The Evening Star. THURSDAY, MARCH 9, 1876.

Evening Star, Issue 4067, 9 March 1876, Page 2

The Evening Star. THURSDAY, MARCH 9, 1876.

It may be some disappointment to those of the antiquated school of politicians, who imagine the glory of a nation lies in its imperious dictation to inferior powers, to find that the Conservatives of England have forsaken the traditional Tory policy. Loud has been the grumbling that Great Britain is no longer the important power that she once was, that her armiesdanotoverawe Continental peoples, and that she is bent on commercial progress rather than on political influence. By those sticklers for meddling with what did not concern her, our Native land is supposed to have become a second or third rate power; and they attribute this imaginary declension of influence to the Cobden and Gladstone policy of the last thirty years. Wo can imagine how much they will feel chagrined when they find that the Disraeli Ministry are equally bent on following that conciliatory policy with their predecessors. The Suez Canal purchase is not intended to aggrandise England at the expense of other nations. It appears to have been effected ultimately without much premeditation ou the part of Lord Derby, although so late as 1874 there had been some suggestions in the House of Lords towards Great Britain’s obtaining a large interest in the Canal. His Lordship appears, however, to have been prepared to take the first opportunity of investing largely in it, and did not hesitate to take advantage of the chance presented by the Khedive's difficulties, although not authorised by Parliament to do so. It was one of those masterly strokes of policy that mark the conduct of able men. The purchase was sanctioned by M. Lksseps, the constructor of the Canal, and approved by every nation in Europe, excepting, it is said, Russia, whoso objection is stated to be that already England lias acquired a share of the debris of the Turkish Empire in anticipation of its wreck. The reason why every other country is satisfied with the bargain is thus clearly stated .by the ‘ Daily Telegraph

Three things are clear. The purchase Was not a sudden or theatrical ; coup; it is not in any way offensive to France j it is an effort not to secure, but to, preclude n onopoly : it is in the simplest sense au i titer-national sot.

Any little .romance that may have been

thrown around the transition by hi each or Russian writf r8 i a com--IS'jorfpMW 'i tho PWohaso of thesharea' ?heact. and thev who^, a pure^y defensive one; such influenced rS^i 83 Eo s* u< l b y al l to. exercise foirly“udloyaUy, hliaS acqtur€tiby purchase In accordance with these jcpfonopolifcan vxewa, of national interes&s and duty are Sir oTafpord NoifcmcoTE’s ideas on oieign affairs. Different journalists at • a Pplaud or condemn his speech in Manchester according to their polithe Colonies have little to do. It matters not to us whether, as the Divei£)Qpl J JMI& J&at ’^expresses,.-Ms-speech was straw which may be thrashed in the vain hope of finding a bushel of whoat.’’ . The gram of wheat that was obtained was a valuable one so far ,as ,the future of Great Britain and h.er Colonies is concerned. It is -thus set forth by the ‘ Manchester Guardian’;—. \\.4

■ti NoETHCOTfc is - no admirer of a '■niSS-ri policy " as' sometimes interpretea. Cobden himself could scarcely have spoken s^f9 n *'y against meddling and aggression on our part in the affairs of other nations. Our foreign policy, he says, is and must always be a pacific policy. It is not. therefore, the same as the foreign policy of the Liberals, which is also pacific, for. though pacific it ia not passive; it is not content to stana by and let other nations manage as best they inay that would be selfishness. But it becomes, so to speak, active, and even aggressive, in its pacification; it does not let other nations alone, it tries to benefit them. England is the apostle of freedom, political and commercial, and it is in this character that she stands before the world and claims to iofluence its affairs.

We will not quarrel with the ‘ Manchester Guardian * as to whether the Whig or Tory pacific policy is the best. It is enough that the old Tory theories are abandoned, that instead of proud dictatorship, henceforth the influent of England is to be that of doing good ; and that, no matter whether Whig or Tory iS in power, the ; same pacific course will be pursued. Sooner or later this course of action will commend itself to all nations. ' J't will be seen and acknowledged that the waste of sustaining enormous armies of unproductive men is uhjust and Oppressive.. England’s perseverance in a pacific policy has already so added to her wealth that she is immeasurably the most powerful European nation • for, however unromantic, it is yet the plain truth that the strength of a nation lies in its pocket. : ■ While other countries are wasting vast treasures in time of peace, England is economising its resources or using them to extend its influence and to enrich its own. people. To vis in the Colonies the knowledge that the policy of British statesmen is that of peace, enables us to look forward to' a period of continued and prosperous industry.