This defeat was followed by another in West Edinburgh, of
less importance, because Mr. Buchanan, who, from being a Unionist, deserted to the Home-rulers, and in a very honourable fashion resigned his seat to test the feeling of the constituency, not unnaturally gained a great many votes which were, in all probability, given at a by-election rather to the man than to the politician. Still, Mr. Buchanan, who in 1886 obtained as a Unionist a majority of 690 over Mr. Wallace, the Home-ruler (3,083 against 2,393), obtained last Saturday, as a Home-ruler, a majority of 46 over the Radical Unionist, Mr. Raleigh. These are heavy blows ; but heavy blows should only increase our determination to make the constituencies see towards what political ruin they are rushing; and, after all, the reverses of the Unionists since 1886 are nothing in comparison with the reverses of the Liberals between 1880 and 1882,—which reverses were not ominous of defeat at the General Election.
