New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-02-21


Constantinople and GallipoIi, and that the Porte
was in much alarm, is but slenderly supported oy
proving that they have occupied position thirty
miles off with the assent Of the Power which Is repre-
scented terrified by their approach. But 1t dld It's
work. Coupled whth disclosure of the terms OF the
arrnistice, it enabled the Government to announce
once more the departure of half the British Meet
for ConstantinOpe, and supplied the Opposition
with what seemed to them, or to their leaders,
sufficient reason for acquescing in the act against
which they had vigorously protested not long
before 1t would be useless to ask your
attention to the vicisstudes OF debate
and the oscillation Of the Liberals on one point and
another during Thursday and Friday. 1t is enough
to mention that the official opposition to the Gov
eminent proposal was formally withdrawn; that an
attempt by Lord Harrington to secure the ADJOURN
ment of the debate was cOntemptuOusly rejected by
the Government that q rambling discussion was
carried for two nights, remarkable only for the
vigorous protests of some of the Radical minority
against the tactics of their chiefs; and that two
successive votes registered an average majority OF
over two hundred for the Ministry; the Opposition
front bench and the greater part of their fol-
lowers walking out of the House when the d.
vision was called. Mr.. Gladstone. Mr.. Bright ana
Mr.. Stansield were the honorable exceptions.
Looking at the matter as question of home pol
tiles NAV say that the feeling among the Liberals
is one of profound encouragement. Those OF them
whom have met agree in saying that the danger OF
foreign war is pretty much over for the moment at
least but that the Liberal party was never moro
completely demoralized, both in Parliament and In
the country. Beyond doubt. and by everybodys
admission, the anti-Russian feeling has increased
with startling rapidity during the last few days.
Such meetings as have been held in support OF the
n 4 Loo InlI fapfn iOlf
ago. 1t is in London that the feeling rises highest;
but there only too many signs OF 1T elsewhere.
And there signs not less distinct of distrust OF
Liberal leadership; which the Liberal leaders have
certain ly done their best to create and justify.
They or some of them. throw the blame on Ar.
Gladstone. They accuse him not so much on account
of his ove-branch speech on Monday last, as on
account of the Oxford speech of the Wednesday
before in which he plainly, and to my mind Justly,
held up Lord Beaconsield as the author OF the
pancs and distress from which the country mad SUI
which had kept mems minds in painful suspense
Well. ii is true that the Impression produced by
that speech has not been good one but wnyI
The fault lies not in the speech but in the hearers
and readers of t and still more with the critics or
it and most of all with Mr.. Gladstone himself for
not sticking to it when he came to speak IN the
House. Some day the speech will be seen to DC
true. Some day, also, 1t VIII be seen that the con-
fusion which mas overtaken the Liberal party Is
due mainly to the tndecison aud tumbLlng tacucs
OF Lord Harrington and his colleagues, who have
not understood that the business or leader ls
above all things, TO lead.
But whatever be the cause, causes, the effect is
beyond doubt. There is a panic in the Liberal
camp So unstrung the nerves of its chiefs that
the thing they dread at this moment is dissolution
of Parliament. Why Lord Beaconsield should
dissolve they DO not stop to explain, but they invite
him 10 do il by declaring their belief that dssou
yyoull hiring DISASTER the Liberals. Ilere Is
only seat in all London. In all the metropolitan
bOrOughs with their twenty-five members, winch
could be saved, cried one OF them last nlght-not IN
public, of course. IL you try TO ind out what the
grounds of this alarm are, you can get nothing put
assertions OF the kind have set down above which
prove something perhaps. but not enough to excuse
such a collapse has taken place. Ihat the codn-
Try indignant with the shilly -shalying that has
gone on in the House may easily be believed but
that is not what the leaders responsible for it
believe. They will take cooler view, let US hope,
in another week or two.
One word on the Server Pasha message. Lord
Beaconsfield in the lofty tone of indignant virtue
he sometimes assumes. denOunces it as an infamous
fabrication forgetting, however. to saw whether
The Daily Necs correspondent fabricated 1t, or
Server Pasha or whether pcrchance it was all
fabricated in the Office of that paper in Bouvere-st.
Musuius Pasha also, Turkish Ambassador in Lon
dom has authorized Lord Derby to say that, so far
as he is concerned there is truth in the alleged
representations of Lord DEMONSTRATING none
such were made to him. Obviously this is not the
end of the matter. Mr.. Layard has yet TO be heard
from. and Server Pasha will have an opportunity
TO produce the documents on which he relies. One
of the Prime Minister'S most fervent supporters has
already said that if he did not encourageNurkey TO
hope for English assistance he ought TO have done So
On the other hand, politician who IS on terms OF
some intimacy with Lord Beaconsiield defines his
policy a policy of swagger; affirming that he
never really meant to go TO war, but To carry his
point by making Russia believe he did. game
of brag in which England certainly has not come
oil best If it has been played i'll that way, no Won
der Turkey has been msled As for Mr.. Layard il
he has not done all, and more than all, with which
Server Plsha charges him. the common report of all
the embassies at Constantinople is slngulary wrong.
The dispatches he has sent home prove him the most
creduous of men, unless he be one of the most dis
honest The gossip of the bazaars has been authority
enough with him for repeating monstrous calum-
MES against the Russians; and he has never taken
the pains to hide his partiaity tor the Turks. In
all this business there has been no greater scandal
than the appointment and retention OF Mr. Layard
as English Ambassador at Constantinople. q. W. s.