The New York herald., 1870-07-21

les, let England remain neutral, or otner-
wise let her look out II Is familiar fable
that tells of the nobIer beasts engaged in a
combat which satisfies their natures, and of a
meaner beast that satisfies its nature in quite
another style-by sneaking of with what
should be the spoil of victoryl getting by
pislfal theft what 1t could not gain in the
more daring way. Aud even commercial
age--an age that looks upon tricksy traders as
great men, and exalts small thrift above all
the virtues-even such an age cannot con-
template the figures in this old story without
q natural sentiment Of contempt for the one
that is an incarnation of its own spirit The
meaner beast may be put in his place, is to
have its latest exemplidcation apparently In
the attitude of England with war all around
her; and this conduct is so thoroughly In ac-
cordance with the character of recent English
politics that we cannot doubt but this jackal
spirit will still CONTROL until that shall be done
which would force even jackal to fight.
England is neutral" How often England
herself, through all her channels Of express
sion, assured US Of this fact during the war
for the Union. She was neutral; but she
sen! out, supplied with everything but her
flag, the ships that destroyed our commerce,
and her commerce pro6ted by the result
Was this anything but the neutrality Of the
jackal? When the war came her shopkeep-
ers spirit naturally carried her to the side of
the Southern people; for of them could be
made customers, and twelve millions of strictly
agricultural population are q startling vision
of temptation to the manufacturer and trader,
and siding with them in war she might
have gained them and destroyed the Union.
But that would be to gain things as the lion
does, or the tiger, or any other wild beast
that has some generous points Of character.
She preferred the part of the jackal.
Are the days of the lion gone by forever2
Has England seen the last Of herself as head
and front of Europe in its great contests and
the supreme arblter Of every dispute2 Were
Pitt and Paimerston only deluded drivellers-
enthusiastic blunderers, who wasted the
vitality of England for flimsy fancies, and
gained less with all their glory than this age
shall gain by knowing application of the
doctrines of neutrality and trade? 1t seems so.
England cannot see her way clear to keep out
of this fight without stretching what she calls
her honor. Let it stretch, then. "What is
honor but word?" It is only thin air. But
there is some substance in neutrality well
manipulated. England is pledged to guaran-
tee the independence and integrity of Bel
gium, and it is not within human possibility
that the case should fail to occur in this war in
which she has promised to take up arms. But
when she gave that promise she did not sup
pose that all the commerce of Europe might be
in the scale; and now that it is she will do
her utmost TO fail in her pledge-to withhold
the fulflment of her promise. She is allied to
Prussia, too, by direct relations in the families
Of the sovereigns, and by general sympathy
with the North German hostility to France.
But then she had similar sentiment of SYM
pathy once before with the Northern people
who fought for free government, and against
that vile institution Of slavery for which Eng
land has such magnificent official adherence;
but this sympathy did not blind her eyes to
the whereabouts of her customers. Neither
will her sympathy with Prussia blind her to
the trade Of Europe, to be had at such cheap
rate as merely standing still; for she has the
eyes of the jackal for any perfectly safe and
easy advantage.
Neutrality is her great game in the world
her specially among the nations. 1t pays won
derfully; and when Mr.. Disraeli attributes all
greatness to the domination of Hebrew thought
this is, perhaps, what he means. Greatness
is something that pays just now, moreover,
there are additional reasons over the reasons
that apply in every other 5ase why England
should be neutral. If she ventures into the
war she will have trouble at home, and in
stead of profiting by the ruin of others in her
commerce she will not have timber left on
the sea outside her navy. One Of these rea-
sons is seen in the position taken by the Irish
the other in the history of the Alabama. If
England puts a soldier in Belgium or inside the
Prussian lines she takes the field against
France and one hundred thousand Irishmen
paraded in Dublin on Tuesday to declare their
wish that France might triumph over all her
foes. In the House of Commons it was de-
clared the other night that England, with all
her show of force on paper, could not put fifty
thousand men in the field; and her military
impotence was seen even in the Crimea. She
would invite, therefore, disaster that she hardly
has power to resist. And once at war shall we
not retort upon her the example of the Ala
bama? Yea, and we will better the example.
She has not paid for her depredations on our
trade, and still holds all that she did as lawful
and right. Very well; we will accept instead
of indemnity that view Of the law, and apply
1t to her case as she applied it to ours; and
as she judges things by mercantile standard