NEWS OF THE WEEK • T HE country is all but
unanimous in the desire to get Mr. Gladstone to assume once more the office of Prime Minister. No one can read the country papers,—the real index of the feel- ing of the country,—and not find the most striking evidence of the warmth and depth of this feeling. In fact, the Liberals -everywhere will feel, with Lord. Rosebery, that there is no real gladness in the victory, if any other leader is to be given to the party. We do not feel any doubt that the Queen, who has always been faithful to her Constitutional teaching, will recognise this, as readily as she will recognise -the duty of changing the Government, and even if she does not at once send for Mr. Gladstone, will invite Lord Granville to dis- cuss with her the duty of doing so. Of course, Mr. Gladstone's old and beaten foes sulk at the prospect, and do all they can to sow dissension between him and Lord Hartington, but in this they will not be successful. Such tactics sometimes answer with weak men, but fail with strong men. And in this case, only strong men are concerned.
