The Independent. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1895-1905, 1895-12-02
The Prospects of a General War.

Lord Salisbury in his speech at
the Guild Hall dinner on the Prince
OF Wales birthday is significant in
his remarks. He shows how united
the great powers are, but predicts
that Turkish opposition to the re-
forms in Armenia might yet provoke
a general conflict We extract the
following from the full report OF
his speech, calling the attention of
our rulers here to his remarks on an
overruling Providence. The speech
had a reassuring effect throughout
Europe. After outlining the Turk
ish situation he said:
What if the Sultan is not persu-
aded2 | am bound to say that the
news reaching us from CONSTANT
nople does not give much cheerful
ness in that respect. You will readily
understand that | can only speak
briefly on such matter 1t would
be dangerous to express the opinions
that are on my lips lest they injure
the cause of peace and good order,
which, above all things, have at
heart. But supposing the Sultan
will not give those reforms, what is
to follow
"The first answer | should give is
that above all treaties, all combina-
tions of the powers, in the nature of
things is Providence. God, il you
please to put it so, has determined
that persistent and constant mis-
government must lead the Govern
ment which follows it to its doom,
and while l readily admit that it is
quite possible that the Sultan, il he
likes, can govern with justice and
can be persuaded, he is not exempt
any more than any other potentate
from the law that injustice will
bring the highest one on earth to
ruin.
"It is not only the necessary
action Of the law Of which l speak
on which we may rely. There is the
authority of the great powers.
"Turkey is in the remarkable posi-
tion that she has now stood for
half century mainly because the
powers resolved that for the peace
of Christendom it was necessary
that she should stand. The danger
is that If the Ottoman empire falls
it would not be merely a danger
that would threaten its territory.
1t would be the danger that the fire
there lit would spread to other
nations, involving all that is most
powerful and civilized in Europe in
dangerous conflict"
Lord Salisbury deprecated indulg-
ing in the illusion that some single
power would escape the treaty and
try to settle the question in it's own
manner. He believed that the
powers were never more disposed
than now to stand together by the
European system they had them
selve devised. Danger existed that
the Sultan should imagine that
under pressure of necessity the ad-
hesion of the powers was such that
no abuses in the Ottoman empire
would ever receive punishment.
That was great delusion. Lord
Salisbury declared that he believed
that the powers were thoroughly
resolved to cooperate in everything
concerning Turkey. How they
would act was not for him to pro-
phesy. He did not know what con-
tingencies might arise. They might
become weary Of the cry OF suffering
that goes up in their ears and find
other substitutes for that which
does not fulfill the hopes enter.
tanned forty years ago. There was
therefore nothing in the concert of
the powers to console those who
would perpetrate misgoverument, or
to silence the voice of those who
would impress on the Ottoman
rulers as the one burning necessity
of the hour, that they give the com
mon blessing of good government to
those under them.
In conclusion Lord Salisbury said:
Throughout the negotiations moth
ing was impressed more strongly
upon my mind than the disposition
OF the powers to act together, and
their profound sense of the appalling
danger any separation of their &C.
ton might produce. Those among
them who are popularity reputed to