The importance of this struggle, as we have explained else-
where, consists in its bearing on the English political position. Lord Salisbury could carry the Convention at once by promising armed support to the Sultan ; but will Parliament ratify that? In particular, will the Unionists ratify that, even if the consequence of refusal should be the break-up of the Ministry P We confess to the gravest doubts—we could not, for example, though determined Unionists, support any war for the protection of Turkey—add the doubt renders Lord Salis- bury's position most perplexing. He can only fall back, if defeated, upon the existing position ; and then he is face to face with the difficulties which induced him to propose the Conven- tion. Whatever those difficulties may be, however, they cannot be so great as those which would follow any resolution dividing the majority ; and the alternative to the signature of the Con- vention is, therefore, a return to the statue quo. Sir H. D. Wolff must come home; bat that gentleman's fate, though he has worked hard, and has shown unexpected ability, is not of national moment.
