Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-10-17
The Collapse of the Conservative
Party in Great Britain.
Neto York Sun


The speech which Sir Stafford Northcote
delivered at Glasgow on Wednesday fur
nishes a fresh illustration of the political
iucapacitY of the men who are irving to hold
together the party which Mr., Dfsraeli
created. He chooses the moment when the
British nation is not uareasonably elated bV
Its prompt suppression of the rebellion
against Its ally, the Khedive, to pronounce
the Egyptian war unnecessary and upiusti
fable. Now, whatever arguments might be
adduced by Mr.. John Bright in be-
half OF such an opinion, 1t does not be-
come representative of Conservative
traditions to urge them, nor was the
slightest political advantage to be
gained by repudiatin2 the spirited policy
which the present Ministry have borrowed
from Lord Beaconsfeld. It is idle for the
Conservatives to dream of competing with
the Liberals for the support Of the peace at
any-price party, which is chiefly made up of
non-coDfornists Their chance OF winning
recruits lay in different quarter, namely,
in a coalition of landlords with commercial
magnates; but Sir 8. Northcote contrived
by his speech to ALLEVIATE the mercantile and
financial interests which are believed to be
vitality concerned in the Suez canal.
No careful observer of the events of the
last two years can doubt that, staggering as
was the blow which his party received in the
general election Of 1880, Lord Besconsfeld,
had he lived, would have profted nv the
glariDg bunders of his opponent, and bv
adroit combinations with the malcoptents
in the Ministerial ranks, have compelled a
fresh appeal to the country. Nor would II
have been at all impossible for him to beat
the Liberals in new election by dealing
with the Irish problem precisely as he dealt
with the question of electoral reform. Nv
refusing to interfere with the legal relation
OF landlord and tenant. and
by substituting a wholesale crea-
ton OF peasant proprietary
with money lent by the State, he might @
have conciliated large section of the Lib
eral party, strongly averse to further stain.
tory violations OF the law Of contract, while
ne would, at the same time, have outbid Mr..
Gladstone for the support of the Home Rule
party; or he might have chosen to make bis
fight on the closure question, in which case,
also, he would have been assured of CO.
operation on the part not only of the Home
Rulers, but Of considerable section of the
Ministerial following. Whatever the
special line Of policy he might have chosen
to adopt, we may be sure that he would
have carried IL out without blunde--
ing or hinching, and we can see
little reason to suppose that his plans
would have miscarried when we remember
that, In the absence of anything like capable
leadership on the part Of the opposition.
the great Ministerial majority has been
several times extinguished, and Mr.. Glad
stone has been twice brought to the verge
OF resignation. 10 short had Lord Beacons-
field been living, It is quite possible that
England's Intervention In Egypt would
have been undertaken by a Conservative In
stead Of Liberal Government. Then all
the prestige now gained by Mr.. Gladstone
would have belonged to his rival, and the
Conservative party, rehabilitated in public
esteem, might have entered on q second
long lease of power.
Among the men who commended for the
succession to Lord Beseeneheld, Lord Sails
bury alone has ahown some comprehension
OF his masters principles and methods: but
he was disqualified for the post by certain
intirmities Of disposition and by lack of
influence within the ranks Of his own party.