The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit, NOVEMBER 20, 1889. IMPERIAL HYPOCRISY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2290, 30 November 1889, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1889. IMPERIAL HYPOCRISY.

Two items of news wore cabled the other day m notable juxta position. These were that Russia is strengthening her armaments, and that His Imperial Majesty, the Czar, has been publicly offering up prayer to Almighty God to avert war. The two things seems strangely incongruous, and this entreaty of the Great Kulor of Heaven to prevent what the head of the Romanoffs is of all earthiy potentates the moßt likely to bring about savors of an hypocrisy as imperial m its magnitude as it is m its origin. For the question as to whether or not the peaco ot Kurope is to be disturbed rests with the Czar of all the Russias to decide, and the only safeguard against its breach is not bis pacific disposition bat the strength of the odds against him, should he provoke a conflict. If, as is more than hinted by the Home papers, the sarord of England would, m the event of a war, be thrown into the balance with the Triple Alliance then the combined armies of Germany, Austria and Italy, supported by the British and Italian navies, constitute together a force which Russia, even with the assistance of France, will hesitate to encounter, and this is a far more effectual guarantee of peace than the ostentatiously paraded prayers of the White Czar. So long as that combination lasts so long is it likely that the wardoga will be chained. But meantime, Rus; h

is steadily pursuing her career of annex ation, the latest news of the extension o her enormous empire being that of the reported ([secret cession £to her by Turkey of a part of Armenia. While she can gain her ends by craft Tiußsia will keep her sword m its shoatb, bu'. when she can no loDger do this then she will find a pretext for war, and instead of prayers for peace we shall find the imposing ceremonial of her church utilised m offering public supplication for victory to be vouchsafed to her troops, while at the self-same moment her enemies will be petitioning heaven for her discomfiture and the triumph of their armies. Sorely it were better that those who provoke war refrained from thus insulting the Majesty of Heaven. No doubt apologists for Russia will plead on her behalf the old proverb " iSi vis pacem para bellum," but the answer to that plea is that it is only a hklf troth, its complement being, " 11 you would live at peace don't threaten your neighbors."