[Cony.]
DEAR —,—The promptness as much as the courtesy of your personal reply to my request tempts me to write to you once more npon the general aspect of a question interesting to us both. The special case is past praying for ; but I wish it were possible to im- press upon the Liberal chiefs the serious consequences of their neglect of the South, while the "sturdy Liberalism" of the North waxes fat upon their constant feeding. I have lived here three years, and in another Conservative stronghold for two years before that, andlin.both, places have been equally impressed by the natural strength-of the- Liberal plant, and by its sore need of watering. We have had many meetings and many "dinners," but never once, after efforts of all kinds to bring them, have we seen or heard in the flesh any one of those Liberal leaders, old or young, whose names fill the minds- of men. They always make excuse, directly they are asked, and the effect upon the rank and file and upon local lieutenants is painfully discouraging. Here we cannot get beyond Mr. — and, Mr. —, excellent men, no doubt, in their way, but not calculated to stir enthusiasm. Their "local connection" makes them less, not more, interesting. For our coming annual dinner, for which I asked your help, thirty-five invitations to leading Members of Parliament. have met with thirty-five refusals. —'s note, which your secretary kindly sent me, has given me cause for amused disappointment, with which feeling alone I shall placidly watch the young man's future career. A more frankly cynical confession of indifference to the Liberal cause (upon which be is so eloquent on platforms which may ho- useful to him), except as regards himself, I never saw. Whatever the failings or virtues of the Conservative cause, devotion of the active kind is not wanting there. In the North or in the South, its= prominent men are always ready and willing. There has been and is a strong Liberalism in this town, strong enough, on the formation of one of those " Local Houses of Commons" which have lately been growing, to make a Liberal majority (by me, at all events, unexpected), in spite of indifference on one side and exertion on the other. But we are losing ground, I believe entirely through the eoutrast to whioh• I have called your attention ; and the next Parliamentary election, which might have been won, will be lost. Followers will not believe in what does not interest leaders apart from themselves. For my- self, I have no political purpose or ambition to serve, but for foar years I have given money, time, and speech to the service of the- party, besides suffering seriously in my own profession from my out- spokenness. The result of this last failure to get any of the right- help is that I am resigning all connection with the work, and my place on the County Committee and the Local Associations, and for- the future confining myself to my own last. I may have been bat a humble ally, but as uno dine, at all events plurimos.—Faithfully yours, —. June 19th, 1883.
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