The Duke of Argyll addressed 20,000 people at the evening
meeting in Huuslet Lane, but, unfortunately, his voice was not equal to the enormous demand upon it, and he was but poorly heard. The speech ,nevertheless, contained a fine and most effective argument. He spoke strongly against the policy of peace at any price, pointing out that in America, but for war, slavery would never have been abolished ; that in Italy, but for war, the foreign occupation would never have ceased ; and that the principle for which the Crimean war was waged,— that Russia was not to be allowed to control by her sole will, without taking counsel with Europe, the future of European Turkey,—was a perfectly legitimate one. But this Government, while asserting the right of interference in European causes, had asserted that right in the interests, not of popular liberty, but of cruel misrule,—had asserted it so that Bulgaria, while gratefully avowing her obligations to the Czar Libera- tor, had not a word to say for England, who thwarted her hopes at every stage. In India,, the Government have ex- changed a very strong and unassailable position for one of great and wholly superfluous danger, and have reaped by their iniquitous war nothing but great risk, great cost, and a heart-rending massacre. The Government that professed to be holding high the banner of England, was really trailing it in the dust.
