The Press.
London, England, 1855-07-21 00:00:00

THE VIENNA CONFERENCES.

sarcasm, that " PALMERSTON always makes one
" think of a footman on easy terms with his
" mistress," and we could not help recollect-
ing that shrewd saying as we saw the Prime
Minister of England on Monday lecturing the
House of Commons as if he were some pow-
dered wearer of lace and livery browbeating
his mistress in her own house. Such displays of
personal " spirit " make one recollect the sort
of deputations which used to be chronicled as
waiting upon his Lordship in Carlton-gardens,
and they suggest that the " bottle•holding "
metaphors may not have been fortuitous. It
is not "judicious" to make people recall
such sayings and doings.
We must, however, in charity recollect that,
previous to his sudden rise to the Premier-
ship, Lord PALMERSTON was forced to be offi-
cially familiar with a nauseous class of facts,
which taught him the sagacious induction that
" dirt was nothing but matter in the wrong
" place." The sewage of London was a not
very cleanly subject for constant meditation,
and we may suppose that the consideration of
the topic became infectious, and that Lord
PALMERSTON'S mind has been sympathetically
influenced. The vigorous remedies adminis-
tered by Mr. DISRAELI will, it is to be hoped,
effect a rapid cure in the Noble Viscount, and
teach him that to preach about clean water
while he exhibits foul manners is a repulsive
inconsistency, which " the veriest child" (as
he would say himself) can understand.
In former days the Irish often claimed Lord
PALMERSTON as one of their countrymen, but
on Monday night it was amusing to hear a
Milesian representative in the lobby vocife-
rating a denial that Lord PALMERSTON was
Irish, and accompanying it with a remark
that, " though he may be an Irish Viscount by
" his Peerage, nobody would ever mistake him
" that night for an Irish gentleman."

WHILE the Vienna Conferences were in pro-
gress we from time to time inserted in THE
PRESS information which reached us from
high authority on the leading points under
discussion. We have now the opportunity of
comparing those notes with the official docu-
ments recently published, and the result of
that comparison shows that our information
was substantially accurate. Were the secret
history of the whole of those transactions
given to the world, it would tend still further
to justify our statements, and create surprise
at the extent and accuracy of our information.
It was in this Journal that the first an-
nouncement of those Four Points appeared
which for the past twelvemonth have occu•
pied the whole diplomacy of Europe.
With regard to the Vienna Conferences we
stated, so early as the 9th of March last, that—

It has reached us from high authority that the instruc• '
tions with which Lord John Russell was furnished were
in a spirit in accordance with the disposition of the Court
of Russia."—PsEss, Leading Article, March 10, 1855.
We need scarcely remind our readers how
completely this statement was borne out by
the observation of Lord JOHN RUSSELL at the
Conference on March 26th, that "in the eyes
"of England and her Allies the best and
" ohly admissible conditions of peace would
" be those which, being the most in harmony
" with the honour of Russia, should at the
" same time be sufficient for the security of
" Europe."
When most of our contemporaries positively
asserted that the Allies would listen to no
terms of peace which did not involve the dis-
mantling of the fortifications of Sebastopol,
we positively stated, in THE PRESS of March 24,
that the Allies would " consent to the complete
"evacuation of the Crimea, without any con•
" ditions as to the demolition or diminution
" of any of the fortresses of that province."
In THE PRESS of the following week, March
31st, there appeared a detailed statement of
the propositions entertained by the Allies for
giving effect to the third pant. One proposal
which we stated would not bear criticism was
for excluding all ships•of war from the Black
Sea ; another was that the numerical furce of
the Russian navy in the Euxine should be
limited. On turning to the despatch of Lord

679

CLARENDON to Lord JOHN RUSSELL, dated April
3, we find that these proposals had been agreed
upon at a meeting at the Foreign-office held on
the 30th of March, at which meeting, writes
Lord CLARENDON " were present, the French
" Ambassador, M. DROUYN DE LHUYS, Lord
" PALMERSTON, Lord LANSDOWNE, and myself."
A careful perusal of this despatch will show
that the proposals brought by Lord JOHN
RUSSELL from Vienna did not differ in prin-
ciple at all, nor very widely in details, from
the terms proposed by his Government. It
is now said that the two proposals were
essentially distinct—one being a principle of
limitation, the other a principle of counter-
poise ; but the scheme adopted at the meeting
above referred to was in fact a scheme of
counterpoise, as it was proposed that England,
France, and Austria should each maintain in
the Black Sea half the number of vessels of
war to be maintained by Russia and Turkey
respectively.
The secret instructions supplied to Lord
JOHN RUSSELL would probably account for the
course he pursued at Vienna, for the favour
with which he received the proposals he
brought home with him, and the confi-
dence he expressed that they would be
accepted. In fact, the difference between
his scheme and the authorised ono of the
Government is too insignificant for material
distinction. Lord JOHN RUSSELL, after all
that had passed, was probably, with reason,
surprised at the cold reception he met with
on his return. The real charge against him
is, not as sustained by the Ministerial prints,
that he exceeded his instructions, but that he
retained his place in the Cabinet when his
conduct was disavowed, and that he gave a
completely false impression of his sentiments
in the debates which subsequently took place
on the subject.
In THE PRESS of the 6th of May we an.
nounced that the Court of Vienna had sub-
mitted to " the Allies the course which it
" recommends for concluding peace. It adopts
" as a counter-basis the counter-proposi-
" tions of Russia, with the addition that two
" frigates of the Western Powers should he
" allowed to cruise in the Black Sea." A
reference to the despatch of Lord CLARENDON
of May 8 will show that this was the exact
proposal which he had received some days
previously through Lord JOHN RUSSELL, as the
terms which Austria proposed to address to
Russia.

It is remarkable that the final proposal
addressed by the Court of Vienna to our
Government was dated Vienna, May 18, and
must have been received at the Foreign-office
by Lord CLARENDON on the 19th or 20th of
May at latest. To that proposal no answer
was returned until the 29th of May. What
occurred in the interval? In the morning of
the 21st a Cabinet Council was held, and in
the evening Mr. MILNER GIBSON'S motion was
postponed on an express assurance by Lord
PALMERSTON that the Government did " not
" consider all the modes of solving the ques-
" tions at issue as exhausted, and that Austria
" was still charged by her own voluntary
" assumption with the task of discovering
" a means of bringing about an accommoda-
" tion between the contending parties." We
may, therefore, fairly infer that the debate
upon the proposal Lord JOHN Ressitu. brought
from Vienna was not the last which took place
in the Cabinet upon the subject of peace or
war, but that the question was in fact kept
agitated, or. in Lori PALMERSTON'S own phrase,
that the door was kept open until Mr.
DISRAELI gave notice of his motion on the
" ambiguous language and uncertain conduct"
of the Ministry.
With such evidence of his penetration, the
public are not likely to refuse credit to his
remarkable assertion in the debate of Monday
evening, that there was a period, subsequent
to Lord JOHN'S return, when the Vienna pro-
positions met with the concurrence of our
Cabinet, though the assertion was met with a
vociferous " No'." from Lord PALMERSTON.

THE ARMY AND THE GOVERNMENT,
A FEW facts will exemplify the justice of those
strictures which Sir Ds LACY EVANS passed on

- _
_ ... • • .. . .
....-3.
t
HE PRESS. 679 ~
at " PALMERSTON always makes 'ne CLARENDON to Lord JOHN RUSSELL, dated April
footman on easy terms with his 3, we find that these proposals had been agreed
and we could not help recollect-
upon at a meeting at the Foreign-office held on
rewd saying as we saw the Prime
'
the 30th of March, at which meeting, writes
England on Monday lecturing the Lord CLARENDON " were present, the French
ommons as if he were some pow-
" Ambassador, M. DROUYN DE LHUYS, Lord
er of lace and livery browbeating
" PALMERSTON, Lord LANSDOWNE, and myself."
3in her own house. Such displays of A careful perusal of this despatch will show
ipirit " make one recollect the sort that the proposals brought by Lord JOHN
I
-ma which used to be chronicled as
In his Lordship in Carlton-gardens.: RUSSELL from Vienna did not differ in prin-
ciple at all, nor very widely in details, from
uggest that the " bottle-holding the terms proposed by his Government. It
may not have been fortuitous. It is now said that the two proposals were
idicious " to make people recall
essentially distinct—one being a principle of
:s and doings. limitation, the other a principle of counter-
however, in charity recollect that, poise ; but the scheme adopted at the meeting
his sudden rise to the Premier- above referred to was in fact a scheme of
PALMERSTON was forced to be offs- counterpoise, as it was proposed that England,
ar with a nauseous class of facts, France, and Austria should each maintain in
it him the sagacious induction that the Black Sea half the number of vessels of
iothing but matter in the wrong war to be maintained by Russia and Turkey
'he sewage of London was a not respectively.
- subject for constant meditation, The secret instructions supplied to Lord
suppose that the consideration of JOHN RUSSELL would probably account for the
'ecame infectious, and that Lord course he pursued at Vienna, for the favour
's mind has been sympathetically with which he received the proposals he
The vigorous remedies adminis- brought home with him, and the confi-
.. DISRAELI Will, it is to be hoped, deuce he expressed that they would be
d cure in the Noble Viscount, and accepted. In fact, the difference between
hat to preach about clean water his scheme and the authorised ono of the
Uibits foul manners is a repulsive Government is too insignificant for material
;y, which " the veriest child" (as distinction. Lord JOHN RUSSELL, after all t
y himself) can understand. that had passed, was probably, with reason,
days the Irish often claimed Lord surprised at the cold reception he met with
as one of their countrymen, but on his return. The real charge against him
night it was amusing to hear a is, not as sustained by the Ministerial prints,
presentative in the lobby vocife- that he exceeded his instructions, but that he ,
vial that Lord PALMERSTON Was retained his place in the Cabinet when his 1 •
accompanying it with a remark conduct was disavowed, and that he gave a
;h he may be an Irish Viscount by completely false impression of his sentiments
;e, nobody would ever mistake him in the debates which subsequently took place ,
for an Irish gentleman." on the subject.
In THE PRESS of the 6th of May we an. .
VIENNA CONFERENCES. nounced that the Court of Vienna had sub- ,
Vienna Conferences were in pro-
mitted to " the Allies the course which it
" recommends for concluding peace. It adopts
Dm time to time inserted in THE as a counter-basis the counter-proposi-
mation which reached us from " tions of Russia, with the addition that two
rity on the leading points under " frigates of the Western Powers should he +
We have now the opportunity of " allowed to cruise in the Black Sea." A
hose notes with the official docu-
reference to the despatch of Lord CLARENDON
of
May 8 will show that this was the exact
ntly published, and the result of proposal which he had received some days
ison shows that our information previously through Lord JOHN RUSSELL, as the
tially accurate. Were the secret terms which Austria proposed to address to
the whole of those transactions Russia.
world, it would tend still further It is remarkable that the final proposal
addressed by the Court of Vienna to our
r statements, and create surprise Government was dated Vienna, May 18, and
t and accuracy of our information. must have been received at the Foreign-office
i this Journal that the first an- by Lord CLARENDON on the 19th or 20th of ,
of those Four Points appeared May at latest. To that proposal no answer e
he past twelvemonth have occu• was returned until the 29th of May. What ,
ole diplomacy of Europe. occurred in the interval? In the morning of .
Ord to the Vienna Conferences we the 21st a Cabinet Council was held, and in , t l
rly as the 9th of March last, that— the evening Mr. MILNER GIBSON 8 motion was
i
at us from high authority that the instruc- postponed on an express assurance by Lord
:h Lord John Russell was furnished were PALMERSTON that the Government did " not 1
cordance with the disposition of the Court ~
EIE3S, Leading Article, March 10, 1855. consider all the modes of solving the ques-
" tions at issue as exhausted, and that Austria
carcely remind our readers how ~ was still charged by her own voluntary 1
this statement was borne out by " assumption with the task of discovering
Lion of Lord JOHN RUSSELL at the ~
on March 26th, that "in the eyes ~ a means of bringing about an accommoda-
tion between the contending parties." We
id and her Allies the best and may, therefore, fairly infer that the debate
) .
issible conditions of peace would upon the proposal Lord JOHN RUSSELL brought
'hich, being the most in harmony from Vienna was not the last which took place
)
honour of Russia, should at the in the Cabinet upon the subject of peace or
abe sufficient for the security of war, but that the question was in fact kept
agitated, or. in Lori PALMERSTON'S own phrase, f. ..
ist of our contemporaries positively that the door was kept open until Mr.
at the Allies would listen to no DISRAELI gave notice of his motion on the
.ace which did not involve the dim- i
f the fortifications of Sebastopol, " ambiguous language and uncertain conduct"
of the Ministry.
ly stated, in THE PRESS of March 24,
With such evidence of his penetration, the
ies would " consent to the complete
public are not likely to refuse credit to his
( ,
-1 of the Crimea, without any con•
remarkable assertion in the debate of Monday
s to the demolition or diminution
evening, that there was a period, subsequent
the fortresses of that province.
to Lord JOHN'S return, when the Vienna pro-
)RESS of the following week, Marcht ~
appeared a detailed statement of positions met with the concurrence of our
PCabinet, though the assertion was met with a
tions entertained by the Allies for
vociferous " No'."
from Lord PALMERSTON.
Ito the third pant. One proposal ~
Mated would not bear criticism was % ~
ig all ships-of war from the Black THE ARMY AND THE GOVERNMENT, 1
er was that the numerical farce of
A FEW facts will exemplify the justice of those , 4
n navy in the Euxine should be .
In turning to the despatch of LordSirDE
strictures which
f
i .