The Sun.
London, England, 1867-01-17 00:00:00

Mr. C. Buxton, M.P., on the Past Year,

Nonwrcii, Wednesday.
Mr. C. BUXTON', M.P., delivered an address on
1866 at the Cromer reading-rooms last evening.

The hon. gentleman observed that the leading events
of the past year had been the defeat of the Reform
Bill, with the consequent change of Government,
and the development of the Fenian conspiracy. It
had become clear that the chronic irritation of the
Irish people against England was not really engen-
dered, although it might be increased, by any
grievances under which they suffered, and which
could be removed by legislation ; but it was in truth
the abhorrence of a conquered people for the alien
race by whom they had been subdued. It was an
intense feeling of nationality—a feeling like that of
the Poles against Russia, and of the people of Venice
against the Austrians ; and he feared that nothing
Parliament could do would uproot this hatred of the
Celtic nation for its Saxon conquerors. This, how-
! ever, was no reason for our not doing everything
that man could do to remove every national ground
of discontent. After touching on the various inci-
dents by which the year had been marked in the
United Kingdom, Mr. Buxton observed that events,
however striking, often were in reality of far less
moment than the silent movement i❑ the minds of
men, which yet at the time might show no outward
sign nor work any immediate results. Those revo-
lutions were also going forward, and in
some years might easily catch the eye of a
careful watcher ; but in others their progress was
slow, or at any rate obscure, and this had, he
thought, been the case in the year just gone by.
Perhaps the reform question had absorbed nearly
all the thought of the country. In the political
world it had swallowed up every other question, but
of late the war in Prussia had excited much inte-
rest as to the question of army organisation, and,
curiously enough, the admirable conduct of the
Prussian soldiery had stirred up a great deal of un-
comfortable feeling here about our educational short
comings, and had awakened a demand for a system
of compulsion like that of Prussia. Turning to the
history of the year, abroad, Mr. Buxton gave a
sketch of the war in Germany and in Italy, and of
the position of affairs in the United States and
Mexico. The hon. gentleman continued--Such

have been the incidents in the history of the past

year. But I have not noticed one feature in ihat
history--a feature the more striking, because un-
happily so rare—namely, that during the last 12
months the British empire has been absolutely at
peace in all parts of the world. It is true that the
war in New Zealand lingered on to the beginning of
the year, but it vanished away, strange to relate, as
soon as we withdrew from the contest and left it to
the colonists to fight out their own battles. It is
matter, indeed, for congratulation that the new year
finds us in perfect peace and amity with all mankind
(unless the Fenians be thought worth excepting) ;
and, in connection with this point I cannot help
noticing, with the greatest satisfaction, the step taken
last December by ter Majesty's Government, in
offering to the Government of the Unitedhimportance, Stesto
refer the questions connected with the Alabama to
arbitration. That was a step of high
not merely as tending to bring about a far better
understanding between us and our brethren on the
other side of the Atlantic—in itself a matter of in-
calculable moment—nor yet merely as tending to
preserve us from the like ruinous depredations should
we be involved in war ; but far more, as setting an
example to the world of the reference of disputes
between one nation and another to the arbitration
of a third impartial party, instead of referring them
to the barbarous, the absurd, the calamitous arbi-
tration of the sword ! No one thing can do more
for the peace and therefore for the well-being of the
nations than this,—that the habit should be formed
among them of leaving the settlement of their dis-
putes to the decision of a tribunal, instead of flying
at one another's throats, like angry dogs, and fight-
ing it out. The marvellous thing is that such a
simple way of avoiding war—not indeed in all, but
in very many, cases where it would else be inevitable
should not have long since become a vital part of
the policy of mankind. But the fact that twice
within the last three. years England has consented
to refer to arbitration disputes which, in former
times, would almost certainly have been settled by
the bayonet, may have a powerful influence in lead-
ing the other nations of Christendom also by degrees
to adopt this cheap, rational, and Christian way of
getting rid of their quarrels. I hope Lord Stanley
and the present Government will continue to dis-
play the courage and good sense which they have
shown in thus rescinding the determination come to
by Lord Russell ; and so again, I think that the
example which England is now setting to other
nations of minding her own business, and letting
other nations mind theirs, may also be of incalculable
value in promoting the peace of the word. All his-
tory, to within even 10 years since, is filled with
the calamities brought upon various nations by the