The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1883-01-31
LONDON LETTER.
IFrom Our Regular CorresDonssn,

From Our Regular Correspondent
LONDON, Jan. 1O.-Mr. Gladstone's indis-
position, though sufficiently severe TO pre-
vent his journey to the North and postpone
the Midlothian campaign, will prove, it i!
hoped, nothing but one Of those passing all
ments due to that East wind, which might
almost be called a part of the British consti
tuition. The Prime Minister is fond of out
door life, but the English climate has sud
den changes in it; the afternoon bellies the
promise of the morning, and frosty night,
follow bad days with Infinite variety, ,
giving the best ba-ometers enough to do &c
register the rapid transformations. The
young and the strong grow tough and hardy
with the discipline, and under these gray
skies are bred the subdue-s of the westt
places of the earth, the masters oil
new worlds. Englishmen who have reached
Mr.. Gladstone's age, however, can not al
once defy time, fatigue and winter. Tie
Prime Minister brings to his hours of open
air relaxation, a body aud brain already
tasked by the weight of an Empires busi.
ness; and strenuous amusement under
unfavorable conditions often acts as a new
strain. His strength is, happily, still great
but advanced life at its best lacks one ele
it fails in elasticity. Veterans sometimes
can do much-in the PIemier's case few
young men can work as hard-but even his
green old age can not so quickly recover
from a knock down blow" An illness that
would be d trifle to a youth requires
weeks of care and consideration for one who
has passed the years of life allotted by the
psalmist to ordinary men. l should not
make the present trivial and homely incl
tof ha ouh of
marks had MT the Prime Minister been on
the eve of another serious exerIion. He was
going to Midlothian again to deliver at least
four great speeches in four days. 1t can be
understood that, like war horse pricking
up his ears at the sound of a trumpet, Mr..
Gladstone becomes animated es he "remem-
bers his smashing blows" in 1879 and 1880.
Then he reused the "L5thiaBs three" and
won the victory he has since enjoyed. The
place, the name, the new opportunity were
to him aud his followers what 1.-The sun OF
Austerlitz" was to the first Napoleon, and
that they should recall their successful cam
paign is natural enough. Still ii is pertinent
to ask, why fight the matter over again? The
enemy is not in sight. Nobody, not even
Mr. Parnell, has trodden on the tail of Mr..
GladstOne's coat. Why should be quit his
happy and safe freside at Hawarden to
plunge in mid-winter into the North, facing
Scotch audiences in draughty halls, on wind
swept platforms and at bleak railway sta
tons, to rout all his foes over again and
thrice to Stay the slain?" There truly. he
would find no enemy but winter and cold
weatheT-yet these ere bad enough when
Scotch mists combine with Scotch frosts to
infect the lungs and grasp the throat of the
unwary visitor. Mr.. Gladstone is almost Ito
the manor born" but in this weather, he
would do well for his own sake and for the
sake of England, to prefer his own hearth
stone in milder Wales.
The time aud my intents are savage
wild" says the inhsmed Montague. En-
gland has at the present, on the contrary, q
piping time of peace, and Mr.. Gladstone,
even, might find itim possible to call up the
rapture of the combat, or TO appear again
before the Scots with the light of battle on
his countenance. The almost unnatural
calm which has fallen over politics may be
due to the inertia following on exhaustion.
England has had stirring political year,
legislative work is close at hand, and great
changes are, perhaps, not far eff.