The Press.
London, England, 1855-07-14 00:00:00

VISCOUNT PALMERSTON TO MS. BUCHANAN.

(Extract.) Foreign Office, May 17, 1849.
Much as her Majesty's Government regret this interference
of Russia, the causes which have led to It, and the effects which
It may produce, they nevertheless have not considered the °cos-
WWI to be one which at present calls for any formal expression
of the opinions of Great Britain on the matter.

When the appropriator of Poland heard that Great
Britain had no opinion to express about the invasion and
political extinction of Hungary, he might well suppose
that the West had ceased to care about the East—that
Bucharest was as open to him as Hermanstadt—and that
constitutional England, which suffered him to hunt from
city to city the Parliament of Pesth, would let him do as
he liked with the Divan of Constantinople.

THE Quarterly, in opposition to most of its
younger contemporaries, eschews the discussion of
principles either political or religious, and confines
itself to practical subjects. Biographical sketches
are given of Archdeacon Hare and of Sydney Smith.
The " Circulation of the Blood " is treated in one
paper, and the " Romans at Colchester " in another,
and the "Feast of the Conception "in a third. One
of the most amusing essays is that on " Advertise-
ments," tracing their progress from the first estab-
lishment of newspapers in this country. The poli-
tical article on the "Objects of the War" is an
exposition of the Vienna Conference, including a
review of the proceedings in connection with the
startling disclosures made by Lord John Russell.
We are glad to find that the Quarterly gives vigorous
expression to what is now the universal sentiment as
regards his conduct.. These weighty sentences are
of greater force, as the Quarterly has of late care-
fully kept aloof from all sanction of the political
action of the Conservative party :
From the first amongst the most ardent advocates for the
war, Lord John Russell was sent to Vienna to negotiate
the terms of peace. We have now his own confirmation
of Count hood's statement that not only did " he show
himself inclined" towards the Austrian proposal for the
settlement of the third point, but that he actually " under-
took to recommend the same to his Government with all his
influence." It was generally rumoured, on his return to
this country, that he professed the strongest desire for
peace on the conditions ofiered at the Conferences, and
the deepest repugnance to the continuation of the war.
Public opinion, however, declared itself openly and un-
mistakably against him. All England felt that the ac-
ceptance of such terms, and the withdrawal of our baffled
armies from Sebastopol, would be the seal of national
defeat and national disgrace. Lord John Russell, the true
type of the statesmen of the day, rose in the House of
Commons, denounced those very terms of peace, repu-
diated with indignation any participation in the sentiments
of those whom, after his declaration to Count !tool, had he
been honest, he ought to have joined, solemnly warned the
country against the impending dangers of Russian ambi-
tion, declared " that the fortifications of Bomarsund would
give Russia complete predominence over the Baltic, and
that neither Denmark, nor Sweden, nor any other power,
would ever hold a finger against her in that sea," described
the wide-spread influence acquired by Russia over Ger-
many, and proved to the country that no peace could be
safe or honourable, no security could be obtained fur free-
dom or civiliaation, until this fatal preponderance of Russia
should cease to exist. And yet this is the statesman who,

1