Stockton Herald, South Durham and Cleveland Advertiser. — 1879-12-06 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

NIT., was on Tuesday morning, at Motherwell, presented with an address from the friends of temperance and local option resident in the town ad neighbourhood, congratulating him on the success which 'had attended his labours in the interests of temperance. In the course of replying, Sir Wilfrid alluded to Mr Glalstone's visit to Mid-Lothian, and hoped he would be successful in winuing the seat for that county. In the evening Sir Wffrid presided at a Liberal meeting at Maryport, in Cumberland. In the course o`. his speech he said it seemed to him they had a great many delusions to get rid of, a great many false ideas on political subjects to combat. The present Government had done much to popularise false notions of public affail s. They had been teaching us, for one thing, that national prosperity consisted in uot paying one's debts. That he took to be a very bad doctrine. (Cheers.) They taught that public hcnonr consisted of going to the Houses of Parliament and making statements which. of course, were true, but which nobody could understand. (Laughter.) They taught that public honour consisted in talking very loudly about the sacredness of treaties and about Europe bong consulted in an open manner, and then going about with a couple of secret treaties in their pockets. They had endeavoured to teach pe,ple that national glory consisted in committing murders on inoffensive people throughout tue world. (Cheers.) They had started a im,tto at the Lord Mayor's feast—a Latin phrase which the Prime Minister said some old Roman used, but nobody coald find out who that old Roman was. (Laughter.) He would translate " Imperium et Libertas" into "England has a right to do wrong." (Cheers and laughter.) It meant the right to do wrong all over the world, and resembled the American p'.auter's claim o the right to " wallop his own nigger." (Laughter) It was a sad state of things when the people of this conutiy were led away in this manner, but he was happy to think the mist was beginning to clear away a little, and people were beginning to see things in their true light. (Cheers.) When they did that they would very soon make a change. (Cheers.) He was delighted to see the Liberal leaders throwing themselves on the people as they had been doing during the last few months. He had been present at the principal great political demonstrations during the autumn, and had been struck with the fact that the people always responded most heartily when any moral sentiment was put before them. They seemed impressed with a he,tred of wrong and . . .  a love of nght. So it had been during what he should call the Royal progiess which Mr Gladstone had made—(cheer.)--which he regarded as one of the most remarkable political events of this century. (Cheers.) What was the reason of that enthusiasm, that Royal welcome? It was not on account of his brilliant talents, great though they were; it was not on account of his burning eloquence, unrivalled though that w4s ; it was not on account of his marvellous mastery of public affairs; but it was because the people of this country believed Mr Gladstone had a couscience. (Cheers.) Six years 9.0 the people dismissed him from place and power. During that interval he ha I been the object of the scorn of a venal press. He had been hooted in the streets ; his windows had been broken by mobs ; nay, the very Jingoes in the House of Commons had hooted lalna in the lobby of St. Stephen's. But things were changing, awl if the signs of the times were not grossly misleading we should ere long see such a flowing of the tide of national opinion as would bear Mr Gladstone once more to the highest place in the councils of his Queen and puntry. (Great cheerizg.)