The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1878-07-13

Beaconsfeld in obtaining what had been
previously assented to by both England
and Russia.
The grave question of the right of
passage through the Dardanelles was
settled by simply letting it alone. Those
straits will remain closed to naval vessels
as was provided by the treaty of Paris in
1856. In this particular England GER
tainly suffers more than Russia does
For, 50 long as Russia has a navy on the
Black Sea, she would prefer that the
Dardanelles should be closed; as thereby
her Euxine navy would be sheltered from
attack. 1t is clear, therefore, that Bea-
constield can claim no laudation for this
matter.
To sum up the whole matter-while
Russia does not acquire all that the
Turkish treaty gave her, it is still diff
cult to perceive wherein Lord Beacons-
field secured any triumphant advantage
for England as against Russia by his
power before the Congress in the revision
of the treaty of San Stefano. The real
achievement has. been to secure peace and
avoid war; And Beaconsfeld is the
last man in that Congress to whom that
achievement can be accredited. His
voice was still for war; Europe, in Con-
gress assembled, compelled him to keep
the peace.
But, as all the world knows, Lord Bea-
constield is nothing if not melodramatic
AS plain "Ben. Disraeli" he had written
too many novels not to delight in sudden
surprises and scenic effects. The best
years of his long life had been devoted to
the culture of his own imagination in or
der to take captive the imagination of
others, Moving now in this great arena,
with Kings and Emperors for his dra-
matis person2, and all the world as spec
tators, he can not refrain from exercising
his lifelong prediction for the dramatic
in effect. He accordingly arranges a
coup diplomatique as grand pyrotech-
mic finale to this drama, entitled "The
Congress of Berlin" And no sooner are
the stipulations concluded in that body
than Disraei announces that he has
effected Il private treaty with the Sultan,
whereby England assumes the protecto-
rate of all the Asiatic dominions of the
Turkish Empire, and becomes the pos
sessor Of the great Island of Cyprus!
AS he had calculated and desired, this
diplomatic stroke, thus suddenly an
nounced and dramatically displayed,
reused the enthusiasm of the "by Jingo"
spectators in the pit, and brought down
the house." John Bull is fond of terri
torial acquisitions. He makes Dukes of
those who win foreign possessions for him
to govern and to tax. And Disraeli, now
a Lord, would have no objection to wear
ing the traditional strawberry leaf in his
coronet, as the Duke of Cyprus"
The acquisition of this island, though
not absolute as yet, is Of the utmost mo-
ment to England, and of importance to
the world; and the diplomatic astuteness
of Lord Beaconsfeld in bringing it about
at this critical moment in the affairs of
Europe and the East, is unquestioned.
That it should arouse British enthusiasm
is not at all surprising. Taken in con-
junction with England's other possessions
Of Gibraltar at the West, Malta in the
Centre, and now Cyprus at the East, and
she becomes the dominant power on the
| Mediterranean Sea.
More than that: This ACQUISITION of
Cyprus is really remuneration of that
island to the British dominions. Nearly
seven hundred years ago, in 1875, Rich
ard the Lion-hearted, during the Cru
sadcs, seized that island from its then
possessors and held it in the name of
| England. Its crown was given to Guy
de Lusignan as a feudatory of England.
1t was thus held as an appendage of tile
British crown for three hundred years.
1t passed to Venice through the death of
Catharine, (and failure of heirs,) a Vene-
tian princess and wife of James III of
England. From the Venetians it passed
to the Turks in 1870, who landed an
army of sixty thousand men for its sub
jugation, and put twenty thousand de-
fenseless Cypriotes to the sword. Since
that time, now three hundred years, it has
remained in Turkish hands, and its his
tory has remained a blank. No wonder,
then, that Englishmen should be dazzled
and rejoice over this peaceful recovery of
that important island once and 50 long
their own Situated in the eastern
angle Of the Mediterranean, only forty
four miles from the coast of Asia Minor
on the nsrth, siXty-eight miles from the
coast of Syria and Palestine on the east,
and but about two hundred miles from
the mouths of the Nile in Egypt to the
south, this island of four thousand miles
in territorial extent, in British hands,
will come to dominate the Mediterranean
shores of two continents. Its ports are
now in bad condition; but that at Fama-
gusta is capable Of being deepened for
the accommodation Of large ships. Its
natural productions are valuable, both