The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-04-16
future of the Beaconsfeld Administra-

l
cumstanees attending this very remark
able election, is In the vigor manifested
by the two great leaders of the contest,
Beaconsfeld ON the one hand and Glad
stone on the other, at their great age,
both verging upon eighty years. We
read with admiring wonder of Mr.. Glad
stones campaign con the stump" las
Americans would say,) through Scotland
and in some of the great cities of Eng
land, where he met and addressed vast
throngs of the people, making two
speeches day, of two hours each, in a
voice whose clarion tones reached many
thousands of hearers. 1t were an
achievement that might well try the
powers of any man of forty instead of
eighty years of age. And not less won
derful was the fact that, in speaking
thus often and on the same questions,
Mr.. Gladstone in no instance repeated
himself. Nor was Beaconsfeld less act
i've in the management of his campaign,
though not so efficient as a popular
speaker. Seldom has any such instance
been known where two men, octogenar-
ians in years, have been able to meet the
sturdy requirements of managing and
leading political contest so fierce and
exacting as this.
The Queen returns now from her visit
in Germany, and then what? The Bea-
consfeld Ministry must now tender their
resignation in obedience to the verdict of
the people, and the Queen must call for
the formation of the new Administration
| to conform to that verdict. Whom will
she select as the Premier2 Without
doubt Gladstone would be called to form
the new Ministry were it not that the
Queen personally dislikes him. He is a
plain, blunt man, and not courtier as
Beaconsfeld is. But, as the great leader
of the triumphant majority, how can her
Majesty pass him by? The people would
resent it, and make mischief. 1t seems
now that the Queen must pocket her dis
like, accept the inevitable, and make
Gladstone once more Prime Minister of
England.
And then what9 Much has been said
by the press Of this country about the
probable reversal of the whole Beacons-
field policy. That policy has been a
"stalwart" one. 1t conquered savage
tribes in Africa and made their kings
prisoners; it invaded Afghanistan and
planted British garrison at Cabul; it
sent a British feet into the Marmora
and bearded the Gar at Constantinople;
it appropriated the Island of Cyprus,
and laid hands upon Asia Minor; it
dictated treaties at the Congress of Ber-
lin. These things combined to reinstate
the prestige of British power throughout
Europe. And when Beaconsfeld re-
turned from Berlin in 1878, he was met
by all London with the universal ac-
claim, "He has given England peace
without war and without dishonorW
This was to say much for any statesman,
and was not undeserved by that sagacious
Prime Minister, then in the full flush of
public glory. Now he is excluded from
executive power.
But we do not accept the theory 50
freely promulgated by the American
press, that the new administration under
Gladstone would emasculate British
power and depreciate its prestige. As a
prudent statesman and skilled leader
of the people he would avoid all that.
His character partakes too much of the
English bulldog tenacity for any such
surrender of national prominence as such
an imputed policy would imply. While
he is avowedly an advocate of peace as
the true policy of England, it is not
"peace at any price" that he would main
tain. He may so far reverse Beacons-
fields policy as to require Turkey to
complete her reforms as to the Bulgarian
provinces, in conformity with the Treaty
of Berlin. And this is just what should
be done, and is what Beaconsfield neg
lected to do; thereby endangering the
peace of Europe.
Independent of whatever may be the
special measures of the new Administra-
ton of The British Government, the
mere fact of the predominance of Liber-
alism over Toryism in England, as indi-
Gated in the present election, is of itself
a circumstance of deep significance.
When Gladstone, an untitled Commoner,
won the election at Edinburgh out of the
hand of the powerful Duke of Buccleuch,
the titled aristocracy Of England were
amazed, and not less frightened than as
tonished. The power of the people was
seen to have outgrown the power of the
Nobility. 1t was regarded as a sign of
the beginning of the end; of the end
most dreaded by the aristocratic order
of England. Such a step is one that
never goes backwards. 1t is not revo-