The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-02

spirnoy Aeninst Her The Continental
Press IL Rather Beiiicose-Ir war shouid
Como Canadians MAY Take n Hand and
Have n Free Ride clear 10 nonE KenE.
Spsotdi Gable Despatoh to THE Sun.
IoNpoS. Jan. If to-day's language OF the
British press correctly represented the spirit
in which tho British people are entering upon
the now year, then the worlds respect for
Great Britain as q virile, valiant nation would
change to a mixture Of pity and contempt
Never have the so-called great journals Of the
great metropolis of q great empire spread be-
fore their readers such melancholy forebodings
and such gloomy fears. Most depressing of all
are tho hollow attempts to take q cheerful
view of the outlook, which. by implication. is
declared to be hopeless. 1t will DO q sad COM
mentary upon the public spirit of England In
1858 IL she accepts with supreme resignation
the situation which 10 presented TO her In New
Years articles by tho London editors.
1t is pointed out by all. In more or less open
language. that the British Empire can escape
severe disaster to its commercial interests In
the far East only by drawing the sword. This
is undoubtedly true. but It 10 no new fact. The
readers Of these dispatches have boon familiar
with It for moro than o twelvemonth. 1t has
been constantly dwolt upon by every keen OBJ
server Of events in the far East, and Continental
Chancelleries since the cloHe of the Chinese
Japanese war, but the truth has been brought
homo to the English public mind only by the
events Of the past month.
In tho face Of this great imperial crisisthere lie
not O single voice raised in favor Of defiant re-
pistance to the great conspiracy against Great
Britain now in process of execution. 1t is posi-
lively saddening. much as one may have criti-
cised British aggression and arbitrary aRgran-
diEement In the past, to read to-day's tacit ad-
missions of the downfall Of the British EN-
pire from the eminence Of the dominant power
of tho world. This, for instance, is the lam
Ruage of so-called patriotism from q journal
which 1t IL tho merest irony now to describe as
the Thunderer:
Tho new year opens with ambiguous omens.
This country 10 confronted by the organised
and determined rivalry Of other powers, which.
in their efforts. TO cut US out from the markets Of
uncivilized or undeveloped regions, have, at
any rate, an apparent advantage in being able
to employ against us weapons We have de-
lberstely renowned for ourselves. Our COM
merciaITas well as our imperial interests are
deeply invofSed,in the scramble for China and
the advance of rival States on the Nile and
Niger. To conduct all these difficult opera
tions, diplomatic, naval. and military. to q sat
~isfactory conclusion, would DO an achievement
that would greatly rebound to the honor Of our
ministers and especially to the heads OF the for
eign office and the Colonial Office. A failure
to maintain firmly though cautiously tho rights
Of the British empire and the CLAIMS Of British
trade would involve an equal degree Of dis
credit"
This is the only word tho Times has to say
regarding the duty of the Government and Of
Englishmen. The Standard, which. perhaps. 10
more closely connected with the Government,
indicates more clearly but also In extremely
mild language the course which England should
pursue. 1t says:
circumstances have already marked out
for US the general hneg on which we have to
act. 1t may be Vowed as certain that tho 70.
cen, measures by which Russia and Germany
have established themselves on tho Chinese
mainland. were taken in pursuance Of some
more or less defined understanding. Whether
Prince Henry Is to prosecute his chivalrous
mission at Kiao Chou Bay or transfer himself
and his party to some other region whore mis-
sionaries have not been masBacred, but whore.
in other respects, q harbor 10 eligible, hangs in
some doubt. But whatever flag may finally
wave ct Kiao Chou, everything will be done in
concert 30 long as an amicable compact be-
tween Berlin and st. Petersburg endures.
Trance. subject to similar reserve with re-
gard to the Russian alliance, will perforco re-
main bound to conform with any policy which
tho Gar deems proper to pursue. The repub-
ho will perhaps be allowed to secure advantages
for itself. We may have in what we do o GER
tain amount of inartioulate sympathy from
France, which can scarcely view with gratif-
cation tho growing commercial strength Of Its
European neighbor. but the understanding of
tho three powers must be accepted as q settled
factor in the problem.
There remains the Japanese nation, which
has even more cause than we for concern at tho
steps taken toward the partition Of the vast
empire Of which its people have for years be-
lieved themselves to be the natural inheritors.
The geographical advantages enjoyed By japan
would cooperate with her finely developed re-
sources and make her q potent ally in case Of
war. Need It be added that the good will Of
China may be reckoned on to supplement the
e~xertions of those powers whose interest and
policy 1t 10 to neutralize the ambitions Of which
she has lately had 80 sharp an experience.
Barbarous and feeble as the Celestial Empire
is, there is in the very bulk and stolidity of its
benighted population q faculty Of passive re-
sistance which the most enterprising of military
States might well shrink from provoking"
This means. II 1t means anything, that the
British Government II ready to 20 the length of
war to prevent the execution Of plans for the
partition of China. 1t means also that the con-
fiict which all the world has been dreading may
come upon Europe while the new year is still
young.
Tho solemn language used by some editors
is both ominous and oppressive. Several of
them fnd the situation analogous to that which
preceded the elder Pitts accession to power.
Thus the Morning Posts leader says:
"As the years went on toward 1855 there was
a good deal Of uneasiness In this country. A
vague feeling prevailed that great events. per-
haps great conflicts, were coming on. and that
the party machinery OF the day had hardly
turned out the sort Of man to steer the eoun-
try's affairs through the breakers ahead. A
man Of ideas'and force of character was wanted.
1t was in this period OF depression that Pitt.
unburdening his soul to one of his friends. said:
"1 am sure that ! can save the country, and
that no one else cam
1T seemed TO be a very presumptuous saying
for an untried man. but events gave Pitt q
chance. and his belief in himself seems to have
been justified by his work.