Ovr London Correspondent said in his letter written just after Pigott had confessed to the forgery of the Parnell letters that the disclosures had created a great revulsion in public feeling. The by-elections that have since taken place prove that the feeling has not been a fleeting one, and it seems likely to make a ed probably an immediate change in po 1 matters. The revulsion in public feeling will transfer from the side of the Government that large class of persons who are independent of party or indifferent to it. And it is with these voters that the balance of political power lies in England. Others will support Mr. Gladstone's policy, because it has been roved that his allies, the Pamnellites, have not been connected with the "crime" which the Zimes charged to them, and which the history of the Nationalist movement and the horrible leeds which seemed part and: parcel of the agrarian disturbances in Ireland made only too probable. These persons will now argue that, as Mr. Parnell has been proved innocent of complicity either actual or sympathetic, with such crimes as the eas of Lord Frederick Cavendish and Mr. Burke, the fullest confidence must be placed in the Irish Very few people out of the ins who possess votes in Great Britain trouble themselves to understand passing political events, supposing them to be capable of doing so; they follow some local leader, or are led by an ignorant, but it may be generous impulse, to take some particular view on a political que tion, These people and_ the indepen dents or indifferents will desert Government because they hear frou i opponents that it helped the Zémes in what the Gladstonian party calls a foul conspiracy to crush Mr. Parnell and his supporters. The Government may get over the effect of the obloquy which was so freely heaped on it when last mail left, if it can retain office for a year or two, but it seems to us evident that if a general election took place this year the Conservatives and Unionists would be defeated by large majorities, and very likely the latter would all but disappear. It does not seem to us that either of these parties identified themselves with the Times as against Mr. Parnell, but they are charged with having done so and that is sufficient with the class of people we have already referred to. And it is evident also that the recent working of the Crimes Act is telling against the Government.
Weshould say that not the bitterest opponent of the Zimes expected to see such a revelation of folly as was disclosed in the examination of its legal adviser, Mr. Soames, and its manager, Mr. Macdouald. These gentlemen tok everything for granted, wave large sums of money for letters, which came to them from a suspicious quarter, aud when the legal ad~ viser was asked if he made no enquiries about the letters or the persons who were offering them for sale, somewhat indignantly replied that he had done nothing of the kind. Weare almost inclined to think that both these gentlemen tried to shield. Mr. Walter by assuming to themselves the folly with which he had acted. It is as easy to take this view of their evidence as to believe that men of business gave themselves away so completely, and in such an artless manner, as they testified they had done. But that does not mend the position in which the Times, the first newspaper in the world, has been placed by the acts of some one or other of its conductors or managers, For the fact remains that it has been duped when a very small quantity of ordinary caution would have saved it from being taken in. And we take it that, every one now sees that the purchase or vou-purchase of these letters was a case in which every possible precaution should have been exercised. When the letters were purchased a great number of people were ready to believe alnest any atrocity of the Irish Nationalists, rs of the Times, or newspaper, should not have been of that mumber. It was laches of the most serious kind, and it has inflicted great injury on the reputation of the paper and the political party it has been supporting. That the injury to the Zimes will be permanent no one will believe who is acquainted with the influence which it wields in large circles of people at home and on the Continent. The paper will syn recover frum the effect of some one's folly, unless that some one is allowed to continue to direct the paper, For it was not only the publication of the fuel simile of one of Mr. Parnell's letters, but the repeated assertions that the Times had in its possession other evidence against him which would prove their case up to the hilt. This has given the enemy occasion to rejoice and they have rejoiced unstintedly. But there will be a reaction from this, at all events among those classes which the Ties reaches. With all faults the Times has a great record of services to the public such as no other paper in Great Britain can' show. he view of its conduct in the case of the Parnell letters which the London New York Herald took will prevail with some people and others wit feel that though its uegligence in this case has been inexcusable, it has been fearless in the same way before and successfully. One of the incidents in the history of the Zimes which raised its reputation to the highest point was in its boldness not unlike its publication of the Parnell letters. Some fifty years or so ago the paper tnnasked a gigantic conspiracy to defraud Continental and other bankers by the sinmltaneous sale in many parts ut Europe of forged circular notes of Messrs. Glyn & Ca, the bankers.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.