New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-12-02
THE WOES OF THE MINISTRY.

LORD sALIsBuRY's REPLY TO THE DIXIE OF ARGYLL
-IHH ANGLo-rURKIsH DIsPUTE-MR. o'DoN-
NHLLs FIERCE PROCLAMATION THAT HE Il AN
FRESHMAN" IMPFRIUM TT LIDERTAs."
IRON THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT THE TRfsUyE.I
LONDON Nov. 1s.-It has been supposed hitherto
that Lord Salisbury was a man superior to the COM
mon sOlictude OF common men in respect 10
veracity. But he has been stung into writing a
letter which seems TO prove that he is not SO
superior thought. IL is the Duke Of Argyll,
and his speech at Lce's last Friday. that have
angcred the noble Marquis Lord Salisbury by no
means attempts to answer that speech. TO meet
the serious accusations with which IL is filed.
There are many of them, and they were not made
then for the first time They are on record in the
debates of Parliament and in printed books Lord
Salisbury has spoken often in the House of Lords
and often elsewhere since they were first brought
against him. But he has never dealt with them.
Mr.. Love- the other day at Grantham, specified
some five of deliberate deceit of which either
Lord Salisbury or his chief had been guilty Ono
was his declaration TO the Lords that the Schou
valoff agreement, az revealed by Marvin. was not
authentic and not deserving of credit. Lord Sails
bury has answered that. although it involved
n charge of stating, not only what was untrue. but
what he knew to be untrue. There were others not
less grave. both in Mr.. loves speech and in this
more recent speech Of the Duke of Argyll. Lord
Salisbury passes all Of them by, but picks out one
which is not particularly grave-or not grave ia
co uparison with the Others-and TO which there
is no charge of bad faith. 1t IL matter of slight
interest in itself. but being brief. will give the
substance of il.
Among Lord sasburys msstatemcnts, said the
Duke of Argyll is this, that the Ameer refused 10
accept British Embassy because il he accepted q
British he would have to accept q Russian Embassy
also. There is not a word of truth in that state
meDt, said the Duke. Lord Salisbury replies
Oh. yes, 1t is true, because the Native Agent at
Cabul said so" and then he gives a long account of
the Native Agents testimony, as il the Duke of
Argyll, who ought to have known OF il. had been
| ignorant OF IT, don't know wbnt the Dukes
answer may be. bnt answer is ready to any bodys
hand who turns TO the report of the Leeds speech
where he will see that the Duke expressly refers TO
the argument as having been urged IN the Dnrbar
by that Agent. adding that its omission from the
Ameers letter showed that it was not reason on
which the Ameer relied. That may serve a. a spec
linen of Lord Salisbury's way OF dealing in such
matters. He knows very well that few people will
take the trouble to refer TO the speech lie knows
the point is not interesting enough 10 the public TO
lead them into close examination of IT, He thinks
he can make out a prima facle of misrepresen-
tatiOn against the Duke on this one uncomfortable
point lie puts 1t forward, accordingly and passing
by all the other more important. more damagin
and more hOpelessly unanswerabie charges. holds
up his hands in vlrtuous Indignation with the re-
mark that the Dukes mistake in this one will be a
sufficient measure Of the credence his other state
ments deserve. The artifce may may not serve
its purpose for the moment. Bnt one would be glad
to the Foreign Minister of Great Britain abstain
ing from such articles successful or not.
No doubt a certain Iiveliness is communicated to
political debates by such personalities as these.
And, besides Lord Salisbury. we have to thank Mr..
+. II. ODonnell for a readable contribution TO The
Times. Lord Clifford limited the other day that Mr.
ODonnell. whom you know a Home Ruler Of
extreme type, was hardly an Irshman at all, but
Scotch Macdonald. This pleasantly Mr.. O'Don-
nell repels a gross personal hbc' an Initial
insolence." tortuous insinuation.' "venomous
cackle"; finally denouncingi 1t mpudent asser-
ton, to which he opposes most express denial. Mr..
ODonnelps letter is one of the most extraordinary
pieces of literature which have appeared this many
a day. H. vindicate, his claim to Irish nationality
in every line and it is easy TO believe that lie is as
he says, cousin to half the country e. the whole
of it, if he likes Nobody with less extensive kim
ship would have been equal to calling his opponent
q coroncttel clumniator, or have thought Of in
viting this unhappy peer to single combat. any.
where from Neville to ClonmaDy, with the promise
that a thou sand o Donncls would attend to
tribute an appropriate accomDanimcnt what
ever that may bel, and with invitation ~ The
Times To dispatch a correspondent to report the
encounter.
With reference to the current Anglo-Tnrkish dis.
pute, NAV add 10 what l lately wrote that the
meaning of the word Reform from Turkish point
of view is well shown in recent letter fIom Con-
stantinople TO The PaH Nall Gaseite-a paper which
represents all the intelligence therr is In Eagl.sh
hostility Russia. No REFORM says this correspond
ent is of any worth, unless il equality for
all the subjects of the Porte, and the limitation of
the arbitrary power of the Sultan II these happen
TO be the two very points which the Sultan viii not
concede. The domination of the o. nanli and the
absolute prorogativc of the Caph the religion of
Abdul namd. Otherwise reform wOud b. of
elementary simplicity. But what happens now ~
that for every measure proposed commission is
appointed to elaborate projects the phraseis--
with view to its adoption; the real purpose of
such elaboration being TO eliminate from 1t anything
that may interfere with the Imperial prelGca,iye.r
caste domination. and to conceal the elimination by
ingenious reservations and smbigmties.p
Again-and the statement bears curioasly upon
the recent reform movement OF the English Govern
mcnt-" the reforms brough. under discussion mot
of which has been carried ousi have all been of
trivial and superficial character. Tho Embassy
found 1t impossible TO get substantial reforms
discussed" The very demands which within tho
last rtDIght have been put forward pompously
are here described IA provincial reforms tho
merest puenlitics TO which il Is lamentabe TO SEQ
the British name appended" This Is the testimony
OF who writes a friend of The Turks and
partisan of Sir Henry Layayd, aud who has good
means of information. He never donb.s for a
moment that the fleet ordered 10 Constants
nople lie refers to IL as thing well known; and
| his relations with the British Ambassador such
that he must know. As fn ihe effect Of thar