14 FEBRUARY 1880, Page 2

Mr. Lowe, on Tuesday, made a speech to the Liberal

Asso- ciation of Croydon, in which he criticised the foreign policy of the Government, which had resulted, he said, in alienating a great number of the Powers of Europe. Russia saw us half ruin- ing ourselves, only that we might be disagreeable to her. Greece, after being kept quiet by direct encouragement to hope great things from pleasing us, was told that she had a future, and could afford to wait. Turkey was so outraged, that the Turk, who was not an ingenious creature, had racked his ingenuity to find safe ways of insulting us. Afghanistan was " con- ciliated " by having the outrages of forty years ago re- peated within her borders. It would some day be doubted whether there ever had been a second Afghan war,—whether the mere assertion had not been a consequence of Liberal spite, so completely did the new war repeat all the horrors and blunders of the first. Our alliance with the Turk, said Mr. Lowe, almost casts a doubt upon the justice of the Almighty. Mr. Lowe, at least, does not make the mistake of putting the moral blunders of the Government too low. His speech was a fine outburst of severe and righteous indignation.