Foreign Affairs

In Canada, the Liberal Government under Laurier has been formed, and a parliament called for August 18. A setltement temporary at least, of the school question niay be hoped for. The European situation is marked on the one hand by the continued decline of Turkey,insurrection and massacre are reported within the empire in Armenia, Crete, and Lebanon, and without, the former friendly relations with Germany are broken. On the the other hand the meeting of the two greatest powers of Europe, in the persons of the Czar and the Czarina, of Russia, and the Czarina's grandmother, Queen Victoria is proniised. The conditions and actions of foreign nations iu respect to the monetary question are instructive. Bimetallic League in Eugland and the socialists in Germany are optimistic over the situation in the Uuited States. On the other hand, India on the east and the United States of Columbia in the west, are held up as examples of the pauperizing results of free coinage ; and Costa Rica is returning to a gold standard, if theories are compared with facts, the conclusión is evident. COBDENISM VS. COMMON SENSE. The recent celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of tlie repeal of the common laws of the Cobden Club is significant. It has been said that new measures require new men. The converse is also true that new men deniand new measures, and nowhere is this clearer than in the present case. In 1846, Cobden and the majority demanded and obtained free trade in corn and subsequently in the other articles of consumption. In 1896, Chamberlin and possible majority are demanding aprotective system, that is a British Imperial custom's unión, which is exactly the Americau system, the fortyfive members of the United States, forming the greatest customs union the world has ever seen. The Cobden Jubilee like the Jewish day, is the occasion for the proclamation of freedom, but iu this case a proelamaby the other fellow. ENLISH UNITY. The Venezuelan question has occasioned more senseless declamation than anything in our foreign relations si nee the Behring Sea controversy. A recent example of this occuring iu the coirespondence of so able a paper as the New York Tribune, may be cited. Speaking of the proposed Peace Congress, the writer says : "Does auv man believö the Englishmen are not after gold in this) peace project, workiog for partnership, if not for a full swing in our markets, liopiug through intrigue, diplomacy or bribery, to díctate appointments and decisions? Tliere is ene strong reason for the Britisli aversión to war with us in the large investinetils they have placed here. In the eveiit of war, mueh of the property would lx coufisciited and large obligation srcpuiiiiited. I ilon't believe there is an intelligent American wlio tliinks if the British had the power they would not wipc this republic out of existente to-niorrow, if by it they could forever rule the commerce ut the Americans. War is the escape, the appeal, the only effective resort. Enforced peace or long periods between wars give floods, big waves of demoralizing, degrading practices. Wars do not come often enough for true enjoyable peace." This is the kind of anarchism that goes about in the sheepskin of patriotism. Tlie intelligent American t.ogether with the intelligent Englishman recognizes that not only his economie, but also bis political and moral welfare must be considered. They agree, too, that disease and murder whether on a small or great scale, and whatever tiie cause or motive, is evil. Monarchist and democrat, democrat and republican must endorse the measures of President Cleveland and of the English governnient which are intended to perpetúate the harmonious relations existing between the two great branches of the English race.