New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-10-29
The "NEH DIPLOMACY" AGAIN.

Lord Sasburys speech at the opening Of the
recent special session Of Parliament was note
worthy in more respects than one. 1t was
fine bit Of that elevated sententious, epigram-
matte oratOry Of which its maker is a past
master. II was an authoritative declaration Of
the Governments policy. though in that respect
# did not surpass. al least in popular interest.
the utterance made al the same time by his
colleague in the House Of Commons 1t was a
lucid discussion Of the case and a vindiCatiOn
Of the British policy though in that capacity ii
had already been discounted. But most note
worthy was il for its incidental discussion of
what has been termed the new diplomacy"
and in that respect II Of unique interest as
the utterance Of the worlds unchallenged diplo-
matte dean.
Lord Salisbury is statesman Of venerable
years-he Is the verge Of the Psalmists
lmt-and of conservative temperament. He
was trained in the same school Lord Gran
vile. whose rule it was. he reminds us, 10
conduct all diplomacy in secret and in silence.
absolutely refusing to make any speeches while
negotiations were going on That system had
he maintained. its advantages, and departure
from it has its disadvantages. Every negotia-
''tion runs great chance Of being wrecked If
''the opinions on either side are exposed during
'its progress TO the exaggerated influence Of
popular excitement" In other words treaty
is better made in the council chamber than in
town meeting. With that opinion we may all
agree without mourning the reproach Of me-
diayalism unless. indeed. we except those few
and futile souls who see in the popular in
itiativc and referendum the sole repository Of
political virtue and wisdom
But Lord Salisbury also sees with clearness
Of vision and a sanity Of judgment which some
far less conservative men do not enjoy that the
full maintenance Of that ancient system is no
longer possible or desirable Ii was well adapt
cd 10 The day Of autocracy. when the people
were governed. not governing. But to-day IAN
English Minister is not an organ of despotic
'power. He has 10 look for that popu-
lar support which is the breath Of life 10 all
political movements in this age" He cannot,
therefore, afford through Oversecretjveness 10
ALLEVIATE or 10 neglect 10 win that support.
There are occasions on which you cannot OBJ
"serve absolute secrecy without sacrificing n
great source OF power" Those who have
watched intcllgently the career Of Lord Sails
bury VIII testify thar IN this he has consistently
pTactiSed what he breaches. Lord Granville
and Mr. Gladstone. though Liberals and there
fore supposedly more advanced" and more IN
sympathy with those whom they termed the
masses" were in this respect incOmparably
more conservative and autOcratic than the son
of Burghley and Cecil. Both in Parliament
and in his speeches at the Mansion House and
elsewhere II has been Lord Salsbury's wont 10
take the public into his confidence 10 a degree
perhaps never approached by any responsible
Minister OF comparable rank so that indeed
he has often set his fellow diplomatists Of the
Continent aghast nj what they deemed his IN
dscretions. But the wisdom OF his frankness
has been abundanuy vindicated In It's results
We are not. however. 10 imagine that Lord
Salisbury is a convert TO the full town meeting
doctrine, not only that negotiations are 10 he
conducted coram publico but that Issues Of ma
tional honor and international relationship are
TO be thrashed out upon the stump and made
objects OF the most acrimonious partisan con-
tentiOn. BY no means. On the contrary he
prefaces his discussion Of the new diplomacy"
with felictous statement Of the conditions in
which alone that new diplomacy" is profitable
or even tolerable. 1T is" he says. zone Of the
~most satisfactory parts OF our policy tina,
~when a question arises in which vital interests