New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-11-24
THE NEW ISSUE.
DISEsTABLISHMENTA AS A QUESTION IN THE
GENERAL ELECTION.

poitical situation since Monday In the brst place.
The Times has gone clean to the Torres ana me
Times is still very powerful agent III the lorna
ton of public opinion. In the second place the
breach between the Moderate and the lmmoderate
Liberals has distinctly wiuencd aud the movement
of the former toward Conservatism, which had
bccrIn somewhat earlier has become more rapid
and more public Thirdly. the Conservatives after
long hesitation have finally made mp their minds to
fight this campaign on a new line and have taken
M a fresh position as champions OF the Established
Church Tho Liberals havo, down to this time. com
united nearly every mistake it was possible for
| party engaged in q great struggle to commit. lhey
have now crowned their long series of blunderlng
tactics by allowing the Tories to choose their own
battloground-one from which it will be very
difficult to dislOdgc them.
Disestablishmont a week ago was side issue.
Strictly speaking it was not an issue at all in this
particular election mentioned the publication OF
series of letters the subjec. in The Times as an
example of tho want of sagacity IN the conduct of
that paper still think it a shOrsIghted policy on
the part of Mr. Walter but it is now clear that his
aim was different from that generally attributed to
him. The discussion he had set going was not due
to mere fanaticism for tho Establishment or mere
merry BUSINESS. 1t was to prepare the way Tor great
party move. 1t must have been taken in concert
with the Tory leaders. 1t was the prelude TO the
new tune to be played the great organ OF what is
supposed to be independent opinion. AS there is,
however o good deal of worldly wisdom mingled
with the ecclesiastical enthusiasm of this journal
and its proprietor, the new policy was led up 10
gradually aud it was based several different
grounds. In an elaborate arti;e on Monday the
Times discussed various matters at issue dwet
strongly on the soclalistic schemes OF the Radicals,
anticipated the triumph OF the Radicals over inc
Moderate Liberals in the new Honse. and announced
its own view of the means of averting this dar GER
The MOderates advised to vote, wherever thcy
can for candidate Of their own; if they had mono
they need not hesitate to vote for Conservative.
The Liberals may be grateful for this plainness OF
specch. For weeks past this Journal has been
! drifting further and further away from It's ola
noorings 1t has given uLdcr the guisc OF neutral
ity much help to the Tory cause and it is at least
question whether il will be more useful to them us
an ayUwed partisan than 1t was III the character Oh
candid friend 10 tho Liberals.
| simultaneously with this declaration appeared
very singular document signed by the Archbishops
! of Canterbury and York. 1t can only lie called a
political paStOral-a bcGood and wl-he-liappy
! sort of sermon If it had been published in PUch
! it would have been thought "a fair sduih, but
! obvious Toward the END OF it. however, occurs
tho remark that the authors of it avoid dealing
! with Party questions They then deal AT once
! with the Dise>tabshmcnt and Dlscndowment of
| the Church. This they say With pleasing artlcSs-
! ness has scarcely passed into the domain OF
! politics and they Will merely remark that among
social questions II perhaps highest IN Importance
Two days later Oh Wednesday. comes manifesto
OF very different character; perhaps the most
important which has yet seen the light. Ii Is an
Address to copy the rather pedanic phraseology OF
lts authors " 10 our Fel!ow-C ourtrymen who are
entitled TO Votes in the Approaching Election. Ii
IS. in one word. an appeal to all friends OF the
Church TO make the question Of Discstah>hmoHt
the paramount question IN the coming election. ana
TO demand from every candidate pledge to snip
mort the Establishment. Nineteen signatures are
| amended If they wero all Tories it would mean
/ much but thoY arc far from being all or chiefly
| Tories Earl Grey heads the list Wing but long
4 declared opponent Of Mr.. Gladstone. man OF
great abilities and great experience who could
never get on with any body any party. what has TO
DO said of Lord Grey that no belongs to the party
| Of Lord Grey. The Duke Of Somerset Earl
Fortescuc. and Earl Fitzwilllam, arc Liberals IN
name whose hearty support Of the Liberal cansc has
for some time been a thing of the past. Earl Dnce :
a Liberal whose separation from his party IS more
recent and less complete. Nobody wOuldbe greatly
surprised at seeing any OF these names at the
bottom of circular destined 70 give aid and COM
fort to the Conservative cause. They are all great
nobemcn Wing by hereditary conviction. Church
men of course and landlords to whom land IS more
than Liberalism.
| But then come two signatures Of very different
| value and meaning. the Duke OF Westminster ana
| the Duke of Bedford. The latter has shown signs
! of independence before now, but has never really
gone outside the Liberal fold and tho Duchess OF
Bedford was Mistress of the Robcs-a household
aprointnent political in character during the last
three years Of Mr. Gladstonc's Administration His
! son. Lord Taylstocb. has been for ten yeats
Liberal member Of Parliament Tho Duke OF
! Westminster has been even more distinctly party
! man He is a Duke Of Mr. Gad,tone's own
creation One OF his sons. Lord K chaTd Groovcnor.
ia AT this moment the chief Liberal Whip. The
| Duke was Alr Gladstone's Master of the Horse in
lSSO,-also u political appointment lie belongs to
the Wing wing OF tho Liberals no doubt. but |
never heard his loyalty to the Liberal party queS-
toned If, however, their secession be surprising
as II H. what shall be said Of Lord ScbOrnesi lie
WAS Io,d Chancellor throughout the whole OF Mr.
yladstoues last Administration and Is Mr.. Glad
stones intimate personal friend. Irne, he Is 80
much OF u ChuTohman that he refused tho Lord
Cb,ncellorship in 1868 because he would have no
part in the disestablislneut OF the Irish Church.
But when that deed had been done he accepted the
post he had before refused and accepted 1t again
eight years later lie has sat in Mr. Gladstonc's
Cabinet for the last i've years and he IN Of
the 6lgnatOrleo W ihdhlo''" 'Ho az" VI ""'" 20 w
prevent Nh Gladstone from over forming another
Cabinet Before he have done this, Lord Sci
borne must beyond question have become convinced
that the Church for which 20 abandons his party is
in real danger from. that party
The grounds of Lord Selhorue's fears for tho
Church are stated after fashion IN the manifesto
he has been induced TO sign. They alc stated Will
| far more vieor and energy in Lord Salisbury
speech yesterday in South LondOn,-a speech whicl
must be taken as the final proof that thcilcries now
, mean 10 make. if they can. DisestabIis ment tho
chie issue in tho campaign and to 90 to tho country
18th ia. oi.ct;o,oc,iug org that the Church il IN