New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-02-12
ENGLAND AND THE PORTE
TIE PUBLIC MIND IN SUSPENSE.


FORD NoRTHCoTES EXPLANATIONS.
tFRoN THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF TIE TGIBCNEl
LoNpoN. Jan 26--It cannot he said that the feel
ing in England or anywhere in Europe, about the
Conference which has just collapsed at CONSTANT
NOBLE is a comfortable feeling. Nobody pretends to
know what is to happen next. One weu-informed
man assures you that we shall have war IN 10 days,
aud that it will be Turkey. not Russia who will de-
clare it, The 10 days will be past before you GET
the prediction you Judge OF its value lntclil-
gently. Another man, not less well informed, Is
equally certain of war, but expects the declaration
of it from Russia third is certain that neither
Russia nor Turkey means to fight and points TIL
uuphantiy to the call which Midhat Pasha has
made on Gen. Ignatieif as proof of a probable uh-
derstandlng between them. l might easily I'LL
column with assertions and conjectares OF thls sort,
were it not for a slight doubt whether they would
prove either amusing or instructive. "hat the
French call the logic of the situation admits of more
than one solution, and there are perhaps three or
four men in Europe who know which is to be
adopted.
Mr. Gladstone spoke at Frome on Monday and Sir
Stafford Northcote at Liverpool on Wednesday, but
neither told us anything very important 1t is hard
TO make out why Mr. Gladstone spoke at all, or
would be hard were he any other than Mr.. Glad
stone The Liberals of PRONE wanted 10 present an
address to him. and he consented. He is not III the
confidence of the Government, and could SAY what
they do, naturally. But then neither did he say
what he would have them do, or what he himself
would do, if he were in power. lie had a good WORD
to saw for Lord Salisbury, against whom there runs
lust now strong current of talk tie believes LORD
Salisbury has done his best and that, be the result
what it may it will not be Lord Salisbury who is 10
blame That is fair and even generous, and quite
different in tone from a remark imputed by Cos
siping paper 10 zone of his colleagues that Lord
Salisbury "would have done better instead of trot-
ting round Europe, Ia Theirs, to learn the opinions
of Germans French, and Italians to have discovered
those of England before he left London, and those
of Turkey before he tried to lay down the law
on the Bosphorus.' But l Judge the real
object of Mr. Gladstone to have been to impress on
people the gravity of the crisis With as near All
approach to humor lac ever makes, he tells MS he
has perceived IN the press kind of tranquil asSuinp
ton that as England has been to Constantinople,
and all Europe with her, and as the representatives
of the Powers have told the Turks a good deal OF
verbal TRUTH about their misgOvernment,
Engand's duty is fulfilled and we have nothing
more to Ito except pack u;' our porman;cau and 90
home" Ii is true enough, think, that there IS
such feeling, and true that the government organs
are disposed to foster 1T. Ihcy-the Government
faiure as appIchensivo of being still called on to
do something. The average Engishman docs not
kno,s what to make of the situation, but he has a
confused notion that his country in which he takes
u inst pride is not cutting very distinguished
figure at this moment before the world. He
would very much like to know who is to
blame for this, and what ia going to be done
about IT, But il is rather strong to say, rs MI. Glad
stone does, that he-the average EGglisanaIl-ls
waiting with intense anxiety" to know what is TO
happen. The namber OF people in this country who
follow public affairs with intense anxiety is not
great It is quite understood that England is not
going TO war-the people, not the Government, set
tied :hat-and il is only minority whose anXietie'
extend much beyond the income and malt taxes. or
this large and intelligent minority Mr. Gladstone
expresses the present sentiments accurately enough,
and they will he shared by the mass of tie people
lust SO soon as the questions at issue assume doeS
tie importance. threatening either TO involve En-
gland in war or to overthrow the Government or 10
affect the interests of trade and business generally.
Eyerybody-I do not include the Ango-rurks, a
small though noisy cliquc-agrees with Mr. Glad
stone that after the rejection by Turkey OF the
microscopic minimum finally rendered by the
Conference, nothing she presents can be
worthy of attention. | presume nobody
is imposed upon by the dispatches, which
appear from MusSulman sources or III Mu'sulnan
ORGANS in London the effect that Turkey Will now
Of her own good will execute the reforms to which
she refused to submit under cOmpulson. Mr.. Glad
stone ludicIously illustrates his love of subtics IN
describing this minimum as reduced dgp2reatiy be
low the point at which some think IT ought u have
been arrested" 1t is far more TO the point to remind
England of her real and most scrions responsibilities
in the matter England il was who took th" Chris
Ip lsh
Russia before $50 had by treaty the right TO give
them. England it was WHO substituted Europe for
Russia and on England in great measure must rest
the blame for European Indifference TO the sueTings
OF her wards-an indifference which 0ndcd IN the
BULGARIAN massacres. An English statesman may
well say that the Turk has failed and failed dis
1raccluly 10 keep the promises in virtue Of which
~ was admitted into the European family. | fear
that a word equally strong must be applied to En-
gland also.
Nor is il possible 10 discover from what Sir Stat
ford NorthcOte says how tlfe Government mean to
rescue England from her false and disgraceful posi-
ton, nor whether to them it seems false and us
graceful and needing to be changed. Sir stafford j.
once more put forward the mouthpiece of the
Government The Sphinx at the head of it pre-
serves obstinate silence. The lleutenanCs orders
are to say as little as possible and that little in gen.
eralities We have been hearing for months past
that a full statement in behalf of the Government
could only be made in Parliament We heard the
same thing once more in Liverpool on Wednesday,
and from tho same lips which announced it at Exeter
six weeks ago. confess think it requires some
hardness of heart for member of this Government
to stand up before audience of Englishmen and
tell them the Government has not been indifferent
90 the .uiferings of the Christian subjects of
Turkey. But lie does; and no ghost out OF
the 1900 disembodied Bulgarians rises 10 re-
buke him. not a rap is heard, nor a
IL - - ..Illf il