New-York tribune., 1879-03-13
THE DUFFERIN BANQUET.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF HIS APPOINTMENT.
fynom THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT or THE rRIBuNsi
LONDON. Feb. 25.-Ihe dinner given to Lord Duff
ferin on Saturday ran through its courses without
accident thanks to Lord Granville's extraordinary
talent for skating over extremely thin ice There
was strong turnout Of Liberal leaders, including
Lord Harrington, Mr. Bright, Mr.. Forster MT.
Goschen Sir William HarcOurt and the Duke OF
Westminster. Not long before the evening arrived.
there had been fears lest a good many men should
stay away on account of Lord Dufferin's appoint
mont as Ambassador to st. Petersburg. POSSIBLY
a few persons withdrew, but when Lord
Granville made personal matter of 1t
success was certain. From beginning to end 1t
was a party celebration. If the Conservatives, who
thought the Liberals had got into difficulties, had
any doubts on that point, they were speedily dis
pelled Mr. Forster struck the keynote with the
remark that nobody more eagerly than the Liberals
recocpzed the yaor of the English troops ia South
Africa but that the very herOism they had shown
made 1t the more necessary to hold the Government
responsible for the policy in defending which these
brave soldiers had risked their lives Lord Gran
Vile went into the matter much more at length,
and chaffed the Tories with much humOr and adrot-
ness on their liking for Liberals to do their most
aifscult work. There was a touch of genius in his
snepestion that Lord BeacOnsteld had sent Lord
Dufferin to st. Petersburg because he once hanged
a Turkish Pacha and in his description OF Lord
Dufferin as for that reasOn the only man he kae"
In the world who had given any proof that reforms
In Turkey are possible. On the party question Lord
Granville was most explicit: II understand" SAID
he. that Lord Dufferin's acceptance OF this post
has been accompanied by the most perfect condl-
tions of allegiance 10 his party. and can hardly
conceive more striking proof OF his IN
dependence than the fact Of his being
bor
And bv way of encouraging the Government TO con-
tinue in their present path, Lord Granville offered
himself as a candidate for the GovernOTshp of Cy-
prus. Lord Dutferin himself was sufficiently ex-
plicit about his continuing Liberal he referred
10 the place he had accepted as lying outside the
snherc of party politics ut home and TO his accept
ance az having involved no change in his political
sympathies. lie added that he did not consult any
one about the matter because on such occasions he
thought everyone the best judge of his own con-
duct
But there was passage in Lord Granvilles speech
more directly interesting to than his com
plimeuts to Lord Dufferin or his sarcasms
on the Conservatives. He spoke of Lord Dnferin's
government of Canada with direct reference to the
relations between Canada and the United States.
And ne discussed these relations with reference to
tbe Treaty of Washington. need hardly say that
with considerable number Of Englshmen, that
treaty is still subject 1t is true that Lord
Beacon siield last year took the trouble to remark
that he had ALWAYS looked with favor the gen
eral character of the transaction, although there
had been faults of detail. But its opponents belong
to no one party unless there be such thing as a
party of Jmgo-lmparialism Lord Granville
launched into this subject at the very out
set of his speech, and dened emphatically that
England had endured any humiliation in
tI,a I'd unla ha
though il might be- and he himself thought it in
some particulars. He is tartly answered to-day by
the Imperial organ. The humiliation, he is told,
comes in at a different part of the business whetted
though the national sense of it was by the injustice
of the award. "The humiliation the accept
ance Of the er post fdctO obligation of the three
rules to which not subject when the
questions at issue arose. but to which we suDse-
quentlS submitted for the very purpose that YER
dict might be rendered against u.s." That is a
point which Lord Granville did not meet. II is
convenience to have the gist of the grievance
stated aud all the moro agreeable 10 us to find
that the grievance lies against Bir. Gladstone's
Government and not against us
Lord Granville deals with the question q
broader basis; as a Foreign Minister might be e1-
pected to- he declares his belief that the result of
the treaty has been a better and more friendly
state Of latOus bet the two countries than has
existed since the Declaration Of Independence. He
appeals 10 Lord Dulfrrin for his testimony on this
point and Lord Duierin responded, but not with
out qualification. HIS statement, though
gOod-uaturrd enough strikes me as odd de
said: "The recent conclusion of the great
civil war in America, and, above all things,
as my noble friend has most justly observed,
the attitude OF foIbearance and dignified
selfreStraint assumed by Great Britain III refer
ence to the settlement of the Alabama claims, had
created such a profound impression upon the people
of the United States-had inspired so friendly
feeling toward Great Britain from one end Of the
Republic TO the other as TO O"-whatF- to place
the relations of the Canadian Government and OF
the representative Of the Queen personally npon
the most agreeable footing with our neighbors
across the line" Surely a very moderate effect to
spring from so large cause.
1t Is hardly less odd that Lord Granville should
try to strengthen his case by referring to
the reception of General Grant in England.
'If." lac asks England had been Inundated,
would General Grant, who President at
the time when the supposed humiliation was
inflicted on this country, have been received with
such rdality by ali parties and claSSesf Should
we not have been mean-suirlted hypocritcs doing
iti7 Ireally cannot see what connection there IS
between the two things General Grant was clvlily
received as ex President and, above all. eX-Cen-
eral. lie was liOnizod in society after the fashion
OF London, aud honized elsewhere after the fashion
of other municipalities. | don't think il entered
into many peoples mind to consider whether he
had or had not anything to do with the Treaty OF
Washington. General Badeau. United States Con-
sul-General in England. has, however come to Lord
Granvile's support. During General Grants tour in
England General Badeau used to describe
himself as Brigadier-Gencral and aGe-de-
camp-in-waitng General Grant. so he
ought to be a good witness to what hap