Cardiff, in which the Conservatives had a municipal majority when
Mr. Gladstone visited South Wales some two years ago, has now been recovered by the Gladstonians, and the Town Council has consequently presented the freedom of the borough to Mr. Gladstone. He signed the burgess-roll on Saturday, without having visited Cardiff, and delivered two speeches, the first of whieh was more or less non-political, though it expressed a very strong bias towards conferring Home-rule on Wales. He also exhorted the people of Cardiff to guard carefully the principles of Free-trade, and to allow of no paltering with them. The wages of labour had increased 50 per cent. under Free-trade, and the commerce of the country had multiplied fivefold. Mr. Gladstone is an optimist about the power of England. He said that at one time the cry used to be, "England against the world in arms." "I am now for England against the world,—not, I hope, in arms, though I believe England is fitter to meet that condition now than she ever was,—but yet I am for England against the world, if need be." Surely the relative power of England has greatly diminished since the time Mr. Gladstone alluded to, though her absolute power has increased. What could we do now, if need were, as. we hope need will not be, to contend against such land forces as either Germany or France could bring into the field? It is of. no use disguising from ourselves that in conffict with the immense Continental armies now in existence, England could do nothing at all without powerful allies, though she might, and we hope would, make shift to defend her own territory against the world.
Previous page
