British Premiers in Relation to British Catholics, Concluded [pp. 826-836]

Bri1i~/~ Prcmicrs i?~ Rc1atio;~ to B"itisJ~ Calkolics. 835
"to suppose I ever hated Peel. On The real ~ing has often been a cithe contrary, he is the only man Un pher; the queen-as for example,
der whom I should like to have Queen Caroline-has been above her
served. But I saw very clearly he lord; and the rremier-as, for inwas the only man it would`make' stance, Sir Robert Walpole-has conme to attack, and I attacked him." trolled them both. And if this was
Here is a key to Disraeli's character. the case in the last century, much
The only premier he would like to more is it so now. England is in
have served under was one whose fact a republic, though nominally a
ruling principle was expediency; yet monarchy. It is an aristocratic reeven this premier he was willing to public; and the pnme minister being
oppose in order to rise in the political responsible to parliament, and repreand social scale. So he, at the head senting for the time being the voice
of "Young England," denounced of parliament and the popular will in
free trade in corn, and applied the the council chamber of the sovereign,
system of protection to the state reli- is himself the chief executive in the
gion. He was, like Lord Derby, in- government, and holds in his hands
tensely opposed to the disestablish- more real power than any one besides
ment and disendowment of the Pro- in the kingdom. The monarch betestant Church in Ireland; but he fore whom he bows, and to whom he
was willing to endow Catholicity in seems to defer, is in reality a puppet
Ireland to a certain extent, and thus of which he works the wires. King
make the state to be, like himsel?, an George IV. was as nothing compared
assemblage of contradictions-a build- to King Wellington, and King Wiler up at the same moment of Baby- liam IV. was but a iiiiddy under the
lon and of Zion. command of Earl Grey. Queen Vic All roads, it is said, lead to Rome; toria at the present moment (and we
and in like manner it may be affirm- say it wiH~ sincere respect for that exed that all English prime ministers cellent and sovereign lady) is but a
since the revolution have led Rome- shadow to the substance Gladstone,
ward more or less. All have been and will be but a shadow to any
employed in ra~sing the valleys and pnme minister who may succeed him.
levelling the hills, that a straight path It was not so entirely with her grandmight be made for the majestic march father. He was really a king. He
of the restored and ancient faith. ruled himsel?, and often very unwiseEvery thing has told in favor of the ly; but times have changed. Politi~ciis lucifiga, the despised and per- cal and religious emancipation has
secuted Catholics, who shunned the conferred on Catholics an importance
light of day. If one and the other in the state which is altogether new,
premier sought to oppress them anew, and conversions on a large scale duras Walpole did in his day, and Lord ing a quarter of a centm7 have been
1ohn Russell in our own, the un- a concurrent cause of their occupying
righteous attempt recoiled sooner or a high and honorable position in solater on its promoters, and ample re- ciety. No prime minister, therefore,
paration was made in the long run can now ignore them, much less can
by a sense of justice being awakened he molest them. In every session
in the popular mind. of parliament some obloquy cast oli
The pnme ministers of England, them in former ages is removed. The
be it remembered, have been in some lord chancellor of Ireland is now a Casense its kings-nay, more than kings. tholic, and very soon the lord lieute