New-York tribune., 1891-05-17

savage sreproaches, are Pioo""iS ~ =, .o.
that he acted from high sense OF outy' anu ~
from that duplicity and boundless ampiuoh VIZ.
-, s.,tod IN him The evidence is pretty
nearly complete, and may be read py all WIN ""
cern themselves with such questions
pr+ ,bere is none the less great body oil per-
.,ns belonging not TO one, but to both parues'
wbo think that Peel as a party leader was u',-
| faitbful 70 his trust What his Diographer GAIN
| an act of splendid apostacy seems to them oiack
had faith They hold that his obhgatiohs 10 Ills
rortv were prior 10 his obligations to his country
ue had become convinced in 1929 that only Wy
Cotbolic fermentation could revolution pe pre-
vented. He had become convinced In 1879 'n"O
only bv the repeal of the Corn Laws coulu ul'e
prosperity of the country, ana especiahS VI 'i'
working classes, be secured He was pedged up
N the ewes against both measures ana ne caiiieu
both. He tried TO resign He offered MS resisn"
t;on 70 Wellington in 1929. He actually reslgneu
in 1sa5 and only resumed office upon the sum-
mons of the Queen when Lord John russell iounu
h;,osalf unable 10 form Ministry. These are not
,ho acts of a man who is seeking his own ad-
VANTAGE. He bore obloquy in silence from "hioh
no might have relieved himself had he been Will
inc TO make disclosures which he refused 10 MAKE
hocanse they would have been, in his Judgment,
against the public interest.
We come back therefore, to the question
,ybetber a PARTY leader is bound TO sacrhce MS
country to his party. Those who censure reel
must maintain that he is. There were ana aro
men who do not shrink from maintaining H. lheF
admit the honesty of Peels convictions, ana deny
that he was bound or entitled to give enecU "
them. True, they say, the course he resoiVeo oh
may have been wisest, but 1t involved Ill the ono
case a conflict with the King which led 10 ,he
resianation of the Ministry and In the other une
breakup of the Tory party. The hlng couiu noO
| let his Tory Ministry go, but the preach III 'ne
| Tory party was never healed, and reel dieu ioui
| wears later leaving the Wings in Office. Now Uhe
sood Torv believes that it is for the benefit Of
his country that his party should dc i'll po"ei
particular Tory policy may be bad' out 'he MS, =
chief OF it is far outweighed by the geneiai sooU
government and good legislation which spring from
a continuance Of the party In once reei, o"e
foro ,yas wrong He ought to have stuffed his
convictions and considered party as pa'anouNO'
her tho argument is stated In this form, 1t seems
TO others than Tories slightly repulsNe.
iudgment of posterity upon Peel will not De oaseu
on considerations OF party pol'i0s' '"' "f'-
he did for his country.
IT. .,ou and rcsistless forces of conviction
,,oro not IN Peel's case set in motion by the hope
~ .,on+;ooI rain The conviction did not spring
I
from calculation. The change was not concurrent
Nth any movement of parties or of OPINION
boIding ont the prospect Of his return 10 Oilce.
T. was not 10 retain to regain power that reel
| hecame a convert He did not, in one year, ap-
reaI n the country to enable him to settle great
question independently Of its most eager partsais'
md the next year, when that appel had failed'
ortor into n compact with those same parusans
Gov tho settlement of that s6me question his
conversion was not coincident with the sudoeh
annearance in Parliament of q compact Daho oi
| members whose support could be obtained oS
,pversing his policy He did not surrender 10 d
| ninortv in order to obtain majority lie ulu
| not ally himself with the enemies OF the Empire.
| He did not imperil the existence OF tne Uniteu
| KINGDOM. He did not trife with the principles
which lie at the root Of order and are the 1ouhda-
tion of the existing social fabric. He dld not hfSC
| Condemn and then condone methods OF violence
nv which one section of conspirators sought to
| torror,ze n whole kingdom. lie did not first en-
forcc and then. when enforced by Others, denounce
( the measures by which alone life and property
could be made safe in one part OF the Kingdom lie
| dissolved his party, but he never encouraged OF
| tolerated one section of his followers In parha-
mentary practices which struck at the life oil Far
Homent itself. He expressly refused TO appeal TO
RELIGIOUS bigotry, and though he had to carry
against great body Of his own supporters great
| measure for the benefit of those who earn their
daily bread, he never divided the people into the
| classes and the masses, nor strove to klndie the
rancor of one against the other. In circumstances
not less difficult than those in which any sue
cessor has been placed, Peel bore himself with
dignity with moderation, with entire loyalty, with
admirable sef-control, and with complete alb
stinence from the arts OF the agitator Like
Burke he had no arts but manly arts. 1t Is mega
tive praise, but how rejoced his old admirers
would be if this negative praise could he bestowed
on Peels greatest disciple. u. w. ,.