Year: 1878

PUBLIC AGITATION ECITED by TIE TORIES
pnrcu AND "EFsPrCTABLE" NOES At WORK
DISPLAY or POPULAR STRENGTH DEVELOPED
By TIE TORIEs-THE GREAT DEBATE ON TIE
VOTE OF CONFIDENCE


frRoM THE REGULAR CONFECTIONERY or THE TRBUSE.l


LONDON, Feb. 2.-Thero has been notable
change during the week i'll the tactics of the war
party; a change which it would be easy TO repre-
sent as n change in public opinion, but which Is not
really ] think, anything else than what l call II.
The Tories have at last taken up the challenge 80
often flung in their faces, to test the strength OF
their following by public meetings. The only won
der is that party well organized did not accept
the challenge long before. They do not, however,
even now 90 TO work like men sure OF their cause.
Their proceedings are very like the proceedings Of
| the pro-slavery Northerners in early days
against the Abolltionists. They don't hold meetings
of their own. They content themselves with break
ING ND the meetings of their opponents. There used
TO be two kinds Of mObs in those days: an Isaiah
Rynders mob in York. and broadclOth mob III
BostOn-the latter rather the more brutal OF the
two; ready to put rope round Mr. GarrlsonS neck
in 1885, and equally ready to sack Mr. Phillipss
house in 1860, if they had found safe moment
The Tories of England are only parodying the acts
of the Northern doughfaccs. They have had their
mob of roughs at Sheffield and their broadcloth mob
in London. 1t is true they stop short of hanging
and pillage, but they do not shrink from forging
tickets to get possession Of hostile platform, nor
from storming n hotel TO seize a room which other
people have paid for.


do not mean to deny that some of the most
respectable people in London were concerned in
the Cannon-street mob took part in the proceed
ings which grew out of it, appeared and prolted
by them One unimpeachable witness testilies that
more than half those present were, judging from
their appearance and language, gentlemen engaged
i'm business in the City. When they had carried
their point in CannOn-st they adjourned to the
Guildhall, put the Lord Mayor OF London at their
head were addressed by the Governor of the Bank
of England, received an hour later, in deputa-
ton by her Majesty's Postmaster-General III the
name of the Cabinet, and have since been hOnored
by a letter of thanks from Lord Beaconsfield this
tongue in his check usual for their decided and
spontaneous expression Of opinion in favor OF the
policy Of the Government" Eminently respect
able; not less eminent than the Lawrences and Jays
who stole fremont Temple, in Boston, out of the
hands of John Browns friends rather less than
twenty years ago. Respectable also, no doubt, were
the stock gamblers who burned The Times, De-
cause its leaders of the day counter to their
views respecting the rise and fall of Russian and
other securities And who could be more respectable
than Earl Fitzwilliam, with q rent-rol of half a
million aud brains enough to permit him to be OF
opinion that Russia in refusing Captain Burnaby
permission to go to Khiva had set her foot on the
neck of Engandi They all keep gigs, or have other
outward and visible signs Of their claims to the re-
spect of their fellowmen which did not prevent
Mr.. Trevelyan from denouncng the London assem-
blage to the House of Commons. last night, as an or


ranized gang. Their friends on the Tory benches,
thinking themselves entitled to monopoly OF hard