THE TABLET

A Weekly Newspaper and Review

D u m VOBIS GRATULAMUR, ANIMOS ETIAM ADDIMUS UT IN INCCEPTIS VESTRIS CONSTANTER MANEATIS.

Prom the Brief of His Holiness Pius IX . to The Tablet, June 4, 1870.

Vol. 51. No. 1984. London, April 20, 1878.

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C hronicle of the Week :—

Page

Prince Gortchakoft’s Reply. — Interpretations of It.—Negotiations between England and Russia. — The Congress and Prince Bismarck.—Germany and Roumania.— Russia and Austria. —Lord Salisbury on Lord Derby and Austria.—Agrarian Crime in Ireland.—The Government View. —The Exclusion of Strangers.— Mr. Butt and the Home Rule Party. — The Dublin Petition Against the Sunday Closing Bill. — The Catholic Children in the Han well District School. —The Alleged Breach of Privilege.— End of the Persecution in Columbia .. .........................481

L eaders :

CONTENTS.

Page

Short N otices (continued):

Page

The Session.. .. .. .. 485 Nihilism in Germany .. .. 486 “ Religious Toleration ” in

Russia .................................... 487 The Irish Education Question .. 488 The Strike in Lancashire.. . . 488 R eviews :

The Douay Diaries .. .. 490 The Nineteenth Century.. .. 490 The Spouse of Christ .. .. 491 The Precious Pearl of Hope in the

Mercy of God .. .. .. 491 Short N o t ic e s :

L ’École Populaire .. .. .. 492 The Principles of Science .. 492 Ecclesiastical Art Review .. 493 C orrespondence :

The Fast of Lent in England .. 493 Lenten Alms to the Holy Souls.. 493 Lancicius on the Pains of Pur­

gatory .................................... 493 The Late Very Rev. Dr. Guest.. 493 The Distress in South Wales .. 493 P arliam entary Summary .. 494 Rom e :— Letter from our own

Revue Générale .. .. .. 492

Correspondent.........................497

The Holy Father on the Temporal

Power of the Papacy .. .. 498 D iocesan N ews :— Westminster.......................................500

Southwark .. .. . . . . 500 Birmingham.......................................500 Clifton .. .. .. . . 500 Scotland ..j 501 I reland :—

Letter from our own Corre­

spondent ......................... 501 F oreign N ews ;—

Germany .. .. . . .. 502 G eneral N ews ...............................502

CH R O N IC L E O F TH E W E E K .

prince g o r t ch a koff’s REPLY.

TH E R E is a silence o f expectation in the political world. A silence, that is, as regards any positive news, for conjectures and commentaries are as p lentiful as ever. T h e note o f Prince Gortchakoff, to which the f r o memoria summarised last week was an annex, has since been la id before Parliam ent. In this document the Russian Chancellor states that the c ircular o f Lord Salisbury has been subjected to a careful examination, and “ we duly recognise,” he says, “ the frankness with which it sets forth th e views o f the Governm ent o f her Britannic Majesty on the Prelim inary T reaty o f P eace o f St. Stefano.” While, however, the objections o f the English Cabinet are presented in great detail, “ we lo ok in vain for any proposals it would be disposed to suggest towards a practical solution o f the present crisis in the East. T h e Marquis o f Salisbury tells us what the English Governm ent does not wish, and does not tell us what it does wish. W e th in k it would be useful i f his Lordship would be good enough to make this known, with a v iew to an understanding o f the situation. A s regards the declaration o f the views o f the Governm ent o f her B ritannic M ajesty on the subject o f the Congress, continues P r in ce Gortchakoff, “ I can only recall the course which on its s id e th e lm perialG overnm en th asfo llow edon this question. I t has officially communicated to the Great Powers the text Of th e Prelim inary T reaty o f St. Stefano, with an explanatory map. W e added that at the Congress, i f it was to meet, each o f the Powers there represented would have full lib erty o f appreciation and action. In c laim ing the same right for Russia we can only reiterate the same declaration.”

Each party to the discussion thus maintain-

™,!JERPKETA' ing the position it had already taken up, it becam e o f supreme im portance to ascertain whether and how their several pretensions could be reconc iled with each other. A ccordingly, the N o rd Deutsche Zeitung and some o f the English papers, especially the D a i ly News, began t o discuss the meaning o f the phrase “ liberty o f appreciation and action.” T o the question thus started the Journal de St. Petersbourg replies as follows : “ L iberty o f action necessarily implies that each member of the Congress shall have the power o f proposing the discussion o f any article in the T reaty o f St. Stefano.” “ L iberty o f appreciation im plies the power o f exam in ing each stipulation m its bearing on the interest o f the particular country o r that o f Europe, and at the same tim e o f drawing the conclusions which would follow from it.” T h e Russian paper further observes : “ I t is time to have done with this discussion, worthy o f the Lower Empire. I t rests with the Powers to decide whether they will discuss, not only the

New Series, 'Wol. XIX. No. 493.

T reaty o f St. Stefano, but the solution o f the Eastern difficulties, either in the Congress or by correspondence. T h e Cabinet o f St. Petersburg offers no opposition to any discussion which may lead to an understanding. T h e T reaty o f St. Stefano was only the form g iven to the results of the war, in order to bind Turkey to what Europe wished and she had refused. I f the Powers find any other means o f reconciling their interests with the transformations which they ju d ge to be necessary in the East, the C ab in et o f St. Petersburg asks for nothing better than to discuss those means, and to modify in that sense the prelim inary T reaty which it has concluded with Turkey, provided that the proposed solutions do not compromise (ne mettent pas en doute) the work which has cost so much blood, and that th ey make allowance for the sacrifices endured by Russia in accomplishing alone that which Europe judged to be necessary, but which she could not run any risks to effect.” T h e Agence Russe thinks that Prince G ortchakoff’s N o te has produced a favourable impression abroad, and that peace may be maintained “ i f England does not raise any fresh obstacles.” T h is we may be sure that England will not do. Our only objection to the meeting o f the Conference is the one which we have urged already, namely, that the free discussion o f all the articles o f the Prelim inary T reaty did not appear to be guaranteed. I f Russia sincerely means to a llow every article to be discussed in Congress, we do not see why the Congress should not meet. But as in a Congress there is no voting, and the m inority is not bound by the majority, we must, o f course, be prepared to see Russia offering as much resistance as possible to the opinion even of the majority o f the Powers, should that opinion be hostile to any stipulations o f the T reaty to which she attaches a serious importance. We shall not, therefore, be by any means out o f the wood even should the negotiations still in progress lead to the assem bling o f a Congress. Meanwhile it is consolatory to hear from Sir Stafford Northcote that nothing whatever has occurred which should g ive occasion for increased anxiety, or in any way dim inish the hope which Governm ent entertains of a satisfactory arrangement o f the difficulties in which we undoubtedly are p laced. A ccordingly, when Mr. Faw cett’s amendment for a curtailment o f the recess— which he wished, in consequence o f these assurances, to w ithdraw— was put to the House, it was negatived by 168 voles to 10.

W e learn, moreover, that “ a semi-official in-

t ior.'sTbe" terchange o f views” is going on between London tw e en e n g - and St. Petersburg. A telegram from the cor-

land an d respondents o f the lim e s at the last-named

Russia. capital represents the English Governm ent as declaring that it “ sincerely desires a peaceful solution, that it has no intention or wish to put unnecessary