The Press.
London, England, 1856-11-22 00:00:00

THE PREMIER'S GREETING TO THE

PRESIDENT.
[The following despatch goes out by the mails for America this evening.]
[Privaie.]

MY DEAR MR. BUCHANAN,
Allow me to take the very first opportunity of congratulating
you upon your election to the office of President of the United States.
In doing so, I adhere to my usual custom of being very early with my
felicitations to any potentate whose position appears to be a good one,
—a readiness which (as in the case of a neighbouring Emperor) some
persons think a little over-zealous, but which I consider to be the duty
of a statesman.
There are peculiar reasons, my dear Mr. Buchanan, why your
Government and my own should be upon the best terms compatible
with the attitudes we both think it desirable to maintain before the
world.

Your own proclaimed views, and mine, as to the duties of a Libe-
ral Administration, are so singularly in harmony, that though it is
scarcely possible that, if carried out, they should not produce a col-
lision between the nations we direct, they ought to inspire us with a
large measure of regard foe each other.
The doctrines you avowed at Ostend (by the way, I should like to
know whether you get such oysters in New York ; your travellers, of
course, say so, but I want to have the fact), although shaped in a
somewhat less formal and conventional manner than could have been
wished, are those which I consider to be the basis of international
security,--namely, that if a weak power wants justice, she is not to
have it, as a punishment to her for being weak ; and that if a strong
power wants territory, she is to have it, as a reward to her for being
strong. People would call me profane if I quoted the parable of the
Talents, and I suppose you never heard of it , but if you keep a chap-
lain, ask him to " post you up" in it. I insist upon this the more
strongly, as I always look at things in a religious point of view.
But there is more between us. Of course I know that you will
try to give us some trouble, and I promise to return the compliment ;
but it. will be done on both sides in what Sheridan (he wrote the
School for Scandal) called " the spirit of politics," and therefore no
personal offence can arise. If foolish people insist on taking things in
earnest, bad blood is generated, journalists fan the flame, and war
breaks out, it will surely not be our fault that they are blunderers,
who do not understand the cont.:ot/tees of diplomacy. You did your
best to get us into a row the other day, but I felt that you were only
doing it to help your canvassers, and I hope I showed myself too much
of a gentleman to baulk you.
But again, as the preachers say. In order to make things pleasant,
we are told that we need not be really afraid of you, for that fiery
declarations made to influence an election, and literal fulfilment of
promises when an election is over, are two things, and that nobody
knows this better than James Buchanan.

There is one person who knows it as well, my dear President, and.
that is Henry John Viscount Palmerston.
When that last named-person was making his arrangements for
coming into office, he held his own tongue with almost as much
caution as you did ; but then his adherents and supporters had their
instructions. There was not a nationality that was not to be restored,
not a haughty foe that was not to be humbled, not a sea on which the
flag of England was not to float gloriously, if that modern Cromwell,
your very obedient, humble servant, were placed at the head of affair=.
Well, he tra.t. And have I been so very dreadful to mankind at large?
What does Spain think—Spain, the very weakest earthly power? She
sends me at this moment, as Ambassador, the most contemptible
politician she can possibly pick out. Do you think I misunderstand
the hint? But I need not enlarge to a vigilant observer like yourself
as to my fulfilment of my engagements.
There are some other parallels between us. You are pledged to
the extension of slavery. Well, I have my views, which it might be
inexpedient to promulgate too largely, as to the desirability of making
additional purchases of white slaves. They are not quite such jovial
articles as your blacks, and when they show their teeth it is rather in
savageness than in fun, but they do their work, and answer to the
" whip." I admit they have a brogue, but I am almoqt reconciled to
it. My overseer, the excellent Hayter, is a good judgip of them, and
gets their work out of them.

You are opposed to the extension of the power and increase of the
glory of England. My dear Mr. Buchanan, people say that, to judge
by my actions, so am I.
Agreed as we are, my dear President. upon the general duty of a
statesman to humbug his friends and pester his neighbours, I do not
anticipate any great difficulty in our• dealings. I hardly know whom
to send out to you as our representative, and I should be glad of your
ideas on the subject. Would you like a Lord ? I have put nearly as
many into my Cabinet as is quite safe, and the next place must be
given to an outsider•. If there is any " remnant of nobility to be had
a bargain," whom you would like, mention him. I thought of
sending you young Dunkellin, Clanricarde's eon. We shall have him
home trom India one of these days, and I should think he would be
just the man to get us into an unpleasantness with your decorous
people. But I dare say I can find somebody of more weight, and
more certain to be disagreeable. Would you like Monteagle ? He
would go anywhere where he might talk.
I should like to hear from you, as soon as you have done shaking
hands wah your constituents, and can look round you. If you and
I manage well, our respective consulships will be remembered in
history—yours, by-the-bye (from your perpetual allusions to the
planks of your " platform "), will be referred to as Consule Planco.—
Believe me, my dear President,
Your faithful admirer,
London, Friday, Nov. 21, 1856. PALMERSTON.
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TO CORRESPONDENTS.

1: S.3.—The insertion ofdo. letter on .. Dr. Robinson and the
Authenticity f the II(ly sat Jerusalem," is unavoid-
ably tieferred.