The Democratic advocate., 1881-08-20
Wi4aen for the Democratic Adrocate
MR.. GLADSTONE.
BALTIMORE. AUGUST u, 1881.

BALTIMORE, August II, 1881.
MEssRs. EDIToRs The Baltimore
Sun, generally so pacific, seems to prefer
Beacon6eld's foreign policy to that Of his
successor, and says:
at was in the accession to power Of the
present gentle hearted, philanthropic and
uuworldly Premier that the Beers saw
their opportunity His weakness supple
mented their strength.
Strange utteranee, this, for a journal
published in the land of Jefferson He
and his compeers saw nothing commend
able in the attempts of their British breth-
reu to extend an unwarrantable jurisdic-
ton over US The difference now is that
the Beers have not appealed in vain to the
native justice aud magnanimity of Eng
lishmen. The holding of small tract of
country on the neither side Of the globe
might have won some temporary applause:
BY its magnanimous restriction the name
OF Gladstone and of the South African
Republic will be joined in bright and en-
during links.
1t is not very remarkable, however, that
those who would see an exhibition of
moral strength in the oppression of fee
bic and comparatively Insignificant State
By powerful empire, see only weakness 10
the justice and self-abnegation of restoring
what was taken without need aud without
warrant. We hold that a willingness to
do right, it not so brilliant for the moment,
is greater than determination to do an
unnecessary aud cruel wrong that such
surrender Of Transyaal is immeasurably
greater than its taking that the states
manship of North pales in history be-
fore the craftsmanship Of Chatham, who,
in addressing the House of Lords on the
American petitions, said concession comes
with better grace and more salutary effect
from superior power Nor is the size Of
a States territory The measure Of its great
ness otherwise Kdssia would be the great
est Of continental powers aud the Dutch
Republie would not have ranked >moug
the most glorious the earth has known
But it IS unfair to judge statesman Of
this period by the circumstances aud needs
Of the distant past. Ruthless conquest
does not accord with the spirit Of our age.
whose higher civilization manifests itself
in protection to the weak, in the uplifting
Of the degraded, 10 the effectiveness and
extension Of the moral agencies of peace.
Ths author Of JgreafRs NaHdi is not blind
to the heroism Of the ancients. He who
frames aud secures the passage of land
bin suited in large measure to the com
plicated condition Of the rising people Of
Ireland is not blind to whatever there may
be to admire in its original conquest This
cOneiliator Of the weak is the gladiator Of
the House Of Commons. This scrupler
at wrong Is battler for right The hand
that extends mercy to the Transyaal pa
triot aud protection to Irish homes can
coeree reckless ohstrnetionist into the
silence Of Kilmainham jail, or expose to the
gaEe Of mankind the iniquities OF King
Bomba.
The voice that speaks in mild ac-
cents to the heroes Of far-off wilderness
is the same voice whose thunderbolts Of
eloquenee struck down Beaconsield
from the very citadel of imperial power.
Let the San remember that thrice arm
ed is he who hath his quarrel Just, and
that the weakness of Gladstone is the
weakness of the worlds Cincinnati and
Washingtons.