New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-07


he did not do constitutional act, In the
technical sense IN which Phillips meant
II suppose II was true. Mr.. Greeley
remember. strongly objected at the
time to my quoting Phillips's remark in
The Tribune, but hone II will do no
harm now. The answer TO Phillips was
that Lincoln saved the Union. Nor did
Phillips complain; he exulted.
There Is. except from few fanatics.
no complaint of the English Govern
ment now for its excursions into the
field of Kingly prerogstive. II there
were. the answer would be much the
same. They are saving England and
Europe. The real criticism on the
Government Is that IL is not arbitrary
enough; or is arbitrary sometimes IN
the wrong way.
do not imagine that the present
Prime Minister, lawyer though he be-
troubles himself much in these days
about precedent or parchment. II he
should. he may appeal 10 Prime Min
ister greater than himself, Mr.. Glad
stone. Than Mr.. Gladstone there never
vss a Minister who protested. and
nrobsbly felt. q profounder reverence
for the Constitution so long as II DID
not stand in his way. But in lsh MI
Gladstone. being the First Minister OF
the Crown. had resolved that the pur-
chase and sale Of officers commissions
IN the Army should be abolished lie
brought in a bill 10 that end passed u
through the House Of Commons; pc
.,o .s+isfed that he could not pass
u through the House Of Lords; droppeo
his bill. and abolished purchas DIV
ROYAL Warrant. That is to saw agalns'
.be known determination Of ParIla-
n.nt no, to pass his bill he invoked the
rreroestive Of the Crown and SO
,syr,ed his point. All this IN time OF
,-ofound pesce. The Queen was re-
;pctant that this use should he maze o.
Tho ROYAL authority. but yielded to the
advice 81 her then sll-powertul MIN
,,+.r The measure itself Queen VIC
,or;a did not like; and liked it the less
becauss it was Mr. Gladstones. MT,
Disraeu denounced it m the House o.
Commons as shameful conspiracy
phrase he had to withdraw.
Lord Haldane, in whose NINA SUP,
+Ietie. find their natural home sun
o,s,sss TO believe that the present
f-s+sm Of recruiting will DO Its work
.rd that compulsory service Will no.
.dsd That is more than Loro
kitchener said two days before, LOT
are the grounds Of his belief or nope
,4rer No matter. He would not DC
Tr6 Esldane u he did not sprinkle
III. abatement with caveats ana quar-
A...;ors What matters Is this; IL Is
,ov settled once for all that the FORCES
which must be raised if England Is 70
N her full duty in this war VIII DC
!-od y two millions are wanted
- v;,I he raised. II three millions
.-o wanted they will be raised. beioie
I'D Haldane spoke that was DOUBT
.,,l Il il doubtful no longer ana 'na'
&c WHY I call his speech the most I'M
portsnt Of the war,
One bold thing at time seems 70 DC
.ba ruIe. IN other grave matters MIN
is,er, are still governed, CONSCIOUSLY
~ pneon.ciously, by the ideas ana
-,lss Of conduct which have been tne''s
ling all their years Of Office, These
iao., and rules we're, putting morality
.,ide sdroitly conceived, and success
trl They left their Government ]"
Rut again it is the moment 10
oro+. Bismarok's saying that noth'hg
I. an dangerous to statesman as
uood m.uorv. There are times 10 1of-
&c. as we'll as times to remember anu
this &c one Of them. You cannot Srsu'
from pesce to war, but that 10 VIVA.
.bis Government are now doing ana
there are already omens OF disaster Viz
;b,. NOT only 10 critical but to friendly
ewes Il is plain 10 all men who kno"
.rr,b;rg ~ peace OF war that TO sp-
nlv to armies in the field the strategy
which succeeded IN Parliament ana
boc,pss Il succeeded in Parliament, is
to invite disaster.
say to armies in the field because
the methods which Ministers intend
only or mainly for popular consump-
ton inevitably affect the armies IN tne
field. Neither with the people nor
with the armed forces OF the crown
will q policy Of shifts and conceal
ments prove wise. This is supposed
% he the most Democratic Government
IN all the history Of England. since
the war began II has the support as
no government has ever had OF ooth
narties and Of the whole people, ana
the motto upon which IT acts IS 'Dis-
Ernst the people" 1t trusts neither
their intelligence nor their courage
II withholds from them a full knowi-
edge Of the gravity of the situation as
. whole. and of the problems which
the war presents. 1t withhOlds full
knowledge, and sometimes all knowl-
edge. of untoward events. 1t shrinks
from making known TO the people what
they are to do in case Of invasion
From imaginative apathy or whatever
other reason, 1t omits 10 publish such
q constant and consecutive narrative
Of accomplished events-which there
military REASON for conceal