The Sun. — 1851-03-04 (London, England)

HERALD.—It is recorded in the annals of the French Empire, that when, about noon of that day atne wards fromor:alised by the victory of Marengo, the .Austrian columns bad penetrated to the centre cf their position, end defeat seemed well nigh inevitable, Nepole,n, asking orAc of his most trusted Ihutcnents " whet he thought of the batik?" received for answer, ".The battle is wready lost; but there is time to win another before night." History tells us how prophetic were the words of General Desaix, and the anecdote has been preserved, not so much, we imagine, on account of its importance in itself, as because it strikingly illustrates that general lew, applicable alike to politics and to war, to the conflict of arms and to the conflict of opinions, which tells us that despondency in failure, or security in success, are equally misplaced where accident and fortune so often interfere to bring to pass the most unforeseen events, and to disconcert the profoundest calculations. "Ce qui arrive toujours c'est l'imprevu," and the last ten days have furnished no exception to the rule. Within that space a Government, feeble indeed and disunited, nor possessing in any degree the confidence of the country, but to which the differences of its opponents and the general disorganization of partici appeared likely to ensure a somewhat longer duration, of existence, has fallen in consequence of no assault from without, but by an act of political suicide. Within that space a statesman possessing unmeasured influence over the House of Lords, in the Commons supported by a convect band of more than 250 followers, and backed up by all the weight and power of the great agricultural interest, has been compelled, after a struggle brief in point of time, but conducted with ability and prudence, to which unwilling justice has been done by his most determined opponents, to abandon for the present the attempt to form an Administration. Not less mortifying, though far more easily accounted for, was the failure of that third party, the " trimmers" of our age, who during five years have arrogated to themselves, and undoubtedly have at times possessed, the power of deciding the fate of doubtful questions in the Lower House of Parliament. When permitted to try their hands at the work of Cabinetmaking, they found themselves unable to command the assistance of a single individual beyond the very narrow circle of their own personal supporters. Nor is the last stage of this " strange, eventful history" out of keeping with the singularity of all that went before. In the dearth of advisers, and amidst the chaos of parties, there has re-. appeared the came of one illustrious person, whose actions in former clays are inseparably connected with the .history of his country, but who now to the public at large seemed as much permanently removed from the political arena as though the gates of Westminster Abbey had already opened to receive the remains of the greatest of modern generals. It was well worthy of that genuine and dispiterested patriotism, which, even more than hie military glories, has distinguished the career of Wellington, that, at an age far more advanced than that of any other man now engaged in public life, and with a reputation which well entitled him to say, " Non indecenter vita, quod relinquum eaf, petit, Gum fame, quod sails est, habet," hs eo v e re should Sovereign t h note benefits e n fia tv se hesitatedof a ntunrivalled, n rnbiunequalled ie ga) ue amiss Undertso:si eseactoes frudo.t ocene hrxes ipTedscextern:rr cal considered hie :of abilities once confessedtilyjno first point .but little impaired by stances, however, it may hitherto been enabled t more carefully than which position ttbhwe:'oj fna hive tre: ysloi Conservative bc a uses which, i this The party, do, the deg ree actualto future attention prospects. which seems worthyremarkable episode of politics is for both sides, have been assigned. temporary Notwithstanding the that tt a reconcileAi Government t nis t e Ministerial a l it to i like ke disclaimersthat (which, have affected their f indeed, however emphatically delivered, hardly amount to ease:lt:inn presided was, or could be, driven, reasonhatoorrecromwhmieenh Tw'ajeoodnr:wd:iijltalooinhbOnewtlißseeavuey from power, but from office, ither 13 even friends.by thew itmhorreespseereitoutso athtteacfikrsot,f the accidental minority on Mr. Locke King'smotion, ory oftenand rhisremarked marked that the number ofthose iMt has a s been Disraeli who demanded an extension of the franchise had not, in any the slightest degree, increased since last year; that, therefore, the movement in itself was not one whit more formidable than before, and that the real author of the Whig defeat was the Prime Minister himself, who virtually gave in his adherence to the principle which he prolessed for the moment to resist. It is not wonderful that the steediest supporters of his Government should have preferred going quietly home to their dinners rather than listening to speeches of no particular interest, followed up by a division which meant, and which decided, nothing. It have objected seems to us very natural that many should to record their votes at the bidding of the Premier against that very motion which, as be had told them, they were next year to be summoned up to support and carry through. Still more flimsy is the pretext put forward in the second place—to the effect that a majority of fourteen was not sufficient to enable Ministers to conduct the business of the country with success. For it is notorious that out of the large number of Members who went out into the Protectionist lobby, some, at least, were influenced in their vote—not by anyconsideration founded on the merits of the questioreberfore them, but purely by a desire to retaliate upon the Cabinet for their conduct on the Anti-Papal Bill. The Permier himself seemed conscious of the weakness of his excuse ; for ho more than once repeated, that though neither the one event nor theAher.would separately have