On Monday, Mr. Gladstone opened a Free Library at Swansea,
received the freedom of the borough, remarked on the musical pre-eminence of Welshmen, admired the Swansea porcelain, and in a word, discharged the non-political portions of his functions at Swansea with his usual playfulness and grace. On Tuesday, he returned to London, receiving a tremendously enthusiastic welcome at all the stations on his way to Cardiff,—the people even climbing on to the train in order to get a sight of him,—and at Cardiff he delivered a great speech on the practical unanimity of the civilised world,—England alone excepted,—in condemnation of England, and in approbation of the general tenor of his own proposals for Ireland. The exception of England is, as we have elsewhere pointed out, somewhat important ; while the so-called unanimity is singularly dubious and ambiguous. The civilised world,—with the exception of Germany,—is tolerably unanimous in condemning Prince Bis- marck's policy, as dictatorial and unsuited to the development of constitutional freedom in Germany ; and the civilised world,— with the exception of Ireland,—is tolerably unanimous in con- demning Mr. Parnell's policy, as unsuited to the development of any sort of moral civilisation inthat country. Prince Bismarck, however, sets the one opinion at defiance, and Mr. Gladstone himself the other, so little does "the opinion of the civilised world" impress those who do not concur in it.
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