Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1885-02-26
A Posffivist,s Review of Present Con-
ditiOns

ditfons
Frederick Harrison, in the Fortnightly Review
There is everywhere revival of the spirit
of national aggrandizement and imperial am
bition. Under the now avowed lead of the
great German dictator, the nations of Europe
running race to extend their borders by
conquest and annexation among the weak and
uncivilized. There is to-day a scramble for
Africa, as there was formerly for Asia; and
the scramble in Asia, or in Polynesia, is only
less urgent for the moment, in that the rival
ry is just now keenest in Africa. But in
Asia, in Africa, in Polynesia, the strong ma
tions of Europe are struggling to found en-
pires by violence, fraud, or aggression.
Three distinct wars are being waged in the
East, and in Africa alone our soldiers and
our government are asserting the rule Of the
sword in the North, on the East, in the CEN
tire, on the South, and on the West at the
same time. Five years ago we were told that
for England at least there to be some
lull in this career of blood and ambition. 1t
was only, we see, party cry, device to up
set government. There has been no 1ul1,
no pause in the scramble for empire. The
empire swells year by year year by year
fresh wars break out; year by year the bur-
den of empire increases, whether Disraeli or
Gladstone, Liberal or Conservative, are the
actual Wl6lQ0rS Oh power. Lie agents The
aggression, the critics, have changed sides;
the Jingoes of yesterday are the grumblers OF
to-day; and the peaceful patriots of yester
day are the Jingoes of to-day. The empire
and its appendages are even vaster in 1885
than in 1880; it's responsibilities greater;
its risks and perplexities deeper; its enemies
stronger and more threatening. And in the
midst of this crisis those vino condemn this
policy are fewer; their protests come few and
faint. The Christian sects can see nothing
unrighteous in Mr.. Gladstone the Liberal
caucuses stif1e any murmur of discomfort and
force those who spoke out against Zulu, Af-
CHAN and Transvaal wars to justify, by the
tyrant's plea of necessity, the massacre of
Egyptian fellahs and the determination of
Arab patriots. They who mouthed most
loudly about Jingoism are now the foremost
in their appeals to national vanity. And the
parasites of the parasites of our great Liberal
statesman can make such hubbu5 in his utter
absence of a policy that they drive him by
sheer clamor from one adventure into anoth-
er. For nearly four years now we have con-
tinuously protested against the policy pur
sued in Egypt. Year after year we have told
Mr. Gladstone that it was blackening his
whole career and covering our country with
shame. There is a monotony about our pro-
tests. But, when there is q monotony in evil
doing, there must alike be monotony in re-
monstrance. We complain that the blood
and treasure of the nation should be used in
order to fiay the peasantry of the Nile, in the
interest of usurers and speculators. We com
plain that we practically annex people
whom we will not govern and cannot benefit
We are boldly for what in the slang of the
day is called ''scuttling" out of Egypt. We
think the robber and the oppressor should
scuttle quickly as possible-that he is GER
tain to scuttle some day. We complain of
massacreing an innocent people merely to
give our traders and money dealers larger or
safer markets. We complain of all the cam
paigns and battles as wanton, useless and un-
just massacres. We especially condemn the
war in the Soudan, as wanton and unjust
even in the avowal of the very ministers who
are urging it. The defender of Khartoum is
man of heroic qualities aud beautiful ma
ture; but the cause of civilization is not serv-
ed by launching among savages a sort of Pen
tateuch knight errant. And we seriously
complain that the policy of a great country
in great issue of right and wrong should be
determined by school boys shouting over the
feats of our English Garibaldi.