The addresses of the various secondary Members of the Cabinet
have not been very remarkable, except Mr. Lowe's to the electors of the University of London, which was really a brilliant and epigrammatic reply to Mr. Disraeli's ; and as such we have discussed it in another column. But indepen- dently of that reply, he made one or two points very skilfully, pointing out to his constituents that the failure of the one Irish. measure which had failed, the University Bill, mattered the less because, to some extent at least, the University of Lon- don can discharge the duties intended for the Irish University. On the Ashantee war Mr. Lowe takes stronger and less apologetic ground than Mr. Gladstone. It was " a war not of our seeking. The King of Ashantee treacherously attacked our forts without warning and without provocation, and left us no choice but basely to fly or firmly to resist. We have neither the wish nor the power to avoid discussion on the subject." In criticising Mr. Disraeli's sneer at " harassing legislation," Mr. Lowe shows that all legislation abolishing unjust privileges is harassing to the owners of those unjust privileges ; and he anticipates, justly, we think, that "the graduates of a University which is itself the product of harassing legislation," and " has had to fight so hard a battle against obstruction, custom, and prejudice," will " not give any sanction " to Mr. Disraeli's " inert and sluggish principles." We believe not But a few of Mr. Lowe's constituency are of a different opinion, as they appear to have invited the eminent surgeon and operator Sir Henry Thompson, to stand, expressly on the ground that the University of London wants a scientific rather than a political representative. Sir Henry Thompson wisely declined the requisition, but intimated, less wisely, that he may consent on a future occasion. A Uni- versity which abandons politics proper, to enlighten the world about sanitary matters, should join Mr. Disraeli in raising the cry, Sanitas sanitatum, omnia sanitas !" and gulp down the same ingenious statesman's " inert and sluggish principles " at the same time.
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