New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-03-22
JOHN BRIGHT IN OFFICE.

the merchants some SUCH questions, ~ 10
rumored, people in England are beginning to
ask Mr.. Gladstone, and they turn uneasy eyes
mon the Leviathan of the Cabinet, John Bright,
and notice that he seems already little impa-
tient of the bondage and the covenant. Twice
lately-once at the Fishmongers' Hall Banquet,
and once before the Representatives OF the
Associated Chambers of COmmerce-Mr. Bright
smoke out with bOldness and an individuality
of assertion quite unlike the conventional style
of Cabinet Minister'S talk. His words, In
deed were not to be Observation-Disclosures
words seldom fail to convey their precise mean
ing. What they purported to say was just
ths 81 am convinced that great movement
fought to be made in the way Of economy, and
Coward the permanent elevation OF the work
cling classes and the poor. If l can assist
" that movement by retaining office, will re-
main n Cabinet Minister. If l find that in
office am powerless to assist it, then return
"to the freedom of unofficial life." That is in
deed what every one might have expected.
Mr.. Bright sacrifices great deal by taking
Office under O Government which is not by any
means n very advanced or liberal admiDistra-
ton. 1t must have been q severe trial to him
to enter a Cabinet in which one of the highest
offices is borne by Mr.. Lowe, man he noto-
| riously dislikes and distrusts, and another OF
| the most influential places is occupied by Lord
Clarendon, q man whom he rs VIGOROUSLY dis
| likes and despises. His own inclinations are
against the routine labor of official life, and 1t
is well known in England that many members
| of his family were strenuously opposed to his
accepting place in the present administration.
| But having entered the Government. it can
| only be regarded as certain that he VIII not Ior
| any light cause or on any sudden impulse resign
| his place. No personal consideration, no dislike
| of this man or distrust of that, no petulant or
dcspondcnt view hastily assumed, will have the
slightest influence on his conduct. Nothing
Except of course break down i'll his heath)
will induce him to abandon Mr.. Gladstone's
side but the deliberate conviction that ne can
do no good to the great movement he has
chiefly at heart by remaining in office. Let ru-
NOR say what it WILL we feel satisfied that
nothing will induce Bright to resign office UNI
til the battle of the Irish Church is fought out.
| But that great cause once disposed OF, there
do indeed seem many reasons to doubt whether
even so powerful man as John Bright is
| likely to do much good by continuing to act
as a subordinate member of Cabinet in which
| only one great Liberal beside himself holds in
! fluential Office.
Take the two principal objects which (after
| the abolition of the Irish Church, Mr.. Bright
has at heart-the reduction of expediture and
the destruction of the land monopoly.
Now the expenditure of Great Britain
u.s. as everybody knows, military expenditure.
Not merely the Government, but actually the
House of Commons itself, is practically at the
mercy of the Commander Chief as regards
much of tins cxpendture-and the Commander
in Chief is q prince OF tho blood royal and
cousin of the Queen. The COmmander-in-
Chief is, by the very nature of his appointment,
quite independent of the War Minister as re-
CARDS many of his functions. He has, OF course
immense individual influence; and the House
of Commons swarms with military officers who
are the very slaves, and hacks, and hangers
on of the system which makes the British Army
the blood-sucker of the national revenue, and
gives TO the Duke of Cambridge power
which in this country Gen. Grant would not
think of claiming. Only the other day there
was an immense fluster because a spirited
young fellow, George Trevelyan, n member Of
Parliament and subordinate member of the
Government, dared to declare that the position
of the COMMANDMENTS Chief is the grand obstacle
in the way of military reform. Mr. Trevelyan
is the son of q man Of mark and
distinction, Sir Charles Treveyan he is the
nephew of man of far greater mark and dis
tinctiOn, tho late Lord Macaulay and yet if
one of the acolytes at the high altar of ST.
Peters were publicly to snap his finger in the
face of the Pope, it could hardly create greater
wonder and alarm than Mr.. Trevelyan's allu-
sion to the Commander in Chief. Now Mr.
Bright will, beyond all possible doubt, en-
deavor to remedy --indoad. to revolntionize all
this. What chance is there of his succeeding
in this Administration, weighed down as it is
with Peers and Wings, and combined only for
one special work of reform-the abolition of
in the way of q substantial reduction of mill
tary expenditure, how is no to secure for the
poor Englishmen tho free breakfast table.
which he declared only the other day it was
his object to obtain All that is to be said in
relation to military expenditure may be applied
with equal force to the land questions. Apart
from the subject of the Irish Church, the Glad
stone Cabinet will be found rather reactiOnary
than otherwise-and what would Bright have
TO do in such Cabinet
In fact, he must either conquer the Opposi-
ton of inertness and old-fashioned routine and
class privilege and reaction which is represented
by the Clarendons, and Granvilles, and Card
wells, and Hartingtons or he must make up
his mind to be conquered if he would remain
in the Cabinet. Like Ajax and his opponent,
he must throw or be thrown. Rather, he must
drag the Others after him or be dragged after
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