TOPICS OF THE -DAY.
PEEL'S OWN POLICY.
It is now put beyond a doubt that Sir ROBERT PEEL has no policy for Ireland. He avows this, and glories in it. He sees no occa- sion for unusual measures of any kind, or even for anxiety. To the general call upon him to do something, he scarcely thinks it worth while to give any answer but a good-humoured smile. He puts one in mind of the captain of a Margate steamer, who comforts his Cockney passengers during a squall at the Nore by laughing at their idle fears. He seems to think that all the world except him- self has gone a little mad on the subject of Ireland, and that his only business is to restore them to their senses by exhibiting calm- ness and nonchalance.
This behaviour of the Premier puzzles everybody. He is not
stupid, nor heedless, nor pig-headed ; but, on the contrary, remark- able for acuteness, caution, and pliability to the force of circum- stances. We may be sure that his is a deliberate resolution. We may be certain that in determining against the adoption of any policy for Ireland, he has a policy of his own. What can it be ?
There can be but one answer to the question. Sir ROBERT
PEEL stakes power, fame, and the safety of his country, on his own confidence in being right in his difference with all the world on the subject of the present agitation in Ireland. His view of it is ex- pressed in two words : it will soon " blow over." If it should, Sir ROBERT PEEL will not merely not lose, but will gain in all sorts of ways from having differed with the public on this question. Let us suppose that O'CONNELL makes no " next move "—that the payment of Repeal rent out of the landlord's rent falls off to a trifle—that Repeal meetings cease—and that O'CONNELL, having pocketed a princely income for the year 1843, retires to Darrynane and his beagles: let this be supposed, and then who can doubt that, whether as regards the country at large, the Opposition, or the disaffection of some of his own party, Sir ROBERT PEEL will gain a signal triumph and a large accession of power and fame? On the other hand, if the passive rebellion in Ireland should gain strength from habit and more perfect organization—if the Repeal rent should go on increasing, or the landlord's diminishing let who may profit by the deficiency—if any mere accident should produce bloodshed and active rebellion : in that case, Sir ROBERT PEEL would be stripped, in a week, of power and reputation, and the approval of his own conscience. Man never staked more on his own judgment, against the judgment, it may be said, of nearly all the rest of mankind. We wait for the event.
But there can be no doubt that Sir ROBERT PEEL suffers in the mean time from what may be termed his own policy. as to Ireland. So very few people believe that the Irish agitation is a " mock crisis" and will "blow over," that all the world, supposing it to be a little mad, imagines Sir ROBERT PEEL to be so. For the pre- sent, he has at least the appearance of being defied and beaten by O'CorirrEm, ; since, assuredly, the Agitator has the best of it in their battle of counter-proclamations about Repeal. The apparent weakness and bewilderment of the Prime Minister as to Ireland causes his Government, notwithstanding its majority, to be really weak in the House of Commons ; and it seems not improbable that the session will close leaving a history of nothing but abortive at- tempts at legislation. O'CONNELL, therefore, must be quick in re- tiring to Darrynane, or Sir ROBERT PEEL'S own policy may prove a grand mistake, even though be should turn out to be right against all the world in deeming the Repeal agitation a matter of no im- portance.
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