principles enunciated in the eloquent address of Lord Chief Justice Russell; be it further

Resolved, That it be referred to the committee on international law to recommend such further action as shall be deemed proper to forward the great cause of international arbitration.

Those who compare the spirit which was expressed in Lord Russell's oration and the reception which it received, with the feelings which were aroused last December as a result of President Cleveland's special message on the Venezuelan matter, cannot fail to conclude that the cause of peace, kindliness, and mutual understanding between Great Britain and the United States has made great progress during the past year.

INTERNATIONAL BIMETALLISM.

To advocate a maintenance of the existing gold standard is one thing; to be a gold monometallist is altogether another. Those who look with alarm upon the prospects of a change from a gold standard in the United States can quite consistently favor international bimetallism, that is, an agreement among those nations having the largest commercial dealings with one another to accept all silver tendered them, provided that they be allowed to take it as the equivalent only of an amount of gold whose weight would bear to the weight of the silver a certain ratio. Such an agreement would indefinitely enlarge the coinage use of the white metal and the debt-discharging power of all stores of silver bullion; and, with few exceptions, would be welcomed by all people of the United States irrespective of party. There is evidence also, as we have frequently noted, that in influential circles in Europe the international bimetallic movement has a growing number of friends, even if its prospects of ultimate success are distant.

The annual report read by the secretary of the Bimetallic League at its meeting in London, Eng., July 13, draws attention to resolutions in favor of bimetallism adopted by the popular chambers of Prussia, France, and Belgium. It then goes on to say that in the United States all the political parties and all classes of business men would welcome the establishment of international bimetallism. A large number of the people of that country were, however, so thoroughly convinced of the necessity for the remonetization of silver that they were not disposed to wait for an international agreement to that end. The report further said that no party of importance in America favored gold monometallism.

Gold monometallism, on the other hand, would deny to silver all legal-tender debt-paying power save in limited quantity and for subsidiary change. This is the universal

policy of the nations of Europe to-day. It is no more. British than it is German, or Danish, or even Italian, or Austrian, or Russian. Within the past twenty-five years, during which period a fall of fifty per cent in the value of silver has been witnessed, the trend of financial opinion and of administrative experience throughout the continent has set strongly in the direction of a single gold standard. France and her monetary allies in the Latin Union, after endeavoring in vain for thirteen years to keep gold and silver on a parity of value by international agreement, suspended silver coinage in 1878, and in practice adopted the single standard for the regulation of their exchanges. Germany was converted from a silver into a gold country by the imperial acts of 1871 and 1873. Austria-Hungary and Russia, after suffering from the evils of fluctuating silver and debased paper currency, have accumulated great reserves of gold in preparation for an ultimate resumption of gold payments. Holland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Roumania, and other nations have adopted the single gold standard. The causes of this movement so widespread in Europe, toward gold monometallism, are found, at least in part, in overproduction in America, the failure of three international monetary conferences, and the continuous shrinkage of the value of silver in spite of legislative attempts to keep up its price.

THE NILE CAMPAIGN.

An Able Dervish General.-In the spoil of war captured at Firkeh (p. 330) were found some dispatches from Mohamed Wad el Bishara, emir-in-chief commanding at Dongola, addressed to Hammuda, military chief of the dervish army at Firkeh, and to the emirs under his command. There were grave dissensions among the subordinate emirs at Firkeh; and the emir-in-chief writes them in the very spirit of an apostle to put aside their unworthy jealousies and to unite like one man for the defense of the cause of God and religion. The dispatch received at Firkeh June 6, just before the battle, in its opening sentences reminds one of the Apostle Paul's discreet commendation of the Corinthians before he begins to rebuke them for their factiousness. This epistle of the young Emir Mohamed (he is but thirty years old) is worthy of being quoted entire:

“You are, thank God, of good understanding, and are thoroughly acquainted with those rules of religion which enjoin love and uniThanks be to God that I hear but good reports of you.

son.

Vol. 6.-39.

But

you are now close to the enemy of God, and have with you, with the help of God, a sufficient number of men. I therefore request you to unite together, to have the heart of a single man founded on love and unity. Consult with one another, and thus you will insure good results, which will strengthen the religion and vex the heathen, the enemies of God. Do not move without consulting one another, and such others, also, in the army who are full of sense and wisdom. Employ their plans and tricks of war, in the general fight more especially. Your army, thank God, is large; if you unite and act as one hand, your action

will be regular; you will, with the help of God, defeat the enemies of God and set at ease the mind of the khalifa, peace be on him! Follow this advice, and do not allow any intrigues to come between you. Rely on God in all your doings; be bold in all your dealings with the enemy; let them find no flaw in your disposition for the fight. But be ever most vigilant, for these enemies of God are cunning, may God destroy them! Our brethren, Mohamed Koku, with two others, bring you this letter; on their return they will inform me whether you work in unison or not. Let them find you as ordered in religion, in good spirits, doing your utmost to insure the victory of religion. Remember, my brethren, that what moves me to urge on you to love each other and to unite is my love for you and my desire for your good. This is a trial of war; so for us love and amity are of utmost necessity. You were of the supporters of the Mahdi, peace be on him! You were as one spirit occupying one body. When the enemy know that you are quite united they will be much provoked. Strive, therefore, to provoke these enemies of religion. May God bless you and render you successful."

These sage counsels were not heeded; the factions continued, and the bickering emirs were slaughtered almost to the last man, and their forces annihilated.

The Advance on Dongola.-The movement on Dongola was commenced in the last week of August with the occupation of Absarat. Seven steamers had by that time passed the Semneh cataract: the route thence to Dongola was clear. These steamers received at Kosheh their armament, consisting of muzzle-loading 9-pounders and three or four Nordenfeldt rapid-fire guns each. By the middle of September 15,000 men were marching on a route parallel to the river; while a fleet of 15 stern-wheel gunboats, towing more than 200 other boats and barges loaded with supplies, kept pace with them on the way to Dongola distant less than 100 miles by river. Dervish posts on the river banks were evacuated on the approach of the flotilla.

Wad el Bishara abandoned the strong position at Kerman, which he had held with 4,000 of the best men of the Dongola garrison; and, with his whole force, crossed the river to Hafir on the west bank. Here the dervishes held a strong fort, under which was moored their one gunboat with twenty-five boats laden with grain. The land and naval forces of the expedition bombarded the dervish position; and the dervishes kept up a heavy fire in reply. The dervish gunboat was struck by a shell and sunk; and three of the Egyptian gunboats ran past the fort and proceeded for Dongola. The fire between the fort and the horse and field batteries of the expedition continued, and Wad el Bishara received serious injuries in the face and shoulders from the bursting of a shell.

Meanwhile the three gunboats made all speed up the river and reached Dongola, which was found undefended. Nevertheless, for a moral effect, the town was bombarded at a range of 300 yards. The fire of the gunboats dismounted two guns in the fort. The treasury of the dervishes and their records were captured on boats at Dongola. On September 23 General Sir H. H. Kitchener made his formal entry into Dongola and definitely occupied the

town.

In summing up the results of the campaign and counting the costs, the London Times says:

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"The brilliant and continued success from a military standpoint which has attended the advance of the Soudan expedition, cannot be allowed to blind us to another aspect of the campaign. * * * Military efficiency has indeed been attained. The progress of the expedition proves that by the best of all proofs-the test of splendid and steady success. It seems doubtful, however, in the face of recent statements made by our special correspondent, whether that suc cess is not being paid for too dearly, not in piastres and stores, but in unnecessary suffering, disease, and death." The money must be found for the prosecution of the campaign under conditions consistent with common humanity to the troops. The only question is as to the source from which it is to come, and to that question, in present circumstances, there can be but one answer. The honor and the interests of Great Britain demand that the campaign shall be prosecuted to a triumphant end. It was begun with our sanction, and it is being conducted with the aid of British officers and of British troops, while in a certain measure it serves imperial objects. In these circumstances it becomes a national duty for us to assist the Egyptian treasury. In the face of our correspondent's statements, it would be discreditable to us as a wealthy and humane nation if satis factory assurance were not speedily given to the government of the khedive. England will not grudge money to lessen the sufferings of the soldiers who are campaigning in the desert with her assent."

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The expeditionary army will not this year advance beyond Dongola. In the meantime Korti and Debbeh will

be garrisoned, and the affairs of the entire province will be administered by British and Egyptian officials. No British troops will remain except the engineers and those in charge of the machine guns. But it is not doubted that the war will be continued to the extermination of Mahdism.

At Cairo great excitement was caused by the attempt of the British-Egyptian authorities to induce the banks to advance 26,000,000 francs against the Egyptian revenue for the purpose of defraying the expenses of the Dongola expedition. It was understood that the French bondholders would resist by law the attempt to raise the loan in the manner proposed.

The khedive conferred the grand cordon of the Order of Osmanieh on the commander of the Dongola expedition, General Sir Herbert H. Kitchener.

Soudan Threatened From the South.-The report of an expedition from the Kongo Free State to cooperate with the Anglo-Egyptian force against the khalifa (p. 76), received some confirmation in the summer, when, from several independent sources, was spread the intelligence of native troops being mustered in the Free State and in the British dependency of Lagos for service against the dervishes in the Soudan. Toward the end of August the advices received from Leopoldville were that the expedition, under command of Baron Dhanis, had reached the White Nile and occupied Lado. This place is on the White Nile about 325 miles north of the Victoria Nyanza, and in territory subject to British dominion. Khartoum was regarded as the objective point of the expedition. The accounts of its strength are conflicting. The advanced guard" of four companies consisting of 250 men each, was reported “from a German source to have left for Kilongalonga June 10. Meanwhile a "vast supply of ammunition and cannon, including a battery of Maxim guns, had been got together at Stanley Falls. This material was to be forwarded to Kilongalonga; and at the same point the advanced guard was to be joined by 2,000 men from Welle. By another report the force of men was reduced to 200 all told, and no mention is made of Maxims or of heavy cannon. The Etoile Belge, official organ of the Kongo Free State, brands the story in all its forms as "a monstrous lie." Nevertheless the Brussels correspondent of the London Times maintains the reality of Baron Dhanis's expedition. Certain it is that down to this writing no intelligence has come from any source, of