The agricultural incident of the week is the interlude of
the Drummond among the farmers : and as pregnant with instruction lilt as one of Moliere's comedies. Mr. Henry Drummond attends a Protection meeting, to bestow his silent countenance ; is in- vited to make a speech, but declines; and then volunteers a speech which is an explosive shell full Of scattering truths. He rebuked the assembled Protectionists for their cant about de- frauded rights, and the "stuff" about the treachery of Peel ; he admitted the importance of his own party, but avowed that it c_ould not get on for want of men of commanding faculties—they ?lad no first-rate leader, and the average men were jealous of being led by others no better than themselves ; and he wound up gus candid lecture with a plan for redeeming the National Debt, which is no other than Mr. Disraeli's I It occurs to us that Mr. Drummond's party fails to make way, not so much for Want of a leader or head, as for want of any real, tangible, prac- ucal object. Inasmuch as it proposes nothing which can be done, the party is practically without any object at all, and has thus become a party without a purpose : that is political annihilation. But yet there are things to be done, for which the leaders of the "Country party," the advocates of " protection for industry," the "farmer's friends," or whatever they please to call themselves, are responsible while they do so call themselves. See what Mr. Weller announced at this very meeting—that there are in his county, men who are able to work, most anxious to work, yet unable to get work, and therefore leading a precarious life between starvation and de- predation. That is not confined to the county of Surrey; it is so in all directions, from Inverness to Devonshire. Is not this an urgent and alarming state of matters! Yet we have this party without a purpose holding its meetings to fish for an object, and listening, edified, to the facetious pleasantries of the goodhumoured and sharp-witted censor-general.
