The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1880-08-01
THE ENGLISH REVOLUTION.

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THE ENGLISH REVOLUTION.
Some Signs OF the stcndy Growth of
Democracy During the Last Forty
Years.
Mr.. Louis J. Jennings in his correspondence
with the torid gives graphic account of the growth
ot Democracy In England which need not apologize
for reproducing:
LoSpoS. July lo.-rhe present condition II Eng
est to all students of politics and Of contemporary
history, In whatever part OF the world they may be
living. For the fact Is that another revolution is
going on In this country destined to he not less mo-
n,entous In tsresuits than what Is called the great
Revolution of 1855 though hereafter the word great
may lie more htingly applied to the one which is now
In progress Alter the last general election there We're
many who BATTERED themselves that everything would
80 on much as ii did before, that the conservative
Instincts of the country would suffice to prevent
any sweeping changes, and that Mr.. Glndstone's
government would be essentially n reproduction of
Lord Beaconseld's That very foolish ilea. MS
pointed out at the time. cabinet of which Mr..
CHAMBERLAIN and Mr. Bright members could not be
expected by any rational man to disregard the Demo-
cratic forces which had proved their right to govern
the country. Nor was their ground for the belief
that MIR. Gladstone would shrink from the work to
which he had pledged himself when In opposition
The territorial and wealthy classes have been his
friends. lie owes them nothing. In constituencies
where they are powerful he has been scornfully re-
iected why should they imagine that he would pro-
tect their interests rs soon ms he returned to
oniceY Ills feeling toward them was significantly
expressed In speech Mt llowarden, soon after the
general election at Is, - he said, 'wherc wealth
Is most cunceutrated-n the city, 1t Is where luxury
Is most rrevalentin Westminster; 1t is whercprop
Is most representeIin the county. that the
diet has gone wrong. lie Is, above all things,
Minister created by the working classes, AMI he has
recently declared that the working classes constitute
the nation. 1t Is only the infatuaon of the landlords
and the wealthy classes generally which could have
would sacrifice the interests of his real supporters TO
their wishes OF desires. The alarm which they now
begin to ow is not less contemplate In its way than
the blindness and Cowate which have character lied
the management Of their cause ever since 1882.
The position of the Conservatives at this moment Is
very much like that In which the Democrats found
themselves In the United States after the war They
without power in the Legislature and discreditc
opt of doors-scattered enfeehled. and dis,earened
The Republican party OF ls6i66 determined to bring
about long exclusion of their antagonists from power
by series of measures which will be too fresh in the
recollection of readers to render 1t necessary TO
recall them. These answered their purposes
for sixteen years, but probably no one but Mr. had
stevens anu ME- sumner snpp1sed lnat they would ne
I've shattered. hut not exnguished. In that respect
its history will probably be found to differ from that
Of the Conservative party In England. The victory Of
the English Radicals last April meant something
than the temporary overthrow of their opponents. 1t
rests with them to decide whether those opponents
| shall exist any longer as party, and no one need
doubt what their decision viii he. tits in their power
to carry out such changes In the present representa-
tive system that In future Conservative majority
in nve constituencies out of six would be next TO an
,mp"ss'biy. There can be redistribution of seats,
stitnences wculd be swept away, ana THIS would be
accompanied by an extension of the suffrage to agri
cultural laborers, which would mt once aud forever
swamp the landlords. 1t is quite possible. moreover,
to beyond this and to exclude certain classes alto
gether from the Legislature, as Office holders
cIuled In the United states by these, ar any Other
| appliances which may offer themselves, the Radicals
| will endeavor to turn what their opponents looked
upon as merely . Temporary reverse into fatal aud
rretrievable disaster The Conservatives thought /,
only scratch they received last April In reality,
1t was In all probability their death blow, although
gyngtu nitI mil int
may s'ill lie made.
1t may indeed lie said, without anticipating the
future very largely. that both the old political parties
IT England either absolutely dead or quickly pass
| ing away The wings are no more, and the Tories,
even under their changed form Of CONSERVATIVES are
| "Tyrawley and have been dead these two years,
but we don't choose to have 1t known The Wing
began I" take the name Of Liberals after the Reform
bill Of '32. but this appeation also Is now to be
iecied Mr.. Gladstone's followers have signiei the
| wish to known Ms the Democratic party, and 1t Il
under this title that you must soon look for an accom-
Of their proceedings. A few old Wings, repre-
sentatives of Wing families. still linger in the Cab
net, but 1t is only upon suiferance. Already
them the Marquis Of Lansdowne. has felt himsel
compelled to resign, to the great satisfaction of tn
Radical members Of the Cabinet, who would like YER
much to all the wings thrown overheard 1t i
assuredly the last Radical or ''Democratic,' Adj
humblest part. We must look to the class of mel
represented Ivy Mr.. Chamberlain for the commandin
officers as well As the rank and file of future govern
mcnts.
If the Conservatives had time they might, perhaps
regain some OF their lost ground and staye of the
de grdCe little longer but they have not got II
| cannot get it. They had their chance between ls7
and 1890 and let 1t slip through their fingers. Thei
old leader for the first time In his life had all his at
tentOn absorbed 10y foreign affairs and could give
supervision to that Indispensable work OF organizatio
which does more for party In The long run than tn
Dsraeli the Importance Of organization; but when II
went to the House Of Lords.the cardinal blunder
his lifehe left all - details TO De managed by hi
lieulenants and they were incompetent for the task
The press was nsulied neglected. local committe,
p were treated with contempt, nowhere could Con
sentative who was willing to work for his party obtaI
encouragement or even recognition. The leaders 1T
lieyed that Providence would night their battles Il
them, and that soldiers and ammunition were ridict
ious superhuities. Nothing whatever was done
satisfy the demand for domestic legislation. or TO AZ
e few men IN England estimate rightly as Lord Be1
corsied lie has never shut his eyes TO It, never M
derrated Its power lie began life. as We all know, i
=, protesting himself friend TO II, Just as Mr.. Glad
~ | stone entered on his career as ''unbendiil
y Tory Just as Fox logan as u Tory and turne
: | Whig FIT the younger as WING aud turned Tor,
e Burke Wing and seeded from his party after II
French Revolution. But Mr.. Dsraeli never 10
Il sight Of Democracy perhaps never entirely lost h
give the people household suffrage aud vote by ballo
). These were Conservative, not Liberal, measure
H. Perhaps he would have satisfied the Just claims
Democracy II he had paid any attention TO them In Il
critical years between 1874 and 1880 but he W
o. iuonlod TO follow the Russian phantom which stall
y more return. Mr.. Gladstone begins To praise him
= the louse of Commons and the Radical writer's poi
Il Conservatives to his 'illustrious - eSample-a
sign that he Is Teckoned rs good rs dead. Public
only get Justice from opponents when II Is time
Is write their epitaphs.
g The new Democratic party viii do It's work thul
. uughy, and not permit Itself to he turned aside
~ any ObstaceG-uf that much may all rest assure,
Nc II does disguise It's ams aud there III
It should do for II has nothing 10 gain by
uent. II has gained anewand powerful mouthplece
the PAU HIN Gdtsfe since Mi. John Morley BEGAN
editor of that paper. Mr. Foster once boosted that
n had been Radical ''lrom his cradle, " and almo
le think that Mr. Morley could say the of himsel
L. He tuICillr writer and there lie
e, little Doubt that he VIII make the PdN NdU GdzeiiG
I, greater power than II has been for years past
he Monday last he avowed frankly that the Denocrat
l5 legislation AZ present. demanded y the people
not he provided by 'pntocratic machine - A.
, that Nj, Gladstone would mud himself compelled
= "bring Parliament. lay change In its construction
III into harmony with what, rightly wrongly lie b
icyeS To lie the wishes Z" great majority of Engls
" men These are cautious ana yei nenaclhg word
er aud what they mean Is probably lsihe abolition
u the House of Lords and the substitution Of wOTkin
a. ] men In the House ol commons for plut0crac
of These changes may once have been thought remot
!, hut how far distant they now The bill ancctl
Irish landlords VIII pass the Commons aud 90 h
~ House OF Lords aud there be thrown out. What "
of lie tile consequence An agitation for tine abo
nj tun Of the upper HOu0e, carried on under circui
sc 5tanccs Infinitely more favorable to It's IN
~ ever have been known before. fal Russell, In i
l. ''Rec0ectons expresses the opinion that the 4
f te di,,,, "f IorJs wouI only nroceds i,v n ,,,'
Il time the overthrow of monarchy. This isan adyc
" not beyond the calculations OF large section of I
' Democratic party. II would perhaps bc safer Ia III
~ diet that the future form of government In Lugla
r. viii he republic than that the monarchy willIaa
" ever,
r As for the spirit In which the impending chang
W will be carried cut there Is no excuse for miSconcc
AZ ion regarding that. The large landowners have W.
rs little idea Of the bitterness aud luminosity which
entertained tONard them by the people who live
- around their estates. In cdhes there Is itc
- cause ion this hostility. bryohd the mere fact II
possession OF large estate rs regarded as an must
g, to these who have uOhing. But therc are many
- stances Ia which tile landlord has himself prepared
'.' way for the agitator 10y uegecting every duty q
lo systematically outraglng the feelings, II not
- rights Of those WHO Mere IN his power aud unable
IA 1 Of
- within q feY miles Of London, which are left IN
state Of pTineyal wilderness, scarcely useful ey
for game preserves, simply because the owner viii
let His property out In farms, does not want 10 cl
rr yate the laud himself aud S AZ loss To know what