lord Salisbury on the Prospects of Peace.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 5571, 17 September 1889, Page 4

lord Salisbury on the Prospects of Peace.

-♦— Melbourne, Sept. 3. The Argus correspondent writes under date of London, August 2nd :— ln his speech at the Lord Mayor's bamftiet, Lord Salisbury, after touching brreTry*on the state of affairs in Crete, which he did not believe need excite serious apprehension, referred to the disturbance in Egypt. He showed that the time had not arrived when England could leave Egypt to defend herself. England had undertaken not to abandon Egypt, and it was an engagement of which she had no reason to be ashamed. It was sanctioned by the highest considerations of honor, philanthropy, and humanity, though it was one bringing no immediate profit, except that j which always attended the fulfilment of an honorable engagement. As to the general outlook of European affairs, Lord ! Salisbury went on to say :- -There are advisers who tell us that we should treat what goes on in south-east Europe as a matter which concerns this country not at all. But on these matters we cannot afford to exhibit a fluctuating, undecided course. England is bound by traditions, by a policy long pursued, by declarations often reiterated, by engagements solemly entered into, and she cannot turn from Jthe course which these various traditions aiKiehgagements point out to her. She cannot abandon the posi-**4»iv-oud policy which, in the sight of Europe, she has taken up, without sacrificing that influence which confidence alone can give. We are bound to observe the honorable engagements we have entered into. We cannot disassociate ourselves from the European community to which we belong. Our first object is peace, subject to but one consideration, and this is a peace which in regard to our past declarations and oft repeated policy we can maintain with honour. Ido not think any of these dangers against which we are invited to provide, are likely to come upon us. We live in a state of things to which there is no analogy. Mankind has never seen such vast armies as are being now assembled together ; mankind has never seen such deadly weapons as the sinister ingenuity of science has now put into their hands. And we cannot prophecy what the result of this terrible accession to powers, evil as well as good, will be. These tremendous armaments, these terrible instruments of death, must mean that when once two armies tire locked in the deadly grapple of modern war the end must be destruction to one of them. The victim in such a struggle will be almost bound when lie is a victor to take care that never again shall he from the same quarter be exposed -to the same dangers, or subjected to the same evils ; and every statesman who is casting the horoscope of the future, and meditates on the consequences of his acts, knows what a fearful stake he is throwing for— -he knows that if he fails the nation •which he seeks to defend will practically disappear. I cannot but feel that that thought which must be in the mind of every responsible man is one of great security for peace in the present day. The issue is so frightful that men will shrink from challenging it, and therefore 1 indulge in the hope and confident belief that year after year, though from time to time the fear of war may revive, men will shrink more from engaging in its terrible reality. These peaceful expressions from England's Premier have been received with unqualified satisfaction on the Continent, and the German, Austrian, and Russian organs express themselves greatly gratified at its tone.