1827.] The New Ministry* 575 



gives at the present time. To Mr. Brougham's question in 1825, " What 

 had a minister to fear [upon the Catholic Question], with that House, those 

 benches [the Opposition] and all England at his back ?" the right hon. 

 gentleman replied by another question, " What would a minister do with 

 only those benches,* and no England at his back ?" Mr. Canning knew, 

 or believed, in 1825, that, in the temper of the country, to carry the 

 claims of the Catholics was impracticable. The Catholic cause stands far 

 worse (in England) now than it did in 1825. In that year, a majority of 

 twenty-seven carried the question through the House of Commons : not a 

 month since, a majority of four in the House of Commons voted against it. 

 The only symptom of reasonableness which we have observed for years 

 on the part of the Catholics of Ireland and it is a symptom frora^ which 

 we augur very favourablyis,' that they have not run away with the 

 absurd supposition that the mere giving of the Treasury votes into Mr. 

 Canning's disposition, could enable him suddenly to carry the question of 

 their claims, in opposition we state the fact without hesitation to the 

 feelings of the country. 



Even a minister must work by "wit," and not by "witchcraft." 

 <( Great men " have " reaching hands ;" but those hands cannot be all 

 over a country at once, and at work on five hundred different parts of it 

 at the same moment. The new government, whatever its wishes and dis- 

 positions may be, must have time to feel its way. A very moderately com- 

 petent architect, every man knows, can build a church or a palace, if we 

 give him time ; but, if we discharge every architect who declines to build 

 our church between sunrise and sunset, we run the hazard never to get it 

 built at all. There must be time for the progress even of " corruption." 

 There must be time for the stream of patronage (which has hitherto run 

 all one way) to change its course ; and for bishoprics and silk gowns to 

 float down rather to the friends of Catholic Emancipation, than to the 

 known opponents of that measure. Still more, of necessity, there must be 

 time for the power that dispenses these favours to gain consistency an 

 opinion in the public mind of its duration : Wise men are cautious even of 

 the patronage of a power, that did but come in yesterday and may go 

 out to-morrow. Time must elapse before sincere and steady opponents 

 can be convinced, or neutralized, or removed. Some little time even before 

 opinions which have been adverse can decently be changed. Perhaps even 

 a whole year or two, before every tax-gatherer and petty placeman in the 

 country rather more than one out of every ten persons and every clerk 

 in office (without exception) will feel himself as naturally becoming an 

 advocate of Catholic Emancipation, and with just as much understanding 

 of the value or merits of the question as he is now opposed to it. At least, 

 this fact is most transparent and certain Any impatience evinced on the 

 part of the Catholic body now, can have no other effect than that of, at 

 least, deferring the accomplishment of their hopes indefinitely perhaps of 

 destroying them for ever. Because, whatever their chance of success may 

 be good or bad under the present ministers, that is the only chance they 

 have. If the existing ministers do not exert themselves strenuously and 

 zealously, with heart and voice, to carry their question, then they will be 

 deeply and treacherously wronged, and their affected advocates will be 

 disgraced ; but they have no iota of ground at least as yet for suspecting 

 the intentions of the existing ministers ; and they know the opinions of 

 their opponents. 



