New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-02-28
The RpactiOn Ill England.

The Overw helming reaction in English
politics, SO recently demonstrated in the de.
feat of the Radical Gladstone ministry and
the triumph of Mr.. Disraeli. is one of those
singular enigmas of human nature which
we scarcely know how to construe from
this distant standpoint, unless we attribute
IL to the natural almness and Quiet that
generally follows ali national excitements.
and the desire for rest, especially so char.
acteristlc of the English people, who have
always been prOverbially Conservative and
tenacious in their preferences for old estab-
lished policies. This feeling, strengthened
by the Conservative reaction all over Eu.
rope, has, no doubt. had a great deal TO do
in checking the radical progress of Mr..
Gladstone's policy and OF influencing the
result of the late elections.
All this, however. does not argue that
the great reforms affected under the Min.
lstry OF Mr.. Gladstone are 90 be lost to the
people. or that Mr.. Disraeli will venture
upon the dangerous experiment Of favOring
their repeal. He understands English char.
acter too well for that, and knows that its
people never indOrse retrogession, but,
as a general thing prefer to move forward
slowly-to give ample time and practical
test to each step, and in no case to resort to
the dangerous policy Of precipitancy, which
We are inclined to think was the motive for
checking the career of Mr.. Gladstone. How.
ever exultant the enthusiasm of the Tories
may be, we in 40 wise cOnstrue these vic.
tories as a rebuke to progress or advance.
ment of liberal principles, out a mere ces-
sation of political hOstilities-time to re.
cuperate and to recover from the reforma.
tory operations that her system has neces-
sarily been obliged to suffer. The patient
Will recover, however much the people may
have been alarmed at the incisive dissec-
tlOnS of ra1ipaliEm Annthar aDoOnraUino
feature of this election is that while Eng
land proper has been carried by large con-
sentative majorities the result has been diff.
terent in Ireland. Scotland and Wales,
where a large body of home rulers have
been elected. This was fortunately SO in
Ireland, and it is hoped they will have a
very wholesome restraining influence upon
the evenly balanced condition of English
politics, and, If used with discretion, will
command more than ordinary attention
so shrewd a statesman as Mr.. Dis
raeli.
In the meantime, the republican world
will hope for the best. believing in the
and equity of English justice, and,
# not so fast as we are in this country, the |
tendency of her institutions points to noble
ends, and that history will not deal unfairly |
with Mr.. Gladstone, who will, no doubt, |
accept his defeat as a retirement from
public life, and, as the New York Herald
gracefully says: "He is weary, WORKOUT
I'D man, and may well crave rest. What
,ver sadness this verdict may bring him,
feel certain that history will modify it
70 far as to say that he ruled his country
With genius and courage, and that in his
high place he made q name second to none
n the illustriOus line of Statesmen who
ave for centuries governed England.'-
F0rney'S Sunday Chronicle.