LORD SALISBURY AT THE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10560, 6 January 1896, Page 4

LORD SALISBURY AT THE

MANSION HOUSE c-

At the Mansion House banquet on Novsmber 9 Lord Salisbury replied to tbe toast of "Her Majesty's Ministers," and, lifter a brief reference to Home politic.', devoted the chief portion of his address to the outlook abroad. The extreme Bast, he said, had occupied them for a year, but the struggle hid passed away, aud he hoped there would now be peace in those regions. He had beon struck by the extraordinary sensation produced some wetki ago by false news phbliohad, not becAuse he thought the news of particular importance, but bscausa he thought the opinion of his countrymen regarding it a very notable phenomenon. They might depend upon it that whatever might happen in lhat region, be it in the way cf war or in tbe way of commerce, they were equal to any combination which might be proposed. There is (cantinuedJLord Salisbury) another pare of the world where matters are nob so peaceful or so hopeful to look upon as I hope they are in the far Ea3t. Tbe word Armenia has occupied all your minds for many months past. You know that in May last, under the instructions of their Governments, those of tha principal ambassadors proposed certain alterations of law and constitution, wbich were designed to protect the Armenians against terrible and deplorable sufferings wbieb hud moved the feelings of tbis natiou to their base. —(Hear, hear.) Those proposals were made by the three ambassadors in May last—iv the time, I need not say, of our predecessors. The demands of the three ambassadors iv May last havo been substantially aceapted by the Sultan. I saw somewhere over a greit name the assertion that the Sultan had had a great victory over us. It was a very odd victory, because he gave U3 all we wanted, and I was very much puzzled at that opinion. There was an impression abroad that I had added to the demands of the three ambassadors in May, and required something in addition in the nature of an international commission. Tnqt is a great mistake. I nevr.r added to the demands of the three ambassadors. I did off-.ir iv conversation, ss a substituts for the demands of the three ambassadors, as a simple way of attaining the same end, if it was preferred, that the present Mohammedan machinery shonld go on and should be supervised by a mixed commission. The demands of the tbree ambassadors were substantially this —that a proportionate number of Christian employees should' be added tp the administration in all the provinces where large numbers of Armenians were. I do not say that my proposal was better thau the otber, but I thought it might possibly ba more acceptable. But tha Sultan preferred to accept tiae demands of the three ambassadors, aud therefore my alternative proposal fell to tha ground, as a matter of course. If you can persuade the Sult'sn to give justice to the Armenians, you need uot trouble yourself upon what paper the promise is written, or in what character it i* couched. If tho Sultan doss not give justice, will not heartily resolve to givs juatic?, to the Armenians, the most ingenious constitutions that you can weave together would not avail to protect or to assist them. —(Cheers.) While the Ottoman Empire stands upright, your only power of action, the only power of action for ail the Powers of Europ-i put together, is tho action that tbry can have upou the niiud of tbo Sultan. It is not a question of expediency or ot opinion. It is a matter of bare fact, tbnt &o long as the Ottoman Empire stands upright, it is only through ths Sultan that any blessings which you seek to confer upon any portion o:' his subjects can ba made to them a reality aad a permanent blessing. Well, that, of course, will suggest to your mind — supposing the Sultan is not persuaded, aud I nm bound to s iy that the news whicb reaches us from Constantinople does not give to us much cheerfulness in that respect—what is to follow ? Well, the. J flrst answer that I should give is that above all j treaty, and above all combination of external Power*, the nature of things, if you please, or the providence of God, if you please to yu'i it so, has determined tbat persistent and constant miigoveroineut must lead the Government which follows it to its dojm; aud while I readily admit that it is quite possible for the Saltan of Turkey, if he will, to govern all hi-: subjects with justice and in peace, he is not exempt more than auy other p.itentato from the law thafc injustice will bring the highest on earth to ruin.—(Chears.) Turkey is in that remarkable positiou that it'has now efciod in for half a century, mainly because the Grea'; Powers of tbe world have res:ilved that for tha peace of Christendom it is necessary that tho Ottoman Empire shonld stand. Tne daug-r, if tho Ottoman Empire fell, would nob merely be the danger that would threaten the territories of which that empire consists, it would ho the danger that tha lire there lit should spread to other natioas, and should involve all that is most powerful unci civilised in Europe in a dangerous and calamitous contest. Thtt is a danger which has mt passed away. Out of thab stats of things I think thero are two illusions that wa must avoid. Ona of these illusions is that this treaty which binds the concert of Europe together would lose its fore.l, and that soma Power—no matter what—that some Power will escape from the treaty and try to settle tbe matter in its own manner. lam glad to saythat I see no prospect of such an issue as that.— (Loud cheers.) I believe the Powers will stand together, and that they were never more disposed than tbey are now k:i stand together, by the Enropaan system which their joint wisdom has devised. The other danger ie that those who advise the Sultan to his hurt should imagine that the pressure of this anxiety is so gremt that no abuse, be it what it may, tbat finds its place in the Ottoman Empire, can ever receive the natural punishment which in the ordinary course of the world's affnits comes upon gross mis-government. That, again, I think would be a grave delusion. I beiieve tho Powers are thoroughly resolved to act together upou everything that concerns tbe Ottoman Empire.— (Cheers.) How they will act it is not for me to prophesy. Ido uot kuow the contingencies that may arise, but no mnn will say tbst it is imnoo.

si We that they may be weary of the cry of suffering thit comes up in their ears, aud may find somo Oihsr arr.m!|Oineut tha"; is a substitute for that which has not fulfilled the hope entertained 40 years ago. There is, therefore, in the concert of the Powers, which I put forward as a marked phenomenon of the present time—a mo«t cheering phenomenon—there is nothing iv that to console those who would perpetuate this Government, or to silence the voice of those who would imprest upon the rulers of the Ottoman Empire, a? the one burning necessity of the hour, that they should eive the commonest blessing! o5 good government to those who are under them.