Yesterday week, Mr. A. J. Balfour, M.P. for Hertford, and
private secretary to Lord Salisbury, addressed the Edinburgh Conservative Working Men's Association, endeavouring to undo the effect of Mr. Gladstone's onslaught on the foreign policy of the Government. This he attempted by describing Mr. Glad- stone's respect for European concert as "superstitious," and declaring that even if all Europe, Turkey excepted, had been united in 1877, Turkey would not have yielded without force. Very possibly not ; but, if all Europe, Turkey excepted, had been united, could not force have been applied with overwhelm- ing results, with the minimum of bloodshed, and the maximum .of effect P The Afghan difficulty, said Mr. Ballow., had arisen " not from revenge, but from a desire for security." He could hardly bring a more damaging indictment against the policy of his chief. If this Afghan war was made for security,—and we are now in peril such as before the war no Indian statesman -could have conceived without shuddering,—what becomes of the statesmanship of Lord Salisbury P
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