The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1855-08-14 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

to take part in the turmoil. Not content with the HECATE'S
broth he has thus compounded, he proceeds in an equally
friendly and candid spirit to animadvert on our foreign rela-
tions of every sort. Quarrels with our hollow and insecure
support of Turkey, declaring that the ambassador of the
Sum:nu PORTE was satisfied with the proposals which he,
good easy man, approved of first, and then denounced, but
now approves again. He taunts his countrymen and his
quondam colleagues with their pusillanimity in permitting
the French occupancy of Rome, without which he tell us the
POPE would be dismissed from the Papal States, but omits to
show what benefit we should receive in return for breaking with
our new and vigorous ally the EMPEROR of the FRENCH. In
short, from the beginning to the end of his miserable diatribe,
the text is "sour grapes, sour grapes!. you haverepucliated me.
I hate you, and will gall you." Probably in no case—certainly
in none during the present session-- has Lord PALMERSTON
appeared to such advantage as he did on Tuesday night, when,
with well-assumed magnanimity, and well-counterfeited for
bearance, he affected to perceive that there were some grounds
for the invective of his late loving friend and excellent co-
adjutor. "It is natural," said the PREMIER—With the most
cool and cutting sarcasm —" that these great questions should
occupy his (Lord JOHN RUSSELL'S) attention now, when 'he
has more time to devote his attention to them." "It must,
indeed," continued he, "be a grave reason which can induce
such a man utterly to change his opinions—to declare that
war, to which he had himself been a party from the com-
mencement, unnecessary, unjust, and unwarrantable—and to
set before the country all the imaginary disasters with which
his fancy can furnish his speech ; magnifying at the same
time our dangers, and exaggerating the forces of • the
enemy." The display of Tuesday, although in . some
degree prepared for it by scenes of. a similar nature
previously enacted, took Parliament and the country
by surprise. When charges of spite were brought against
the extraordinary revelations and criminations made against
his colleagues by Lord JOIIN RUSSELL, still some few clang to
the traditions associated with his name, and refused to- credit
the accusations. Now no one requires to seek for a motive,
and-as few consider it worth while to inquire for a palliationOf
his conduct. That stands revealed in all its natural hideous-
ness, claiming no explanation, requiring none, and refusing to
be extenuated. When his Lordship quailed before Mr. Roz:.
BUCK'S motion for inquiry, and by the poltroonery of his
desertion still further embarrassed those colleagues whom he
quitted, every one considered he had reached the lowest depth
ofadegradation to which a public man could sink; his volun-
tary act of Tuesday showed that supposition to be premature.
For the sake of the national character, it is to be hoped his
Lordship will be left' in undisputed possession of the " bad
eminence" he has thus achieved, and that henceforth his name
and character will be alike forgotten. Something like a fore-
shadowing of this withering oblivion might be gathered from
the apathetic silence and contemptuous indifference with
which his harangue was listened teon Tuesday last. Towards
the conclusion of last Session, it may be remembered that he
treated the House to an extraordinary display of his powers
as a histrione, on the occasion of withdrawing the new Reform
Bill, with the introduction of which he so pompously amused
the House. On that occasion his tears met sympathy—his
deliberations obtained credit, at least so far. His exhibition
of the " Ercies vein," on Tuesday, excited no remark. He
was listened to with that dogged indifference which
declared "let him say what he pleases, and• be done with. it';.
contradiction he shall not receive—reply he shall havenone.'T
From these jarrings and disputes it is a relief to escape on:
almost any terms; and few events afford. more tempting
material than is to be found in the contemplated visit of our
gracious Sovereign to the-court of her august ally the Emperor.
of the FRENCH. This is- an event avowedly of more signifi-
cance than a mere interchange of courtly greetings and per--
sonal civilities. Four centuries and a half have rolled over. !
both countries since a crowned English monarch• was an in-
mate of the French metropolis ; and on that, as on some pre-
vioua occasions, it was the result of no friendly intercourse:
The present week, or- its- successor, will record- the first visit
paid by an English to a French sovereign in the capital of
France, in the annals of the- two- nations; and in this instance
it marks an era in European- history which must not and
cannot be forgotten.. It is in celebration of the union now
I existing between the two nations, and calling: forth their_
combined energies to battle, in the cause of freedom and
civilisation,. against tyranny and:barbarism. This Royal visit
will receive its highest value- in- the supplementary pledge .it
gives of similarity of feeling and- identity of policy existing
between the two government's—of unity of purpose and
generous rivalry between the two. countries: In this result
the intelligent politician will: recognise the importance of
acting upon principle instead of expediency in: matters of
state; the philanthropist will see in it the moral beauty of
nations).like individuals, placing. before them fors their guid-
ance a high. sense of moral: duty. to be followed without
flinching.;. and that the duties - of honour and -justice are
paramount to- the behests of convenience, and must be
followed at whatever sacrifice. or risk they may entail:
The French preparations to do fitting. honour -to so -great
an occasion. are worthy of their character fore courtesy,
while the-personal attentions-of the sovereign and. the people
are such as to raise the warmest feelings of gratitude in every
British. bosom. The event will be. duly honoured by pomps
and pageantry; but far beyond the value of such. ceremonial
will be the practical demonstration it will afford of the utter
inefficiency of RuSsian intrigue, .of whatever hue or.form, in
its attempts. to sever that alliance between Franee.and Eng-
land,. which, now, almost for the first time in. their history,
cements them in defence of the liberties of Europe. The visit
is the. crowning act to an interchange of national, esteem and
confidence, and as such it seems -to be regarded. on both sides
of the channel.

Among the numerous rumours begotten of the present un-
settled state of public opinion,.as that has been shown by the
leading politicians both in Trance and England; is one to•the
effect that Austria somewhat repents her of the more than
equivocal conduct she has-displayed in her recent diplomacy,
and that she now evinces a strong desire to. avoid the
rupture of those relations-with the western powers which but
lately she seemed so careless about. It is- now confidently
stated that she has given the cabinets- of London and
Paris distinct assurance that she still holds herself bound by
the stipulations contained in the treaty of the.2nol December
that she still regards herself as the ate, of France an&
England ; and is still prepared, at some• future day, (how near
the millennium no one knows,) to co.opprate with them in
hostile operations against Russia. The, rumour circulates,.
widely here, without producing any effact beyond that of
citing watchfulness and jealousy on the part of the people
who look upon the,report as of equivocal, ifnot of absolutely
sinister omen, rerallirg to their memories the procrastination
which, in deference to Austrian policy, occasioned us. such
disasters last year. In this light tire report has been regarded
by all parties ; and even the assurance h Lord PALauLasToN
of his hope that Austria will yet befound fighting by oar side ;
and his confident declaration that...she will not, under,any cir-
cumstances, join the enemy, fell, upon listless ears.. She, is
looked on by; all as a drag uponAlle motions of the allies ; her
friendship is regarded rather as a. source of weakness than a
means of power ; even the sharp practitioners cf the money
market fail to see in the report referred to a means.otim,.
proving their position ; it. failed, utterly failed, ta produce any
effect on the value of public securities.

If n,on-effective for good, the renewed expression of Austthrt
sympathy has not been equally effectless on popular opinias
nor quite so trivial. in. its operation on th?, unpopularity of
Ministers. In Loudon, right or wrong, there is no room tvr
questioning that a strong feeling exists in favour of resusci-
tating the nationality of Poland. This feeling has been long
a popular and dominant one among the political spouters of
the Metropolis;: and certain hints thrown out, or at all events
so interpreted by them, to the effect that Lord. PAXMERSTON
was not unfriendly towards an upraising of the-Polish nation
excited warm satisfaction through an extensive circle of those
politicians.. Circumstances, however, have occurred to turn
this satisfaction into jealousy and dislike of Lord PALMERSTON
and the Government. A meeting, called for the purpose of
giving encouragement to a Polish movement as one Of
the surest means of striking a home-blow at Russian
power, was to have been presided over by Sir DE LACY
EVA.NS. The day and hour of the meeting arrived,
when it was suddenly announced that, as the gallant
general was prevented by indisposition from occupying
the chair, the meeting must be postponed. The whole was
immediately denounced as a ministerial ruse, and the credit of
devising the manoeuvre, whether he deserved it or not, was
instantly placed to the credit of Lord PALMERSTON, in his
account with public opinion. This alone might have been
little ; but immediately coincident with it transpired the
rumour of the revived Austrian alliance. Another meeting,
for the same purpose as that which bad been deferred in so
inopportune a way and time, was held in St. Martin's Hall on
Wednesday evening, the chair on this occasion being occupied
by the Earl of HARRINGTON. Upwards of two thousand
persons mustered on the occasion. The Noble Chairman, in
a speech displaying great knowledge of the subject, and
breathing no lack of enthusiasm, denounced the aggressive
policy of Russia, strongly urged the claims of Poland to a
place in European polity, declaring that justice and policy
alike demanded the restoration of her robbed nationality.
Lord EBBINGTON followed, and moved a resolution to
the effect that it was highly expedient to restore
Poland as a separate and independent state. This was
a signal for great and vehement uproar. The reso-
lution, however, was put by his Lordship, and enforced upon
the attention of the meeting in au address of considerable
length and cogency. The resolution was seconded by Sir
ROBERT PEEL, who, in a really cleverly adapted speech, urged