The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-11-24


county like aWhig BOROUGH, was beaten out of |
the deld by MIR. Wilberforce. Mr.. H'll came IN |
at the head o. the poll lor the Uryei sity of |
Cambridge. The discontinue Of the Whig- in
l7lO was drawn battle compared TO the rout
OF 1884. The decisive and permanent effects OF
tbis election are too well known to oe repeated:
II So ated the Tories III office for AZ years, aud
Mr.. Pitt with a brief intermission, for his life.
And 1t was not until new generation had
grown up, and new ideas aud new wants taken
possession OF the pubic mud, that the Wings
recovered from the blow. Thus we see that the
four critical elections of the last centnry were
In 17l0 in l7l6, in 1884 and IN l7S4-two of
them favorable to the Whigs and two to the
Tories. But in none of the three which ln-
volved great and sudden changes do we observe
any agency at work which eau properly be
called caprice. Both in ITO and 1884 the people
were really glad to see the royal prerogaLtve
exerted; and we have pointed out the reasons
which they had for believing that 1t was, in
one instance at least, eXerted on the right side.
But no one who studies attentively the
history OF the eighteenth century can fail
TO perceive that the independence of the
Crown was always tavorlte idea With the
English people, and that the hustiDgs orator
who vas capable of painting with effect the
thraldOm oi his gracious sovereign, and BIS own
loyal resolve to assist In the work o. emancIpa-
tiUn, was certain OF yocIierous applause Tnis
sentiment was at the bottom OF the Tory sue
cesse, both in l1lO and ia 1884. The Whig
victories on the other hand, were owing to two
cQrRlly deeply rooted sentiments iu the English
uiud-the dread OF Popery and the pride which
orsilcd ~ the notion OF the Stuarts riding back
cost William his Dutch Guards, and but for that
would have cost hi-o his throne. Aud although
the avOwed Jacobites felt that nothing could be
done without French assistance, the very neces.
slty discrgdited the cause IN the eyes of the
nation ut large.
The mex, really critical election that We have
TO record brings us down to period within the
memory Of middle-GIcd men, and Is hardly be-
yOud the limits of contemporary history; we
mean, OF course, the memorable aud decisive
election OF 1881. In this we SEE the result of a
nII HtNNI Iff vrlRr rhl h.n h,aN
gradually maturing for Wany years, and not
merely one of the extreme oscillations which
belong TO q period OF trans ton. The slo y, half
conscious growth OF spirit OF Liberalism,
which had been in progreSs during the Regency
and the reign OF George ", was analogous
rather TO the growth of that new ToryiSm which
took place after the accession Of GEORGE Ill than
90 those "revulslons Of feeling" which occurred
hal century before; whether with or without
reason, tho peoole at one time had
grown tired OF the Wings, and at the other
had grown tired OF the Tories. Aud 1t is won
dpTful S ill to reflect on the energy aud enthu-
siasm which sustained the independent electors
in their great struggle AGAINST all the old
iuaUeuces by which they mad so long beeu
guided. In the Euglish counties, whore, how
ever, the Wings had OF late years commanded
small maioriy, almost every elcc lou went in
favor OF the ReiOrmers. IN the open bOrOughs
the Jame spirit WAS victorious. And when
Parliament lCaSsembcl the Ministerial majority
| OF l was changed into l3G. The work OF 1884
was thOrOlguly undOne; the great parry which
had ruled for iOrty.seven years completely
brokeO UP, never again to be rsuulted GpDn the
same or even Il kindred basis, But IT would oe
rs great mistNkc TO attribute this result
exclusively 70 the opera iou OF REFORM
as to attribute the results OF 1854
exclusively 10 the uupopularily OF the India
blr. tong train OF causes had been silently at
work 10 caCh case paving the Wav iOr the great
rev Oluuon that cnsue3. And we believe It will
be found that IA az cases OF critical elections,
excepting such as have occurred during eXcep-
| ttOual md transitional epocas, the same Law
has been at work. Revolutions on small
scale, they resemble revolutions on "A large
scale. The ostCns'hlc cause Is never the real
cause, or certainly never the only cause. Tue
! forthcoming election will probably Oe another
case in point II vii not he d,clded eXclusiyeiy
or the merits OF the Lush Church.
| The election OF 1871, though GER
talniv, according TO our own definition,
! critical election, aud though apparently
| eviucmg grcat and sudden change in puOIc
! opluiou, was not IN reality any sign that the
! people OF this country hai abandoned the ideas
| which had in pred them only uue years before.
/ Many OF the Wing leaders were personally
! unpopular, while The whole party reaped the
| fruits OF those exaggerated promises In which
/ the champions Of reform had rtshly permitted
| Themselves 90 indulge. The Reform aOul ha1
| not touched hose hariships which it was eX-
! pyC'pu luslHutgIrUusly 10 cure. Wages had not
! risen; bread Was found 80 be as dear under the
| new system as It bad been under the old. Tue
new Poor lag dad not pfoptate the poor;
! while WLig finance and WING foreign
! policy were viewed with suspicion by
/ the rich. Wing government had
]
| its Manchester riots. AL these causes are quite
| suthciDut 10 account tor the extraordinary
| conservative tiIumuhn Of 1891. But the reader
| will see at glance hat II was purely matter
! OF administration: principle was affected by
! II, as had beeu the case ~ 1854 aud IA 1881. BY
! returning Conservative majority under Sir
| Robert Pee, the people were not IN the least
! going back from the principles they hsd adopted
| in the Reform Bill Wiser aud more experienced
| than his predecessors, he stlll substantially car
ried out liberal system OF government There
| was, in fact, nothing distinctive ir the great
! Conservative party which the electious OF 1871
| brought into power, as there had been IN the
| Tory party OF Mr. Pit and the Wing party Of
! power very soon shd back again into the old
hauds. What We mean Is, that the
| appeal 10 the country In 1881 produced as great
| ard AS lasting a change as the appeal Of 1854
! or of ZIG; and that the Ministry OF Sir Robert
| Peal was no real break In the continuity OF the
| political system which has prevailed ever since.
What is true OF 1871 l. a tOr'iOl7 true OF ell the
! elections winch have followed It,. lslt probable
that the elections of 1865 will be the drst iutgT-
ruptOn 10 the eeries'
We have already stated our opinion that the
result OF 1t will not depend exclusively on the
IRISH Church question. Votes will be- given lOr
the Liberals by men not bO,tilc to that church.
| Votes will be given Tor the Conservatives by
men who disapprDye OF that church. broader
question than this wilt virtually be submitted
TO the new constituencies, namely,
whether, Gu the whole, the party
whose PRINCIPLES have been dominant fOr
the last generation, or the party which has oulY
recently succeeded in ob'aiulug pOgcr be the
! one winch they prefer 10 govern them. Tue
! more closely Cue studies the history ot tue last
ten years 1.-THE mole dIliCuit does ~ seem 10
believe that aug deeply seated chsnge mas been
coming over the temper OF The poodle similar
to those we have described az pseyou, pertols.
On the surface OF society a. AL events, there
appear 10 marks OF such change. Bat Just as