The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1895-12-27

Pn1l1pp1C AkhAhoD sAcN
Pretenses-she Has Been Bully For
Three Centuries and Has Extended Her
Empire by Violence and Fraud.
copyright, 1851
The recent lugubrious plant of Great
Britain that nobody loves her is amusing.
History. not given to smiling, laughs at it
az thing most rare and humorous. A
leading British statesman rises In MS
Mace and declares, with what feelings we
know not. fhat England has not one friend
among the nations. What he says Is very
true. but the strange thing is that he
should have Just now discovered 1t. His
remark is like the morbid and grewsome
ptterance of an unwholesome spinster who
never had a lover in her life, and who,
with infinite but unconscious humor, re-
fers to the fact after she is 45 years old.
1t had been better to be silent. 1t had
been wiser that the plaintiff should long
ago have found out at least little OF what
the rest of the world thinks of her.
Great Britain whining is indeed an OBJ
iect of interest. We do her the credit to
say that she has not been much given to
this mood 1t is the mood of a rheumatic
tigress auerulous with the aches and glut-
tony of her thirty sixth year, and no
longer able, from stiff jaws and a equity
imagination, to enjoy even bit OF pre-
cious lamb or choicest morsel of wild
game Lying upon her launches and re-
membering what she was in her heyday,
she utters pessimistic umlation to the
effect that nobody loves her. We repeat
that it is the most amusing thing that has
happened since the American Revolution.
The London Spectator takes up the
theme and admits that it is true that
Great Britain has no friend The disin-
terested organ then proceeds to explain the
reason of it, There is no humility, no
modest admission of fallibility in the ex-
PLANTATION. Great Britain, according to
this oracle, is not loved because she is so
great and good. She is disliked and hated
because she is wiser and better than the
other nations. Great Britain is strong;
the other nations are weak. She is rich ;
they are poor. She is progressive and at
the same time conservative; they are non
progressive and at the same time radical.
She controls commerce; they have none.
She dominates the sea; they stop with the
shore. She is able to colonize; they can
not plant colonies, not knowing how. She
civilizes the world they are unable to civ
ilize any part of the world. Great Britain
is stable; they are unstable as water. The
knowledge of this difference excites other
peoples to envy and jealousy
why Great Britain Is Not Humble.
The Spectator goes on to admit that
| Great Britain is not humble, but why
should she be humble? There Is no occa-
sion that she should humble herself. She
is superior and must vindicate her superb
ority, even if she have not a friend in the
world. For what reason should the great,
the wise, the rich, the good England per-
form the act of humiliation? She will ad-
nit that she is sorry she has no friends,
but she cannot help it. 1t is her destiny.
She will have to accept her destiny and
follow it and bear the animosity of the
world. Destiny has made her better and
greater than the other nations, and for
that reason they foolishly dislike her and
meanly refuse her the friendly hand and
cheering voice.
This is precisely the explanation that
we might expect from an organ of British
opinion, but it is an explanation that does
not explain. The Spectator reminds one
of disease trying to diagnosticate itself.
Its Interpretation falls wide of the mark
in every particular. 1t is based upon false
assumptions. 1t is not true as it respects
Great Britain and is untrue as it respects
other nations. 1t is most untrue as it re-
spects the around of dislike which other
nations hold against the island empire
and the race that has created it. We pre-
fer to make our own Interpretation of the
reasons why Great Britain has no friend,
but in the first place let us look at the oo-
| cocio,, If tho racpnt cOmDlaint.
Great Britain would not have uttered
this maudlin cry about having no friend II
| she had not for the nonce felt the need OF
one. The unexpected complication in the
east of Asia is the occasion of this wall
from the Jolly old lioness SO full of human
lamb The march of historical forces has
within the year brought the English pow
or face to face with the power of Russia, in
an arena more than 10, 600 miles distant
| from London.
Russia wishes to build railroads down to
the open waters of the Pacific, to cross ter
ritories that are not her own, but through
which she can easily make her way.
Great Britain does not relish the idea
that ANYBODY except herself shall carry
lines of railway through territories that
are not her own. She wishes to interdict
Russia from doing so, and, marvel OF
marvels, is not able to do It'll She does not
dare to go to war, not because she has not
the courage, but because her national
debt has become so great that she burst
not increase 1T.
John Bull, belligerent scowls at Rus
STA and gets his hand on the hilt OF his
sword in his usual manner, but Shylock,
standing behind, pulls his coattails and
says in the language of the Baron Hat,
feldt, "Mein freund, dees eez not peeznls:
Indeed it is not business. Great Britain
knows it is not business. For that reason
she does not dare to go to war. Finding
herself at her ropes end, remembering
that even she is in the clutch OF money
power greater than herself, and remember
ing also that the Russia whom she would
have TO fight is no longer the Russia oil
1854 and the Crimea, she comes to pause.
She can go no further. Something very
like crocodile tear is seen on her leathery
cheek. She points to the bladdery drop,
and in a vain effort to state her case oluo'
beers out her complaint that she has not q
single friend among the nations.
John Bull Turns to Uncle Sam.
This complaint is directed in particular
TO the United States The United States,
says the plaintiff, ought to be her friend
but is not 1t is true, then, that on Ger