New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-10-08
great majority refuse to join. and the French
Government is acting with decision.


reply at Edinburgh to Mr.. Gladstone lacked
neither point nor ability nor tilneliness. but
1t does not rouse the country. Lord Ran
dolph's return from partridge shooting with
Baron Hirsch in Moravia and his reappear-
ance on political platform at Staybridge in
vigorous health excites interest but for the
day only. The truth Is, the strain Of the long
session has worn out public attention. and the
unreality of the proceedings in the .louse of
commons has TO some extent disturbed the be-
lief Of many In the seriousness Of what rover
theless was and Is very serious crisis in pub
lie affairs. l mean by unreality the support
Of the Home Rule bill BY a considerable
tion OF the Gladstonians who supported 1t only
because they knew it could not become a law,
but would be rejected by the House of Lords
The more fanatcal section Of tho GladstOnan
party consoled themselves in the belief that
the Lords after their rejection Of this
bill would be discredited and were to be
seriously attacked. Through the Lords or
over the Lords was their motto The fulfil
ment Of these hopes has been adjourned Mr.
Gladstone Is far shrewder judge of politics
so long he keeps his mind open. than any
Of his followers. He saw it would not do
He went to Edinburgh to pour
cold water on the burning zeal of the Radicals.
He has quenched it. They perceive, as the
country perceives, that in the present state Of
public opinion an agitation for the overthrow
of the House Of Lords would result in the
throw of the agitators. All Mr.. Gladsonc's
criticism upon the peers was academic. 1t led
to no act; ii announced no purpose; ii dis
closed policy. He would not have been the
Incompatible party leader he is If he had done
any of those things. The country. he well
knows. is in no mood to destroy a legislative
chamber which gives effect to the opinion Of
the majority Of the country. BY the word coun-
try mean Great Britain. There is no sign Of
anger against the Lords. except party anger
The Gladstonian caucuses issue manifestos and
a few obscure politicians try to become less
obscure by organizing league for the abolition
Of the Lords but caucuses are not the country.
and the league is stillborn. The manifesto fell
fat The country is quiet You do not hear of
a single great meeting in favor Of abolition or
in favor of Home Rule. Not one OF the signs
by which in this country a strong popular feel
ing is denoted can be discovered. 1t would be idle
TO deny that there is among the Gladstonians.
and especially among the Radicals of that
party, feeling Of disconent and still stronger
feeling Of dscouragement. They have no choice
but to abide by Mr. Gadstone's judgment, but
they slipping from them the chance. as
they thought. Of an effective blow at the Lords.
the remaining bulwark. as they imagine.
against all sorts Of Radical innovations. True.
Mr. Gladstone holds out some faint hope that by
and by perhaps next year he may
be ready to lead that crusade which
he now stiles but the Radicals arc the
most impatient Of mankind. They are impatient
even though they know that their own leaders
agree substantially with what Mr.. Chamberlain
has been telling you in New-York. namely
that the opinion Of England is Unionist They
may not agree that general election on tho
Homo Rule issue would produce rnionist ma
jority Of 100 but they have secret dread that
1t would produce Unonist majority. The
proof Of it is that neither they nor Mr.. Glad
stone are willing to go to the country on the
Home RUE issue alone. The policy long since
foreshadowe1 to you is to be followed Other
measures are to be sent up to the Lords next
year-Radical measures English measures.
Scotch and Welsh measures. Something which
Englishmen. Scochmen. and Wclshmen really
care about These, or some Of these. the Lords
are expected to reject. and it is upon their re-
lection Of such measures that an appeal is to
be made to the people. and not upon Home
Rule What Mr. Gladstone hoped was to force
such dilemma upon the Lords this year, but
il is now too late. There Is not time and the
political mind is apathetic.
The accounts cabled here Of the vigilant
Valkyrie match are fairly impartial and so are
the English comments There has not been
from any quarter a suggestion Of unfairn"ss.
The feeling 50 well expressed on the American
side finds an echo hcre-the feeling Of true
sportsmanshp and OF a cousinly rvary In
which there is no element Of unfrcndliness
Nor is there any attempt To make out that Eng
land is not represented by her best champion
THE Times" which is an authority on yacht
ing saws expressly that though the Britannia
is superior in some points to the Nalkyrc. the
latter is undoubtedly better capable all round
Of contcstng the Americas Cup. There Is not
here excep perhaps in yachting circles. tenth
part Of the excitement over the match which
prevails in New York There will. however If
the Valkyrie wins. be exultation enough to sat
isfy Lord Dunraven himself and there is ample
recognition Of Lord Dunraven's energy and gal
lantry. England asks for no better yachting
representative.
The world has this week been put in pos
session Of a considerable number OF Zola's 0pin-
ions on England 1t is evident that he takes
himself and his visit very seriously. He seems
unaware Of the limitations upon his English
welcome or how very narrow has been ms
view of any single side of English life. the
outside excepted. Hc was the guest, IL IS true'
of the Institute Of Journalists. yet he has met
very small number Of the leading Journal
ists of England. He is president OF the french
Society Of Men OF Letters. but very few Eng
usbnen Of letters have approached him. and
,hosa not of the hrst rank. Whether he would
have been lionized by society or by any impor-
tant section Of society is doubtful. The ques-
,,on could not be answered because society
uas dispersed. The Lord Mayor gave him a
reception which attended by hardly any
one whose name is for any reason familiar to
the public. He neither speaks nor understands
English These the circumstances in which
his opinions on England arc formed during a
ten days visit The experience was perfectly
navel to him. He devotes himself TO work IN
Paris and at his villa in the country. knows