Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1877-05-14
From the New York Times.
England i'm the War.

Public opinion in England is very much
agitated on the subject OF the war in the
Elst The prevailing idea, SO TAR as
communicable at this distance, is that
of panic. One party is panic-stricken at
the thought that England may be involved
in long wasteful and apparently causeless
war. Another party is seized with fright
at The dreadful idea that Eastern Europe and
India may be imperiled by Russian mill
tary successes which now seem
almost positively assured. In spite of pa
cifis protesiations in high quarters, Eng
land is apparently preparing to hight. 1t
NAV be that the commotion in the dock
wards. arsenals, and military store-houses
is only due to that wise forethought which.
in time OF peace, prepares for war. But
II is unquestionably true that the English
people are compelled to look squarely at
the possibilities of foreign war.
Those who are most desperately alarmed
by the probability that Russia will evcntu-
ally vauquish Turkey, veil their sympa-
thv for the Turk under pretense that
they are choosing the least of two evils
when they fight with the Turk. They deny
that they propose to fight for the Turk
They declare that the downfall of Turkey
would be the signal for the downfall of the
British Empire in the East. Therefore.
rather than that beniticent power which has
civilized India, and has carried law, order,
and British manufactures into the dark
places of the earth. shall be crippled, the
first Protestant power of Europe will con-
sent to be considered. for The time. the
first Mussuman power of the world. In
the House of Commons, the other night.
a member of the Government CLONE Sec
rotary Cross) declared that England
would do nothing to protect the Porte"
"But"-and this is a tremendous but-"the
Government would protect the interests oil
England This is paltering In double
sense. England is represented as con
demning misrule. oppression, and disorder
in Turkey. England hates with holy
hatred the barbarous Turk who roasts wo.
men and children alive, impales men, and
commits unspeakable crimes. Against
these enormities England protests. That
is all. But when another power inter
venes in the interests of humanity, order
and Christian civilization, England is
ready to join Issue. not for the sake of 1.-THE
unspeakablc Turk but for the sake Of
English interest beyond Turkey.
At last we have definition of these
jealousy guarded interests. According to
Home Secretary Gross. England will not.
or must not, permit Constantinople to be-
come the prize of conquest, or allow the
Suez Canal to be blockaded, or remain in
active while Egypt is seized and held by
another. 1t Is. then. admitted in Eng
land that II the Government goes to war,
it will be because il is feared that Russia
will seize the Suez Canal and Egypt, &C.
cupy Constantinople, ard interfere with
the free commerce of the Bosphorus and
Dardaneles. This is actually and serious
ly propounded as the impending danger
to Great Britain. English newspapers,
while occasionally sounding the alarm
that the fall of Islamism in Europe will kim
die an unquenchable conflagration among
the Musslemans of British India. blow
their shrilest notes when the way to In
dia through the Black Sea or through the
Suez Canal is declared in danger But
for all that, public opinion all over the
world will agree with one leading English
newspaper in the declaration that Russian
statesmen who would propose to defy the
great powers by Selling Egypt and Con-
stantinople are not fit to be at large. 1t is
al amazing thing that there is in England
a large and influential class of men who
are so panic-stricken that they propose to
90 to war to prevent this dreaded Russian
aggression.