The Forest of Dean Examiner : — 1877-05-18 (Blakeney, Gloucestershire, England)

MAY 18, 1877.  WHO IS NEIGHBOUR TO THOSE THAT HAVE FALLEN AMONG TURKISH THIEVES?  The Eastern question has lately made people acquainted with strange arguments, but none more lame, halting, and blind than some attempts made in a Wolverhampton evening paper to expose what that journal appears to consider the folly of Mr. Gladstone. A few days ago the following remarkable effusion saw the light in its columns, in a condemnation of what it calls the "ill-advised resolutions" of the ex-Premier :  have all been blighted. But the extract from the' Express takes us further even than this. Selfinterest—a mean, distorted, unmanly worship of material self-interest—is set up as the standard lof our international life. "Is it the interest of England to join Russia in lopping off one Turkish province after another ? " Surely it is the duty of England to do what is just and right apart from its own material interests, if  it takes any action at all. But can it be shown that the independence of Greece, and the semi-independence of Servia. Roumania, do., has injuriously affected British interests? Would not the elevation of all these', oppressed provinces into a federation of free states rather promote the true interest of this country, by lessening the chances of complications dangerous to European peace which can never fail to arise so long as Ottoman missile is bolstered up by the moral and material aid of England ? Supposing even important interests were at stake in the maintenance of Turkish tyranny in Europe, on what ground of morality can the sacrifice of others' rights to our own interests be justified? But our contemporary not only advocates that we should stand opposed to human freedom and countenance a power with whom the foulest outrages and cruelty are epidemic moral diseases, but contends that to do anything else than this, to take the side of the Christians by joining with Russia in a , stern demand for effectual guarantees for their bettor treatment would be "morally reprehensible." Surely the Conservative party—if it , be rightly represented by the Evening Express— has found out a new code of morals. A very great moralist—one who is supposed to have some influence upon the morale of Conservatism —once asked "Who is neighbour to him that fell among thieves ?" Had he lived in this day, and witnessed the horrors of Batak, He would have cried out—and who dares say He does not now I cry out to the nations of Europe—" Who is neighbour to those who have fallen among fiends ?" The Wolverhampton Evening Express answers,"We should be morally reprehensible" if we caught these thieves, murderers, and violators by the throat and prevented them from committing such evil deeds in the future. It would be " ungenerous" conduct "for a great and magnanimous country like England." It seems impossible for language to be more distorted and misused. "Great and magnanimous!" to confine our action against some of the worst crimes of a petted ally which ever disgraced the world to ' empty words that are treated with contempt; nay! to go further, and indirectly sharpen the knives of the murderers for fresh crimes! We are first told that our policy must be to look to British interest, and the next effort is to persuade us that this is a noble and a just policy. Never were truer words written than those of Punch, when he this week soya— Blatant Inink'um shapes A Britain generous Britons would disown— A mock-Britannia, whose stage ermine drapes ,1 A sham of frothy selfishness up-blown. The Wolverhampton Evening Express tells us that Mr. Gladstone's claim—that he represents the majority of the English people on this question— is an" idle and unwarrantable assumption." We only care to say—lf that paper sightly interprets English sentiment, how is the nation fallen! But we have yet such confidence in the people of this country as to believe that if our " Miraculous Premier" dares to involve England in a war on behalf of Turkey, under the contemptible sham of "British interests," the indignation of the people will ruthlessly sweep him and his associates from the high offices they will have disgraced and dishonoured.