New-York tribune., 1890-06-18
THE CHANNEL Tunnel.
AND Mr.. GLADSTONE AS CEAMPON OF THE
TUNNEL AND CONVERT OF IR Ed
WARD WATKIN

a half-hour speech, and it is all but incon-
ccivable that it should have been made by a
man who has governed the British Empire or
that anything should have been left
of the British Empire afte he had
governed it. No empire could loy exist were
its affairs conducted on the princips which Mr..
Gladstone has announced. The wrd principle
is not accurate, sentiment comes rarer to eX-
pressing the fact; imagination or ancy nearer
still
The whole Of Mr.. Gladstonc's argrnent for tho
Channel Tunnel rests on one single fonndation-
on his belief that there is no dangr Of the in-
vason of England by France. II yM take away
that belief the argument crumbles, ,am the founda-
tion Is at best of sand He is SO sure of the
good will of France that he is ready to leave
England at her mercy. No doult he thinks the
danger from the tunnel overrated even admitting
that any attack from France is &c be apprehended.
But that is matter OH which military opinion
is better than his. There is a rsk he il greater
or less, aud whatever il may b, Mr.. Gladstone
is willing to run it-wing, ir other words, to
expose his country to peril which the highest
authorities think considerable ad all because he
las persuaded himself that the Frnch are friendly.
If the Germans could also PERSUADE themselves
that the French are friendly. tley might on the
same principle, disnantle Metz md disband their
army. But it will be some time before German
Gladstone appears on the scene
The intolerance Of his attitude toward those
who differ from him is strongy marked in this
speech lie is for :ie tunnel, ald he deems oppo-
sition to it, particularly on tie score of danger,
TO be not only unnecessary, not nly unwarrantable.
but ridiculous. those are hady the terms on,
or in, which grave public questions are discussed
in this country; or in other pats of the Civilized
World, whose opinion is NOR, valuable 10 Mr.
Gladstone than that of Englanl Nor is il usual
for English statesman n fold up England 10
the contempt of Europe II am ashamed of the
attitude of this country in The face of France
says Mr.. Gladstone, and h, speaks in another
passage of the position of L gland in respect to
France as humiliating position. The couns.ls
Of military prudence are deided as an unrea-
soning panic. Are the army .rd navy Of Great
Britain the offspring of unrea"nng panic? Is
Mr. Gladstone ashamed of his cmntry because Of
her troops ard forts? But he ha, of late fallen so
deeply into the habit of disparGgng the Kingdom
Of Great Britain that some new definition of pa
triotism must be devised if his afguage is to he
called patriotic. His friends depGe it. and even
his opponents do not delight in i,-certainly not
those of them who put patriotism sefOre party.
" lie can convince" said the late Mr. Forster.
most people of most things and himself Of any,
thing" We see what he says about French
friendship for England. y, doubt he has con-
WINGED himself that this fri,ndship exists and Is
general among the French people. and of lasting
character. Any man may convince himself II
the same thing if he will svoid reading French
pers and close his ears n the periodical ex-
plosions Of enmityi which ccWr in the French
apcrs and if he will in addtDn reject the testi-
mOny of the best-informed. the same way
he has convinced himself that he people Of Eng
land are not opposed TO the tunnel. That is his
belief "at this moment" TIL belief OF those
who have means Of knowing, nd of those who
weigh evidence, is that greatma jority are OPP
posed to the tunnel. Mr. Gladsone himself adj
mits that there has been a chang of opinion. His
way Of describing the growth of ublic dislike 10
this scheme is 10 say that We have travelled
some stages toward baroarism 1 this natter
lie has, however. his OWN way of cternin.ng pub
lie opinion his own view OF whit IS entitled 10
respect and what is not:
If YOU could get at the feelintof the sensible
population Of this country-and r. that do not
mean only the people who agree With me, but the
mass of the working populatio-I believe 1t
would be found that they look upo the opposition
10 the tnannel lunnel on tne gDunu OF udusct
as an almost preposterous opposit'n.'
That is interesting in several wys, and several
propositions are deducibe from it. First, the
sensible population of this coutry consists OF
those who agree with Mr.. Gladsone. Probably
most men in public life look uponagreement with
themselves test of good sens. But they do
not as rule. say so in public second, not only
those who agree with Mr.. Gladsone are sensible.
but the mass Of the working poplatlon are sensl-
ble We know, however, that N. Gladstone ne
leves himself 10 be supported blythe mass OF the
working population; so that this addition 70 the
category Of sensible people is Dt large one.
II we leave out the question OF areelng win Mt
Gladstone, we arrive al third general PROPOSE
ton namely that the sensible ppulation OF TINS
country consists of the mass of Il, working popu-
lation This, again, is but the old doctrine OF
the Masses and their superiority 70 the Classes.
on which Mr. Gladstone since l@5 has preached
| MANY a sermon. Consider wha the Masses III
this. country are unccucated, still very lni'
| perfectly educated, without Experience or train
ing in public life OF any kind without those
ATTITUDES for it derived from hGedlty; WITHOUT
| knowledge; the prey If the pdltlcal agltator'
| the ready dupc of the bast scrululous and noso
violent journalism; governed by appeals 10 pas
sion. 10 sentiment, 10 class interest. TN 'he
other side are culture, industry capacity, tho
habit of governing, the habit of aking reasoned
views. the inherited tnditions o many genera
,ions of rulers All uhese Mr. Gladstone sets
aside. The sensible population ofth country Is
the ignorant popuatioa-that Is what IL no"
comes 10.
Sir Edward Watlin the chief promoter OF 'ns
! .,,,ool ;s NOT ot any nte. one OF the ignorant.
He belongs. perhaps in class by himself he
| !. an able man Of business; almosttoo able lie
wont in for the tunnel ,ecause he thought there
vos money in il. His nilroad. or 'ne OF his rail-
roads. the South Eastern would ne ,nrlched ~
tunnel lie has been beaten. The House of Com
,,ors for tho fourth tinr this weel has rejected
his tunnel bill Mr.. Gladstone was head of the
| Government by which, ol one occasion. II not on
,,yo the defeat of the hill was secured. IL can
not he ueedlul to add that Mr. Gladstone has
nevertheless convinced himself oil Tie entire con-
si,tency of his conduct inst in opposing, then IN
| ...,;,,, tba tunnel Nhen lie WIS Prime Min