The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-11-26 00:00:00

MILL AND MR. FROUDE ON THE

EASTERN QUESTION.

Mr. J. S. Mill and Mr. Fronde have expressed their
opiniqxs on the present sepaet of the Eastern question.
The former writes :
Withont wishing, at least for the present, to diccuse the
character of the declaration just made hy the Russian Go-
vernment, • discussion a bid, would raPe triestions both
np-iral and political, more Intricate and difficult than people
seem to he aware of, mw i hope from your Impartiality that
you will allow expression to be Oven through your columns
to the opinion of at least one Englishman, which he believes
to he shared by multitudes of Ina country men, that for Rug.
land to lit hornetl be drawn into war by this provocatior, or
on this account, would ill, nothirg less than monstrous
lhie is not ta doctrine of a partiean of peace at any
Hii we at the first lireaktng out of the present
hateful war declared that whichever nation first Invaded the
territory of the other she old hive England also for its foe,
we rh ,uld at an extremely small risk to ourselves, lit all
human probability, have prevented the war, and perhaps
Riven cummeLeament to a new era In the settlement of
International differences. To effect this great good to
humanity and to public morals we did not choose to incur
a mere chance of being involved in war, and in my opinion
we were wrong, and have ex,seeed ourselves to the just re.
criminations of the suffering people. Ido not epoch of the
o Iveruments of Gormary and France Were we now to Oleg°
Into a war inihnte'y more dangerous to ourselsen, and for
which we are, materially speaking, totally unprepared, these
among us who are the cause of our so doing will In my
judgment, deserve and receive the execration of the people
of Euglesni. The honour of England I. not concerned either
in the protection of Turkey or in the humiliation of Russia.
Treatise are not made to be eternal, and before we go to sear
for the maintenance of one, it behove* the nation at least to
consider whether it would enter Into It afresh at the present
day. We should have le trued littie lc deed from the spectade
that has been going on before our eyes during the last f sue
months If we allowed our journalists to hurry as Into a war
under the plea of honour, merely because of the manner or
the form In which Russia thought fit to throw off an obliga-
tion the substance of which, we all admit, we ought to be
ready to reconsider.

Mr. Fronde looks at the gm etion from another point
of view. He nye :

With the threat hanging over ft. of a would war with
Russia, everyone, however insignificant, Is entitled to eay
that he thinks to arrest so frightful • calamity. How
frightful such a war would he le as yet inadequately
realised. The Alabama question remains unsettled In
the present state of feeling in the United States there
is not the slightest doubt that privateers mid. the
Russian flag will he fitted out In American harbour&
The Government at Washington would be unable to pre-
vent If they wished, and war with America wilt be the
immediate consequence. I do not defend Prince meet.
echak, Ifs note. The manner of it in so studiously offen-
sive that it looks aa if Russia had calculated the chances,
and desired either publicly to humiliate us or to provoke a
collision. Great nations, however, have no right to appeal
to the ordeal of battle Ira fault of manner, and the edame
as yet has proceeded no further. Is it too late to re con
elder the entire attitude which we have assumed towards
Russia? I was one of those who deplored the Crimeaa war
itself as • mistake. if it was nothing worse. Russia and
England are the two great civilising power. lu the East, Gar
mission is the same, to carry order and peace among races
who are Inc maid.] of governing themselves. I believed that
the overtures of the Emperor Nichol. to Sir Hamilton
SPyrnour o Wit to have been met in • less Jealous spirit ;
that England should r•ther have accepted Russia's baud,
and have preferred concilial I ,n and co opers'ion to distrust
and hostility. Even now in our present difficulty would not
a change of front he possible without undue sacrifice of
dignity I So far the present war he been localised, and we
have taken credit to ourselves for preventing the spread of
It. Surely, we ought to heeltate before we give the signal,
in reeentnient at an affront to ourselves, for. struggle nhi.h
will envelope the world, and Millet misery on the entire
human race which the wildest Imagination would probably
under-estimate.