PEEL AND GUIZOT.
SINGS were wont to be accompanied by their wise man, or spruck- sprecher, to give them counsel, and their jester, to amuse them. At the late regal visit to Windsor, the jesters were dispensed with—Royalty, in these days of retrenchment, undertook to find its own jokes as well as its own laughter: but the spruch-sprechers were in close attendance on both their Majesties. M. GUIZOT stuck close to his Master; and while the Duke of WELLINGTON was despatched with Prince ALBERT to receive Louis PHILIPPE at the water's edge, Sir ROBERT PEEL remained at Windsor tied to the apron-string of his Royal Mistress.
The wise counsels given to the Monarchs by their respective Premiers may never transpire. Indeed, it is probable that their attendance was but a piece of state formality, and that they did
n ot presume to watch the sayings and doings of the Princes in order to save them from compromising themselves. It cannot even be said that one looked the character better than the other : each was " every inch a Prime Minister." It is only by their antece- dents that GUIZOT can be distinguished from PEEL.
They have several points in common. Each will be remembered more for his dexterity in acquiring office, than for an original, bold, or comprehensive line of policy. Each has a knack of trimming his bark to suit the tide : PEEL, the Tory champion, rests his claim to public confidence on his Whiggish measures ; and GUIZOT, the Protestant, valorously declares that France must be the champion of the Roman Catholic faith throughout the world. The "Man of Ghent" as Minister under the dynasty of the Barricades is an apt counterpart to the colleague of ELDON and CASTLEREAGH crying " Register, register, register." Each contrives to make himself the leader of a party, which adheres to him more from belief in his skill as a tactician than any vehement admiration of his policy. Each is an irreproachable character, for whom nobody appears to entertain a very ardent affection.
But though the politicians have a strong family-likeness, the men are very different. Sir ROBERT PEEL has no imagination, and, naturally, little eloquence. He knows as much of art and literature as a man can be taught, and no more. By patient drudgery, he has acquired considerable knowledge of finance and some other branches of politics, and a thorough mastery of the forms of Par- liamentary and official business. Under any circumstances, he must have been a useful member of a party; but had not his affluence made him independent of party, he never could have be- come a leader. He has neither the buoyant and relentless will of a CHATHAM, nor the brilliant and fascinating qualities of a CAN.- tinso, to sway the minds of his followers. One great source of his power is that he can better afford to do without his party than his party without him.
GUIZOT, on the contrary, though if he chose he might be inde- pendent of party, cannot be so if he is to continue a politician. His party feel that if be continue engaged in politics, it must be as a trade by which he earns his bread. He and party are mu- tually dependent on each other. It is not to his social position, but to something inherent in himself, that he owes his leadership. The post is yielded to him because his literary reputation reflects honour on his party, and because he is a natural and powerful orator in addition to being an accomplished debater.
The difference between the characters of the two Premiers is illustrative of the difference between the social conditions of their two countries. In England, GEORGE CANNING is the solitary example of a politician of GUIZOT'S class rising to the rank of Pre- mier: and for how brief a time did he enjoy it ! how dearly did he buy it ! In France, the only perilous rival to M. GUIZOT is one of his own fraternity. In this country there are more men of large fortunes than in France, and their wealth has more of an hereditary character : a man's social position is of more consequence, and his personal talents of less. At first sight, one is tempted to imagine that "they order these things better in France" ; but experience dispels the illusion. Genius cannot be kept down by the mere mechanical pressure of wealth ; it is only forced into different channels—driven to devise means of exerting its restless energies ; and it is made stronger and more adroit by the struggle. It must be confessed that there is a better prospect of internal peace for Eng-
land, where only a very few can hope to carry off the highest prizes in politics, than for France, where four hundred clever, vain, and reckless journalists, awaken every morning with the thought," Gui- zot was once no more than Lam; why should I not rise as high ? "
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