The Wilmingtonian., 1885-01-03
EwART GLADSTONE.

l
had President Arthur signed the Nicaraguar
Treaty last May he would have gained such
popularity throughout the ration that his
candidacy for the presidency would have
| been sure of success, the writer claiming
that there is nothing the people like more
than little dash and vigor in foreign poll.
cy.
For almost half century William Ewart
| Gladstone, the present ruler of England,
has influenced her politics for good.
That lie is the ruler de .fdcto is incontestable,
more practically so than Victoria, and with
constitutional credentials as genuine as those
of our own president, though perhaps in
some respects more democratic.
His credentials as ruler are more demo-
cratic in The fact that the people, through
their representatives, have it in their pow
er to unseat him at any moment, not alone
for suspicion of wrong doing, but also should
| the commoners or members of parliament
pass an adverse vote, vote showing a ma
jority against the government-that fact ter
inmates Gladstones administration.
During his long and successful career
| Gladstone has been several times nnseated
Usually this has happened upon some ques
tion of foreign policy.
Gladstone has always been conservative.
| His policy is retrenchment. He is opposed
to England's carrying ON foreign wars. 1t
| was with the greatest reluctance he entered
upon the Egyptian campaign. 1t was only
upon the popular clamor that Gordon's blood
would be visitei upon his shoulders that he
| allowed WoIseley t. embark with very
small and entirely insufficient corps for the
Soudan.
| In his hJm policy Gladstone is nearer to
tie heat of the English people. His dis
tablishment and franchise policies were
| direct attack upon aristpcratcism. They
were popular measures ard in that sense
they were un lerstood and discussed.
Gladstone has always been the avowed op-
ponent to England's meddling with conti-
| mental matter His abstention has encour-
| aged Germany ct Angra Pequena and en-
couraged all tie other Europe nationalities
to makes claims on tine Congo districts.
| Had D'Israeli been in power there would
have been no Congo Conference for, months
ago, self.supporting Indian east Indian)
contingent would have been stationed in cen
tral Africa ready to march southwark to the
heaiwaters of the Congo, Or to march north
in support OF Woiseley's Khartoum relief
column.
This brilliant dash in foreign policy is what
the English like that liz, the people like.
Never were they prouder than when the
British AdmiraPs iron-clads sailed in single
file up the Dardanelles and dropped anchor
Ill front of Constantinople. Those hall
dozen warships in that single act throw tc
the winds the months of hard fighting OF
the Russian al imies, the thousands of lives
sacrificed on the snowy Balkans, the hard
won battles and millions of treasure lost were
all uselessly expended now that the goal, Con
stantinople, was out of their reach through
the interposition of Admiral Seymour
J ironclads. D'Israel checkmated the Rus
SLAMS by a single move. Such vigorous for
eign policy as that is what the people de
light in-but it is equally to Gladstone
dislike.
In the present Bulwer-C Clay ton controver
sy it is highly improbable that there will
: be any serious difficulties with the BIRTHS
government. At least during Gladstone
administration there is the greatest likel
hood that Lord Granville, Gladstone's sec
retary of state, though mantainin
l his former position as to the binding condi
4 tions of that ancien document, would neV
er be allowed by the Prime Minister to ca
o ry his opposition to the fair and just claim
]. of the American government any iuther tina
n a stated remonstrance.
o But should cause for popular war aris,
for instance the defence of English interest
9 in Egypt against France, Russian or Germa
o aggression, did Gladstone hesitate for OF
o moment in accepting the challenge,
would be hooted and rotton-egged in I'll
streets with as great readiness as was IL
Duke of Wellington in the streets of Lo
10 don for opposing popular measure.
S. An English minister is lauded to the ski
ID by the populace as long as lie trims his sal
le to suit the peoples wishes, but should
ly run counter to their plainly expressed d
in mands in Parliament or in the press,
to record of past brilliancy or successful a
IT. ministration would save him from igno
my.
1t There was never sharper lesson to Gla
an stone than the experience he had at the til
N. of D'Isrealis glorfcation at the Ber
Conference after the Turko-Russian WI
~ Gladstone was entirely eclipsed, his nal
no was mentioned only to sneer at. He "
totally deserted, and nursed his contum
in enforced seclusion at Hawarden.
The public ovation that he receives