CANDIDATES FOR THE CARINET—HATRED OF MR. PEEL
THE PRESS.
STANDARD—If the Duke of Wellington is to remain at the head of the government, be must ally himself to one of two parties—to the old Popish party, or to the faithful Protestants whom he has lately deserted, as little we suspect to the im- provement of his peace of mind as to the increase of his fame. How his Grace is to negotiate an union with the old Popish party, it does not concern us to in- quire ; any advance to the old battered remnant of Whiggery must be made in the usual way—with a full hand ; whoever offers money or money's worth to these respectable patriots can scarcely fail ; and without that we can conceive no ingenuity of address that ought to encourage the least hope of succeeding ? But if the Duke of Wellington mean honestly—if he be really desirous of a strong government—a government strong by public opinion rather than by bribes and bayonets--if he with to show that his object has been in fact to promote the Pro- testant religion—if he wish to dispel all suspicion of ill designs, he will throw himself cordially and without any reserve into the hands of the faithful Protestant party. They have proved, in the act which has severed them from him, that they prefer priuciple to place—they have given testimony that they are not, even for an hour, prepared to be the tools of any master. They have shown by the fidelity with which, as a party, (luring nearly seventy successive years they have adminis- tered, and by the fidelity which, in this last year, they defended the constitution, that they can never be chosen as associates in any secret designs upon established institutions. As such they would be alike acceptable to King and people ; and would give to the Duke of Wellington's government a degree of strength such as no government has possessed since the death of Mr. Pitt—of strength, too, which need excite no jealousy, as it could be exercised only against the enemies of the state. But if the Duke of Wellington wish to take the Pro- testant party, he must take them as allies, not as servants--as men from whom he seeks a benefit, not as conquered enemies to whom he may dictate terms. He must take them in sufficient numbers to secure the independence of each in the Cabinet; and he must Make the place decent for their reception by sweeping out the Lyndhursts,- and Rosslyns, and Peels. Finally, he must tale the whole Protestant party together, or rather must ask it to take him back into its bosom. We do not suspect him of such an unworthy policy as wishing to excite divisions in the Protestant party ; but a perseverance in his present course of soliciting par- ticular Protestants, here and there, would seem directed to that object, while its only effect would be to excite deeper resentment, and more jealous suspicion of his Grace's designs in7the bulk of the Protestant party, that is, in the whole people of England. To conclude, the road is open to the Prime Minister to obtain a vast constitutional strength for his government, and even to re-instate himself in the respect and affection of his fellow.subjects. If he neglect it, he alone will be re- sponsible for the meditated crime to which only such neglect can be ascribed ; but we all shall be responsible for the folly of not, providing against the danger, if we fail to provide against it.
GL0I1E—The favourite report with the more rancorous of the Tory enemies of the Administration is, that the Duke of Wellington has made advances to the high Tory party, w ho seceded from him, and that they are prepared to join him on condition that he sacrifices Mr. Peel; which, according to the same well-disposed informants, the Premier is ready to do. We have seen no symptoms that Mr. Peel is particularly attached to office, or that he would personally feel much at quitting it; but he obviously ought not to leave it now : and as for the Duke of Wellington, if lie for any consideration sacrificed the colleagues who adhered to bins in the noble enterprise, which he has accomplished (the fruits of which we hope to see him assist the country in reaping), he would, in spite of that and all his other achievements, be in a condition rather to be pitied than envied. The sacrifice of his colleagues would not he a mere personal sacrifice, but it would leave him without that character which is indispensable to any Minister who would perform his duty to the country—a character with which honest men can associate themselves with confidence. lithe Duke of Wellington solicited the station which. he holds, there might be the less improbability that he might disgrace himself in order to retain it. If he had fallen under slight difficulties, there would be less improbability that he should fall now that no difficulties remain to be surmounted. But he took (*Ice at the command of the King; he settled a question which the boldest and Wisest of his predecessors had attempted in vain. If he leave office he will leave it with the reputation of a great and powerful Minister; and if he hold it (and even his enemies do not seem to contemplate that lie will speedily cease to hold it), he will do so without sacrificing his reputation. This is our firm belief, looking merely at the character of the man, and his position, which gene- rally afford means of judging at least as safe as the rumours of the knaves who in- trigue or the dupes whom- they inflame. Mr. Peel is certainly disliked by the vio- lent Tories, because he has joined in saving the country front the consequences which the absurd obstinacy of that party must have brought upon it. He is, of course, particularly hated by a large class of the Radicals (not by all who pass under that name), because he is friendly to practicable reforms ; for none are so odious to them as those who do not pass their lives like wolves howling at the moon, but consider, when some public good is an o' ject of desire, whether there is a possibility of attaining it. He is, perhaps not personally liked by the Whig leaders, because he is not a 1Vhig; but Cy the great mass of Whigs, as well as by reasonable men of all other parties throughout the country, who do not shape their opinions by catchwords, or take their esti- mate of public characters from party abuse, he continues to he esteemed, as he long has been, one of the most useful Ministers in his depaitment that the country has possessed since the accession of the House of Hanover. How infinitely great, indeed, does he appear, as compared with those alone with whom his most in- reterate enemies must, if they have any standard, compare him—with the Sid. mouths and nihili-pilVieralors (as Sir C. Wetherell would express it) of that class and order. The only way in which the enemies of Mr. Peel account for the fact that there are not better inen out of the intolerant ranks ready to take his place, is, that he crushed or overlaid the rising talents of his party—or, it may be, changed the bantlings at nurse. This, however, he could not have done before he was himself born, and he may be compared as well with his predecessors as with his contemporaries. But without making comparisons—which must be odious, at least to the parties to whom we have alluded—the assiduous labours of Mr. Peel, the prudent activity with which he has devoted himself to the removal of abuses, the candour with which he adopted, and the success with which he ad- vocated, the opinions which led to the restoration of the metallic currency, and his manly conduct amidst all discouragements on the Catholic question, entitle him to a character which few men have acquired, as an honest, and bold, and useful statesman. It appeare to us of great consequence to the interests of the country that such a man as this should not be hunted down—that it should not be shoe ii to the world that it is more safe for a man to be a sloth in his office and honest in Parliament—to disregard public evils, and set at naught the conviction which reason and facts force on him, than to give to the world the example of diligence and probity, which are not agreeable to the passions of this or that party.
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