592 The State of Europe. [JUNE, 



Such are the men whom, we are told, England is to regard with vene- 

 ration and affection !" 



But Sir R. Peel, our supreme favourite, as the purest model of the 

 " March of Mind," in these slippery times, has at length, not merely 

 reduced his creed to practice, but disclosed his principles, the much 

 severer effort. The speech was made within the month, and in a posi- 

 tion, chosen with all the habitual dexterity of that grave personage ; no 

 hustings, where he might have found some contemptuous contradiction, no 

 public meeting, where he might have been asked some questions that defied 

 even his powers of face. But on his own ground, at Tamworth ; among 

 his own tenantry and electors, where every hostile visage was weeded 

 out by the dinner-cards of his own butler ; where every conscience was 

 convinced, by the contents of his own cellar, and every faculty of dis- 

 cussion tied up by the sense of gratitude for a table, covered with the 

 indigenous produce of his own farm. There, in the midst of irrefraga- 

 ble claret, and irresistible venison, the baronet delivered the faith by 

 which he is to be guided for all time to come ; and which, we hope, for 

 the sake of persevering principle, may reach the ears of the powers that 

 be. He avowed but what words can tell it like his own ? " He had 

 never been the decided supporter of any band of political partisans ; but 

 had always thought it much better to look steadily at the political cir- 

 cumstances of the times in which they lived, and if necessities were so 

 pressing as to demand it, there was no dishonour or discredit in relin- 

 quishing opinions or measures, and adopting others more suited to the 

 altered circumstances of the country. For this course of proceeding he 

 had been censured by opposite parties by those who, upon all occa- 

 sions, thought no changes were required, as well as by those who, in his 

 opinion, were the advocates of too violent and sudden innovations. 

 That middle 'course, however, he would continue to pursue. (Cheers.) 

 He held it to be impossible for any statesman to adopt one Jixed line of 

 policy under all circumstances ; and the only question with him, when he 

 departed from that line, should be < Am I actuated by any interested 

 or sinister motive, or do I consider the measures I contemplate called 

 for by the circumstances and necessities of the country ?' " 



This is logic of the most exquisite kind ; and applicable to the vindi- 

 cation of every thing under the stars. We shall not stop to canvass the 

 motives of the man who pronounced this extraordinary declaration. Let 

 them rest in his own bosom : we shall never stoop to search for them there. 

 But what has been the language of all the men to whose memory either 

 Whig or Tory looks up with any degree of reverence ? What was the 

 language of Pitt? " Fixed principles in all things." What of Fox? 

 the same. What is the language of the present minister ? " I began 

 my public life as a Whig, and in that belief I shall remain/' What 

 would be the answer of Brougham or Plunkett to the man who told 

 them Times are changed, principles must be suited to the altered 

 circumstances of the country." What would have been the answer of 

 Sir R. Peel himself, before the memorable and fatal year 1829, to any 

 tempter who had told him that t( principles must be suited to circum- 

 stances." But we abandon the man and the topic. We leave the speaker 

 to reflect upon what he was, and what he is ; we consign the topic to the 

 darkness from which it should have never been drawn. 



But Reform is now the cry, and we shall have it in abundance. If 

 Reform meant the correction of abuses, we should be the fir^t to join in 



