Mr. Gladstone on Monday made a speech to the Frome
Liberal Association, which had presented him with an address, in which he stated that although Lord Salisbury had done his best, the Tory party had not yet vindicated the claims of humanity. He "could not acquiesce in the view" that in stating "a great quantity of verbal truth" to the Turks we had fulfilled our duty. He looked to her Majesty's Government to tell us "what was to follow from this great trans- action and woeful failure," the meeting of Conference. Mr. Glad- stone did not, however, state what he thought ought to follow, but proceeded to say that he himself only aspired "to serve in the rank and file of the Liberal party, under leaders who will always do honour to it and to themselves." "Idleness in the public service was not the reproach to which he felt himself most open," his labours in that service having been spread over a long space. It will be observed that Mr. Gladstone does not absolutely pledge himself never again to accept power, though it is clear that nothing but a strong appeal to his conscience would induce him to hamper himself with office.
