habitually reserved and moderate in his expressions; and neither reserve
nor moderation forms a part of his natural character. Too warm a nature,
or too ardent a temperament are not discreditable, though they often
bring pain and trouble along with them.
We now come to the most hackneyed, and, we admit, the most painful
portion of Mr Disraeli’s life—his treatment of Sir Robert Peel.
But these things belong to the past. Great blame, in the eyes of an
impartial observer, may be attached to Peel for the course he then took,
and great blame may also attach to Disraeli; much, on the other hand,
may be said in palliation of the conduct of both. The one has long ago
been forgiven by the great party which he irreparably injured; the other
will, we firmly believe, prove himself, at no distant period, as firm
and enlightened a Minister as he is now one of the most talented and
accomplished statesmen that ever adorned with his eloquence, or
controlled by his wisdom, the legislation of the British Parliament.
We now conclude by urging the necessity there is for the reascendancy of
the Conservative party. We are evidently on the verge of a momentous
period. Are we to commit the guidance of our affairs to a Government
whose conduct, as yet, has been one course of bungling—the result of
dissension, of abortive speculations—the result of a misplaced
self-confidence, and of unsuccessful negotiation—the result of an
infatuated love of peace? We make, then, our appeal to the Protestants
of England; are we any longer to truckle to the Pope of Rome—are we
still to devote the public money to the support of Roman Catholic
priests, and then call it “religious bigotry?” We make our appeal to the
friends of Turkey amongst us: are we to have a Ministry in power who are
divided in their opinions concerning the vitality of the country which
we are desirous of protecting, and amongst whose supporters are men who
deny our right to go to war at all? We make our appeal to the foes of
Russia; shall we have a Premier who declares that “what is called the
security of Europe” has nothing to fear from Russian aggression, and
then says that he has nothing to retract or explain? Let us have a
Ministry of able men, united amongst themselves, prepared to uphold our
Protestant religion, agreed upon the vitality of Turkey, resolved to
resist Russia, determined to secure a durable peace; and, above all, one
that is strong in the confidence of the country, and supported by a
united majority. Let us tear down the emblems of the most incapable and
mischief-making Coalition that ever any country was cursed with, and
proclaim over its fall the reascendancy of Conservative principles.
_Printed by William Blackwood & Sons, Edinburgh._
-----
Footnote 1:
Σπυριδῶνος Τρικουπη ἱστορία τῆς Ἕλληνικῆς ἐπαναστάσεως. Τόμος Α.
London, 1853. (History of the Greek Revolution. By Spiridion Tricoupi,
Greek Minister, London. Vol. i.)
Footnote 2:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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