, 1876-03-12
POLITICAL MORALITY.
NJ. English Howl Over the
Case Of Secretary
Belknap.
,.on,e Who Live In Glass Houses
Should Not Throw Stones.
.oma Specimens Of Administrative
Corruption in Great Britain.

hr Rational Virtue, However Smircled,
Far Superior to That Of the
Old Country
-. Belkphp csto has already procured from
L. Fopl:sh press expressions Of dismal appre-
..s;on for the future Of the American Nepub-
~ An isolated instance of corruption in &
..h;nat.o .oficer is assumed to be an unfavorable
.ssa;ct npon the experiment of Democratic Gov
..anen.. The fact is lost sight OF that Con.
pa,kn.n's crin1e ia OF nature to hurt
sshodg Int himself and his beautiful
ND unfortunate accompliee. The lnstltu-
t,ooe of the American nation are no more
iod+nsed by the event than the Pyramids
= rhe feet of bird OF car1lon. The national
,onsciance proves its exquisite sensibiity BY the
rst.nt overwhelming OF the guilty man under
N. ..nse Of national shame. Neither political
n.rbsap, social companion, or bivouac comrade,
ds.s in his defense. The ignomlny which fol-
,oxs the crash Of bis splendid household is un-
,,suerable profit that his crime shall not en-
,,nrsge others to emulate his ambition.
But if there be any press on earth which has
No right to read us nenscing prophecies
N Belknap's account, it Is the En-
,lsb press. If there be any political
ssz,v;sts who caoDot afford-un]ess peo-
ale who live in glass houses may throw stones
to send US homllles on political morality. they
,ssida in tie country whoso most renowned poll
heans never permitted morality to cit as 8 critic
NJ - councillor in their political conferences. II
there be sny Government which may not taunt
ns With national danger arising from Ministers
b.ssness, that Government rules tbs destinies
nf Great Britain and. if all history be not
f.tae We have little reason to face the future
xith fear. since the British Empire has not gone
dovn under the sccumulations OF crime which
have been pe1pet1ased by united Cabinets and
entire parties.
Ne hare been accustomed to consider the
DEMONSTRATION or PoL111cALAFFAI1s IN ENGLAND
pure; We have learned. by our familiarity with
tbs e1cspuonslly-upnght Ministers whom !
Gladstone Brought forward to fancy that the
fsr external aspect OF party 1ula. such as 1t has
seemed for Il dozen years. ia presentation OF
the normal and historic character OF British
administration. 1t is natural, aa it is in this
case agreeable, to believa that the condition
Of things in our own time is substantially
Whist it has been since the last great upheaTai; !;
End because no charges Of personal peculatlop'
foreign robbery, or the unlicensed use Of money
{os party PURPOSES, have been made concerning
Gladstone or Dieraeli, We willingly assume that
the British Government is extraordinarily pure.
and, for that reason. subllmely stable. :,
This sieu Of English parties aud political
morality is nehulous and roseate: 10 ra'se me
~,.A tive hn TPHn3YA
moments inyaaion OF authentic history. It would
not be fair to 60 far back +; nor ID It necessary
Cromwell is in his grave; 50 ID Maflooroush.
Tbs social conditions which obtained IN the t'nne
Of ths Stua1ts are n impossible now aa the
Tudor's righteousness. The heirs Of the Grown
Of Great Britain are worthy of their George an
csstry; but tbs aristocracy il better, and the
middle class IA decent as tue laws pc rmlt- 1he
citations ne shall make arc produced simply to
show thet-
infinitely better than pohtlcsi morality In TREAT
Britain-
2. That, while ne suffer from the disgrace OF
individual crime, England must confess that her
Government, her Parliament her Judiciary, her
Ministries, and her parties haye committed
criues compared with which the political his
tory Of the United States is clear record.
g. That the delinquencies OF individuals or
parties have little to do With the permanence OF
the character Of Constitutional Government.
THE CKEAIlDS Ok IEfIS4
There il no possibility OF q phase OF corrup-
ton in our politics equal to that OF the creation
Of Peers IN England,-a monstrous device to
which Ministries have resotted for the mere pcr-
pose OF carrying ra1ty measure when all o.
binary means had failed. The instances III
which this stupendous tyranny has been EN-
ployed to thwart the popular will would certainly
justify any reasonable man in doubling the e1-
asance Of Individual conscience or the psoolty OF
parties; aud, notwithstanding its enornlty,
Englnhmen have Witnessed the execution 81
the process without either giving up tna1r
country or engaging in sedition. To increase
lbe number Of irresponsible hereditary leglslh-
tors under Government already considered LOO
conservative ia not only fearful but ho IRE
mediable calamity and for few pattlshns
&Antonly to lnfiict 30 gross wrong upon az
ent,te nation with no boiler or more accounts
.ble motive than m extension Of personal power,
l. spectacle compared with which some EeVo.
lotions appear very mild, and the corruption o.
American politics paIes into cousollnE 1nslgnlh-
eauce. Nor has this audaclous ana lnae-
fensible procedure tempted Only the nnscEnpn- t 10
1ection OF the British Empire. Some or tue
best and Ab!est and most refined m'nds.that
have houored high official stations at NassEia-
stet turned to it in their hour OF necessity "ith
tie same reluctance, and apparently Tltn - IT.
philadelphia, OF Chicago, would approach, 3
own favor Henry Brougham. the Lord
chancallor. was one OF the most con-
,pieuous Of the great aud honest men
who have occupied the Noolsack, and, n many
respects. YES worthy successor OF Sit Inonnas
More, whom he e9naled in legal knowledge anu
official diligence, and surpassed IN ye1sata'lty
and eloquence- Yet Brougham himself relates,
IN tha third volume Of his Memoirs, how be and
Lord G,ey-rho also believed that be loved h1s
country more than himself or his clique-decided
70 create eighty ncw Peers in order
TO CARRY POLITICAL BILL
Lord Grey and Brongham visited the KING anu
submitted to hi.a this necessity OF enlarE,ng tue
House of Lords as tho only recourse left to the
Ministers, who, if not thus reinforced. would
hare to retire Brougham relates what took
plAcs:
De 1.-THE King] said. .T11at is very serious mai
teri" and re both admitted that It Waa and tnst
unless quite convinced Of ite necessity, va shoul
never think Of recommending it. He then askea'
What number would be required?'' ana saio,
Sixty, or perhaps eighty, for it must De tone
etectuAllr, il at ALL he sad, That Was sefs
hsge number indeed; WAS theirs ever such tnln8
dnne before 2" l szd "Never to that exten OF neaf
IT," Pitt had, at different times made creauut1a su4
Promotions OF ,uucn above lC0; and Ioru Oxford, N
Queen Aupe's ti1ne had created twelve In order 70
p7u enc bill. But admitted tnese cases d1a not
Afford precedent which 80 far as this proposed
creation. He said, Certainly. nothing Like IT,
The Ring accepted the resignation OF the
EA1,ipa% ~.+l,a- t3,o., arrn6a tn 60 staggering 4