The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-03-05
CHI Ar T. E.s TON.
THURSDAY MORNING, MARCH s, 1858.
The British Premiership.

One of the most interesting, and,'i Ger
tain aspects, one of the most suggestive
items of the recent news from Europe, is
that which announces the retirement of
Lord DERBY from the English Cabinet, and
the appointment of Mr.. DIsRAELI as his
successor in the premiership.
The retiring statesman has occupied q
prominent position in English polilics for
nearly half o century. AS Lord STANLEY
he early won distinction as debater IN the
uouse of Commons, and was everywhere
recoonized as one of the controlling minds
Of the great Tory party; and when Sir
RoByar PEEL split off from that party In
| 1916. upon the free trade question, Lord
DERBY succeeded him as its acknowledged
head. From that time until the present,
when, worn out with years and inirmities,
he has felt constrained to resign into the
hands of his sovereign the high office she
had entrusted to his care, he has been the
life and soul of his party, and has shaped
its policy at his pleasure. But for him the
Reform bill could scarcely have been car
ried through, and it is understood that 1t
was only to secure the SUCCESS of this
measure that he delayed carrying into
effect the resolution he had formed
some time since, of Withdrawing from
nublic life. His retirement cannot but
be serious injury to his party; and it
NAV be doubted whether his successor,
great as his genius unquestionably is, will
be able to harmonic the somewhat disccr-
dant elements of which the party is COM
posed. and maintain in il, that unity which
is essential to success.
Lord DERBY was the last of class Of
statesmen of which English politics will
hereafter present, in all human probability,
but few if any specimens. hereditary
legislator, of birth not merely noble but
illustrious, the representative of the great
and historic Earldom of Derby once a
County Palatine, the prestige this gave him
lent fresh lustre to the laurels his brilliant
and fiery Parliamentary jousting won, and
went far to consolidate his influence with
those with whom o great name odtweighed,
at times, all other considerations. He was
the very beau ideal of the traditional aris-
tooratic Statesman 80 dear to the British
The new Premier is just the reverse OF
all this. Of obscure birth, without any OF
the advantages at the command of Lord
DERBY, he owns his present proud position,
to which he has fought his way through all
manner of difficulties and all manner OF
prejudices- of race, of educa-
tion, of'social position--solely to the force
of his own genius, backed by an indomita-
BILE will. Mr.. DIsRAELI's success furnishes
a striking example of what may be accom-
plished against seemingly overwhelming
odds, by man who, conscious of power,
proposes high aim TO himself, and pursues
it with tenacious and uuwavering purpose.
Thirty years ago, Lord MELBOURNE, then
the leader of powerful party, and, in our
opinion, the ablest statesman of his day,
was struck with DIsRAELI's talents and !
asked him what he intended to be. Dis
RAELI replied 81 intend to be Prime Minis
ter of England" He has lived to make
good his promise; but at that time it only
excited laughter. He was known to the
public then only as very clever, but some
what sensational novelist; the newspapers
sneered at him as
The wondrous boy
Who wrote Alroy,
and the House coughed him down when he
delivered his maiden speech. But who Of
all these coughers would dare to meet
DIsRAELI in debate now?
The tone of the London press in discus
sing his appointment, reveals the bitterness
of the prejudice against which he has had
and still has to contend, and bears testi-
mony also to the fact that he owes his eleva-
tion to his own merit exclusively. The
Times says so in so many words, and the
Post, the aristocratic Post, after expressing
its regrets that the Premiership was not
rendered to some one of noble birth, goes
on to assert that it was given to Mr.. DIS
RAELI because in ill England 'Ihere was
no one else so fit for the Office"
Mr. DIsnAELI has q difficult, very diff
cult task before him; but we believe that he
will succeed. He is necessary to the Eng
lish people and they know it; and, unlike
some of their descendants on this side of
the water, they have toe much good sense
to sacrifice great public interests to the
qualification of personal prejudice or party
malice. AS republicans, we cannot but
feel lively sympathy for Mr.. DIsRAEIr,
and deep interest in his success. His
promotion inauguratcs new era in English
politics, IN era Of solid progress in the path |
of practical reform; and while we admire
the constitution of England, and regard
those who live under it as the freest and
happiest people on earth, We should like to
see some unsightly excrescences Topped off
and the administration of the government