The New York herald., 1877-12-24

our literature respectable. but it must be
acknowledged that New England has given
us our best historians. But among her ele-
CANT authors Hawthorne is the only one Of
marked originality In mere literature,
however, the palm must be conceded to her,
but the commanding, inventive minds that
have led us to greatness may be justly
claimed by other parts of the country.
England and the Eastern QUESTION:
A Trumpet Call.
We print in another column an article
from the London Truth, the new and now
famous weekly journal established by Mr..
Labouchere, which seems to mark an era in
the journalism of England. Such on article
fifty belongs to the London 1imes-to the
Times of tradition-the Times which fought
for reform and made the war upon Russia
and became the first influence in Great
Britain. But in moulding or even express
ing public opinion the Times is no longer
what it was. Changes have come over it as
they come over the rest Of the world. Mr..
Delane retires and Mr.. Somebody or other,
of whom no one ever heard, takes his place,
and the paper remains in its same old-fash-
ioned stage coach, National InteIl;Gencer
pace. An article like the one entitled
''Awake, Disraeli r belongs to the new age
Of telephones and telegraphs and steam.
This whole Eastern question, as England
views it, is really disgrace to England. We
know of no chapter in the history Of q
glorious and gifted race that reflects less
credit upon its leaders and statesmen than
the chapter which records the variations of
the Eastern question. 1t was bad enough
when English kings were in the pay of
French kings But that implied the degra-
dation Of sovereign, of mere man. The
trouble now comes from the absolute failure
Of tho English government to see the duty
Of the hour. England has a vast Empire,
greater than the Empire of Rome. She has
built it by war, negotiation, commerce and
colonization. She held it against Napoleon !;
she has held it against the world The
| conditions upon which she has held it are
the same conditions as those imposed upon
tho other nations who aspire to greatness
and achieve it-namely, that when an
enemy comes she will fight the enemy.
This is the way in which we founded our
Republic and maintained it against seces-
sion. This is the way in which Germany
became a united kingdom and France, in
the early days Of the Revolution, vindi-
Gated her right to be free. 1t is the funda-
mental duty, we may almost say the penalty,
of power. England cannot escape it. And
| yet the new class of English statesmen Of
whom Disraeli and Derby are the repre-
sentatives lay down the novel theory that
| the way to maintain British interests is to
keep up the belief of the world in British
| prestige"
| Now, "British prestige" when it repre-
sents force and character, is thing in which
every Englishman should take pride. But
when it represents nothing it is mere
bounce, gasconade, tavern talk. England
wishes all the attributes Of power without
the penalties and responsibilities. She
wishes to rank in military greatness with
Germany and Russia, and yet she will not
maintain even as large an army as poor, for
| lorn, neglected Spain. She lays great stress
upon her navy. Well, her navy is q fine
one, and if there were no torpedoes this
navy could rule the seas and coasts. But
no navy can fight on dry land, as France
| discovered when her day of trial came, and
since the torpedo has attained its appalling
strength as weapon of war all the ships
| in the world could not enter properly
| guarded harbor. The time has passed when
! naval strength alone assures q nations
| greatness, and the mistake Of Disraeli is
| in not seeing this and instead of intemper-
ate speeches about "British interests and
British prestige" quietly arming England
so that if her Empire is challenged she can
fight for it.
We believe that, great Us England is, she
would come out of a war better disciplined
and Drawer people. Since the days Of
Cromwell the world has never seen an Eng
lish army in the field. We mean by this
real army one that represented the people,
as our armies during the war represented
the North and South. The English armies,
like all standing armies, represent the dregs
Of society. Every one knows the class of
men who give way to the solicitations of the
recruiting sergeant. In nine cases out of
ten they are men who find no vocation in
the world, and 60 into uniform out OF sheer
despair. Upon such an army England
rests to-day, just MS we do in the United
States. But we have had our fighting, and
all we need are few regiments for police
duty England, on the other hand, il in a
constant tremor over her 'interests" and
her ''prestige," her Empire menaced in In
dia and assailed in Africa. She does not
know when fleet may be on her
coasts. She should do as France has
DONE as Germany has done-arm her
people. 1t will be said that no
British Minister could live an hour
who would propose so un-English scheme