The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1879-05-02
OUR LETTER
LONDON, April u, 1879.

er little wal on hand in which they will
have the sympathy of the whole civil
lied world. That modern Herod, the
king of Burmah, who, on his recent &C
cession to the throne, caused the slaugl,
ter of some eighty of his own kinsmen,
including women and children, de-
serves no mercy from the. hand of man.
His two brothers having escaped into
British Burmah, and sought protection
at the Residency, His Golden Majesty,
as the king is called, demanded theii
rendition, but was refused. Hence the
massacre, including the Minister, whose
mission to the English resident proved
unsuccessful. In consequence of this
inbuman outrage, and the threatening
attitude of the king, five Thousand
troops have been ordered to British
Burnah, and no one will regret a COM
plcte determination of such a mockery
of a government. This affair is alto
gether unlike the Zulu war, which
England herself provoked, through the
rash action of her High Commissioner.
Cetewayo, like Sitting Bull, is a bra We
warrior, and, from his own point of
view, a true patriot. So far from being
the aggressor, he has allowed the Eng
lish colony at the Cape to flourish in
peace while constantly encroaching OH
his territory. The little disturbances
among the Dutch farmers in the Trans
vaal were provoked by the settlers, not
by the natives. Sir Bartle Frere's uhi-
mdtum, sent without the authority of
the home government, and for which
he has been so mildly censured,
whipped with a feather, was simply a
challenge to a war of determination.
No wonder the "black flag" was raised.
Who can blame the Zulu king for his
desperate effort for freedom and life |
His people, his country, his own exist
ence was at stake, and all history glori-
fies the hero of q cause like this. 1t is
one of those 'big, manly wars which
make ambition virtue" Admit that the
Zulus are barbarians. So were the
Britons, and the Gauls, and the aborigi-
mails of all other civilized nations. The
moral condition of a people does not
change the eternal laws of right and
wrong. Justice Is not the accident Of
intelligence and refinement. The ag-
gressor, savage or civilized, is always
in the wrong, whether it be the white
man against the red man of the West,
or against the black man of the East.
AS for this genuine old Testament
King of Burmah, whose hands are red
with the blood of his own household,
the sooner he is wiped out of existence,
and his blotch of an empire eflaced
from the earth, the better.
AS the Spring advances and the
SHOWS of Wiuter begin to melt away
from the mountain passes of the East,
the kilograms from abroad, the CONVEX
sations at the clubs, the clips" of those
who are in diplomatic society, begin to
take a warlike hue. The mixed occu-
patton scheme for Roumelia is by no
means settled; but the Russian expedi-
ton toward Nero is. From the usual
Muscovite denials to the usual Musco-
vite explanation, the military mission
has grown up gradually, and at last is
duly acknowledged. But the Russians
mean no harm if things go well in Rou-
melia. That is the semi-official state
ment. By May over 10000 we'll
equipped Russian troops, capable of
being increased TO 100 900 by the ar
mics of the Caucasus, will be ready to
contest with England the possession of
that ancient Indian gateway, Herat.
With this intelligence comes the re-
port of Russian gold and influence once
more at Kabul, and the English armies
preparing for the onward march. This
is varied with a disaster. Crossing
the river Kabul, near Jalalabad, at
night, fifty English hussars were swept
away by the torrent and drowned. A
party of French troops in Algeria at
about the same time were suffocated or
starved TO death in the snow near
Sonaki. Soldiers have many dangers
to encounter besides those of hostile
swords and guns. 1t is evident that the
Afghan troubles are by no means at an
end. If Russia sees an opportunity,
she will certainly strike a blow for
prestige and power in central Asia.
The time is thought to be more propi-
tiOus than 1t was q few months ago.
Russia has troops on the march to STRAIT
egic points. England is well occupied
in Africa. The Egyptian question is
not yet settled. Greece is once more
coming to the front touching her rela-
tionship with Turkey and the Berlin
treaty and the eastern question"
again warns us that
W have scotch'd the snake, not killed il,
She'll close and be herself"
before the lookers-on can realize how
easily the thing may raise its head
| again diiu III Ut III DtdtC VI EUROPE
The English ministers lie on no bed of
roses. On all sides there is trouble
and anxiety for them. A falling reve-
nue. and an increasing expenditure is
bad for the popularity of the budget,
and though the recent division shows
the Conservative Party well knit to-
gether, there were disaffections that
are noticeable. Mr.. Walter, of the
Times, voted this time against them,
and his journal is once more Slowing
round against the Government. 1t is
all very well for malicious gossips TO
say that this is the result of Beacons-
fields delay in giving Mr.. Walter a
title. The suggestion is altogether out
side the situation. The Times has a
keen eye for a change in the tide of
public opinion, and its traditional poll
ey, and not Mr.. Walters private af-
fairs, accounts for the view which the
leading journal takes of the Zulu war.
However strong they may be the Con-
servatives cannot be in office forever,
and an unpopular budget may shake
the Ministry severely. When the
Times begins TO lecture q Government
which it has previously supported, you
will not be wrong in "snufing trouble
ahead"
The season begins TO assume the old
familiar form. There are buds on the
trees and sprigs of fashion in the Row.
The Italian opera programmes are ont,
so are the first leaflets of the May trees
on the banks of the Regents Canal.
The ducks make a splash in the Ser
pentine, so do the ''darlings" At Hyde
Park Corner. "At home" cards, pic
ture invitations and wine trade circu-
lars reach you by every post. The
Prince of Wales is in town and in the
very thick of society's gayetics. The
minor social clubs of the town are
crowded at ''house-dinners." The
Green Room had a ''rare time'' last
night. Mr.. j. l.. Toole occupied the
chair. IL was a house-supper. The