New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-05-09
IMPERIALISM.
AND THE IMPERIAL VIEWS OF MIR. JOHN
MORLEY, OF BRIGHT, OF FORSTER,
OF LORD ROSEBERY. AND
OF MR. GLADSTONE
OF Mr.. GLADSTONE.

alive Mr. Morley was speaking IN celebration of
the twenty-ffth anniversary of Mr.. T. b. Potter's
representation of the borough Of Rochdale in the
House of Commons: but it is not supposed that
the allnsion was to the hero OF the day. MI.
Gladstone seems to be meant. The fascination
which the elder has exercised over the younger man
has long been known, and is easily eXplicabc.
Mr.. John Morley is or till lately has been. man
Of books and ideas. Mr.. Gladstone is man OF
affairs. who has led the House OF Commons and
governed England. and done other considerable
things in politics of domestic KIND. Inc ascen-
dency of the practical over the theoretical politt
clan is in the nature of things. Many o'heF rea-
sons might be given Mr. Morley Is far from belna
the only considerable parsonage on whom Mr..
Gladstone has laid spell But the scholar VINO
finds himself in contact rather late IN lie with
realities might sill do well TO preserve That sense
Of proportion and that mental balance which hH
studies taught him. or should have taught him
A sapcrative is ever a dangerous weapon oi'en
damaging to him who uses it and to him on WHOM
it is used
II is Mr. Morley's real nature to be critical; he
has fine Judgment when he chooses to use IT,
and n sobrirty of mind which only deserts him
under the pressure of some strong enthusiasm OF
perhaps fanaticsm lie could not well speak AT
Bright. He even had something new 10 say. and
said it with that effectiveness and trenchant
energy characteristic of him when deep feelings
are reused. Bright. he thought. had certain es-
scntial qualities of the orator, and something
more. lie had the glory OF words and nobody
in this century. not Canning. not Ersknc. NOT
Bromgham not an orator Of this century had so
understood the trnc genius of our glorious Eng
a., ;+- ifs massive SIMPLICITY.
IFS diqnitv.r. The tribute is striking odd as is
Mfr Worey', choice Of great English orators Of
the century Brouglam artificial, Ers<ine loren
,c Canninr smoke for the day. and not one OF them
realIv belongs in the first rank. Perhaps no one
of rho three could be said to have much Of that
moral feryor which Bright had, beating like
misc behind these effects Of art" hne phrase
follo,vcd bv an image finer still. Mr. Bright
80, orca, stream of moral ideas flowing, Ike
the C;nlf Stream Itself, through politics. enrich
inc discussion. nourishng it, and making AZ alive
Far less happy was llr Morley in his defence
Of what Sir Michael IIicls-Bea in a phrase
which his critic perhaps enyied him, called the
coyardly parochialsm Of the Radical school, ana
espcciallv of the Manchester Radical school Mr'
Morley calls il the creed of an enlightened ma
tionaI interest II has been dehned-Lord Tal-
r,rrStcn defined it-as a policy based on inc cal
cuIation Of selling the most British goods ABROAD.
Mr. Morley will not believe II to be piaSea
mn. this doctrine Of non-interven'lon IL Is
only, played ont in the sense, he declares NAV
/, has been accepted 10y, incorporated H. ana
embraced by the political system whlch IS dc-
cepted and practically worked upon oy s'''e'Iie"
Of all political parties. \ sangulhe view hf'
Mr. Morley forgotten the guarantee oil beisluIn
by his dolized greatest man ne ever AHc"
Notbinr is So unsafe in English politics rs gen
cralization. unless 1t be. prediction. MI "i'i.
lev assumes the mantle of the prophet 'oo' ""'
nroclaims in the sympathetic ears ol me co"o"-
SINNERS Of Rochdale that g" the tate ot any MN.
istry which does intervene in the struggles oi
continental Europe is, from that day for'h'
sealed.
Veu il is probably true that the worklngman
~ tho dav has been good deal deoaucheu ny
fbc neace-at-auy price talk OF when ne mas hea'u
o., much from, 81 many men of the Radical schooL
Ito b,s been taught that peace means thriving
,rode and high wages and cheap hread' ana an
,h. otber ideals of his artisan millennium. lie
loo Ma. had time to clear his mind oil the non
.,,ss that comes TO him with the stamp "l "h"O
:, los rosblv accented rs apostolic authority.
Perhaps nothing short OF ha'loha. O.''S
c,.or II Then. whether. the crisis had lis Origin
on fhp Continent OF fI>'NH'iN' -
eliza, tho Radical artisan was an EnGlLShman ~
-. 49,, Epglisbman before all, with an Eng
lis}mon's innate love of fighting, ana INFORM III.
,,.t,t,, 90 ,,lo ANYTHING but an English view OF
his crisis And SO it might happen that III uia'
,.,I, ,,,rre his voice would be as loud Tor
,,,r - +, has ever becn-and it has often oceh-'n
the not distant past. 49, ,,..ior
WHY is il that men like Mr.. John MorTy
if tnpI caTfu lltlt
,h,ut the Fmpirc? Their tone IS. must say
iii, ,bc tonc which was but too common
=, 80, Xor,berr States before the Rebellion lheIe
- - ,ho.o DAYS men Of culture VINO though
iol,.. ,ooJ citizens who yet cared llt'ie "i
,,.I,.., t,r ,be Union We all remember tha'
,;,,o Many and many man did not Know tna'
b., ,,r,, for tbe Union till he was called upon W
n,h, IT, +, The situation in England is NOT
,,o,,,i.,l for England has long been an EnP''c
3 lo,,l,v 10 the Throne Is of old dae' ~ "''
norhaps 10 Golden and III some measure 10 DIE"
and IN Greater measure 10 lesser men IMAM ei'''
dot England was indebted for the pir'h al"
n,h If an auti-imperial sentiment II da'e>
,,, about the time when the great moueIh
r,r,unes were beginning 10 take uef
.,so in trade and industry The Manchester COT
ran simmer thought cotton-splnnng OF HoIe n"'
portance 10 mankind than the politics OF EuioPe
The prosperity of the middle classes ueploi' "~''
Them They could not look without horror uPo',
any policy or any proposal when misho i'np'i''
,h. continuance Of their business IL meant
something more TO them than cotton-spinnihS'
il was moncy-spinning. They took narrow views
and their leaders sometimes took narrow views
There are PASSAGES in Bright's speeches which
his pnatest admirer can hardly read without
shrinking. lie illumines by his genius doctrines
which in another would have to be called sordld'
Mr.. John Morley has been spoken OF ny some
;lis,r,., friends rs II he were the Bright of TO-
day There are hardly two men more unlike. but
Mr.. John Morley has imbbed from various
sources something of the anti-mperlal spirit winch
WAS the least admirable trait in Brisht's public
character. The gospel of scliishness is not the
HIGHEST religion, even when preached by man
of genius 1t is noSat all the same thing as tha'
enlightened devotion to ones own country whlon
wc call patriotism. Ii is not enlightened. MT.
A. -. =. MT NJ heart | believe in favor of the