Year: 1878

| England and in London and Paris the fact
| ITSELF or the facts of which it is held to be a


consequence, drove the money changers


into panic. London journalists sympa-


thize with the brokers in their appreciation
of the fact as portentous. But it may be OBJ
served that aside from these authorities the
case is not regarded with dismay and, in
| deed, those who certainly know most about it
seem least concerned at it. Lord Beaconsfield


mourned over it with gay and somewhat
Pickwickian sorrow, and in st. Petersburg
it was an event with which they had become


familiar before it occurred by reason, per-


haps, of hourly consideration Of its possi-
bility. II we weigh these authorities
against one another-those that believe the
acts and those which assume that it has no
such significance eve must recognize that
the former are most assuredly the least
worthy of credit. No London newspaper
has perceived nor even guessed, happily,
at the drift Of events in these late difficult
ties, and the Bourse is only certain to be
speculative.


Despite the explanation Of Lord Beacons-
field the cause OF Lord Derby's retirement
is not very clear He resigned because the
Cabinet has advised Her Majesty to call
out the thirteen thousand army reserve of
the first class and twenty-five thousand
militia but did he resign because he be-
lieved this step was taken as a serious pre-
liminary in preparation for a war that he
believes unnecessary and because he did
not want to be held responsible for even one
step in such preparation, or was it because
he saw in this apparently warlike prepara-
ton, not SO much preparation for war as
demonstration intended to startle and as
tonish--a demonstration to which, as sin
cere man, he could give no countenance?
Precisely how he viewed the fact and pre-
cisely what his opinion was of its nature,
therefore, we shall not know just yet, and
that will deprive Of some portion of their
value the various interpretations Of the sig
nifcancy Of his retirement Either view, as
given above, Of the exact cause of the resig-
nation is consistent with the explanations
given in Parliament


But it would be nm error to assume that
the English government is disposed at this
demonstration. At one moment it seemed
certainly to have no other aim, as was
tartly pointed out by its critics in Parlia-
ment; but it must have seen before this the
ridiculous unfruitfulness Of such course.
II demonstration only were intended it is
nf 10 ho hat fho
ernment would content itself with re-
calling to the colors the thirteen thousand
army reserve, and mastering in twenty
five thousand militia, since that would be q
demonstration rather fit for a pantomime
than to startle Power that can readily
enroll o million men and has quarter of
q million actually at the point likely to
prove the theatre Of war. Misinterpreta-
ton of the intentions Of their enemy is an
error into which tho acute Russian diplo-
matists do not often fall; yet they seem to
be possessed just now with the fancy that
Englands preparations are for bluster only
They deem that she is only raising dust
under which she may retreat from false
position. They may find themselves mis-
taken in this estimate.


Englands policy in this crisis must be
shaped by the substantial necessities Of a
very apparent danger. She is finally
brought face to face with facts against the
occurrence of which she has struggled in
war and diplomacy together for fifty years
Against all her predictions she is forced
to recognize that the Ottoman Empire can
no longer further those purposes of hers for
which she supported it in the field, coun-
tenanced it in the Cabinet and on her ex-
changes, and stood as sponsor and
apologist for it against the outraged
opinion Of the civilized world. Tur-
key is down and cannot be set up
again; and as the existence of this
Power was real and very great advantage
to England she is forced finally to deter
mine what course she must take in its abb
sence, how she can get on without it. And
she is forced not only to decide what she
will do. but to do it. That is the immediate
necessity for her, and the difficulties of the
case that were once mostly diplomatic are
now altogether physical. She is freed from the
moral contamination of Turkey as an ally,
but she is without the two hundred thou
sand hardy soldiers that the Sultan could
have put by her side last year. She fights
for her own cause if she fights ut all not for
that of polluted barbarian, who morally
was a heavy load to carry. But in mill
tary sense the barbarian paid his way.


England's interests in the East were prac-
tically guaranteed by the Treaty of Paris, as
that instrument guaranteed the integrity of
the Ottoman territory and the independence
of the Sultan against oil other than moral
influences. These influences were exer-
cised only by England, and the treaty thus
played into her hand. But this treaty was
swept away by the war which England was