Mr. F. A. Channing, the Liberal Member for East Northamptonshire,
has published a very interesting article in the Kettering Leader of February 10th on the political situation. While the first condition of safety is, in Mr. Chalming's opinion, a complete Free-trade, and therefore Liberal, victory, the second condition is the effective reconstruction of reasonable Conservatism on a Free-trade basis. He accordingly arges on his fellow-Liberals that the truly wise policy for them will be to help indirectly, where they can, this 2.,radnal reconstruction, in the interests of the nation as a whole. " Even though amalgamation is under_present circumstances improbable, possibly in some aspects. undesirable,• a policy of friendly forbearance and co-operation for specific purposes is easy, natural, and patriotic. Such a temper," he continues, " will be fully understood to imply no sacrifice nor surrender of principle or policy on either side, but to be simply and wholly the most sagacious and long-sighted duplication of national insurance against the havoc Protection would make of national prosperity." That is admirably put. It also represents, we are convinced from many important communications we have received, the sense of the wiser minds in the Liberal party. It is particularly gratifying to note that these pleas for a, wide and statesman- like treatment of the Unionist Free-traders come, not from the Old Whig or ultra-moderate section of the Liberal party, but from an advanced Radical like Mr. Charming.
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