Sir William Harcourt on Wednesday published a long but closely
reasoned letter in the Times upon the " alarm and humiliation " felt in England at the course of events in the East. He does not feel either at all, and does not believe the Govern- ment does. The events which have occurred are only the natural consequence of the neutrality which the Government deliberately adopted, with the consent of the nation, and the terms asked by Russia were known to the British Cabinet nine months ago. The problem before Europe now is not how the Turkish Empire may be retrieved, but bow it may be replaced, and the fitting counter- poise to Russia would be the support of the Greek nationalities. Lord Elcho, in reply to this letter, writes on Thursday to say that if the Russian terms of peace had been publicly known, the nation would not have agreed to neutrality. That means, we suppose, that" society" thought the terms would be light, because society believed the Turks would either win, or at all events, make such a defence as to compel a compromise. For twenty years past, at all events, society has always been wrong as to the comparative strength of nations. It was wrong about the American war, but not more wrong than it was about Austrian chances in 1860 and in 1866, and about French chances in 1870. The truth is, it always persists, in defiance of evidence, in believing what it wishes.
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