Year: 1878




t- SOMETIME.


Mr.. Jennings writes from London, on the


18Th of April, as follows:


II there is any change to be noticed in


the aspect of affairs it is slightly in favor


of peace. The general impression on the


continent is that Russia is not desirous of
going into another war, and as for the feel
ing In this country, it is generally and


decidedly adverse to hostilities if they can


honorably be avoided. The Radical papers


amuse themselves by talking of war party,


but for my part cannot fnd any trace of


it's existence, unless, perhaps, in the col


umns of the Pail Mall Gasctte, which has


all along had its war paint on, and seems
disappointed whenever there seems q prob


ability that peace will be preserved. The


real feeling in such quarters as this proba-
bly, ie that England must at some time or


other make stand against Russian sd-
vances in the East and that this is as good
time as she is ever likely to have. Mere
antipatby to Russia may also have come


weight, but it is not powerful force with
the bulk of the people. Nor is there any
sympathy whatever with Turkey, whose
misrule and breach of faith in all her en-.
gagements have left her almost without q
friend except Mr.. Layard, who undoubt-
edly is nearly as strong a friend of the
Porte as the Sultan himself Most people
here who are not carried away by strong
feeling on one side or the other are very
anxious to see peace maintained. 1t is
easy enough to say that England could
easily beat Russia, but it may we'll be
doubted whether it is desirable that the
country ehould be subjected to the heavy
strain OF foreign war. In my opinion, |
everything ought to be done to prevent |
such disaster. Aud there ia no reason to |
suppose that the Government are not doing |
all that lies in their power to accomplish |
hic dom foal tlokk kb..,,
ought to be prepared for the worst, and /
under that conviction war preparations are
being pressed on with an energy which is
almost unprecedented. 1t may truly be I
said that all departments are in readiness
for the instant outbreak of hostilities. But
this may rather tend to secure peace than
to produce the opposite effect. Certainly
it has already been the means of causing
Russia to adopt a less peremptory tone.
The exchange of dispatches may last some
time yet, and that is better than the ex-
change of cannon shot. 1 am bound, how
know the intentions of the Government
declare most positively that war is newt
able, and a few words dropped by Lord
Derby in his speech last Monday go far
20 confirm this view. He stated that he
had resigned because the Government had
1ot explain until it had been officially
If this does not refer to come
1arlike measure of which the public are
till in ignorance most people are very
much mistaken.


Lord Derby's conduct does not meet
With approval in any quarter, except
smopg the extreme Radicals. He ought
% have left the Ministry long ago if he had
made up his mind that under no circum-
stances whatever would he consent to
England taking up arms. 1t must be
admitted that in his recent speech he
'ho wed very little sense of loyalty to his
important state secrets. The
own is and long has been full of talk
personal eccentricities of the
noble lord, and indeed his manner in the
House is calculated to attract no little
attention. He sits with strange, vacant
ort of smile on his countenonce, and 6
mutters to himself, and then
'ursts out laughing, or plays some prank
which astonishes the peers who sit near
lin. l shall not mention the alleged
ause of all this, but some of the papers
ave done 80, for in these days "common
umor" soon finds it's way into print.
There is not much chance of keeping any
hing a secret, as even the Duke of Edin-
urgh has found out. He got bimself in
olved in an ugly scrape, and, of course,
ii the "society" papers got hold of the I
tory and blurted it out. The World
sserts that he has also communicated to .
Gussian officers important Information az
o the English war preparations, the posi-
ion of torpedoes and so forth. 1t is diff
ult to believe that the Queens son has 4
cen guilty of 30 abominable an act. But
n social affairs he has upquestioDably acted
nth great imprudence, not to use much
arder word.