The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1880-04-18
ENGLAND'.s PEVOLU7yON

Thoughtful Americans have hardly beer
more surprised than the better class of Eng
lishmen at the crushing defeat the Conser.
vative Ministry have sustained in the
parliamentary elections. Most of us sup
| posed that the prestige of the undeniable
| successes Lord Beaconsfeld has achieved in
his management of the difficult foreign
policy of the empire would satisfy the Eng
| lish people, and that they would hardly at
this time replace him with those who winked
at the despoilment of Denmark and made no
effort to avert the war which efraced for n
period from the list of European powers the
nation that fought by the side of England in
the Crimea-a war which did not lead toward
the boon of disarmament, that is. toward a
real peace, but toward the yearly increased
armaments that have converted Europe into
vast camp and have made the state of mis-
called peace so burdensome that war is sure
to be sought at last as a refuge from the me-
cessity of indefinitely maintaining such costly
establishments.
We now see that the sources of the liberal
strength must be searched for in causes of
which Americans have but faint idea. We
believe that two of the most potent influences
at work have been, first, the natural discon-
tent of the middle and lower classes at the
hard times, which have been severely felt
amongst them, and for which the unthink
ing are always apt to blame the government,
and, second, to the spread of Democratic
ideas. When we admit that we cannot view
this liberal victory without profound uneasi-
ness we imagine we hear many readers ask
ing: "What, not rejoice in the progress of
the principle of equalityY" We do rejoice
in all that seem to us to be safe and sure steps
toward the American idea of government and
human progress. But of all reforms political
reform is one which needs to be conservative.
Manhood suffrage is a beautiful thing, but
you must first have your manhood. We
cannot know that England has not become
Democratic faster than her people have been
lifted for the duties laid upon them. We do
know that we have more ignorant voters
than We can safely stand in America; but the
habit of self government is one in which our
men have bad two centuries OF training.
Every township and county in the United
states is good school in the art of self
government, and most Of their affairs, We
may add, are, upon tho WHOLE better managed
than those of the States and the Nation. |
Then, England, owing to primogeniture, has |
no guarantee except her aristocracy against |
the HYDRA -hpa1ad -. w
our millions OF educated freeholders accus- |
TONED for generations to home rule, the most |
Trustworthy conservative element in the |
world. Without the habit of participation |
government and without land, we much doubt |
whether the British Empire is safe in the
hands of the voters who have in recent years
gained control Reform in England has
begun at the wrong end, with the suffrage.
when II should have begun with the land
tenure. Here the English need to learn of
me French, whose great strength lies in the
distribution OF the soil among many owners.
With all Mr.. Gladstone's eloquence, and
his prodigious intellectual activity, his tenn
per Is too passionate for safe political
leader. That any one can hate Turkish
rule so much as to welcome Russian ageran-
iizement in its stead is to us inconceiyable.
There is not more cruel despotism in the
World than the Russian, while the Russian
iervice Is equally as corrupt as the Turk
sh. The contrast between the content of
Austrian Poland and the discomfort of Rus
ian Poland is sufficient to show the disparity
Il the two systems and to rebuke Mr.. Glad
tones recent ill-considered insult to Aus.
ria. Poland at one corner Of the Russian
umpire and the Caucasus at another illus
rate the brutality OF Russian conquests. In
he Caucasus a free race has been exter- !
iinated and their homes left desert. /
While Europe has been arraigning Turkey
n the barbarity of her Circassian irregulars, !
e might remember who set these homeless Z
anderers adrift to prey upon the world,