In these and like crises the wisest men and the bravest men are forced to recognise the logic of facts; and necessity rather than prudence dictates the course of statesmanship.

But no such crisis has now arisen.

England and Ireland were as safe under the government of Lord Salisbury as under the government of Mr.
Gladstone--perhaps safer.

No one except an extremely excited and very rhetorical politician will venture to assert that, if Lord Salisbury instead of Mr.Gladstone had last summer gained a majority of forty, any man or woman throughout the United Kingdom would have trembled for the safety of the country.

The sky is far less dark than on that fearful day eleven years back[111] when England stood aghast at the assassinations of the Phoenix Park.