New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-06-26
LORD SALISBURY.
III
HIS PASSION FOR PEACE. HIS FAITH m
COMMON SENSE. HIS TREATMENT OF
ON-CHRISTIAN NATIONS.

London, June 10.
The second Of Mr. Gladstone's curious asscrt.
ment Of principles of foreign policy was to preserve
to the nations Of the world the blessings Of
peace" and especially. were it but for shama,
when we recollect the sacred name we bear AZ
Christians especially to the Christian nations Of
the world This limitation Of the blessings Of
peace to the Christian nations Of the world seems
to have made little impression on the mind Of
Lord Salisbury. He. too. like Mr. Gladstone 1.
| Christian. but he is ready to do his best :.
| give peace 10 the non-Chrstian part Of tho world
| His charity may be no broader than Mr. Glad
stones; his statesmanship perhaps is He 4,
capable Of seeing that the peace Of the world
cannot be preserved by ecclesiastical distinctions
or even by appeals to Christian prejudice Ma
doubt he would rejoice II Heatfiendom we've con.
vcrted in mass. bat to convert II. or to ex.
clude 1t from the blessings of peace. or even IA
postpone its claims of peace to the claims Of China
tendon. has formed no part of Lord Salsburv,
policy. He thinks il his duty as a dplomatst
| to take account of things as they are. The
Foreign Office Is not in his hands branch Of thu
British and Foreign Missionary Society As LORD
Salisbury. he very literally subscribes To tAa.
| Society. As Secretary OF State. he leaves mis-
sonary work to those whom ii concerns. Id
says:
For many, many years past the sohcitude Of
statesmen has been to keep these Mahometan
communities from crumbling into dust and pro-
ducing the disturbance which their disappearance
must cause for . the disappearance OF
nation means desperate quarrel for what it pos
sesseis
There Is In that declaration ring OF common
sense. and common sense lies at the foundation
Of good diplomacy as it does Of most things that
good tn keen things fhev are NAV aoo~~
to men OF lofty Imagination humble aim, yet Il
Is one which Prince Bismarck himself has avowed
ever since 1870. He was the peace-maker Of
Europe-it was his supreme ideal Of duty to keep
the nations of Europe of each others Threats
Lord Salisbury I suspect. regards Prince Bismarck
ss better guide In foreign affairs than Mr. Glad
stone. The great German. 1t Is true, seemed at
times to narrow his views He disole,med
all interest In the Eastern question. and declared
there no conceivable solution Of IL from which
Germany would dissent If Austria and Russia were
at one. But this because, first, the agreement
of Austria and Russia meant peace, and secondly
because German interests were not otherwise con-
cerned in this question than to prevent war And
all the while he was, In fact, hard at work to
bring about an agreement between Russia and
Austria on each question as it arose. Practically
therefore, the German Chancellor and the English
similar lines. These the days Of what is called
Prince Bismarck's disgrace, but no disgrace, M
caprice Of imperial egotism can strip him Of biz
European reputation or make him other than thd
most experienced and successful Minister Of his
time. Nor is 1t light eulogy upon Lord Sails
bury to say that his aims In the conduct Of affairs
are like those of Prince Bismarck, and that even
his methods are often like.
Eulogy, however, is no part Of my businesA
I am not concerned to praise or to blame Lord
Salisbury, but to find out what manner Of man
and Minister he is and should | succeed, to say
who and what it is that l or anybody who looks
into the facts may discover. His handling Of thu
Mahometan business is no bad illustration Of hia
general method and is a very good example OF
that detachment Of mind so essential to any man
who has to form opinions and take decisions on
matters of public policy, foreign or domestic.
There is nothing Of the lingo in this Lord
Beaconsfield misled the English public, and was
himself misled, perhaps, by his rather exalted
language about England's obligations to Turkey
as her ancient ally, and as a bulwark against bars
baran inroads Lord Salisbury, in words OF civil
ity, but with meaning impossible TO mistaSe1
treats the Turk himself a barbarian, and is
neither more nor less merciful to him because he
is barbarian. He is for equal justice TO all.
He is, even more, for policy which shall make
both barbarism and civilization, or, If you like,
Mahometanism and Christianity, Join hands in Sc
curing the blessings of peace He sees and says
that MahOmetan Civilizations phrase which might
shock Mr. Gladstone and the Primitive Methodists
hangs back from the general movement OF the
world. That, and not its doctrlnal differences
from Christianity, is the reason why II
is a danger 1t will not assimilate tho
modern ideas which are essential to prog
ress, nor keep step with the communities
of Christendon. 1t is danger to others because
il is in danger itself, and that is why this huge
organism of the East is an object Of solicituda
to statesmen of the West
Other Powers than Turkey contribute even moro
than Turkey to this general stock Of peril. Mo-
rocco is worst Of ALL II is the home of the worst
abuses of the greatest cruelty, of the greatest
ignorance and backwardness in all that conduces
TO prosperity or humanity. Nobody in England
pays much attention to Morocco-it Is not burn.
ing question, and in these days questions are 50
numerous that a man must feel the breath OF the
fire before he fixes his attention on one OF them.
But says Lord Salisbury, Morocco will some day
or other be as great a trouble and menace TO Eu'
rope as Turkey was twenty or thirty years ago.
In Turkey itself things are much better IL
Lord Salisbury is not the man TO cherish snt-
mental illusions about an ancient ally, no more
is he the man to shut his eyes to facts. DE y
neither Lord Beaconsfield nor Mr. Gladstone. lie
is not afraid to shock the Nonconformist Con-
science by just tribute TO the Sultan. lie speaks
of that great potentate with a certain respect as
a man who has a most intense tenacty OF VIII.
with an entire belief in his race and in his re-
ligion; as one who has devoted himself with
most unexamped assiduity TO repairing the con-
fusion in which his Empire was left by those VINO
have gone before him. There is, under his rule a
steady progress toward better things. IL Is 50
marked, and the result already so consmenoe'
that if it can be maintained II is likely peace
also may be obtained, and Europe be freed from
the fear Of the catastrophe which its fall must
probably bring about.
Is not that more sensible and practical d.