberal party, and demands the di'fran
ehi,emeut of the Irish Church, and is the ad
voca,s offs suffrage Law more liberal than an,
ever before proposed in Britain.
Mr. Gladstone, like all clear headed and
fsr.seeing statesmen, has changed his mind,
discarded old poli,ies and old views, and
adopted new theories and now principles. 10
accordance with tho laws Of progress and re.
form He does not, like some politicians who
claim to be statesmen, tread blckvsrdsi but
as the light of civilization AMI improvement
progresses be is ever ready TO tako new de.
par.ure for a better civil aud political state.
Nobody d.rss accuse Mr.. Gladstone Of be:
coming a Liberal for the sake Of onhss, Like
Sir Robert Peel, he moves with the movement,
Of the age, and those reforms which arc 10
svitabls, and which he cannot prevent. b.
controls Sir Robert Peel was at one time tn,
stoutsst champion Of protection, bat from tha
he came to be, in tho progrss, of events, th'
champion and the acknowledged leader Of th,
tree-trade movement. So Mr. Glsdstons, from
being High Church Tory, has come to b,
tho great leader of the moral and reform force
Of England.
II is given ont that when Mr.. Gladstone II
promoted M. Bright will come into the Miu
i,try; that being the case, aud as an evidenc
that there will be no falteriDg, Mr.. Bright
great speech at Edinburgh the other day give
significant promise. He spoke Of the countr
as standing upon tho threshold Of a new ca
reer, and indicated other reforms which are t
follow So much for reform and reformers II
England. Now what of our own land
The election Of General Giant settles a
the reforms and improvements Of the past
including reconstruction in all Of Its mai
features We may, to be sure, correct thi
policy in some of its details wherein 1t need
correction, but other and important change
must follow during the Aiuinistration Q
President Grant, which will place our cOuntr
on the high road to prosperity, peace and lib
srty. We can now forget the raneor engen
dered by party spirit, and remember that "
are Americans all, and thus take q new d,
parturs in the career Of the most prOspsrou
OF nations.