The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-10-05
THE AMPUTATIoN OF AUSTRALIA.


THE AMPUTATION OF AUSTRALIA
From the NJ Y. Tribune
The war has so monopolized the political
stage in Europe, and all minor mattere have
been so completely thrown in the shade,
that even the English themselves regard
with sort of stolid indifference the symp-
toms of an impending change which will
prove of more vital Importance to them than
the partition of any European power. We
mean the proposed federation of the Austria
liam provinces. A late speech of Mr.. Dufy's
in the Victoria House of Representatives.
showed the strength, amounting to certainty
of success, in the movement. 1t is supported
by the majorities in the Representative
Houses in the six colonies, and by the press
in all. The type of confederation is stated to
be centralizing in it's idea, as that adopted by
the Canadian colonies.
The apathy with which this movement is
regarded by the English Parliament is incom-
prehensible. 1t is true that Federation is
supported in Australia by the party there
opposed to severance from the English crown,
as well as by those who vehemently urge it.
But there is little doubt in the mind of any
far-sighted spectator Certainly there is none
expressed by the majority of the English
Cabinet or the influential portion of the
press) that the union of the colonies would,
but by short period, precede their complete
throwing off of the British yoke.
1t is not SO long ago, as nations date, that
England let slip her hold on few weak
settlements along the Atlantic coast. Since
their escape and combination, they have
taken their stand as one of the three most
powerful nations of the world The six
Australasian provinces, when once federated,
have in them the elements of as rapid de-
velopment. The leading members of the
Colonial Houses are men, the English press
boasts, of exceptional ability and shrewdness;
they are certainly too able and shrewd not to
see the probability of this. Whatever sub
mission they may profess to the mother
country now, there is little doubt that,
as soon as they have gained this first point
and hold the guiding reins of single
powerful nation in their hands instead
of half-a-dozen small States, they will
promptly and finally throw off her hold upon
them. Common sense underlies the fate of
peoples as we'll as of individuals. 1t is not
credible that nation full of fresh blood and
powerful vitality, should long wear the badge
of servitude to a government alien to it in
aims and interests, distant half the circum-
ference of the globe, and that has consistently
refused it any paternal benefits, and held it
solely as a prison for her criminals and
storehouse from which to extract food and
treasure for home paupers. The feeling of
| antagonism and discomfort to the mother
| been expressed during the last year with un-
precedented boldness and vehemence.
That this great limb of the empire will
shortly be amputatedfr from it is acknowledged
in England as almost certain; and the indif-
| ference with which the matter is discussed
can only be accounted for on the ground that
| Parliament is hopeless of either prevention
or cure at this late day for the evil. John
Bull is notoriously blind on the subject of his
| nd CIV h., h.t i,,t h
he wilfully shuts his eyes to the fact that
England, without her splendid dependencies
in the Pacific and North America, would be
robbed of half of her prestige and moral
weight and sink at once, and irretrievably,
to the position of second-rate European
power.
AMERICAN NEUTRALITY IN EUROPE.
From the N. Y. World.
Our special correspondent at Ostend sends
us word, by way Off London, that the
Prussian Government Has suffered itself to
be carried away by the excitement of what
we suppose we may properly enough call the
gentlemen of the pavement" in the Prus-
sian capital SO far as to make some rather
inconsiderate representations to the Ameri-
can Minister on the subject of American neu-
trality. Our cable message even states that
| these representations have taken the form of
demands" for explanations and apologies
from the United States Government in regard
to the sale and shipment of arms from the
| United States to France.
We prefer for the present co assume that
the particular words here used have been
employed by our correspondents in the haste
of transmission, and not by the Pussian au-
therities in any document handed by them
to an envoy of the United States. The United
| States are not of humor to entertain ''de-
mands" on any subject or from any quarter
MIR. Bancroft is a very weak and he is not q
very wise representative of the American
people; but even Mr.. Bancroft we opine
would hardly so misunderstood the nation by
which he has been commissioned as to re-
ceive from any government a communication
in the imperative mood.
1t is on the whole fortunate circumstance
for the governments, whatever it may be for
the people of the Old World, that the United
States have throughout their whole history
thus far maintained a clearer and more con-
sistent attitude OF neutrality in all foreign
quarrels than any other existing power. That
attitude has been elected by the American
people, after due deliberation, with a careful
regard to their own rights and interests as
well as to the requirements of international
Justice in the abstract They will not listen
with friendly ear to any suggestions in re-
spect to it which come to them couched in
any but the most absolutely courteous and
respectful terms. The conduct of the exist
ing administration in the matter of Cuba,
struggling for her rights against an over
whelming European tyranny, has tended
of late to make the very name of nedtf ility
unnecessarily and even dangerously disagree
able TO vast majority of the American pso.
Pile; and it will not be difficult to foretsll the
fate of any propositions, no matter hoS
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