Year: 1878

THE time is rapidly coming to al


end during which the gOYernmen


finds it necessary to be silent respect


ing the proceedings of the congress


The Duke of Richmond was official


ly vague yesterday in his inability


to say when the British Plenipoten


tiaries would arrive in London. Ht


could not even say when they would


leave Berlin. He had, however


every reason to hope or believe thai


the Congress would terminate its


labors in the course of a few DAYS


and he assured the peers that, as


soon as it had concluded its sittings,


no time would be lost in producing


the papers relating to it. InfOrma-


tiOn little more definite was fur


nished in the House Of Commons.


Mr.. Cross stated that, in order to


avoid delay, papers on the subject


were being prepared, not only at


the Foreign Office, but at Berlin,


and the Marquis of Salisbury has


already despatched a map, which


may be expected to arrive on Satur-


day, showing what the Congress has


done so far as Europe is concerned.


We may expect, therefore, in the


course of another week to have full


information respecting this mo-


mentOus negotiation. Meanwhile


one very interesting piece of inform


alton was communicated to the


House by the Secretary for War.


Col. Stanley stated that the number
of troops employed in the Occupa-
ton of Cyprus would be about 10,-
900, and that the force would consist
of Indian troops and of three British
battaliOns. There can be little
doubt that the government have
acted wisely in giving the Indian
troops a prominent place in this
honorable service. 1t will assure
the troops themselves, and the peo-
pie of India from whom they are
drawn, that they have been sum-
moned to take a substantial part~in
the policy and the defence of the
British Empire. We have under
taken TO guarantee the integrity of
Asiatic Turkey, and the reform of
it's government, not from any pure
ly British ambition, but because
this grave measure was essential to
the security of our Eastern Empire
and the welfare of our Eastern fel-
Had it not been for
our possession of India, we should
have had no occasion for un-
dertaking any such responsibility,
and nothing, consequently, can be
more Just than that the troops of our
Eastern dependency should have
some share in the great task we have
accepted. That the native races of
India, including Mahomedans,
should thus be employed to uphold
our flag in support of the greatest
nation In the world
will be pledge of the impartiality
Of our alliance and of our interpOst-
ton. 1t will testify to Turkey and
TO the world that we come forward
ut this juncture as Power which
has known how to do justice and to
give contentment to the most di-
verse creeds and populations, and
that our influence with the Porte,
though it must be based on Christian
will represent no desire
for the fOrcible supremacy of Chris
ian races, but capacity for insur-
ing an administration which is
equitable to all. With these con-
in view, there was some
thing singularly inOppOrtune in the |
suspicious inquiries which were adj
dressed to the government in both |
Houses respecting the course they |
would adopt with respect to slavery |
N the Ottoman dOminiOns. 1t is |
to nullify in moment |
ly q verbal assurance the hab-


IS and laws of centuries; but it |
S unreasonable to suppose that the
of British India will be
ess anxious in Western than it has
shown itself in Eastern Asia to in
sure the disappearance as quickly az
of customs which are in
with the elementary
rights of human beings.


1t may now be concluded without /
hesitation that no grave dissatisfac-


ion is felt in any country at the step
We have been compelled to take;
md this fact is an encouraging in
stance of the better understanding
which every successive generation
md almost every year tends to Gre
tie between the great Powers OF the
world. When the full history of
he Berlin Congress and of the nego-
iatiOns which led to it comes to be
Known, we cannot doubt that it will
exhibit mOmentouS advance in the
.ause of peaceable negotiations be-
Ween great nations. The days are
lot long distant when such rivalries
Is have been aroused by recent
events in the East would have pre-
.ipitated Europe into war. We
laVe been on the verge of it; but
10Th governments and nations are
letter able than ever before to APP
1reciate at once the responsibilities
If war and the necessities of their
everal positions, 1t appears to be,
IN the whole, recognized that no
,ther course was open to this cOun-
nv than that which it has adopted,
md that in discharging the duty we
nave undertaken in Asia we shall
De acting in the interest of all the
Western Powers. 1t is very natural !
hat there should be at first some
partial exception to this feeling i'll
France. France has played a grand
part in the civilization of the world /
md in the introduction of European
influence into the East, and it is
yery proper that she should be jeal-
)us of anything which might seem /
ike an undue intrusion within the i
sphere of her legitimate influence.
She owes it, no doubt, to her own
lignity and to the traditions which


he inherits that she should keep a
eye upon the course of East
,rn affairs. The acuteness of her
statesmen cannot fail to perceive
hat the new position we have ac-
luired, while it will greatly aggra-
Jate our responsibilities, will also
Increase largely our power and infiu-
,nce in the East, and she may natur-
Llly ask whether we have treSpaSSed
lpOn her rights in the measure we
laVe adopted. The first impression
If some patriotic Frenchman may
De one of jealousy on this point, but
voices of authority are already heard
any such view of our
conduct, and we may feel confident


hat these will before lOngcOmmend


to the sober judgment of /
he French people. 1t must in JUS


ice be remembered, as is pointed
)ut in the French Press itself, that /
We were not alone engaged to resist
he aggression of Russia upon Tur-
zey. Under the treaty of Paris,
France as well as Austria was bound |
% regard any encroacchment by |