POLITICAL GRATITUDE.
[TO TER EDITOR OP TILE "SPECTATOR."] SIR,—Permit me one word in defence of the assertion that in politics gratitude is grossly immoral. Surely circumstances might arise, when you would feel that to support a party leader on account of his past services would be immoral, because prejudicial to the good government of the people. Gratitude, then, would, in your own case, yield to strong conviction ; you would not hesitate, I suppose, for a moment to withdraw your support from the statesman whose past services had well deserved your ad- miration and gratitude. So far, the assertion is true, and as a principle may any day demand your support. If, however, you refused to obey your conviction, and still followed the lead of your grateful feelings, you would be guilty of a wrong ; in a word, your public duty would be sacrificed to your private senti- ment.
I am not ungrateful to Mr. Gladstone for his right and wise guidance, but, on the other hand, I am not free to submit my con- science even to so good a virtue as gratitude. The only safe rule for me is the clear line of duty ; if I permit any personal feeling to cross that, I am no longer under either wise or safe guidance. In my judgment, the principle of Disestablishment seems essential. How can I support a statesman who declares against that prin- ciple, and yet tells me to do my best to convince the nation .before I ask him to consider it? You say that my "prin- ciple would disestablish and disendow a great many insti- tutions besides the Established Church." I am just old enough to remember Lord Palmerston's personal government ; if I mistake not, both Liberals and Tories supported that Government from pure gratitude to its great chief. The result was neither perma- nent nor beneficial. I have no wish to see Mr. Gladstone the head of a Government so sustained. England has suffered more from political gratitude than from political conviction.—I am,
Previous page
