New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-09-19
Mr. CHAMBERLAIN.

Tie nncphets on both sides are oIsappoih'eu'
Some have said Mr.. Chamberlain would De
! forced out OF the British Cabinet by the free
! traders. and Others that the free traders would
1 he forced out by Mr.. Chamberlain. Win run
/ Elemental policies Numerically opposed, both
I .c,rld NOT remain. one or the other would have
10 get out The outcome is TO the amazenent
Of the world. that both get out. Mr. Chamber
lain and two of the most pronounced free trad
e-s simultaneously retire If there is not
Cabinet crisis. there is at least most lmpor-
tant REORGANIZATION, 10 be. no DOUBT. largely
dictated by the great minister who mas JUST
vacated the Colonial Office. For Mr.. Chamoer-
lain has manifestly not turned against the gov
eminent. nor severed himself from the govern
ment party. He viii not so over TO the OPPOSE
ton nor form a cave" His correspondence
with Mr. Balfour. his sons retention OF ONCE
and all other circumstances make that clear.
He viii not separate himself from the Onionlst
Marty as much as Lord Rosebery has separated
himself from the Liberals, though in some re-
spects there viii be a resemblance between
their attitudes. He withdraws from Office vic
torious. His chief opponent Mr. Ritchie, has
been forced out but he himself has retired vol
UNFAIRLY. with the profound regret and even
against the circumstances Of the Prime Minis
ter. and amid such a chorus OF tributes as few
resizninC ministers have enjoyed.
But why does he go? His correspondence
with the Prime Minister makes that plain. He
believes Il to be essential TO the welfare OF the
elap.re that commercial union shall be estab-
I;shad qrao1g its members. He believes that
nov is the psychological moment" for effect
ing such a union. so far as the colonies are
concerned. and that tomorrow It may be too
late. But be also sees that the electorate or
the United Kingdom is not ready for it. and
the attitude OF the electorate is, as he says
something which no good government in
democratic country can ignore. He cannot
therefore. ask the government to adopt policy
which its constituents would repudiate, and be
cannot. as a member Of that government COM
promise its standing with the country by advo-
eating such a policy. But neither can he, con-
sistently with honor and his convictions OF
duty 10 the empire abandon OF even tempo
rarily lay aside s principle which he believes
to be fundamentally essential TO the welfare
Of the empire The one course left 10 him is
thus obvious 1t is the one which he has
adopted. lie can now pursue what he believes
10 be his duty to the empire without saddling
responsibility therefor upon the government
SGch an arrangement viii be for the good both
Of the government and OF his imperial cause.
The withdrawal OF so forceful and important
a statesman must, however. be regarded as
precipitatirg a crisis IN the affairs OF the en-
rire which he has so long and so well served.
In that crisis il is fortunate that he has had
his work so well in hand that he IS able to
leave il TO his successor in an orderly and
potentially completed condition. The chief
issues in South Africa are settled. The issues
between Canada and the United States are in
an auspcious way Of settlement Australian
federation and the all-Briush Pacific cable are
accomplished facts. In 10 quarter OF the vast
colonial empire IS there any perplexing prob
lem LEFT by Mr.. Chamberlain for his successor
70 deal with. save the one supreme problem,
the management OF which he carries with him
self into private lie. AS for that we may well
put upon Nr. Chamberlains lips the words Of
John Paul Jones: 4 have not yet begun 10
fight" We shall expect TO see him now enter
upon the campaign for imperial union and iIn-
perial free trade with far greater zeal AID
efficiency than before. Meantime his retire
ment will undoubtedly weaken the Ministry
and probably open the way for a return Of the
Liberals 70 Office for q brief term. But that
that faction-Tent party. with its ablest leaders
ia both houses sulking in their tents, can long
hold power is not 10 be expected. And when
the Unionists return we shah expect to see
Ar. Chamberlain return with them
in America Mr. Chamberlain's retirement
viii be regarded with general regret and also
with admiration. There will be regret because
NJ. Chamberlain has been a sincere friend of
America, and because Americans VIII not like
10 see their closest kin deprived even for
time OF the services OF one OF their very best
statesmen. There viii also be admiration, and
a higher esteem for him than ever before, be-
cause he has done q conspicuously generous
and heroic act We may best compare H. per-
haps with his own retirement from Mr.. Glad
stones Cabinet eighteen years ago In this
case. IS in that. he has been moved by the
highest and most unselfsh considerations OF
conscience and honor. In that former case he
was falsely reviled beyond the measure OF any
of lis contemporaries. but in the end he tri-
umnhed. IN the present case he may be mis-
understood and VIII doubtless be misreprc-
serted. but with consistency. reason and con-
crete facts on his side his prospects Of ultimate
victory are bright At any rate. there IS to-day
in al the wide realm OF British imperial poll
tics no other figure which so much commands
the attention and so well deserves the close and
careful interest Of the world.