The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-08-14
COUNTRY AND GOVERNMENT"

BRITISH MINIsTRY--AN ELECTORAL BATTLE
CRY THAT WILL RALLY THE LIBERAL PARTY.
The August number of the Nineteenh Century opens
with q powerful article by Mr. Gladstone on ''The
Country and the Government" 1t is undisgusedly
an election manifesto. but the it is discussed
the moro completely will the ex-Premers object be
served. He recognizes that the time has when
it is necessary to turn away from perverse Para-
ment and appeal directly to long suffering people
The constituencies are about to pronounce judg-
ment on the acts Of the government, and Mr.. Glad
stone here supplies them with unexceptonable data
on which they may base their decision.
He takes. and he afford to take. the
whole British nation into his confidence. He
does not regard government q mystery in which
mono but sovereigns and statesmen" have right to
participate. He frankly acknowledges the
ereignty OF the people and he seeks by the most
likely means at his disposal to enlighten the
national conscience. He is not afraid that in the
sweat and dust of the controversial his lofty
personal character will be impaired; tor. unlike too
many others. his chief concern is not for himself
but for the country which he has at all times served
so we'll. If it is well with England Mr.. Gladstone
will be content, however it may fare with himself.
HoME INTERESTS BEFORE FOREIGN.
In the September number of this review, and in an
article 'England's Mission (Mr. Gladstone says),
there given list of twenty-one great subjects of
legislation which had long been clamoring in vain
for the dofnitive attention of Parliament. Some of
these have been put aside for nearly half century
like the Municipal Reform OF London. averted prn
cipally, it would seem. by constant profusion of
dinners. with their soothing and genial results o
feeling. The list was indeed. Formidable yet it had
pretence to DC exhaustive. 1t did not embrace
questions of secondary rank, or any questions the
prosecution of which has been mainly sectional At
the date at which l write it might be enarg ed by
such additions us ny the law OF bankruptcy (2) Of
banking. t3) of distress W of charities and mortman,
(5) loans local purposes, (6 of game. "a distr
button well redistribution OF Seats (S) savings
bank finance and 9) the Bright clauses or the Irish
Land act. Its general effect to exhibit state Of
arrears passing rapidly into the stage Of
Every one Of these calls had it's origin within the
boundaries of the Empire. and generally of the
United Kingdom. and grew out OF wants and obliga-
tions long recognized in due to the choice
initiative of any administration, but calling for the
steady, patient application of all governments and all
Parliaments until this unsatished account of such
ally abridged. Such ut least would be the obvious
Quite otherwise has the matter appeared
| our present rulers Because our business was in
arrear. our Woodworking Parliament overdone and
the wants Of the Empire already beyond human
strength to satisfy, it has pleased the government
of Lord Beaconsheld to raise up from a virgin soil
| q whole forest OF Observation-Disclosures enough
| to occupy Parliament and o State which had
| nothing else to do 1t would suppose be no ex-
aggeration to say that about half of the available
time of Parliament has been spent this year in dis
cussng as to subjects every one Of which has been
forced upon our hands by the wilful or spontaneous
| action OF the existing Ministry.
| GRATUITOUs TROUBLES.
Then follows the dire catalogue Of the gratuitous
troubles incurred by Great Britain in Eastern Rou-
meia, the Greek frontier, Crete and the other Euro
pean provinces OF turkey arising under or out OF the
| Cyprus under the Anglo-Turkish Convention; the
Suez Canal shares and management the Egyptian
debt and Egyptian succession, assumed to result
from the purchase of shares in the Suez Canal: the
Northwest frontier OF India. supervision of Afghan
| istan East Indian finance, arms act. press act
|
| the mission OF Lord Lytton; and. last Of all.
the annexation of the Transvaal aud the
Barte Frere. And what are the results
of this mutItarious activity? There is not nation
upon earth with which Great Britain has drawn the
bonds of friendship closer by the OF the
last six years. She has played perilous tricks with
who nhabit Russia and has severed herself from the
| Christians of Turkey-Greek and Slav ake-witn-
has been done. not to increase her power.
but only her engagements. And how does
this comparison stand in conjunction with the
| foreign policy Of Lords Clarendon and Gran
vile. which assumed nothing and boasted nothing,
which neither Wanted its promises nor receded
! from its word? In Europe the course Of destiny
| brought forward under the two governments
spectively the affairs of two States. each Of which
| lay within the shadow of European guarantee.
| One of these Turkey. To her the sympathes of
| the present Ministry have been strongly drawn. She
lies PROSTATE mutilated, impoverished, struggling
in her reduced territory with unsurpassed rebel
lion. and waiting for the next amputaton, possibly
for the final crisis On the other hand in 1870 the
national existence of Belgium was in extreme peril.
| At a notice OF hardly more than few days the
honor and arms OF the two greatest military Powers
of the Continent were engaged. along with those OF
Great Britain treaties to protect 1t, and Belgium
| has since pursued without days uneasiness its
peaceful and prosperous
| DErENCE OF THE oDsTRUcrIoNIsTs.
| The public, MIR. Gladstone goes on to say has
lately heard much on the subject OF obstruction in
| the House OF Commons, and the questions raised in
connection with it are not SO easily to be disposed Of
as is commonly imagined. There can hardly, Mr..
Gladstone thinks, be u greater outrage than 10 pro-
long debate for the purpose of discroditng govern
ment IN its transaction OF the public business OF
outrage the conservatives were guilty in nnection