The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1880-05-09
BRITISH POLITICS.

SALT LAKE CRY, May s, 80.

men a very common practice O
kicking the man who is down. 70
my part I feel little sympathy 70
the under dog in the fight, unless h'
is a very bad dog, then sympathy 70
him is q waste.
Since the general election in Britain
there has been considerable glorifca
, ton of Gladstone and the correspond
J ing depreciation OF Beaconsfeld
Gladstone is undoubtedly a great
man, an eminent scholar and lite
rateur, gentleman Of immense IN.
tsllectual ability and energy, an ez-
celIent public fnancier, al "old mar
eloquent" But that he Is one OF the
best statesmen that ever lived, very
much doubt. He may be az great an
intellectual giant as any in Europe
bat that he is az great a statesman ]
very much doubt; that he ia a. shreWd
or sagacious or wise 6 ruler, | very
much doubt. In administrative
tact, OF even in large craftsmanship.
| question whether he Is fit to hold q
candle to Beac5nsield or Palmereton.
! There are some features OF Glad
stones ststesmsnship which | cannot
say that l very much admire. Not
WithstsnGing his wide intellectual
grasp, his statesmanship betrsys evil
dence of puritsnical uarrowness; for
ne is one OF the class Of Christian
[ Statesmen. Not in the sense that
cur American Coliax is, but still he
is an unco Christian statesman, in
the sense of a tendency towards
puritanicsl faneticism, that urges a
man to push fayuriie reforms 10 an
imprudent extent, and to be ready to
sacrifice any public consideration,
aDy national interest. that stands in
the way OF his pet political policy and
projects. Otherwise how can we IN
dersiand Gladstone's ultra philo-Rus-
| sian policy? How eau truly liberal
Christian statesman entertain much
sympathy with such q power as Rus
sis? For Russia is the most intol-
leTant, aggressive, baTbarous and
brutal power in Europe; the only
great European power without con-
stitutional government; the only
remaining pure despotism In Europe.
Glsdsione's intense prC-Ru5slanism is
only expliCsbie in one wsy-thst
Russia is q Cdriltian government.
a most fimsy pretenoe, Tor how can
there be anything truly Christian in
despotic authority, in Unsuitable ag-
erosion, in the bloody hand of nsurp-
ing, uusparing, unrelenting oppres-
sion? Anything that Is Christian in
name, profession, or general reputa
ton, easily satisfies some Chrislian
people. Anything that Is liberal in
name, no matter how illiheral in ne-
ture, easily satisfies some liberal peo-
pie. In many things n liberal poll
tician may be less liberal than a con-
seryaIve, for liberal in name is by no
means synonymous with liberal IN
nature, as we know very we'll in our
small-potAlo politics in this territory.
Indeed, nob3dg knowz better the
unchrist anity OF certain Christians
and the illiberality OF certain liberals
than do the people Of this city and
territory, for they hsye hgd much IN
pleasant experience in thess matters.
Not that Gladstone belongs TO such
Christians or such liberals, but he
might be liable to sympsthize with
such through the potent influence OF
a name and persistently pressed
claim.
The puritanical statesman wants to
drive hrs pet policy home whether
wisdom dictates OR not. But the
sagacI0us statesman endeavors rather
to lead than TO drive, and that in
accordance with the dictates OF wis
dom. Gladstone Is by no means
polite politician. He has in him q
good deal Of the bull alta b&nk-itiye-
ness OF the great moral Telormers.
Right or Tr1ng, he drives in the nail,
with sledge hammer blews and
weighty force. When he is right he
is a mighty help, but when ho is
wrobg he is 9 mighty hindrance,
and as be IS part judicially
blind. or e. least rather near sighted.
he is almost as liable to be
wrong rs right in soma of his under
tskipgs, though, like most moral
retormers, meaning well all the time.
Twenty years ago Gladstone in The
cabinet vas much ayerse to spending
money on the national defences, but
Palmerston as premier very saga
cloudy told the Queen that sit would
be better to lose SIR. Gladstone than
to run the risk of losing Portsmouth
or Plymouth"
Gladstone fayors non-intsrvention
of England in the International sfiairs
Of Europe. he would make the
insuiarity OF Britain still more insular.
He could have toe craftsmanship OF
Britain wrapped up, completely
swallowed up in British Internal
sfairs. Besconsfeld believes that
The inefTable blessing OF European
peace "ca0not be obtained by tae
passive principle Of non-inierference,
that .'peace rests On the presence.
uos to say the Rscendancy CT England
in the councils of Europe" Under
Gladstone, Eug!aud's iJtiaGnce 10
Europe sEnk 10 zero. and It was
Common talk that England had
become at best q second or third rate
power in Europe politics. But under
Bsaconsfeld the influence Of England
in the councils of Europe recovered
Itself aad rose to IA notably high
degree. During Gladstone's sdminis-
tTa.jou, the aa;ute BismSrk con
sidered England as finished
power" of which no ether European
power need take account. Bot during
Beaconsfeld'a administration the
peace OF Europe was secured aud
Russian aggression put in chetk,
chiefly through his efforts. Under
Gladstone's administration the Napo-
leonic idea of the Cossackization o!
Europe would be a possibility, but
the far sight of Beaconsfeld,
and his alone, has set long
way back that contamination, s con
summation not devoutly to be wished
BIZ any means. II that should be the
ultimate destiny Of Europe, surely
Beaconsfeld has wsrded off that
destiny some years. The presence
of the British feet, near CONSTANT
nople, and of Beaconsfsld, st Berlin,
did that for Europe which Germany
or Austria could 10. have done.
l certainly would rather see British
than Russian pTeponderance in
| Europe, and 30 | think would every
true lover OF civil and religious liberty.