BRITISH CONSERVATISM AND THE PRIMROSE LEAGUE ... - ideals

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encouragement of interclass cooperation through the sponsorship of a
variety of social functions made it especially fitted for serving as an
auxiliary army for rallying mass support for the Unionist cause.
By May, 1886, when Salisbury first addressed the annual Grand
Habitation meeting as the League's Grand Master, he had found his
stride, setting forth the precepts of the new Conservative party and
its handmaiden, the Primrose League.
Complementing the League for its
enormous growth and scope of activities, he expressed his appreciation
of its success amidst cheers of approval.
Salisbury also stressed the
importance of the League maintaining its extraparliamentary status.
It appears to me that the figures tell their own tale
with such singular force that there is no possibility
of misunderstanding them. (Cheers.) They show that
whatever the progress of the Conservative party in the
narrowest sense maybe--and I believe it is very
hopeful-(cheers)-there is a Conservative party in a
wider sense that is making a most rapid conquest of the
opinions of the country. (Cheers.)47
In his speech, Salisbury delineated to an attentive audience
what he saw as the goals of the League: to spread among all classes and
all religions a conviction
that critical times are at hand, and that the three
great objects defended by the League—Rel igion, the
Constitution of the Country, and our Empire-(cheers)­
are threatened, and need the combined action of all
loyal men for their support. (Cheers) 4 **
He paid tribute to the successes of the League in the last
General Election, laying particular emphasis on its independent status
47
Minutes of the Grand Council of the Primrose League, 19 May
1886, citing The Morning Post article of 20 May 1886.
48 Ibid.