The Temuka Leader SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 1880.

Temuka Leader, Issue 236, 14 February 1880, Page 2

The Temuka Leader SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 1880.

Ai.Tj Europe is in a ferment. England is embroiled’in numerous petty wars; India j§ in a great state of esiitemvnt; the least

show of weak ness on the p°rt of Britain, and I c’iii world, be ; lost-tcGver lor e'-ei. „Wf. have,no fear,, however. that this will be -he case. War is to >'o dep’ored « *der a'nv "fronnisVance^'but now that, Lord J-»ca-consliebl lias committed theßritish E>npb'o“to a war nolicy it wilt not do for tbe o'f p.^<it hht proofs si tip p) and abruptly upset this policy. Engiarid s

rrwtige is in . ‘danger, and' /nothing but a tirni f.i«-tcrmi T'finn to uphold her rule in her colonial dependencies will cause her to be feared and respected., lucre need be little doubt in the mm is of any that llu-slfa iis’er'Ccdel 1 iug has emboldened. ibo Iv-diau chic's in their present a°fiant attitude. . A strong army .will there.fore be required to piit this rcbellion'do.wn and t<' show to the Queen’s' subjects that they must bow themselves at the foot’of’ the throne and ask" f>r redress of their gr : evanees.as her other .subjects do. Were FntHand to, hesitate just now, the irritated I id'ar.c would-.be' ready -to lend - a favor? .aide'ear to the ingwiions inflammatory ipmnosals which ‘Russian are, ever ready TO ma ke on behalf; of .'-their . master. Uuf-Viueately T idia is not tbe only corner of the Empire’where sedilion us hatched. Ireland is also iri a ferment. • Russia may not have a'liar d directly , in' this 'matter; Ireland inis always been cis-nt'stiod with her re union with, England, A t least she has; always., had agi -a-tor V who,tried -to make her - .believe - -she weuhl have-.-been better without (lie - union ; but those who have studied European bDt'n'y must come to the conclusion that if Ireland had. not been united te.England, she would have been united to despotic -France. Under French rule what' wpul ] she have' laeu ? A CuthoTc djjc^nntry‘ steeped in ignorance* .• ns- flipM of , the pea-, santry -are, even now. It js, only ngiit and proper that Ireland .should, be dealt fairly with by the British Government ;in England,- so far as equal laws, and justice is concerned ; but in whatever way we look at it. Ireland has been no gain in England, but rather a source of weakness. Scotland was opposed to the union, and lay it lost much more than Ireland. Scotland was much men crippled than Ireland by England removing her Parliaments to London. Even now she is almost wholly rifled from London; but does she get up a hue and cry for separation 1 or for the Parliament to bo brought back again ? Q.n the contrary,'floes she not do her very utmost to assist England to frame a good and .I'bernl Government, who uill conduct the affairs of, the-country wish discretion and moderat'on. Scotland has suffered much from absenteei-'m and from a land monopoly, even worse* than that of Ireland. .Whole tracts of delightful, c oil n try have beep turned into sheep walks to amuse a bloated aristocracy, by - providing a hunting field for them to’ recruit their d : s' > as' i d carcasps. Many' fir ibes wer c driven out -of their homes, and ths : r ! : {<b dwellings rased to theg-’oi’ :d, lest they should disturb the hare or the pnrtridg

and ro spoil their sport;,but did Scot’and’s hardy H’glilandmen take up arms to defy these vnluptidus tyrants ? Did these law fnl occupiers of their beautiful Highland homes, shoot, or attempt to shoot, down these reckless gain biers? On the contrary, ai l they not peacably retire and seek a new home in America and Australia,where (as nr’ghthave been expected) they turned ont to be valuable colonists, whose worth could not be over-estimated.. If, then, Scotland endured all this, and are still loyal subjects to England, even when suffering hardships ns groat as Ireland ever, has, why is it then, the latter country must always have n double police, or a standing 7mv, to keep down anarchy? The last mail gives a key to the ’ whole matter. “The priests,” says the telegram. - “ring the bells, and inflame the passions of the people.” Here is the difference between tbe Scotch and the Irish. The Scotch read for t.hemselvos, and think for themselves. The Irish are in complete subjection to the priests, and would go and pub down the Queen’s throne if the priests bade them. With trouble in India, trouble in Ireland, and Russia watching to throw in a firebrand wherever she finds a chance, the British statesman.lias to keep his eves open Not only that, blithe liVfo guard against rash estrernes Ob'theVme hand, and anything that might be iuterprjfed as cowardice on the other. England’s prosperity is envied by most other nations. Her li neral institutions annoy the despot, and, her extending power and . influence' tends to ■ drive others to use desperate means to ; detract from her increasing popu’aiity. Germany is uneasy ; her power is groat,, and her army enormous, but the heavy burdens laid upon her people are becoming so irksome that several attempts have been made to throw' them off'. Nihilism an I Socialism are brooding in her miast, and any moment an explosion mav take place which will startle Bismarck, or hull the veteran Emperor from his throne. Bismarck reigns like -a monarch, and wil 1 not stand contradiction. Other officers fret underJiia iron rule, and would lie only too glad to see him degraded and disgraced. Russia gradually converges to a centre, which without-dnubt wilblead to a runture with either Germany, Anuria, or Italy. Russia will not, declare war against England, but she will strike a blow at one of her tender parts, which will so w. nnd and irritate her at not Russia merely, but nt one of the nations ■ named, and whichmay embroil Eng’and in n war from wine!) she con'd not withdraw, even although it nuy lead to war with Rus-i . Ti e Ik”>r

'P3S not cane to attack I he. 1i0n,., but Id the Linn be once engaged ■ with another foe, then thcJßenr will slum- his tusks and prepare for the spring. England therefore as we have said, is ia very great danger* All ov'erZiirope tile eY,';n!cnienfcis bbc.fViuihg exceedingly groat. Tire riding of the roast lies chiefly with England, and we should !ike to see h r increase her tinny not fo'declare war but to be in a position to dictate .her .own terms.,. Once the storm, is over, measures for conciliation should then be adopted ; su'd) measures .as. •will-recognise dliV rights of labor to a' share of the profits arising from its utilisation, whether that be 'by the Husband-' in an, the cotton spinner, or the railway navvie. At the present- moment the naof Em’ope are watching each other like the wild beasts .of the 'wood—evewone jealous o£, a not,h a;, clopblfylT,«ho“wi 11 make the first spring ; but good to the unass will, come out. of ,it, . .