Year: 1874

rhcrs is no longer any doubt that for tbs pres
cot, ~ least. the supreme power an Eng de-
wolves upon Mr.. DsIaeli. He has only been elect
cd to Parliament from ono district He has.ho
legal claim whatever upon, the government o. the
country. When he forms Cabinet Il viii ret
with HIM to decide what he hall casl ltiinsclsi 3
whether Chancellor OF tic EXche'iuer or FIRST
Lord OF the Treasury, OF whether. following re-
cent pfccedcnts, he shan assume both portfolios
But it is the less true that in the recent eioc-
tons, the most important question before the vo-
tiers OF England WAS winch OF the two men, both
of them comnoncls, should rule England Tor Tho
time being. The force OF circumstances invests
tradition with power far stronger than liw. by
the provisions of our Constitution the people
choose electors who shall choose the President,
but in fact before the electors come together their
choice has been made for them, and they have no
discretion whatever in the matter. The choice OF
the electors conyuscs the continent, but the vote
they cast is the idle formaity Of an hour Tie
effect OF contested election, like that Though
which England has just passed, would seem still
more singular 10 one ignorant OF her political
structure, because there Is nothing except public
opinion to dictate the result. There has been NO
imposing gathering of politicians like those which
give authority to our national conventions There
has been no nomination and no platform of prin-
ciples like those through which u vast number OF
our voters acquire their political ideas. Ii is slln-
ply the conviction on the part OF the majority that
il the Conservatives win, Mr.. Dsraeii should be





Mr. Gladstone should stay where he is. And this
conviction has force enough to deprive the Crown
OF the initiative which it nominal possesses, and
to restrict the Queen to the choice of nan TO
form her government. This unwIitten law is as
powerful as the rule of the caucus in America
There are many Conservative Peers and Old
Whig gentlemen who execrate the necessity which
forces them to vote for Mr.. Disrael, there were
of solid men in New York who thoroughly disap
proved OF Gen. Grant at the moment when they
were spending their money lavlshly to elect him.
1t is not to be understood, on the other hand that
Mr. Gladstone's frigid virtues especially endeared
him 10 the thousands that upheld him But new
ertheless, every vote cast on the one side or the
other was directly cast for one of these eminent
gentlemen.


1t is useless to seek for any circumstances of
luch CT accident which have brought Mr. Disraeli
to the point, where q Conservative victory In Eng
land, meanes nothing but his elevation to the 1irst
place in the realm 1t is the result of sheer ability
and industry, and no amount OF preludice and
criticism can make it appear otherwise. He had
few advantages to start with. lie was the son OF
retired scholar, tho grandson OF an Italian jew,
of one OF those families which the folly of the
Catholic Kings drove out of Spain in the nsolent
exultaton which followed the conquest OF Grsna-
de. Spinoza and Daniel Mani', were the rich
fruit OF the same exiled stock. Young Disraeli
was poor, but neither his blood nor his poverty
could keep that eager and restless spirit in the
attorneys Offices where he was artleled Pl divided
with few introductions, he made his own way in
society, and became a brilliant man OF the world
at time when most boys are equalyi intoleraele
from their pcrtness or their shyness. He went
into literature ana made great success before he
was fairly grown. He then essayed politics, and
years OF reyerses were not enough to dampen his
andor OF extinguish his trust in himself lie at
tanned seat In Parliament at 90, and made
lamentabie failure in his first speech. But his
industry triumphed over every difficulty, and he
ended by becoming one of the very FIRST debaters
of the age, and what was still more wonderful,
imposing himself upon the aristocratic party OF
the most aristoeratic country in the world as their
absolute leader. The latest dispatches says that
even old salisbury and Lord Carnarvon have
given IN their allegiance to him. and his authority
ia lAus complete in his own party Ic.5Aae.