30 OCTOBER 1880, Page 2

Yesterday week, Mr. Herbert Gladstone made a very vigor- ous

speech to his constituents in Leeds, dwelling especially on the inconsistency of the Tories in first attacking the present Government for destroying the British influence over foreign affairs, and then assailing it for exerting so great an influence over foreign affairs ; in first reproaching it for not sufficiently valuing the Treaty of Berlin, and then for insisting on having that Treaty properly carried out; in first reproaching it for aiding so- despotic a Government as that of Russia, and then inveighing against it for not imitating in Ireland the despotism of Russia.. Mr. Herbert Gladstone set forth these little inconsistencies of the Tories with very great force. The truth is, that neither Tories nor Liberals are always consistent,—nor need they be. The Tories tolerate liberty if its total result be

put down the sort of liberty they dislike most ; while. the Liberals tolerate despotism, if its total result be to put down the sort of despotism they dislike most. Logically speaking, both are in the right. The only question is as to. which of the two parties most likes the better cause, and most dislikes the worse.