On this page
-
Text (3)
-
W * %r 3 il: I*&A$tmM - [BiLvm^jL^
-
THE PEELITES. We have always looked "wit...
-
THE PURCHASE SXSTEM. Attention hassagaia...
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
-
-
Transcript
-
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.
Louis Napoleon In England. The French Em...
s ^ wecpi ©^' . qjjjj- . GQgjpgj ^ a ^ yl despi sed feu ? PBTj sfjajpait ^ . ;^" tfrafci % - Ei 3 Bgej : or ^ who is , % be | wu : ' gML cojjgcjg , ar $ um . ents . fpr a satif ^ oni ^ 5 toff ^? s ^ H <; iw » 1 $ pii % j $ Jb \ 3 , sentiments ,, preyail in France .. Jjjyep . t \ fe cjasse ^ -wjucft , wer , e wilBng- to approve feel the , dis ^ gppin ^ meat . of war . without , glory . TJie-Empire , promised ~ i $ . be . peace ; it is war , ; afldrthj ^ w ^ hout- YipJtoj ^ :. Of course , . while the ; public journals are kepfc . dawn to the : dead level
ofja . Napoleonic , decree ,, such . feeling's ham no vent ,, andi are exasperated by repression ,. But the . mocajj defection goes , an , while no new Sowers are gained by the Chief of the State , a Engjandv , also , every reflecting politician begins < £ > estimate the value of a French alliance on its . present basis . Misfortunes , such as have no parallel in our history , have befallen us , sipoe our generals submitted to the fatal influence of St .-Abnaud ' s advice ,, and adopted a plan , dictatedLby one who , (« ra articufa mortis , . refused tp die without , at least ; , a theatrical , expiation .
Circumstances of i this nature must : have their ! -weight in determining our-future relations , with ! France .. Above , aJL ., we must ., renew . thisinestimable alliance on a broader foundation . At present it depends on an individual will , whieh Has made ; a virtue of necessity .. To conciliatef that will * theCourt will exercise all its ameaities , i and , let us repeat , popular gatherings may- sugr §^ st t he idea , of an ovation . But thera . will he , no real , ovation?—at . least none from , men * who have , opinions , and respect them . It , ia unnecessary to- add . that suchuwould be . the last to join in . any vulgar violence against ' IiOUIS NAiEOXEOIT . ~
W * %R 3 Il: I*&A$Tmm - [Bilvm^Jl^
W * % r il : I *& A $ tmM - [ BiLvm ^ jL ^
The Peelites. We Have Always Looked "Wit...
THE PEELITES . We have always looked " with hope and interest to the equrse of the Peelites . The Liberal cause needs them ... We want their high , culture to take-care of our intellectual , objects ' while Manchester takes care of the suffrage and cheap bread . ' "We want their breadth of social sympathy , which ' , from the fact of their Eaving broken loose from their class , is greater than that of most sections of Liberals . We
¦ want that haWt of conscientious labour which "was so weir learned'in the school of Peel . Moreover , we owe them gratitude . We have not forgottbn-such acts-of justice and such pledges to Liberalism as marked the financial administration of Mr : Gladstone , and the colonial administration of the Duke of Newga stle . We have not forgotten the gallant resistance of the Peelites to the spirit of religious tyranny embodiedin the Aggression Bill . A'bove all , we have notforgotten the Naples Iietter ; Wehave not forgotten these things ,
and the' Tories ^ and Protectionists have not forgotten them either / High-minded , conscientious Liberalism is not so plentiful in this world' of Palmebstons and Irish members that Liberals can afford to cast away any man of mark who has one © shown that ' his heart is with the people . * Away with the Shibbo- » leths of Manchester and Marylebone . To \ fallow reason and'to do justice is the onl £ test that Liberals-ought to know . The tes * will not be found too latitudinarian , nor > the soot too wide ^
The Peelites are waverers ; true , but they ] are not trimmers . They have carried their oscillation between Conservatism and Libe >* mliern to th «< verge ; or beyond the verge ,-of ) weakness ; but their soruples , lioweryer inopportune , are conscientious and not unnatural . They feel a \ lingering attaehment , which , wo- must admit ta be generous , to ¦ the party , to which "they once belonged , and their complete severance from which , in point * of . principle ,. they have not realised , thojogh the party does its beat to i * apjresa , them witbuthe , fact .. "We should t iUuvki * Mr * , Gi ^ DfttpJKifca much < ' greater" man ) iiJber . couldireaalve ; to . vDaake 1 a i decided * chiemcev
; at thi & aoVaneed ^ pe riedtofr Ms ( political ilife , ' ^ vani though : hfiv had fcO : Qhooa © i the . .. leasts .- of two evils * But , a > , Liberals , we > had- , rather . ses him forbear- to . make that- ohaiee , than override hia < conscience and do despite to truths . Decision is v . eryeasy fasaSiBTHOBPE GfiajJDiSBAj ! i , i > Xhe first is . embarrassed , by no doubts , the . second "by no scruples . It would ; have been very easy for the Peelites , if , they had been rogues , to stick by the Protectionists at first , or to throw themselves into the arms , of the itadicala after wards * It ia not
difficult to- anything , but , conscience to put an end . to ,. " ambiguity of language ^ and . conduct ! ' by being . ; " absorbed" into . -Ik party , whil ^ . thebgreat , men of the Times look . down from the . heights of philosophy and , iodepend * - ence on the absorption . . Tjien , again some of the Peelites are Pusayites . We are sorry for . it ^ for we regard Buseyism , in ita present state , as little better than a , clerical intrigue . But at . the time when ibhe JReelitea took . it unit waaa
genuinemovemenfc , ; set ron f < xot ' by , earnest and-couragaous men ,, against .-, the . torpor and , ^ servility , of the Establishment . The : sluices , . hate it , not beeausejit . tends to spiritual tyranny and'the extinction . of ^ tlae truth , but because they ; hate all spiritual activity ,, and fear , that an indepenaent- ^ iestsmay , become a . tribune , of . the people . It . ia . true that many of those who cling to the . skirts ofthe . PeeHtea , in hopes of making them . their . own ,. are thorough Jesuits , —men who abhor , the liberties to which they cringe ,
and who are ready to worship , any tyranny ; that would crush free inquiry and put down , the jEruth . But these men do not write Naples Letters . They ; mistrust the writers of Naples Letters , though they cannot -afford to disown them . Between these men and the writers of UNTaples Letters there is a great , perhaps an impassable , gulf . * Besides , let us remember that if the Peelites were rogues , they would have thrown off "their Puseyism long ago . They must have the sense to see that it is
anincumbrance in political life . They have before them the striking example of Lord John Manners . They have before them the still more striking example of Mr . Disraeli , who makes political capital'by abusing Puseyism , and pecuniary-capital , by .-selling . hjls own Puseyite hovels in cheap railway editions , both at the same time . Those are not the worst of men who , in despite of all worldly motives , cling , to an unpopular creed . It may be improvident to say all this ^ when some at least of the Peelites , according to
all appearances , are about to join the Tones , But it is a good thing to tell the truth . We hate that vulgar fanaticism , miscalled Liberal , which can view with indifference , or even with exultation , the departure of a man of genius from our ranks , because he will not become a blind and bigoted partisan . We shall be sorry to lose the Peehtes ; and they will be sorry , before long ,- that they have left us ; Heaven knows , there are scandals enough in tWe Liberal party . There are many things in'it which may disgust a refined , and fastidious mind . But still Liberalism is the
cause of political justice , and from the cause of political justice a true "disciple of P £ e : l cannot long remain separated . The question of ' the Oorn Laws was not a mere commercial question 3 it was a question of principle , ' between class interests and justice . And many similar questions are yet to come : we will not say how many or how great ; Is- Mr . Gjvaostone prepared to fight side * by . side with Disraeli in defence of Game Laws * and Botten Counties ? ' Is he prepared to lead an opposition to his own Hoform Bill ? Hfts * he ascertained that Lord Stanley is the real
exponent of the partyy and that the Torres are ready absolutely to sacrifice evonfthin ^ to place ? : If-noti ho'will < soonifind : hims « lf uaia
position in which it-wilT not be- satisfactory tostay , andj from which it-wiJl' np . t be : easy to recadeu
The Purchase Sxstem. Attention Hassagaia...
THE PURCHASE SXSTEM . Attention hassagaiabeen , called . to the system of promotion iru the army , My the motion of Major Reed for a seleet committee to inquire into , and report upon , that matter . The debate was very unsatisfactory . Colonel after colonel rose to defend the present system , and two heirs to dukedoms followed their example . But they were met in the most effectual manner by Mr . Robert : Lowe , who showed pretty clearly that the whole system is bad . Lord Palmerston told the House of Commons
th ' at not' having : command of the army , they had mo-4-i ght to inquire into these matters , it is the prerogative of the Crown ; and theoretically he is correct ; no doubt ; But seventy men to one hundred and f 6 " thought differently : a-irather forcible hinti thai the'House of Commons ; , id ; beginning : to think of reforming the army >> " If wei were about to .-establish the ? military sy & temrfor tber first time it-would bei madness to drcam ^ eyen o f . establish ing : pisom © taDn . by , putchaset" Such ^/ were the . words of Lord
PAti-MEftSTON in thei'debate-on , thenaotron of Lord Godbrigh ;•; such ; again were his words in the debate on the motion , of-Major ReeD . . When ; a man or a < Minister talks in that strain you-. may ba surer he intends ^ to take all the ; benefits he can ; get ; from his admissions ,, andi to , give you-little or none . It . isra sort of cheap liberalism ^ the soft sawder of debate ^ for it sounds well , and does not . entail action ; f- Even Lord
Palmerston admits that the * sab : and purchase off . commissions is > so bad : a thing that every one would' avoid , it if we had to begin again , " exclaims some innocent , enthusiast . But Lord Ealmerston , . or any other clever Minister , mi ght , and perhaps woiddy . saysthe same of the monarchy ; , or the State- Churchy the national f sewerage ,. or any- other cherished institutioav , The candid statesman getsi credit for his popular " views / ' but . viesjrsithey still
reraaiu-i Nowweare not disposed to give ? LorH Paljmerston ,. or > indeed any probable Minister , OTe ~ dirT 6 r ~ even ~ desifing 7 to abolish promotion by pui'cliase . They dare not do it . Like many other things now in full bloom , promotion by purchase is one of the pets of the Hous & of Commons , for ; it is one of the things which uphold the present system , and make provision for younger sons . More or less honourable members and their constituents
benefit by keeping- a commission-preserve , where no one can trespass without a license . Agitate the subject we may , and , as a result , probably half a score of non-commissioned officers ! will gain a step upward , but nothing will be done towards the destruction of the system . And what a system it is ! It sprouted forth in that hotbed of : despotism and corruption , the reign of Charles II ., into the light of official sanction , and assumed somewhat of tne shape it now wears . That unprincipl e d h
monarch could not reward Ins officers , so e allowed them to sell their commissions ; , the man who bought was allowed to sell again , and thus this king ' s evil of our military system was perpetuated . * And it works ia a manner worthy of its origin . At common law » t is illegal to give . money for the appointment to a public office j by ancient statutes- also the sale of places was prohibitedj so it , became necessary to , show that these statutes and maxima did not extend to military offices , and tltf LoixUKeeper Wr ight , in 1702 ,. viasj hejnaa * ' 8 kQPttmtotHm-byPurch < nci- B ^ nn * Oflftc cr : ' Bidfe * wayv
-
-
Citation
-
Leader (1850-1860), March 31, 1855, page 14, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_31031855/page/14/
-