Year: 1868

Disraen on the Abyssinian War.


In the British. House of Commons on Mon
day night Premier Disraeli, in reply to ques-
ton put by Mr.. Layard, of Ninevah renown,
and late Under Secretary of State for Foreign
Affairs, made some characteristic remarks on
the Abyssinian war. On such occasions Mr..
Disraeli never fails. His speech on the death
of the great Duke of Wellington was a master
piece which has seldom been approached, and
of which few who read it or heard it delivered
will ever lose the impression. The success of
this Abyssinian expedition furnished the Prime
Minister with an opportunity for the display
of his peculiar genius, which he was not the
man to lose. His sentences, 80 far as we are
able to gather from our cable dispatches, seem
to have been pregnant with meaning His
eulogy of.the British troops and of General
Napier appears to have been well conceived
and skilfully and effectively put. The true
keynote, however, was struck by him when
he said that the conquest of Abyssinia was
equalled only in modern history by the soon
quest of Mexico by Cortez" Once more
Disraei has given proof to the world that the
genius which revealed itself in Moses laws,
which gave warmth and sweetness to David's
songs, and which made the wisdom of Solomon
the wonder and admiration of mankind, still
lives and manifests itself with undiminished
force in the wandering descendants of Israel


The happy termination of the Abyssinian
war, considering the glory which it contributes
to British arms and the qualification which it
will give to the hereditary vanity of the British
people, has occurred at most favorable mo-
ment for Mr.. Disraeli The aristocracy Of
England, backed up by some scholars, such as
Gladstone by some philosophers, such as John
Stuart MILL and by some Jewellers, such as
John Bright, are impatient Of Disraeli's ascen-
dancy and are making at the present moment
place and power. Unless we greatly deceive
ourselves we think we can discover in the
meagre outlines of the Premier's speech the
keynote of the policy by which he intends to
outflank his opponents. Abyssinia it does ap-
pear, is to be the pivot on which his political
life is to turn. The tory party, which Mr.. Dis
raeli heads, has always been fond of war.
The sound of the trumpet fires the proud old
Norman blood. War, too, if it is likely to
result in conquest has always a special charm
for the British people. All this Disraeli sees
sees clearly-and means to turn to account.
Abyssinia, with al! its untold resources, now
lies at England's feet. What magnificent field
for enterprise What splendid addition to
the British empire! Capable of endless de-
velopment Abyssinia may yet far outstrip the
tabled ''wealth Of Ormus and of Ind" Now,
it is absolutely certain that the opponents of
Disraeli will insist that Abyssinia be aban-
doned. They will do it all the more certainly
that they grudge the Jew Premier the honor
and glory of the victory. If they do, as it is
certain they will do, Disrael is just as certain
to trip them up. The sixty liberated captives
and the miserable crowns and jewels are not tro-
phies which will satisfy the ambition of the
British people. Mr.. Disraeli may well ask-Is
all this cost to go for nothing? Was it thus
the British empire was built up? If we had
pursued such policy in America, in India,
in Australia, what position would we now hold
among the nations of the earth? Here is q
country secured at a cost of many millions Of
money, rich in actual and richer still in unde-
veloped wealth. country which, under proper
management, might make us Independent of the
cotton fields of America and of the world; a
country which might enrich us at once by
its consumption and by its produce--is
that country, now our own by the
right of conquest, to be left to anarchy and
ruin9 Are we not only, by stupid perversion
of will, to deprive ourselves of our own, but
to declare ourselves before the world indiffe-
rent to the progress of the age and to the well
fare of the human species If anything were
wanting to convince us that Disraei will adopt
some such course it is furnished by the fact
that many Jews (and many Gentiles, too) be-
licve that the dominant classes in Abyssinia
represent the lost tribes of the house of Israel


If this policy is vigorously pursued the Irish
Church question will dwindle into insgnif-
canoe; Pope Plus, who has thanked Mr.. Glad
stone, will be declared to have mistaken the
situation; the Russell wings will be fossil ized
and the deep-thinking Bright and the shallow
Gladstone will be nonplissed If Disraeli
does not see his opportunity we shall simply
have mistaken our man.


In the event of the Premier carrying out
his policy we have only one advice more to
give him and the British people II is simply
that they concentrate their energies. They
have done a good work in America, one por-
ton OF which is already bringing forth good
fruit, and another portion of which is in a
hopeful condition. They have also done good
work in Australia, but Australia is strong
enough to do for ITSELF Let them at once
abandon Canada and Australia In India they
have not yet finished their task. Let them
collect all their scattered strength and devote
II to the development Of the wealth of Cen