TOPICS OF THE DAY.
RECRIMINATION.
Fon the last week the organs of the Whigs and Tories have been busily engaged in attempts to prove respectively that the opposite party is disunited. We can conceive nothing more idle than this. It is not enough to weaken a party that there exist discordant opinions among its members, unless these differ- ences relate to principles which really regulate the conduct of the individuals professing to be actuated by them. It would be an easy task by collecting the sayings and doings of any Ministry or Opposition—take the strongest and most united of either that ever existed—to produce an amusing medley of cross-readings; and yet the fact that the party from amid which such contradictory voices have gone forth acted energetically and harmoniously, would remain as much a fact as ever. So long as the members of a party are agreed to act together, no demonstration of its disunion, how- ever ingenious, can essentially weaken it ; and if they are not, they will fall asunder without the aid of any such demonstration. The truth is, that when the contradictions xdlich may he found in Isolated speeches of the members of any party are made matters of serious argument, instead of being touched by a sneer in passing, it is a sign that the learned arguer is seeking to hide by a prolusion of words his inability or unwillingncss to act. If Lord MuLnoraNE and his friends were able and willing to administer the Govern- ment instead of being merely desirous to remain in place, they would reply to all insinuations of their want of unity by silent perseverance in action. And were Sir ROBERT PEEL and his col- leagues really hopeful of being able to force their way into plaice, they would carry on the war by unspiring attacks upon the policy of their rivals, and by laboured expositions of that which they would substitute if in office, leaving any internal jealousies and quarrels which existed among the opposite party to work out their natural consequences without much notice. In short, we regard all this talk on the part of the Whigs about Tory disunion, and on the part of the Tories about Whig incom- patibility as mere symptoms that neither party are in a condition to adopt decisive measures. The Tories know that, however the Whigs may differ on minor points, such as Repeal, Free-trade, and Foreign policy, they have an indissoluble bond of union in their love of place. And the Wings are aware that this passion is equally strong in the breasts of their antagonists, and would of itself be sufficient, were they once ill office, to prompt both High Church- men and Latitudinarians to acquiesce in such a middle hue of do- nothing policy as would best accord with the genius and tastes of Sir ROBERT PEEL. Parties are like individuals : the weaker and Wore timid they arc, the more voluble in their vituperation ; as women scold when they quarrel, where men knock each other down. At the same time, however, that we regard this war of words as a proof that the parties arc equally matched, (be it in strength or in weakness,) we must not forget that the vice of excessive talking— of indulging in an expenditure of words disproportionate to the business transacted—is at all times the besetting sin of British politicians. A constitution which vests the executive power in a few, and at the same time is meant to impress the many with a belief that they participate in it, proves by its mere existence that the many are too strong to be ruled by three, and too simple to be able to make use of their strength. It is of necessity a con- stitution under which the power of bewildering men by talk must be in great demand and assiduously cultivated. The guarantee of success in a public career is not " official aptitude," but a spe- ciousness in talking about business. Parliamentary orators arc ex- hibited among us as stage-plays or gladiatorial spectacles were among the Romans, to divert the attention of the masses front public business. This is a refinement upon the Roman plan; thr at the same time that it distracts the public attention, it has the appearance of concentrating it upon the affitirs of state. It is dif- ficult to persuade men When they see so many newspapers crammed with the speeches of our legislators, and pored upon by every in- habitant of the empire, that public business is not minded. They do not see that the talk, instead of being about business, consists exctusively of perSOM11 TeerhnillatiOn. They do not see that the public mind contracts a taste till' this gladiatorial display, and be- stows upon the accomplished fencer that esteem and suppot t which ought to be reserved the the statesman.
The public and its legislators contrive to spoil each other. The latter find itnue t easier t .o pay their supporters in worth: than in
sterling services. The thriller think nothing of a man unless he can tickle tlwm with a dash speech, or at the least with a prompt re- partee. The public do not inquire too curiously into the manage- ment of those to whom they intrust their business ; and legislators and ministers, like all human beings when there is no sharp-sighted taskmaster over them, take care not to 0% rwolk themselves. Thia himeVel*, of leaving piddie busillc,:s to manage itself, is only tit thr times which if not decidedly prosperous are not exactly ;IA IN'tTse, and never fails to accelerate ita Own end. Even prosperity requires to be guided if we would have it continue. And already we thiuk we can ::ce elements at work. "11" in Ono will rouse our pocotatronti out of their state of som- nambulism. The late mail from India (for argument's sake we will adopt the Ministerial version of the news than that (punier) brings word that an expensive armament has sailed for China ; that even supposing it victorious, the after negotiations will be protracted ;
and that trade will be interrupted. Here, then, we have a large and continued expenditure, accompanied by a stagnation of that coin.. mercial intercourse which alone can create the wealth to defray it. Next we are told with respect to Afghanistan, that SHAH SOOJAU has neglected to profit by the opportunities British support has afforded him, and that "as it has been by our means alone that he has been enabled to reoccupy his palace, it behoves us that the abuse of the power thus placed in his hands be not permitted, in
so far as those who put it there can prevent." The plain English of this is, that the British forces must continue to occupy Afghan- istan, in which they do not possess any power beyond the range of their cannon. And as if this were not sufficient, we learn from the same sources that " the disaffection and treachery of the Sailts can no longer be concealed "—that the Indian Government " have long been perfectly aware of the course events are likely to take in the Punjauh"; and that " if the Seiks read their sin in their punish- ment, they will owe it to themselves." Here then is another inevit- able, protracted, and increasing war upon our hands, on the West of India, which most probably will require to be fed by advances from the British Government, and which at all events will for a time depress and render precarious a portion of our Indian trade, and inde- finitely retard the period When the Indian Government shall be in a condition to repay the advances made by the Mother-country towards the prosecution of the Chinese War. Coining nearer home, we learn that before MEHEMET Ates answer to the proposition of the Four Powers could be received, (possibly before the pi °position was intimated to him,) Commodore NAPIER had summoned the Syrians and the inhabitants of Lebanon to submit to the Sultan, and the Egyptian troops in Syria to revolt front the Pasha. He tells the former that he has been " sent with an advanced squadron to assist in throwing off the yoke of the Pasha"; anti the latter, " Put your- selves under my protection ; and should a single soldier of the Pasha approach you, he will be annilalnied." Here is a third war to paralyze for a time British commerce, and to be supported by the British Exchequer : for Austria and Prussia are but in name parties to these proceedings ; he will be a nold Minister who counsels the employment of a Russian army in Syria ; and if the Sultan is to act himself, he will first require a subsidy.
We are not speaking at present of the policy or impolicy, the justice or injustice, of these proceedings. We indicate their magni- tude and complication, and necessary consequences even under the most favourable circumstances, in order to show that there are dements in operation which may put an end to tha logomaehies of our politicians, by forcing thn nation to ineast upon something being done. Increaaed taxation and commercial embarrassment may force men to think and act : it would seem that DO less urgent motives can produce this effect. Men must be in easy circum- stances when they give hard cash for wind-bills, knowing them to be such.
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