We have explained elsewhere the general drift of Lord Salisbury's
very weighty speech in the House of Lords on Monday night, in defence of the position that England should either with- draw from her many and very responsible Continental treaties of guarantee, or raise herself somewhat nearer to a level with the Governments of the Continent in military power. It is absurd to maintain that she should undertake obligations which it would be simply impossible for her to fulfil. Lord Granville's reply was couched in a tone of what was for him unusual sensitive- ness, and of much less than his usual ability. One of Lord Salisbury's remarks was "perfectly ridiculous ;" he spoke of "the exaggeration which characterized every portion of the speech;" he superfluously and erroneously applied to himself a taunt, directed by Lord Salisbury solely against the English system of giving guarantees without keeping up any sufficient force to enable us to fulfil our pro- mises, as one of "permanent braggadocio ;" and he enumerated all the somewhat empty compliments paid to England during the war, to show how highly we were thought of. But Lord Salisbury did Rot ask how we were thought of, but what we could do towards fulfilling our engagements, if need were ; and on this somewhat essential point Lord Granville was silent in his reply. All he said was that he would say nothing as to the binding character of our guarantees till the exigency arose :—" A Turkish statesman, when asked by three great European officials as to a certain event, said, When a lady is in an interesting condition it is impossible for me to tell whether the child will be a boy or a girl, and I decline to answer the question until the child is born.'" Very good ; but it is not impossible to provide baby-clothes, and that is all Lord Salisbury asked for.
