TOPICS OF THE DAY.
LORD BROUGHAM AND THE MINISTRY.
ACCORDING to the Morning Chronicle, Lord BROUGHAM' is " shunned" by the Ministers, as an " unsafe personage." If he was "unsafe" as a friend, still more is he a terror-inspiring foe. In vain do Lord MELBOURNE and his colleagues try to " shun" him :he is near to them in all their paths, and marks all their outgoings: when he fastens upon them, they tremble; they whine under his scourge. By the modest gentlemen of the Whig press, Lord BRotic,BAst is charged with " inconsistency " and " Toryism." The " incon- sistency "is clear,—comparing his present course with that which he followed from the passing of the Reform Act to the breaking. up of the first MELBOURNE Administration; for he then was, or had been, like most of his mere Whig associates, little better than S Tory, carrying Coercion Bills, and damming up the current of Reform till it threatened to become a stagnant pool. Such a course was inconsistent with the previous acts and professions of the long political life of HENRY BROUGH AM : he has abandoned it, and resumed his old position as one of the leadsrs of the people. Quoth the Chronicle of Wednesday, in reference to the Spanish debate—" Lord BROUGHAM, who has hitherto worn a thin dis- guise, last night fairly threw off even that, and sought to dis- tinguish himself as a Tory champion and bitter opponent of the Liberal cause." This is the old song. Oppose this Torified Ministry, and you are a "bitter opponent of the Liberal cause!" The ignorant or credulous reader might suppose flora the Chro- nicle, that there had been a contest among the Peers on some question affecting the popular franchise, some encroachment of the Church or the Aristocracy, on Colonial misgovernment, or other question in which Tories and real Liberals are anta- gonists; and that Lord BROUGHAM had taken part with the former. But on looking to the report of the proceedings, be will find, that the point at issue regarded foreign policy and interna- tional law. Not a syllable in reference to domestic reforms or party politics was uttered on either side. Lord BROUGHAM, in- deed, denounced a rash act of one department of the Administra- tion, which might have plunged us in extensive war : that he had taken possession of strong and just grounds, appeared front the issue—from the want of defence, and from the Premier's backing out, leaving his erring colleague to be either deservedly punished or unhandsomely sacrificed. " But look to the division-list, and behold Lord BROUGHAM voting with and supported by Tories!" Look to the other side, and behold Lord MELBOURNE saved from defeat by the Duke of WELLINGTON. If voting with Tories against Liberals is a proof of desertion from Liberalism, then it may be asked, are not the Ministers deserters ? How often have they during the present session, in the House of' Commons, contributed to defeat a very large majority of the Liberals by joining the Tories ? How often have they thrown off' the " thin disguise "of Liberalism ? Of Lord BROUGH AM'S hostility, the present Ministers certainly have no right to complain, even though his attacks could fairly be called factious, and be traced to personal spleen. With the MELBOURNE Whigs, who have affionted and cheated him, he has an open quarrel, on his own account. On public grounds he is, as we all are, entitled to oppose them : as bungling adminis- trators—as betrayers of Liberalism—as holding office on false pretences— or rather as having held, for the fraud being found out, and the claim of merit Is ing in another line, the " thin disguise" is now but seldom resorted to.
The country cares little for the private feud between these par- ties. To Lord BROUGHAM, however, it is a disadvantage that be is known to have cause of resentment towardg his former col- leagues. It may be difficult to disprove his statements or controvert his arguments; but it is very easy to say that BROUGH AM is a disappointed politician—that he is frantic with spite, and a scarcely-disguised Tory : and there are plenty of ignorant, prejudiced, and interested persons, who will receive this abuse instead of a reply to the most eloquent speech. It is therefore especially needful for Lord BROUGHAM to avoid the appearance of over eager hostility; to eschew petty occasions of triumph; and reserve his strength for great ques- tions, on which he is sure to make an impression throughout the country, in defiance of all that the NVIlig partisans may put forth to Isis disparagem ,nt. That he is truly formidable, nobody can doubt. On Tuesday night he raised a mutiny in the Tory ranks, and while some of the troops followed "the Duke" off the field, BROUGHAM rallied the greater number and led them against the Ministry. He thus proved that even the Duke of WELLINGTON...? shield is not always a sufficient protection to them.
Previous page
