Against the evil omens of the day, we must never
forget to balance the good. Mr. Gladstone has written to the Midlothian Liberal Association, expressing a hope that he may yet fulfil the engagement to speak there which he had to break in January in consequence of his attack of sleeplessness, and he adds :—" I also hope that when the time comes I may still be able to say, as I can now say, that I do not perceive the action of the disintegrating forces which were visibly at work during the latter years of the Administration of 1868.74, nor find any reason to believe that the country has altered its mind on the important issues which were decided in 1880." This is weighty enough in itself. It is still more important when accompanied by Mr. Gladstone's expression of his belief that he may still be able to address his constituents on the work of the Administration, since that gives ground for a reasonable expectation that Mr. Gladstone is not thinking of a retirement which could hardly fail to be a heavy blow to the Liberal party, and also to the Liberal policy of the hour.
