Huntsville gazette., 1885-09-26
FOREIGN GOSSIP.

Wr. GladstOne's Programme for Conso1l.
dating tho Liberal Forces Outlined-HH
Irish Plank Proclaims '.Justice to Ire
land and Preservation of the Union"-No
Suspicion OF Whigism In the Grand Old
Man.
LONDON, September 20.-Mr. Glad
stone proposes to follow his pamphlet
platform with series of speeches un-
folding the ample political scheme out
lined in the printed address to the
electorate. The question is, where,
when and how shall the words be ut
tered? The party managers have no de-
sire to see their chief again fritter away
his slowly returning energies in a Mid
lothian campaign. Mass meetings are
stricken from the programme. If Mrs
Gladstone and Sir Andrew Clark prevail
there will be no stumping the country
this time. But the bare skeleton of Lib
eral policy given to the Nation is going
to be covered with living flesh; let there
be no mistake about that. Mr.. Gladstone
himself favors the idea of addressing
conference of Liberal leaders in London,
to begin with. 1t is easier to reach
the ear of the country in this way than
any other. This was the short, sharp
and very effective method adopted of ex-
cititing public opinion in tho Irish land
question. Speaking in conversational
tone to gathering comprising recog-
niZed representatives of every shade OF
Liberal thought, seated comfortably in
moderate sized suite of luxurious rooms,
Mr.. Gladstone did more in one hour to.
ward cementing Liberal unity than he
had been able to accomplish previously
by three weeks incessant effort inside
and outside Parliament. The enthusi.
asm aroused cast into the shade all pre-
vious experiences. The selection OF
Birmingham, the headquarters of
advanced Radicalism and the
caucus, for the next address would
undoubtedly rally the radical masses and
bring the caucus system of the kingdom
into line, disciplined, eager and obedient
to the LEADERS, will. Words of counsel
to the Liberal committees Of Manchester,
Leeds, Liverpool and Glasgow, skillfully
designed to break down the barriers be-
tween Wings and Radicals, extremes and
moderates, would conclude a series, the
absolute certain effect of which must be
to consolidate all sections of the Liberal
party and create the needed en-
thusiasm. Mr.. Gladstone'e appeal
to the electorate is admirably
framed, as whole, for the ends in
view. Isolated portions may tend per.
haps to~divide extremists in the great
wings, but the effect will not be lasting.
The ablishment plank will be han
died by the Tories for all it is worth, not
only in Scotland, where disestablishment
is q living issue, but in England, where il
is distantly threatened. Mr.. Gladstone,
however, is careful not to entangle Kim.
self; he leaves that to the Tories. The
non-conformists are vastly in the major
ity in both countries, and in Wales over
whelmingly SO, and if it comes to square
fight on the maintenance OF the State
Church, Gladstone will find himself on
the popular and winning side, the side
with most votes.
The Egyptian question, which seems
% be regarded by outsiders as Glad
stones weakest point, is really his
strongest, from the electorate point OF
fiew, strange as it may appear to Amer
lcan readers.
Something more than a superficial
view of surface facts is necessary to un-
derstand the motives underlying Glad
stones exposition of Liberal doctrines.
The Liberals were sent to office in 1880
with a mandate from the Nation to
reverse the foreign policy Of the Tory
Government and this Egyptian question
was prominent feature. Liberal opin"
ion regards Gladstone's failures as the
logical result of the Tory legacy. The
evils Gladstone was sent to office to re-
move have not disappeared. Five years
of vain struggle have left them intact
and the task of sweeping them away has
still to be accomplished. Tory
triumphs over Gladstone simply
mean that success has crowned
their efforts to resist the Nations man.
date. Their work, therefore, will have
to be done all over again; this time in
such fashion as to bury the Tories and
secessionists deep out of sight. These
are aspirations which fire the Liberal
heart in 1885. When it is said that
Gladstone's Egyptian plank is rotten,
every potent fact in English poll
tics is forgotten. The admission OF
Liberal error in going into Egypt to
perpetuate Tory blunders is, to the
minds of Liberals, the most effective
Indictment of Tory policy possible 20
conceive, and the strongest claim OF the
Gladstone Cabinet to further term
in office and another opportunity to
reverse Tory policy. The withdrawal OF
the army may be bitter pill to swal.
low, but IA feeting incident OF political
action is, after all, small thing COM
pared to the cterna principles OF Ma
tional life.
The Irish plank, from Liberal out
look, is perfect. Gladstone takes his
stand on the principles of l880-"Justice
to Ireland and preservation OF the
Tnion." 1t is impossible OF imagine
better double headed party cry. Inc
Tories can do no better The Irish sure.
Iy ask no more than justice. Gladstone
promises this in the fullest sense, and
The National conscience is satisfied. Re-
cent events in Ireland are not calculated
to weaken the impression that
Gladstone is likely to prove
wiser guide than Lord Randolph
Churchill, the author of the Tory-Irish
alliance and dictator of the Tory-Irish
policy, the indication OF which would be
so quickly followed by Parnell's declara-
ton of secession, renewed agrarian out
RACES, Redmond's threats of armed re-
belIion and the Nationalist organs in
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