The Sun.
London, England, 1870-11-11 00:00:00

THE MINISTERS AT THE LORD MAYOR'S BANQUET.

The Standard criticises the speech of Mr. Gladstone at
the Lord Mayor's banquet, and says : This is, perhaps,
the first occasion in history when an English Minister has
claimed credit to himself for having so acted to incur the
equal hostility of both parties in a quarrel of vital conse-
quence to all Europe. We do not suppose, indeed, that
Mr. Gladstone actually meant that his intention was
to make both France and Germany dissatisfied with the
conduct of England. It is evident, however, that the
fact of Germany and France hating us with equal cor-
diality is considered to be a circumstance highly
flattering to the diplomacy of the Gladstone
Government. This is a tribute which we cannot
refuse to render to Mr. Gladstone. As to
the Test, Mr. Gladstone's speech is principally re-
marable for its significant omissions. It might hove
been expected that he would have given us some clue
to the future policy of England in great Continental
wari--that he would have either confirmed or disowned
the idea attributed to him of confining the ambition
of England in future, not to the extension of her
matCrial but of her moral empire —that he would have
explained what he meant by saying that " while everything
combined to make us safe, everything combined to make
us harmless"—that our " duties were already greater than
our Capacities." There can be no doubt whatever that
this last opinion is true as long as the Gladstone Ministry
is in power. We are easily to be persuaded also that a
good many things have combined to make us harmless.
There are some fifteen men at least who have done
so, who are commonly known as the Gladstone Cabinet.
But admitted the harmlessness, what about the safety ?
With how many soldiers has Mr. Cardwell contrived to
make England safe ? What have been the measures taken
to that end, and how have they succeeded ? Is it an
element in our safety, for instance, that France and
Germany are both angry with us for our conduct in the
war ? What is the great scheme of national defence
which Mr. Cardwell's wise administration has given us ?
Where is the national force which is to replace the stand-
ing army, whose knell Mr. Lowe believes to have been
sounded ? What of the colonial empire which Mr. Glad-
stone is about to break up, on the plea that ea/1 member
of it would be happier under its own autonomy ? Is it
true that any of the colonies has asked for its autonomy,
or that there has been any word of separation or thought
of disloyalty to the United British Empire on the part of
any other than the mother-country herself, as represented
by the Gladstone Administration ?
The Manchester Examiner, referring to Earl Granville's
speech at the Lord Mayor's dinner, says : Recent events
have demonstrated conclusively that the basis of lasting
peace must be formed by the belligerents themseh es.
Until their respective ideas of the military situation
are less wildly divergent a permanent peace would
be an impossibility. If, as Lord Granville says, we
have observed the duties of neutrality with the utmost
loyalty, we may rest content that when the war is
over and the evil passions allayed neither France nor
Germany will fail to do us justice.
The Manchester Courier says it is impossible to speak
except with respect of a Minister who has upon the
whole well maintained the honour of his country
at a difficult and dangerous crisis. Lord Granville is not,
it is true, a second Palmerston ; but he has, on the whole,
followed pretty closely in his footsteps, and if anything
can save Mr. Gladstone's Administration from collapse
when Parliament again resumes its duties, it will be the
memory of the generally able way in which his Foreign
Secretary has maintained the neutrality of England even
under temptations whose magnitude it is not easy for
outsiders to appreciate.