Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1879-06-07
BeacOnsfleld's Persistent ignoring of the
Claims Of the Hellenic Government
ArOuses the French Republic,
which Proposes to Become
the Protector of
Opinion in England is
Aroused by Minister WaddingtOn's
Letter-Trenchant and Brilliant
Speeches by Sir Charles Dixie
and Lord ROseberry.

"a noflZon hung with clouds broadens be-
fore the ministerial gaze. Greece is making
herself most unpleasantly conspicuous
Strictly speaking, the Greek question is not
new one. 1t was raised during the Russo
Turkish war. 1t was raised again during
the Berlin congress. 1t has been heard Of
from time sto time during the subsequent
negotiations. But, in its present shape, it is
new. Heretofore the Greek CLAIMS have
seemed 10 Lord Beacons6eld to deserve only
contempt. When Greek army was massed
on the Turkish frontier, he thought it a sim
pie matter to send it home again with the
promise that Greek interests should not be
prejudiced. The moment was critical one.
The Turk was already getting the worst of it
II ms struggle with the Russian. Once be-
fore, it not twice, the government at Athens
had pledged itself to Russia to let loose IFS
forces. The western powers, England espe-
cially, knew that such arrangements
existed. They took upon themselves the re-
sponsblllty OF canceling them. The Greek gov
eminent accepted the assurances offered by
England, and the crisis was aYerted at Ber-
lin. Lord Beaconsdeld and Lord Salisbury
found it convenient to evade the performance
of their promises. 1t was then in their
power to have obtained from the Turk con-
cessions of territory that would have Satisfied
the just demands of Greece. They contented
themselves with what was in form a recon-
mendation to Turkey, supplemented, proba-
bly,, by private hint to the Turkish plenipo-
Tertiary that she could not be expected to act
upon this recommendation with any undue
haste. That was nine months ago and more.
The Greeks have never ceased to press for
the fulfllment of what they Insisted on re-
garding rs the undertaking Of Berlin The
Turks have put them off with all sorts Of
frivolous pretexts. England had backed up
Turkey, as usual. Lord Beaconsheid scOrn-
fully told the Greeks that they must learn to
be patient. As If they had not been patient
for fifty years! Greece was first rescued
then betrayed. The settlement of
MIR. Sala plcturesqueiy described her as having
been hung up on a shelf, off which she was
always on the point Of tumbllng King Leo
pold refused the Greek crown solely because
ne had convinced himself that no substantial
prosperity was possible on such basis. She
was confined within limits which prohibited
a normal national DEVELOPMENT She has
since existed; she now asks permission to
live, and it Is this moderate request which
constitute what she called her claims She
WAITS enough OF ihessaly and Epirus to give
her safe frontier, and a reasonable chance
of solid political and industrial activity.
This, or some fragment of this possibility. Is
all that was embOdied-and embodied as an
opinion, net as a command-in the instru-
ment drawn up at Berlin. The only power
which espoused the Greek cause heartily was
France-both at Berlin and since. In her
behalf France abandoned the attitude Of re-
serve she has maintained on most European
questions. 1t was owing to France that the
thirteenth protocol and the twenty fourth
article of the Berlin treaty were
adopted. 1t is owing to France
that the shpulations then entered into have
not been allowed to become quite dead let
ter. Quite lately, the French prime minister
launched circular proposing that the pow
ers should act through their ambassadors at
Constantlnople, and put pressure upon the
Porte to do justice to Greece and respect the
treaty. Other powers adhered England
drew off on the pretext-a very characteristic
one In LORD SalIsbury's mouth-that if the
remonstrance was to be Joint It would SAVIOR
of coercion. This exhausted the patience of
France, prudent as she Is, and cautious as
NJ. Washington is. 1t was determined that
the nexteHort should be Of a nature 20 impress
the English government with q convection
that the French government was In earnest.
The circular above referred to bore date
April 2lst. Lord Salisbury's reply with his
cavil about coercion did not, 1t is understood,
take the form OF a distinct diplomatic refusal.
1t LETT the matter open. NJ Waddington there
upon resolved to appeal to the most potent ally
known to modern pOlitics-pubhc opinion.
He determined TO publish his circular. To
insure attention to it, it was arranSed-I
don't say that N. Washington arranged, but
it is difficult to doubt that he knew what was
Greece should be held IL London on the day
of the appearance of this circular. 1t was
further arranRed-again | am speaking con
Jecturdtly, but on the support Of facts which
can have but one meaning-tbat the reports
of this meeting should be accom- panied by
broadside from the French press The pro-
gramme has beer carried cut to the letter,
and with an almost startling effect. Nobody
was prepared to GGd M. Waddlugton's cir
cular 80 peremptory IN terms. Reciting the
negotiations that followed the treaty, he fast
ems upon the Porte an admission of the prin-
ciple of territorial satisfaction to Greece, and
says: we expect of her now Il fresh step.
and what we require OF her Is the execution of
the resolutions recorded IN the thirteenth
protocol" The word resolutions appears TO
be itahcised i'll the original. No more was
anybody prepared for the intensity OF enthu-
siasm manifested at the meeting on Saturday.
That meeting was called by men whom Lord
Beaconsheld would probably stigmatize as
impulsiVe young men, and scott at as senti-
mental. Sir Charles Dixie presided. Lord
Roseberry was one of the chief speakers. But
the meeting was throDged to Overlooking,
and on the platform appeared MEG whom
even Lord BeacOns6eld cannot accuse OF
| yoUthfulness or overzaal-the Duke of West
minister Mr.. w. E. Baxter, Sir Robert Peel
Sir William Harcourt, Lord Arthur Russell,
and twenty more-men of such political and
social weight IS nc prime minister can afford
to despise. Sir Charles bikes opening
speech was a cold, strong, clear statement Of
| the case. 1t contained not word of IL
| vectiVe, but it amounted to an Indictment of
| the government, and every word was
underlined by the audience. Lord Roseberry
ma lie most remarkable speech. When
| saw this young man, sitting on the platform
| with his knowing, bored LOOK, | bethought
myself of his recent speech at the Press fund
dinner, and l expected nothing from him
| beyond lsnguid support Of the resolution
he had TO move. | fOuhd myself utterly
mistaken, that in the end | repented OF the
criticism had made on his press harangue
| Once on his feet, all expression OF WEAKNESS
| vanished. He spoke well from the begin
ming, and at the end he rose into something
| like real eloquence. 1t is seldom a better
| point has been made than that Ia which be
reminded Lord Beacoss6eld of mis- presiding
| two years ago at a meeting IN this very room
| in aid OF a memorial TO Lord Byron
| Strange cried he, that the prime minis ter
| should since have been backing the Turk
| against the Just claim of that very Greece to
| whom Lord Byron gave bis fortune and hIs
| hte Stranger still, that 1t has not occurred to
| him that the best memorial he could
| erect to Lord Byron would be a Greece en-
| throned upon an ample territory and endowed
with q political future This brilliant pero-a-
| tion-which | quote very mperfectly-swep
| the audience off their feet and was answered
| WIN o DuISJ VI CbO-AluE AOnS OOuJlhOShs
| The third factor in this combination, the
French press, has perhaps proved most
effective OF all. English papers agree in re-
garding the Republi9We Franchise as the
| most powerful of French journals. NJ. Gam
betta's connection with 1t has ceased to be
an open one, but nobody doubts that it is a
real one. Ga Sunday morning it published
an article which was telegraphed to London
and appeared in whole or Ia part in every
important London print on Monday. 1t
| affirms the existence of a difficulty between
France and England sentiment Of
mistrusb, due wholly to a want Of
| LOYALTY on the side of England. England
| in its eastern policy has neither spared French
susceptibilities nor co operated heartily with
q power whose goodwill she made pretense
of desiring. English hostility or GOODNESS was
first shown in Syria. continued in Egypt, and
ends IN Greece. Lord Beacons6eld is remind
ed of the support given him when he most
needed it at Berlin and elsewhere. | don't
doubt that the Renaissance is bitter one to
M. Gambetta, who persisted, in the face of