The so-called " Conference " on the Eastern Question,—the term
was certainly a mistake, for the meeting was a demon- stration, and not consultative at. all,—at St. James's Hall yesterday week was a very powerful one, and diffused great dismay amongst the pro-Turkish party. The attempt has since been made to reduce its significance by exag- gerating the High-Church element in it, depreciating the Low- Church and Dissenting element, and making light of all the Liberals who took part -in it. A demonstration presided over by the Duke of Westminster and Lord Shaftesbury, addressed-by such Whigs as Lord Arthur Russell and Mr. Leveson-Gower, cordially supported alike by the friends of Canon Licklon, the friends of Dr. Abbott, and the friends of Dr. Allon, and receiving the hearty good.whihes of Mr. Spurgeon,-.a demonstration, more- over, one very large element in which was composed of delegates elected by numerous societies in the conntry,—eannot h.onestly-be made light of as an insignificant attempt to distort and belie the true wishes of the country. The Grrosvenors are not usually-in the Radical camp, and when the Grosvenors,-the Cavendishes, the Russells, and the Leveson-Gowers are united, as they seem to be on this occasion,—for though no Cavendishes were present, bothLord Hartington and Lord Frederick Cavendish spoke out strongly enough the other day in Yorkshire,—it is blind and childish to try to think of the movement as one supported chiefly by Ritualists and Radicals. And it is the suspicion that this is foolish which makes the pro-Turkish journals so furious against all who took part in the meeting, and so nimble in catching at straws which favour the notion of its moral insignificance. The proverb tells us what class of men it is who catch at straws ; and but too often it is found impossible to restore them to life by the help even of artificial respiration.
Previous page
