Year: 1878

The address of Earl Beaconsfeld before
the House of Lords on Thursday explana-
tory of the work of the Berlin congress will
be somewhat disappointing to his partisans,
for it lacks many of the elements that it
should have contained to commend it to the
people. Il is not the bold enunciation of
IDEAS and policy that the country had reason
to expect, the very audacity of which would
have commanded the respect of opponents
and cemented the forces of the Conservative
party. It lacked candor-was rather an
apology for the conduct of the plenipoten-
tiaries-a declaration that they couldn't help
doing as they did. 1t can scarcely escape
the charge of demagoguery. even when we
make due allowances for the imperfections
resulting from the condensation and trans
mission of the report.


The principal aim Of BeaconsfeId appears
to be to convince the world that the Englis b
plenipotentiaries were actuated mainly by a
desire to preserve the integrity of Turkey
that solicitude for her interests was the NOV
ing power of all their actions. This, we are
sure. shows misconception of the senti-
nents of the British public. They are not
SO fond of the Ottoman empire-so
anxiuos to maintain it's prestige-as to
prompt them to such earnest efforts on it's
behalf. more powerful consideration
has been the actuating motive, and it
is, to say the least, decidedly Pecksniffian in
Beaconsfield to give the real incentives of
England's conduct a secondary place. It
will not add to his popularity or weaken the
opposition to his policy. The premier is
evidently afraid to avow the real motive
self-protection- and he merely hints, towards
the close of his address, that that had some
influence upon the plenipotentiaries, and
apologies for the fact as if it was an un-
worthy incitement, when really it is most
commendable. Self sacrifice is theoretically
virtue in an individual, although underly.
ing the admiration one feels for an act of
that character is the consciousness that the
perpetrator is something of a fool. In
government. however, the practice of such a
quality is madness. Self-protection is the
first and the highest duty it owes to its SUBJ
jects, and all other considerations sink into
;nsignificance beside it. 1t is not the part of
craftsmanship to apologize for guarding
against danger; it should rather be it's proud
est boast.


The attempt of Beaconsfeld to convince
the public that the redistribution of the ter
ritory of Turkey does not mean its partition.
is open to the charge of lngenuousness From
his own statement it is apparent that all that
remains of Turkey in Europe is the narrow
strip south of the Balkan mountains and
east of the Gulf of Salonica. All else has
been wrested from her and portioned out to
Russia, Austria and England. If, by taking
aways a mans property he is en-
riched, then Beaconsfield's claim that
Turkey has been strengthened is valid one;
If the reverse, he is demagogue in submit
ting such an absurd proposition.


The reference of the premier to the Anglo
Turkish convention will perhaps command
the respect of his constituents more than any
other part of his address. But in this con-
nection he reveals the secret of the whole
negotiations, both at Berlin and Constanti-
nople, that he has SO studiously sought to
disguise. The plenil. otentiaries were prompt
ed to undertake the protection of Asia
Minor, he says, by the conviction that if
England did not interfere to protect her in
terests in the East, Asia Minor must become
victim to anarchy. and ultimately fall to
Russia, who would not be blameable in profit
ing by such a state of affairs. The govern
ment did not want to enter into any unnec-
essary responsibility, and shrunk above all
from the responsibility of handing over to
its successors diminished empire, Lat