New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-03-07
THE CRISIS IN ENGLAND.
HOW THE ATTACK ON THE MINISTRY
FAILED AND THE EFFECT On HE
TORIES

- ~ - 80
TORIES,

tlVCS upon tDe NullSlcIIdiislS' IL II NV W
much TO describe the Conservatives as Illuminated
by the weakness of their leader in the House OF
Commons They had had to endure, in the previous
week. speech Of dreary and laborious incapacity
from Mr. Bourle, and Mr. Bourke is their proper
mouthpicce on foreign affairs. He represented tie
Foreign Office in the Lower House In Lord BeaconS-
fields time; q painstaking man, not without
abilities or knowledge but one of the most "olui
speakers now to be heard from the ConserVatlno
benches; and that Is saying great deal OH
Stafford Northcote though not an orator. soine
times makes good debating speech, ano' II hcNol
brilliant or energetic leader has shown olteh
enough some good sense and shrewd geheraisinP
in emorcences. His friends delight to describe
him rs n safe man. But his speech in moving the
vote of censure had no quality which it is easy to
nraise The best defence is sometimes said to be an
aggressive defence but nobody ever laid down as
maxim in war or politics that the best kind OF
attack is a defensive attack
Sir Stafford was leading, so far rs the House OF
Commons was concerned, a forlorn hope. Ills one
chance of, don't say victory, but of making good
fight was to put himself at the head OF the cohorts
which the country was re- ly to send to his help.
He had to express and to insprit the feeling OF
mutitudes of men. usually moderate, who has been
reused by the course of events in Egypt INTO a
temper which moderate is not the word to describe
When he rose fortune had done her Dest 10
befriend him. Gordon 1t is true. had reached
Berber the day before, and the news OF his SAFETY
and of his confidence in the ultimate success Of his
mission had relieved in great part the stress OF
anxiety which lay alike upon the Government and
the country But the anger which Bakers defeat
had reused was far from having subsided. The
country had slowly formed to itself pretty com
pcte picture of the state of things on the shore OF
the Red Sea. Men had had time to realize the fact
that within a few miles of British fleet, within
few DAYS of overwhelming British land forces, TWO
Egyptian garTisons had for many weeks Oeeh
besicced bv the warlike followers of the Mahdi.
They knew we'll that the danger which had come
mon these garrisons was due to the acts and
omissions of the English Government Ever since
the pubicaton of the dispatches they had slowly but
surclvmade MP theirmnds that theirown rulers were
responsible for what had happened in the Soudan
English Ministers had permitted the expedition OF
Hicks Pacha when they might have prevented 1t
and were responsible for that. English Ministers
had ordered the abandonment of the Soudan, and
had made public that order without SO far as most
men could see, taking thought for The safety OF the
Egyptian garrisons scattered over that enormous
territory some so 900 men i'll all. The announce
ment of that order was interpreted all through the
East as the resolve of England to retire before
the Mahdi 1t put heart into every rebel horde and
took II ont of every loyal force; save one. The
Mahdi victorious before, was now deemed
irresistible His power spread. The power ot
Egypt and of England IN Egypt beyond the Delta
shrank and wthered up, and beyond the range OF
their cannon ceased to exist. Baker had been
allowed TO make an effort to relieve TOkar with
few thousands Of men with muSkets in their hands
most of them whom no license Of fancy could
describe as soldiers; band of towards Differed $50
far as their officers were Egyptlan) by towards
4I,o,, 1t V,tu4o tlotng
despised. The effort had collapsed with every
circumstance of disgrace and calamity. Tokar was
not relieved nor Sinkat. Since the humiliation OF
Bakers mob a week had elapsed. SO far as the
public knew the Government had not taken one
single step toward the relief of the two garrsons
of ToBar and Sinkat both holding ont CALAMITY
one of them at least known to be in utter extremity
for food water and ammunition. On Monday, the
day before Sir Stafford NOrthcOte rose to move his
vote of censure, Ministers had been asked in the
House what they meant to do for the relief OF these
places, or whether they meant to do anything.
They had declined to answer. Questions repeated
again and again. pressed upon. him in every form,
Mr.. Gladstone had put aside and evaded with In
genuity and intellectual suppleness that extortcd
the admiration Of the House, increased its anxiety
and finally made q storm OF indig natlOu. That
evening passed. and the world read next morning
the record of Mr.. Gladstone's inhexbe refusal to
say whether lie recognized it as any part of Eng
lands duty to try and save the lives of soldiers
fighting her battle in Egypt. Shortly before the
House met on Tuesday came the news of the fall of
Sinkat and the determination Of the troops who
had so long and so bravely manned its walls.
These were the circumstances which Sir Stafford
Northcote had to bring forward in indictment
against the Ministry. do not enumerate the counts
Of that Indictment. l only indicate the incidents
which lent force TO the detailed and sustained
charges which il was the province Of the Con-
sentative leader to state The atmosphere about
hun was one in which orator or any man with
the instinct of combat IN him would have de-
lighted The House would have thrilled at tho
touch of master-hand. word of passionate
censure. of just anger of menace would have let
loose a s orm of sympathetic cheering. It was not
once uttered Sir Stafford contented himself with
a tame. confused, commonplace recapitulation Of
some of the events in Egypt in which the Govern
ment had borne share He pointed out with
Aabby finger some of their more conspicuous mis-
takes He appealed to no sentiment lie echoed
none of the voices in the air abroad which were
already all but voices Of doom to the Government.
And lac sat down leaving his party bewildered. the
House puzzled. his opponents relieved, ana the
Prime Minister exutant in the certainty of a
victory that his enemy's weakness was TO make
complete.
OF Mr.. Glalstones speech have already said
perhaps enough, and have no intention Of going
over the ground again or of restating the points
which the debate turned. The effect of it is all |
am now concerned with. Taking Sir StafOrds
painful failure and Mr. Gladstones really magnf
cent performance together it Is beyond doubt that
they turned the tide which setting so strongly
against kthe Ministry. Nothing would have
awaited had not Mr.. Gladstone pledged the Govern
ment to save Tokar if there was still time to it,
On that effort the country had set ITS heart, and
Mr. Gladstone who Is not, think, a rule we'll |
informed or quickly informed of changing currents
of feeling had been made aware of the one indis
pensable promise he had to give. He gave it |