The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1878-07-27
THE PACIFIC
GomlmerelalA0berttst
SATURDA Y, JULY 27.
a Political Forecast.

n 1O1ll1Cd1 EOISCdSL,
Recent events attract attention to the following
views of Hon. Walter NJ. Gibson, published in the
& M Hon. April Il, 1874. 1t must be bornt
in mind that at that time Gladstone and The
Liberal peace party were in power, that Russia
was ~trampling on the Treaty of Paris, and Great
Britain was regarded as snubbed and degraded &c
a lower position in European politics.
European politics are strangely mixed. What
we may think about them may be idle guesses
still we venture on a few. Germany
and Russia f~raternize go cordially, they must have
each a great hope growing out of their entente
cordiale. The hope of Russia we all know Ito
occupy Constantine's judiciously chosen seat of
empire at the portal of the interior seas of Europe
and of Asia but the hope of Germany is not so
manifest. She ~contemplates advances on the
Danube, and would like 10 find some great inte-
rest eastward in Europe to occupy the attention
of her enterprising, migrating people, who are
helping to build up the great Empire westward,
across the Atlantic. And besides, Germany
hopes to absorb Holland and control Scandinavia.
Then, when the COssack is master in CONSTANT
nOple, and the lines of Germany run to the mouth
of the Rhine,-when the Sclave controls the
Black Sea, and the Teuton the Baltic, the En-
pires of the Hohenzollerns and of the Romanotfs
will divide between them all Eastern, Central
and Northern Europe and the Latin race may
organize a power on the West and South, and SO
reduce Europe to three Powers. But England is
left out of our speculation, and it is just England
that may spoil our speculative political pro-
gramme. She, with a strong, astute and ardent
mind like that of Disraeli guiding her State, will
shape her own destiny in a mastery manner, and
also shape that of others. She has yet the sto-
mach for great things and we hope, for the sake
of her past renown, she may be put to heroic
tests and come out victor, because freedom will
be safe in her hands"
To this we append comments of the San Fran
cisco Weekly Bulletin, of July 4, 1873, on recent
events and the triumph of Disraeli
LORD BEACONsFIELD IN THE BERLIN CONFERENCE.
:. 1t was expected when the Congress convened
that Prince Bismarck would be the central figure.
He was supposed to hold the destinies of Europe
in his hands. But if we are to accept the dis
patches of the last few days, Lord Beaconstield
looms up as the man who is occupying the fore
most place in the Congress. He is keen enough
to take advantage Of the situation. The recent
events in Germany tend to dissipate confidence in
the homogeneity of the Empire. 1t cannot be
doubted that Socialism has a strong hold OF the
people, and although a war might unite all the
discordant elements, there is a possibility of any
rupture proving dangerous to existing lnstltu-
tions. On the contrary, Lord Beaconsheld has
by a specious course of procedure brought the
British nation up to the point OF war lever. A
large number of English people will be disap-
pointed if the Conference should arrange matters
without recourse to the arbitrament of the sword.
For the last twenty years Disraeli and Glad
stone have been the rival statesmen of England.
But Disraeli has shown himself by far the most
astute politician. In 1868 he defeated Glad
stones Reform Bill, only to introduce another
containing more sweeping changes. At the out
set of the Turkish troubles DisraelI found himself
opposed by the leading minds of Great Britain.
The whole liberal sentiment of the country was
against him. He had to encounter the reproofs
of such men as Gladstone, Bright, Earl Granville
and all those who had been accustomed to lead
the masses. Eighteen months ago he dared not
plunge the country into war for the interest OF
Turkey.
The whole sentiment of the people would have
been against him. But he has taken advantage
of his opportunity. He has fattered the national
vanity. And he has during all this time been
making preparations for war on a more gigantic
scale than anything in the previous history of the
country. lie took the daring step of transporting
Eastern troops to Europe, as if to show that if
Russia can draw material for an army from tens
of millions, England can outstrip her by drawing
from hundreds of millions.
Thus far everything has favored Dlsraeli in his
policy. He has been powerful IN England, but
never the idol of the people. If fortune should
still favor him, and he be able to force his pro-
gramme upon the Berlin Conference, he will be
as popular as he has been powerful. He has had
the courage to depart from the modern English
precedent of non-intervention in European mat
tiers, and to place Great Britain in the position
she assumed during the old Napoleonic wars.