New-York tribune., 1877-05-24
ENGLAND AND TIE WAR.

COURTNEY IN FAVOR OF TIE DINMEMBERMENT
OF TURKEY-TIMEuNESs or MIR. CAHGYLEs
LETTER-HIs STATEMENT BASED on OFFICIAL
AUTHORITY.
FRoN TIE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT or TIE TRIBCNE.l
LONDOT May 12.-It had been agreed by the two
leaders-Sr Stafford NorthcOte and Lord Harrington
that the debate on Mr.. GlaGstones resolutions
shOuld terminate on Friday night But the pressure of
members who wanted to speak was too strong to be
resisted and the talk is to 20 next week. On the
whole if is for the best it should 90 on. The conn
try is learning something all the while The debate
is doing for the mass Of Englishmcn what Mr..
Di.rach did said he did, for his own party; 1t ~
educating them. Mr Bagchot long since pointed
out that one Of the important functions of IaFii.-
mcnt was its teaching function He also said that
il is the function which Parliament performs
worst albeit better than any other Assembly
even the American Congress! And think anybody
who reads the speeches of the last four nights Will
agree that many instructive things have been said.
There is less danger after such debate of the coun
try permitting the Government to 60 wrong, either
from the ignorance the indifference Of the coun-
trv II must be said at the same time. that but few
Of the speeches delivered are up to the mark. Mr.
GladstonGs cannot be praised too highly. lie hun
self is said to consider it the best he ever made and
he certainly never made so great speech in circum-
stances so ouufayoTahle- -bccunng it, as ne did. after
two hours of struggle and excitement winch would
have seriously impaired the vital force of any other
orator who dcpcnds-as indeed all orators must
dcpcnd-on nervous power
The other speeches of mark have been those
of Mr.. Cross, the Home Secretary, Mr.. Lowe
Mr. Forster, and Mr.. Courtney. On Mr. CrosS's
have before commented. Mr. Loves wa, brilliant
and bitter, but made no great impression. Nir
Forstcr'> was able and Disappointing. | have fire.
queutly said that think Mr.. FOrster'S knowledge vi
foreign affairs and Judgment about them of much
broader kind than is common among English states
men. But he has not risca high his friends
had a night TO expect on this Eastern question. llc
began by taking tmid view. He was in fhe posi-
tion of seeing too clearly the enormous difficulties
which bcSet dpy solution. He has not taken firm.
clear line of his own. He does not belong 20 the
peacetauy-price party. but his opinions have taken
a dIab tinge from old and present associations And
he suffers, now before from what one Of his
critics APPLY called the OF his ianatical mod
Grafton. In ordinary times should lay stress
Mr. ForsteI's cytics 10 Lord Derby. But these
are not ordinary times and it unsctle, the Judgment
of many men to he told by Liberal so high in raul,
az Mr. Forster that, although ne di,approycs much
that Lord Derby has doEe he is not ai all nc ;haj
any one else would have done better. u is Lord
Derby's subscrvi,ncy to Lord Beaconsfcld which
has wrought half the mischief. If MIR. Forster
meant that no Tory would have done better Ae
should have said that but even that would have
been far from true. Does Mr. Forster really believe
that Lord Salisbury would not have ua.c a better
Foreign Minister these last two years than Lord
DeIhy2
However, MI Forster did criticiSe Lord Derby
last dispatch and has fairly enough earned The abu-
which the Mohammcdau journals of London have
bestowed on him The best praise Of hin aaC ms
speech is their abuse. The dividing line bctrc.n
the Auglo-Turks and Liberals OF he FoIstcr .oho,
is clearly shown by Mr.. Fo:stcI's speech. What tle
Turks want you know. Nh. Forster is for absolute
neutrality He would have joined in European
concert for the coercion of imkeyai earlier tmc
but thinks the time now past His posi ilou to
Mr. Gladstoue's third and fourth resolutions is due
to their policy Of possible interference. IL and
his friends would appear, Therefore. 10
be at one with the Government. Mr. Forster
speaking fer all the last Liberal Cabinet except
Mr. Gladstone, and Nh Cross, src kiu- i the name
of lhe present Cabinet, both Use Che same laneag'
Both declare for neutrality. Bat the difference i>
nevertheless. very wide between them. Mr. Forster
means that his neutrality should lee benevolent 80
Russia. Mr.. Cross meaus 10 bc hrIrvoirut 10
Turkey. The real feelings and sympI' lies Of the
two mcn-of the two Cabinets, of the two parties
in the House and the comtIy-arc poles asGuJtr.
I4H
majority which has refused 70 be dragged into wa.
Is only impartial in an imperfect and misleading
SENSE That is a most importan; distinction. II
affects all the decisions that viii have 10 bc taken
ON all the points which the progress Of the war VIII
bring mp.
Next after these three speeches, Mr. Courtne,s is
most important ii is inferior in ability neither TO
Nr. Cross nor to Mr.. For.tes, and ii important
because IT ia a luminous and frank exposition of
what the party with whom Nh Courtney acts really
wants lie is able to put his case without the Tee
sfridions winch, to some extent, hamper Nh Glad
stone. lie is distinctly for applying coercion TO
Turkey. lie would restore the European concert
He would act with Russia. Turkey must be dis
memLcrcd. not all at once but province by province,
and tine Encouragement OF her territory and ITS form
of government must be settled anew. with or with
ont England and it not for the welfare of England
that il should be settled without her. MI. Courtney
believes the mass of the English people would
approve armed intervention. lie relies no doubt. on
the recent demonstrations. The significance of those
meetiuc.-some account Of which I gave IN a
former letter-can hardly be exaggerated. But
the meaning Of them may easily be misconceiyed,
and if vould he strong thing to say that those who
cot,n,sed them had thought out the matter as
clearly ne Mr.. Courtney, and arrived at decision
involving the risks and sacrifices OF war. He like
Nr Forster has since his speech been made target
Co., T,,rlisb arrows 1t is seldom Of late that any
thipo has been seen in English journalism resembling
tbe fcrocity of the Anglo-Ottoman papers The one
which appears in the evening describes Mr. Court
news speech rs made up of "school-boy puerties."
This i e paper Of which il was lately said III the
House by Mr. FORSYTH that instead Of being written
by gentlemen for gentlemen. il seemed 10 be written
I,V tuat,iaca fools That savage enough DuJ