other merit. The Times thinks the progress of the League is owing to the real soundness and reasonableness of the purpose in which it had its origin. To this we cannot agree. We think it owes its progress to the discovery of the active, selfish, ambitious men at its head, and the antagonist influence which they had to overthrow was little better than a vis inertiœ, which probably might be overcome by great activity and grent effrontery. They discovered that the landed interest was not likely to be defended by the owners of land with such weapons as in these days prevail, and that they had placed their championship in the hands of political leaders, who were more likely to give up the battle upon a fair excuse, than to fight it out from a sense of duty. The League managers saw there was a chance to win, and, inspired by that, they have persevered, and the League has become an 'important fact.'"
More likely to give up the battle on a fair excuse than to fight it out from a sense of duty!" This was a flattering character of the premier! The Morning Herald called the landowners and the conservatives to the rescue of Sir Robert Peel's cabinet:
"If the rise and advance of the present power of the Anti-Corn-Law League were so easily augured years ago, why was Sir Oracle then dumb-why was the prophet after the event silent before its occurrence—why, if the refusal of a fixed duty was foreseen to lead to the present condition of things, did the Times join in placing in power a cabinet bound in honour and honesty to refuse it? why did it formerly speak as the organ of a party nearly unanimous in opinion against such a corn-law scheme?-Why has it continued down to the present time to support, more or less, an administration still pledged to resist a fixed duty?
"But the manifest and dishonest Inconsistency of that journal is unimportant in comparison with the present strength and future prospects of the League. That confederacy is powerful; its inherent power is increased by the sapineness of those whose great interests it assaults; and its ultimate success is certain, unless vigour and unanimity be re-infused into the conservative party. The sincerity of itsleading men is testified by their subscriptions; and the determination of its moving men is certified by their indomitable perseverance, their incessant activity, and their remorseless unscrupulousness. Flushed with triumphs at London and Kendal, the League now assails Salisbury, threatens to invade every vacated borough, and has an organised correspondence in every town and village. It has its corps of reporters who note down every syllable that falls from the lips of its sporters; it