New-York tribune., 1900-11-11
LORD sALIsBURTs IMPERIALISM.

The British Prime Minister'S speech AT the
banquet of the Lord Mayor of London on Fri
day evening of the most felcltouS IN
phrase and impressive in tone of all which
Lord Salisbury has made such occasions.
Some besides mere punctlious puriSts of the old
diplomacy may take exception to his frank
comments upon the internal politics of another
country, but the majority of Americans
will doubtless agree with their Ambassador III
approaching the truth, simplicity and earnest
ness" with which he stated the result of the
Presidential election here and, we may we'll be
lieve. the sentiments of most Englishmen con
cerning it. Wholly admirable. at any rate, was
his reference 10 the perils and sorrows of war.
At the close of a triumphant war, cordially ap-
proved by the nation. and with the exultant
greetings to home coming troops still echOing
upon the air. he might have been pardoned for
indulging in a certain strain of eXultatiOn and
glorifcatiOn of military achievement. Instead.
with impressive pathOs and sOlemnity. be
dwelt upon the cost of victory, the ravages OF
death and all the sombre and distressing ele-
ments of war. II was view of the case which
no less commanding leader could safely have
taken. Taken by him 1t was a fine paraphrase
of the admonitory recessional, Lest we forget
The most significant Of Lord Salisburys ut
terances not. however in his formal ad-
dress. but In the later brief speech in which he
proposed the health Of the new Lord Mayor.
In that toast, as If in confident defiance to Ma
cauay's storied New-Zealander. he predicted
that some of the younger men there present
would see the day when Members of Parlia
ment from the Transvna and Orange River
colonies would be present at a Lord Mayors
banquet in the Guildhall. That not so
much boast Of the perpetuity Of London as
promise of such Imperial Federation as none
but the most sanguine and advanced have hith-
erto hoped or perhaps wished to see. On Mr.
Chamherlains lips the words might have in
| CURED the reproach of imperialistic jingoism
On the lips of the conservative almost reaction
ary Prime Minister, they command serious at
tentfon as little less than the voice of inevitable
destiny.
| Such evolution will, indeed, be entirely log
| ical. and In complete accord with the modern
| spirit of the British Constitution. The chief
| colonies have long been sef-governing, with
Ministries and Parliaments organized after the
| English model. A generation ago the North
| American colonies federated into a Do
minion-a nation. This year a similar fedora
| ton has been formed In Australasia. The near
| future will doubtless third in South Af-
| rica. Three years ago. moreover these colonies
| committed themselves to the policy of con-
| tributing to the imperial defence and this year
| that policy has been put into significant execu-
| tton In tho sending of troops from Canada and
| Australasia TO fight the battles of England in
| South Africa. That put upon the principle of
| Imperial Federation seal of life blood which
| is not lightly TO be broken. 1t Is now recog-
nized by serious British statesmen that the self
| governing colonies are entitled to voice in the
| determination of imperial policies What next
| step. then. could be more logical thnn the adj
| mission Of these colonies to representation in
the Imperial Parliament? That would not mean
| that the colonies were to have a voice In the
local government of Great Britain. any more
| than Great Britain has in that Of the colonies
It would mean that the colonies were to have
| voice in the general policies of the Empire,
and that the Empire was to be a political en-
| tity and unity. Moreover It would as we have
said. be an advance Of Liberalism as well as
| Of Imperialism. raising the colonies from a
state of quassubordination to co-equal sover-
eighty with the mother country There will be,
no doubt some perplexing details to be worked
| out In the problem. But the unmistakable
trend Of Britsh imperial politics is now In