The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1878-03-05 00:00:00

Morsel Conti express.

I"I7ZSD&Y. K&RCH & IV&

NOTES OF THE WEEK-

THE EAST.

- -- -
If there was ever; time in OCT history when a great
opportunity was offered to dploutetiste to settle a
difficult and dangerous, questini it was at the time
when the three Emperors presented their joint
memorandum for the approval of the Cabinet of fit.
James. The note was rejected. sod war wag the
ultimate outcome of that prod, itorliou!, and fatal
Wonder The liberals were quite tin their con-
notes% opposition to the Disraeli Cabinet up to that
t, but with the crowing of the Froth by the
I the situation at once became altered, and,
bziesad of raising a shout of joy at news of each
Russian victory, they ought to have entertained the
Intelligent* with • grave and thoughtful concern. In
Russia we have to deal wit 3 a grasping, highly
aggronive, and dangerous power, whose ultimate aim
dents to be the subjection of Etrope, and the domina-
tion of Asia; the latter being kit • natural postulate
to the former. This is no Ide dream for our own
weber, midi that of Prussia, are cease in point. The
position of England was humble enough before Wales
wag subjected and Scotland annexed. The thorough
subjugation of Ireland put TT in possession of •
recruiting ground that enabled us to withstand the
Grand Monarch In the pride of his glory. Dutch
William and Marlborough puttng England at the head
of the council, of Europe. 'The of stealing
territory from her neighbours be. turn the insignifi.
cent house of Brandenburg irto the most powerful
monarchy in d. the world. The treaty of Westphalia
gave Prussia a start, and the greet Frederick stole
from Austria, and TOY the first, in after days,
to rugged the dismemberment of the country of the
unhappy POW. From that time to the present, the
policy of Prussia has been ore of acquisition, and
Blsmark has proved himself the arch-fiend in the
work. By_ the ejection of the Danes from
Schleswig Holstein he paved the way to his quarrel
with Austria, which resulted in the annexation of
Hanover sad Saxony, and the fixed eviction of Austria
from Germany, the overthrow of Freon, followed, and
the wresting from her of Alma and Lorraine are act.
of but yesterday. Such has been the career of the
Hohenzollern ; a House that 20, years ago was very
humble indeed, but is the now head of the most
formidable country in the universe. With such an
example before us. it would be folly indeed to allow
Russia to grow larger at the expense of her neighbours.
With the acquisition of the Balkan peninsula, Austria
must fall like a ripe plum into her month. Whilst on
the Addle side, if she lays her hand on Asia Minor,
Persia, in another 20 years would follow; and where
then would be our hold on India? With India gone,
our Empire would be not worth the name, and we
should sink into another Spain or perhaps • Holland:
proud of our ancient renown yet prod:ate as a broken
reed. Rome had the wisdom to de that the world
was not large enough to contain her and Carthage—
the overthrow of the latter was a natural sequence of
the jealousy of the Senate. Would that we at the
=let time had riders se firm and far-seeing as the
had then, we should not now be quietly look-
ing on, and, to use Koeinth's simile, viewing with
apparent indifference this greet octopus stretching out
its arms grasping every nation within its reach,
ultimately to devour it at leisure. Russia on the
Bosphorus means Buena also at Teheran, at Cabal,
at Delhi, and Calcutta: and it is but fair that
Liberals should open their gym and behold the march
of this great domineering power, whose audacity is only
equalled by the faithlessness of Its word and the
shameless disregard of its most solemn obligations.

After all the stock of Indian Shawls, "booked'
during the mutiny, have not ran short. Her Most
Gracious Majesty sent one to the bride of the Poet
Laureate's, on the occasion of the marriage on
Thursday.
Mr. William Ferran and Miss Cicely Richards are
the only two member, of the 00111pany who have
actually played in Our Boys for a thousand times.
They have never been oat of the bill on any occasion
when the piece has been acted.

A reverend doctor who preaches not • hundred
miles from the Temple hse • considerable weakness
for clergymen of colour, and on a recent occasion gave
In honour of three or four f them • dinner, to which
he invited some of his distinguished fellow-labourers
In the vineyard to meet them. The dinner-hour came,
and the white parsons along with it, but though host
and guests waited three-quarters of an hour, not a
:lack one appeared. The host thereupon sends for the
tenant, and asks whether any one has called. "No
cue, sir, no one," is the answer, with which the
doctor being dissatisfied proceeds to cross-examine,
mud it after some time occurs to the servant to say,
"No one, sir, indeed no one has called except some
Chriagy Afisatrds sad I ems pot rid of Am."

We have last • golden opportunity from want ef
proper previous peeper .tion. But other opportunities
will occur in the ever-changing phases of this great
political problem. The duty of England is plain and
evident. The country hats voted • grant of money for
the purpose of placing our forces on a war-footing.
No time should be lost in carrying this into effect.
Were a corps d'arsele at Malta ready for any
emergency, another in England, and one at Bombay,
we should be able to back our counsels by material
force, and the effect would be immediately evident in
the altered tone .4 Europa Whatever may bays
been the faults of the peat., no one can doubt that the
British people are now prepared to support the
Government in any plicy that may uphold the honour
of fhb, country, and prove to Europe that the term
" Britbh interests" is more than • byword and an
empty sound.

How dreadfully hard 'the Coming -" is
worked I The L ,ndoe Daily Papers announce he will
vidt Livrrpool. during the race week to wiener@ "the
Grand National." Tb. Eastern Question is hardly
" • Grand National " event—is it?

Public recitatiotui appear to be growing move com-
mon, and weU they may do if those who go into this
line of business are half so successful as Mr. Brandram,
who repeats from memory whole plays with the most
marvellous accuracy, and with a wonderful skill in
assuming the different parts and suiting his voice
thereto. He is sail to earn not less than £3,000. year
In this way, although he devotes several evenings to
charities.

A little while ego Mr. Bmilet received from a men
In Edinburgh a letter thanking him for having been
the means of making the letter-writer's fortune. It
seems that he was formerly a loose and lazy sort of
fellow, and that having one day taken up "Self-help,
he eagerly devoured it, and, what is better, inwardly
digested it, so that it induced him to set to work
vigorously. He opened a shop, put up the name
"Smiles and C 0.," in honour of his benefactor, and
was so diligent in business that he is now quite fit to
stand before kings.