The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-01-13
Gloom in All CircIes-An OminOus
Question in Parliament.
LONDON IN ICE, FOG AND SNOW.
STORIES OF DISTRESS
Want and Misery in the
Provinces.
lord, LORD, HAVE MERCYw

LONDON, Dec. 90. 1873
Christmas dawns upon gloomy England. You
read the newspapers and learn that in Afghanistan
there has been glorious victory that al-conquerng
England has again conquered; that the Ameer is in
fight that, Notwithstanding the menacing words of
the Cabinet to the effect that there was not room
enough in Afghanstan for Russia and England,
Russia has withdrawn her mission from Cabul and
that, in spite Of trumphs continuous England and
Illuminating to Russia, the relations between the
Cabinets Of London and st. Petersburg basis
of friendship and reciprocal confidence" 1t would
be hard to recite list of triumphs gratifying
than these achievements of the Beaconsield govern
ment. And yet there is joy in England The
notes of victory fall cold and corresponding ears
The journals have little to say about it. The Tele-
graph, which has generally led the chorus of exula-
ton over every achievement of the Ministry is tame.
The Mems hopes that nothing will be done to in
jure the good name Of England as an honest and
fair nation. The Standard worries the methods
in which Turkey will pay her indemnity. One
would think that, amid so much glory and so many
successes, England would be afame with loyal en-
thusiasm, flags would float from every tower that
the bells would ring and bonfres blaze from Dover
to Berwick. when the Armada came to the coasts
of Devon. But the only voice you hear in England is
the voice of sorrow and distress. People cry for
bread
GLOOM PERvADING ALI. CIRCLES.
This will be sorrowful Christmas in palace and
cottage mighty grief has fallen upon the royal
hearthstone and it doubles in intensity because it
brings with it the memory of agrief that came seven
teen years ago. There is good deal of exaggeration
and sentimentaity in the public opinion OF England
toward the royal house. You read the newspapers
and feel that royalty moves in atmosphere of love
and alteration You go into society, no matter of
what class, and you cannot take part in an hours
conversation without hearing some scandal
in reference to high placed royal per-
son. In England the press is so well
drilled. and is much under the influence
of social hopes and attractions that not repre-
sent real opinion. Consequently, when prince dies
marries falls ill and and goes in process
sion to thanks for recovery there an amount
of gush in the newspapers-in all classes of news
papers-which misleads the outsider The other day
peer in Parliament referred to the illness of the
Prince of Wales in 1873, saying that the hopes of
England seemed to rest at his bedside Yet every one
knows that if the Prince had died it would have been
the loss Of an amiabe and accomplished member of
English society, but England would have gone on
without jar. This peer t,nly paying a compli-
ment in exaggerated way for, in fact all language
addressed to royal ears is exaggeration. The grief
over the death of the Princess Alice must not be un-
derstood with all the rhetoric of the press and Par
Lament. Englishmen sympathize with the Que.h
mother who has lost daughter. Princess Alice was
a German, and had not for years been in English
society. An England had grown up which knew her
not and to whom her absence is not that of a friend
but only the daughter Of friend. In the palace her
loss will be felt. In the country it has already been
forgotten. except as sad incident in this season of
gloom.
AN OMNIBUS QUESTION.
1t is not because the Princess Alice has died that
England is in sorrow The people want bread Whar
victories in Afghanistan to who are starving
in Bethnal Green? One of the most effective points
made against the government by the opposition was
the taunt that Her Majesty. in her gracious speech
had forgotten to mention the universal distress. All
that Lord Beaconseld could say was that of course
Her Majesty and the Cabinet and the members of
Parliament both sides felt keeny the Distress but
that Parliament had been summoned to discuss
only one subject the Queens speech was naturally
confined to that subject But the distress was con-
ceded and afew nights later member of Parliament
in sympathy with the Ministry addressed question
to the Home Secretary, such question has rarely
been answered in House of Commons. 81 would
like to ask said the honorable member whether
the Home Secretary correct or corroborate the
report that We are almost face to face with such
crisis Of distress this generation has never known
distress affecting even tho metropolis, but oper-
ating with greater intensity in the cot
ton, coal and iron dstricts?" do not think the rec
ords of Parliament show more suggestive ques
ton. The answer not denial, but a reinsurance
Mr. Cross the Home Secretary. referred two forms
of misery-the first. what he called general COM
mercal DISTRESS the second the usual distress which
one always sees among the poor Of great cities and
which English statesman is not ashamed to rccog
nize and admit rs a concomfant of English civilza-
ton. Lord Beaconsfeld said. in many words that
the only hope of better times in the hope of re-
turning prosperity in the United States expressed by
der IL friends at home the meaning of that
observation. You will remember that Mr. Gladstone
in his article "Kin Beyond the Sea" expressed his
belief that the time coming when America
would surpass England. England had surpassed
Genoa. Holland and Venice, and that even now the
United States going by Great Britain canter
Lord BeGonsheld in a speech. and many of his sup
porers in speeches and newspaper articles took ex.
ccpton to this admission unworthy concession
to American pride, unpatriotic rejection upon
his own country. Here you SEQ that even Lord
Mr.. Gladstone. The second expresses fear that
America will surpass England Tho first admits that
she has far surpassed the mother country that
prosperity only with returning prosperity
at home.
ICE. Snow AND roo.
Even nature is in mutiny. This is tho coolest
season that has been known In England for sixteen
vcars In 1850 tho winter of our own fcrriblc var