The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1885-05-14
GOING TO PIECES.
GLADsTONe,s MINISTRY WRECKED ON
RUSSIAN ROCKS.
The Penjdeh Surrender, the Soudan. the
Crimes Act and the Registration Asui
Possible Legacies to the Sue
ccssful Opposition.

LONDON. May lin parlianent the air
il full Of vague uncertainty. The impress
sion is general, though not particularly well
founded, that the Gladstone ministry is 60
ing to pieces Some cynical Observers even
declare that the ministers, including Glad
stone himself, are aware Of this fact. Their
narrow escape from defeat on the English
registration bill shook them badly. More
over, the Soudan is again brought to the
foreground, and they can scarcely find any
escape which will not expose
them to attacks from their own
radical supporters or drive them into such a
mass of contradictions, such confession Of
causeless slaughter, SO gigantic a waste of
money, and such general fiasco as will tell
terribly in the tory Indictment. Finally,
there are persistent reports Of irreconcilable
dissension in relation to the Grimes act
The general unrest is increased by a re-
ported hitch in the parleying with Russia
The feeling ON the Russian compromise is a
curiously mixed one, Of relief at the escape
from war and anger at the clutnsiuess Of the
escape Even the strongest jingoes admit
that the fenjdeh incident was q trumpery
and absurd pretext for war, but the public
generally cannot forgive Gladstone for yield
ing after his passionate ofations
and enormous preparations. The
real secret Of the hackdown was
gross miscalculatiOu concerning
the intentions of the amer and the pros
poets of waging war in Europe. That the
an,eer sold England there is little doubt, aud
it is now gravely discussed whether the
ameer is not a Russian agent, and whether
it is not useless to deal with hun.
The latest developements indicate the
abandonment Of even ths so-called arbitra-
tion, whicl, has been vannted al the honor
able mode OF covering En1land's retreat.
The cabinet was entirely occupied with Il
discussion OF the latest proposal made by
Baron De Staal. the Russian ambassador.
This proposal was that if further evidence
disproves Sir Peter Luma1en's charges
against the Russians for responsibility for
the Penjdeh Incident, this evidence shal
he accepted as conclusive, and the
project Of submitting the question to arbi-
tration shall i,e abandoned. 1t is believed
that this proposal has been accepted by the
British cabinet This. il true, makes Sir
Peter Lums;ieu and the Afghans the scape-
goats for the slaughter Of March 80, and
com ple+es the surrender of Great Britain t.
Russia. The so-called arbitration, Of course,
was never expected or designed to amount to
much, but it afforded at least a pretense that
the backing down was not all on one side.
Reports OF new massacres in the Soudan
increase the feeling against the campaign,
and Lord Harrington has been compelled tn
promise an early statement Of his policy.
This is awkward, as the government is with
out q policy and is merely drifting toward
the vote of censure
The agitation against the proposed sptri,
tar is becoming serious The Irish
members are unital in their opposition
and many liberals hall seats at the will Of
the spirit interest. Mr.. Childers considers
the tax vital ami will resign if it is defeated.
The government will probably also resign.
avoiding the odium which would follow thu
isu,, " al of the crimes act.