1850.

A.

Qo

518

[7

or ————— 5

[oma?.

ston defended himself from the dusk of one day until the
dawn of another with an energy and skill which commanded
the admiration even of those who thought worst of his case.
He was supported by Mr. Cockburn, afterwards the brillisnt
Chief Justice of our time, in a speech which is undeniably
one of the most glittering and successful pieces of advocacy
ever heard either in forum or senate. Itis only when we tur?
bo the real facts and the sober reason of the case, that we per
coivethat thefine things and impassioned turns of this striking
performance were in truth no better than heroics for the jury
and superb claptrap.® Half-a-dozen of Sir Robert Peel’s sober
sentences in his reply—the last speech that he ever made
—were enough to overthrow the whole gorgeous fabric.
The issues were broadly and unmistakably placed. Whether
in defending the rights of British subjects abroad or in
other dealings with foreign nations, the Minister of this counbry
 ought to seek his end by politic and conciliatory mesns
or go rudely to it by violence and armed force ? Whether
it is his business to interfere with lectures or with ships in
the domestic affairs of other countries, even on the side of
self-government? Whether he should seek and manufacture
occasions for intervention, or should om the contrary Pe

$ As Cobden left the House after Mr. Cockburn’s apeech, he was joized
by Mr. Disrseli. “I call yours,” he said to Cobden, “the Manchester
School of Oratory; and I call his the Crown snd Anchor School.” *
Cobden. was never a great admirer of the eloguent lawyer. The firs?
occasion on which they met was at a dinner-party during the height of t2¢
League agitation. “He took the Protectionists’ side,” said Cobden, * and
we had a long wrangle before the whole company. As I waa top-sawyer
on that plank, I had no diffienlty in flinging him pretty often,” They met
again at dinner the very day after the Pacifico division. Sir Alexander
Cockburn permitted himself to use some of those agperities—Cobden called
them by a more stinging name—which the sworn party-man is apt to 18°
against & conscientious dissident. He told Cobden that he ought to be
burced out of the Beform Club, Buf Cobden was always able to hold bis
own against impertinence, and the advocate took little by his motion.
eT een
* (obden t» FT ™-xrkes. Nov. 28. 1858.