as willing even, to interfere as in the old
days when the necessity of her position required it. There is no
power, indeed, which interferes more than England; she interferes in
Asia because she is really more of an Asiatic than of a European
power." This undoubtedly was not an explanation made for
convenience' sake, but expressed truly and sincerely the broad view
which the English Prime Minister took of England's mission, and
later events showed that he adhered to this new gospel of English
imperialism which was preached then for the first time. One result
of French jealousy of Prussian success was Napoleon III's effort to
gain some territorial compensations. In this connection he even went
so far as to propose secretly to Bismarck that Prussia should allow
France to invade and annex the kingdom of Belgium provided France
would recognize without opposition the new North German
Confederation. Bismarck refused, and, as a counterstroke, Napoleon
III protested against the continuation of Luxemburg's occupation by
German troops. A conference of the powers was finally called at
London in May, 1868, and a treaty was arranged according to which
the fortifications of the city of Luxemburg were dismantled and the
entire duchy received a joint guarantee of continuous neutrality.

In the meantime, in 1867, Parliament had passed a bill embodying the
confederation of the various British provinces in North America and
creating a form of self-government under which the Dominion of
Canada had existed and flourished since then. Other internal
measures of grave importance occupied the attention of the English
nation at that time. Certain ritualistic tendencies in the Anglican
Church aroused great excitement and apprehension. Disraeli's Prime
Ministership, which he had assumed in February, 1867, after Lord
Derby's resignation, came to an end in December, 1868, through a
victory of the Liberal party at the general election, and Gladstone
formed his first ministry. Difficulties in Ireland culminated in a
revival of Fenian activities and in the committing of numerous
outrages. With the fate of the reform and other measures of
Gladstone's government we are not concerned, for they were almost
exclusively of an internal nature. Of England's neutral attitude
during the Franco-Prussian War we have already heard; but it is
worth mentioning that previous to the outbreak of the war England
attempted, even if unsuccessfully, to mediate between Fran