Tae Chinese annalists tell a story of Maoutun, prince of the Hiung-noo, B.C. 209, which if not true is at lerist characteristic. The Hiung-noo are by most learned men believed to have been the direct ancestors of the Turks of to-day, and certainly exhibited many points of resemblance to them. At all events Maoutun, ina very Turklike manner, had come to the throne by murdering his father, who bad sought to set him aside in favour of a younger brother. The Tung-hoo, at that time neighboura of the Luang-noo, thought the opportunity good, when Muoutun was scarcely established on the throne, to make demands of the new prince, Their king accordingly sent him polite message requesting his swiftest charger. Mnoutun's Ministers were indignant at the insult they conceived offered, but Maoutun was of a different opin "Shall I," he said, "for the sake of a horse do an un-neighbour ly action?" and accord. ingly sent the steed. Thinking the road for encroachment was now open, the king sent a second envoy, this time requesting the prince's consort. The prince again sought the advice of his Ministers, who indignantly counselled him that this insult could only be avenged by an appeal to arms, Not so thought Maoutun. "Shall J," he said again, "for the sake of a woman be guilty of an un-neighbour ly action?" and sent back his best beloved wife with the Envoy. Naturally interpreting all this complaisance as a sign of weakness, and elate at his success, the king a third time sent an Embassy. There lay between the two nations a strip of neutral land some 300 miles wide; the king of the Tang-hoo wanted this, and told his Embassador to i form Maontun that he wanted it, as it was of no use to the Hiung-noo. Muoutun a third time called together his Liinisters. Some of these were now for yielding. "This," they said, is abandoned territory, and it is of little consequence whether or not it is given up." Maoutun was however of a different opinion. "Land," replied he, "is the foundation of a nation. How can it be given up?" Persuaded of the pusillanimity of his Ministers, he cut off their heads, raised an army and advanced to attack the Tung-hoo. The latter in their contempt for Mnoutan had neglected all precautions, and could offer no adequate assistance. Maoutun killed their king, led captive the people, and carried off all the cattle, Now we have been reminded irresistibly of Maontun's advisers, by the recent speech of Mr. John Bright at Birmingham. The Russians have succeeded in making " Russian Jake of the Caspinn; they were allowed to tear up the treaty of Paris so far as keeping a fleet in the Black Sea was concerned, and they want now to gone step further and to get to the Mediterranean, Now we are pineed in much the same position with regard to the sea, as was Maoutun with regard to the land. The sea is the foundation of our greatness, We do not own the Mediterranean, but we have not been accustomed to dispute its command with Russia. "Why should we give it up?" The old Turks told their Sovereign the neutral laud was a matter of small moment, as John Bright tells the English work. men the command of the Mediterranean is a matter of little consequence, Maoutun knew better, or possibly now-a-days England might not be in the position sketched by our would-be statesman, of keeping the Russians out of the Mediterranean by means of Turkey at Constantinople. Give the Rassians Constantinople, and make the Black Sea a Russian lake like the Cas plun. The next step naturally would be the Mediterranean. Why should England hold Malta and Gibraltar Perhaps Mr. Bright might wince at this latter question, as India con. sumes a fair proportion of cotton goods which now pass unmolested through the Suez Canal. Granting that Cotton alone is king, this last might seem, even to him, an unreasonable question to ask; but what security is there that it would not be asked? Or rather is there not every likelihood that it would be asked? It is cor-tain that, however far we yield, the time will come when we can yield no longer without national disaster, It is scarcely the part of @ sane man to hurry on'such a position of affaire that even Mr. John Bright might have to declare in favour of upholding our national interests.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.