The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1885-06-09
Lnmsden,s Dellnnce

The spectacle OF a British major gen.
eral and special high commissioner of
boundaries denouncing the conduct OF
his own government ina foreign capital,
and to newspaper men who have the ear
Of the entire world, is something so OK
tsaordinary as to command something
more than passing comment. The ext
gencies OF discipline the demands of
diplomacy, tho ordinary dictates OF Der.
sonal prudence, to say nothing OF what
the Gladstone government call the pro-
prieties and decencies of official life,
nave all been set so com
pletely at defiance by Sir Peter
Lumsden that no one can help
believing that something much worse
and more discreditable to the British
ministry than mas yet been published
remains to be told. The only alterna.
tive that can be imagined is that Gen.
Lumsden is so complete lunatic that
the gOvernmentwh employed him is
unworthy of confidence in any of its
acts. The latter assumption seems inn
possible OF acceptance, for lunacy of
such an exaggerated kind as this would
be does not 30 suddenly develop in the
mind Of a healthy man without warning,
nor does lmbecility usually exhibit il.
SELF in the prime of career distin.
guished alike for courage and capacity,
The inference, then, is plain that Sir
Peter Lumsden has profound cruse for
his indignation; ample justification for
his cool refusal to be muzzled by minis
terial command. II this Inference be
as true as IL is unavoidable, il follows
that what Sir Peter knows and what
the ministry has suppressed is that
which will be likely Onco again to stir
the passions OF the English and make
the world shake with the fear of war,
The profound scorn Of the existing cab
met which Lumsden's sayings exhibit;
his splendid distinction between what
he owes to his country-his life, ifit be
demanded-and what he does not owe to
his immediate employers; his calm in
difference to the threats and commands
of his Royal Highness George Duke of
Cambridge, commander-in-ch etc.
reminds one of the heroic DAYS of Brit.
ish martial life. Lieutenant. General
Webb dared equal things when Marl-
| borough commanded in chief. His
abrupt honesty and superb courage
could not endure the state-craft of his
| superiors, and he showed up i'm Eng
land as the accuser OF his commander.
whose secret pertidies were brought
partially TO light by his instrumentaiity
and persistent talking. But in those
days there were no newspapers worthy
OF the name, and Webb 1perished,
professionally, though maintaining
through his physical life a steady out
fiow OF sturdy blasphemy against the
redoubtable duke. Later ages did jus.
tloe TO Webb and Marlborough and
| Webb lfves in fame as an honest, brave
and capable general, while Marlbo-
rough's genius is stained with the re-
cord of his crimes.
In these later days, when man OF
| Lumsden's standing can speak with
myriad tongues to he millions of the
world, similar denunciations may lead tC
! widely different results. 1t may be that
his utterances will furnish the flame ia
| fire the indignation of the British peo-
| pie, and do that which Salisbury and
Randolph Churchill have been yainlv
aiming TO do. 1t may be that the Min
istry will be driven from power, and
the passion OF tho people so aroused
as to compel either war or Russian
retreat. IL will be curious to watch
this possible phase of tho British cues.
ton. Popular feeling, always foklt
and liable to blaze out in unexpected
quarters, may be aroused TO indignation
against the outspoken officer who dares
to questisn the conduct Of his govern
ment In face of the world. 1t may, or
the other hand, seize on Sir Peter Lums
den as its hero, and while DESTROYING
the Ministry erect him into an lido
breathing threatenlngs and slaughter
The worst that can happen to him will b,
that his sayings should tall flat, apC
That he and his career should be buried
IN the cold sepulchre of indifference
| Globe Democrat.