Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-06-14
Salisbury.


grams are conflicting, ii seems more
than probable that the Marquis OF
SALISBURY will form Government
for England. The task is by no means
an enyiable one. As we have hereto
fore pointed out, few men were ever
called to power under circumstances
calculated to prove more embar-
RAISING. Few men ever assumed duty
calculated to prove more thankless.
The fact that there will be Liberal ma
iority in the House Of Commons is
bad enough outlook for him in itself,
but when that is said all is not said by
a good deal. lie will not only have to
face that anomaly and contend with
such irreconcilable Liberals as dixie
and CHAMBERLAIN, but will be
handicapped by scatter brains OF
the CHURCHILL type in his own
party. However, it must be con-
fessed that if a Conservative gov
eminent is inevitable SALISBURY
seems the man best fitted for its head.
While no man in the Conservative party
has as yet developed the qualities Of
the great leader the present crisis de-
msnds, SALISBURY comes nearest to
that standard. He is cautious, is q
good and forcible speaker, and is con-
servatiye in the sense in which that
word is generally understood. Nor is he
in the matter Of administration and
diplomacy without a valuable expe-
rience, which should be Of service to
him in managing men. In lSGG-'67 he
was Secretary Of State and President
Of the Council for India. In February,
1874. he became member Of DIsRA-
Ellis administration in the same ca
pacty. and later, as the great Conserya-
tive Premier's Foreign Minister and CO.
sdjutor, he took prominent part
in the Congress Of Berlin. In
short, he may be regarded as the
avorite pupil of DIsRAELI, and
rs sharing in no small measure the
prestige that was derived from some Of
his masters most brilliant diplomatic
strokes. Again, he is said to be on
most excellent terms with the courts of
Vienna, Berlin. and Constantinople-
England's natural allies-which fact, in
the event that his party should be able
to undo Mr.. .GLADsToNE's work in
the Anglo-Russian matter, is con-
sideration not to be despised. An
other point in his favor is that
Mr.. GLADSTONE will not. as had been
announced, surrender the leadership Of
the Liberals. Indeed, it may be said
that on this fact rests the strongest
hope that, under existing circum-
stances, a Conservative Government can
be made reasonably successful. The
chances are that Mr.. GLADSTONE is
stronger out Of power than he was in
power, and to him SALISBURY must
look for the control of the Liberal
hot-heads. That Mr.. GLADSTONE
will do all he can to control them we do
not doubt. Mr.. GLADsTONE's record,
as we view it, justifies the belief that in
this crisis, as he has done in previous
crises. he will rise superior to party
and refuse to take any unfair advantage
of the situation. Yet, taking the most
optimistic view of the prospect, we re-
iterate that SALIsBURY's task is 3
most unenviable one. If he accepts the
premiership and weathers the storm
until the fall elections, he will prove
himself an ADLER man than the world
had given him credit for--prove, indeed,
that he is a great man--and GLAD
STONE will prove himself greater pa
triot than the world had given him
credit for.