And yet Sir Stafford Northcote, in his speech at the
Bristol Dolphin meeting, on Monday, expressed his dissatisfaction that English politicians comment on the disunion between the different elements of the Cabinet. "This, at all events," says Sir Stafford Northcote, "1 can say for the present Government,—whether it be a proof of the want of intelligence or the want of anything else, I cannot say,—but there never was a party more united than those who are at present directing the counsels of her Majesty." All we can say is that this is a hard saying, exceed- ingly difficult to understand. If it means what it seems to mean, —that all the Ministers approve as much of Lord Beaconsfield's swaggering threats and taunts as they approve of Lord Derby's painstaking inefficiency in extracting even the least concession out of the Porte, or the least act of true co-operation out of Russia and Austria,—the outlook is very bad indeed. It is, perhaps, Garay credible, that the Cabinet should be at the same time agreed to demand local autonomies, "with no question of new tributary States," for the Christian provinces of Turkey,—to say they mean to uphold treaties, and sustain the independence and integ- rity of the Porte,—and to make a great show of going to war if Russia cannot indulge in any similar illusion ; but if this be so, then the Cabinet can have no statesmen in it ; and it is hard to suppose that they are all as reckless as Lord Beaconsfield.
