The Press.
London, England, 1858-05-29 00:00:00

THE PRESS, MAY 29, 1858.

Absolutism took pleasure in pointedly snarling at
the "instability of the English Executive."
There was an object to be gained by that detrac-
tion from the honour of British Sovereignty.
The cause of Absolutism and Bureaucracy was
thereby served in one direction, while the jealousy
of certain courtly influences abroad was also
cheaply gratified by any apparent diminution
of the dignity and political security of Queen
VICTORIA. And now the question comes, What
has been the conduct of Viscount PALMERSTON

towards those " foreign intriguers " who would
thus obliquely disparage the dignity of the British
Queen, under the guise of critical comments on
the workings of a free Parliament ?
We are sorry to record that Lord PALMERS-
TON for the last several weeks has done all that
he could to justify and supply with evidence
those " foreign intriguers," that they are not so
wrong as might be hoped, when they affect to pity
queen VICTORIA. The acts of Lord PM.MERS-
TON are referred to by them as evidence of what
an English Sovereign has to tolerate. "He
" was," it is said by these sinister publicists,
" the Queen's adviser in February ; he compelled
" her to look elsewhere for another Minister ; her
" Majesty made the change, and then the ex-
" Premier resolves to compel the Queen to make
" another change, and thus exhibits her in
" a pitiable light ! " But these commentators
forget to add that Lord PALMERSTON has been
doing so at the risk of his reputation. An English
Sovereign cannot stoop to resent personal
affronts; but an English Parliament knows how
to avenge the workings of faction, and a free people
will not permit any individual, however great or
powerful, to disparage by his proceedings the
station of the Queen. Neither the thunder of
the Times, nor the audacity of the Cabal, nor the
witcheries of " Cambridge-house," can blind the
public to the fact that Lord PALMERSTON has
misconducted himself towards her Majesty. No
one knew better than the Noble Viscount that
her Majesty took time for reflection before in-
trusting Lord DERBY with the conduct of her
affairs ; and yet, day after day, week after week,
and month after month, the Noble Viscount has
been doing his best to embarrass the Queen, to
perplex her counsels, to thwart her constitutional
advisers, and to expose her Majesty to the pitying
wonder of Europe as in a dilemma between rival
parties, and actually buffetted by factions ! For
this grievous misrepresentation of the august
office of the sovereignty of the realm, and for this
misconduct towards Queen Vicroitu, Viscount
PALMERSTON is undoubtedly personally respon-
sible ; and his reputation must pay the penalty.
He had, contrary to all human expectation, arrived
at the summit of power. He had become Premier
with the consent of his Sovereign in 1855; and now
in 1858 his vaunting ambition will not be content
unless he can again become Premier without the
consent of that Sovereign from whose service he
fled, either in caprice or in a burst of passion,
after one " impressive defeat" three months ago!

And to compass this mere personal end the
Sunday meeting is held at " Cambridge-house,"
without the slightest regard or consideration for
the feelings of the Sovereign. The Cabal sets to
work, the conspiracy is formed, Mr. CARDWELL
is chosen to coax the Peelites, and Mr. Sergeant
DEASY (of two years' Parliamentary standing) is
selected for the purpose of cajoling the Romanists
of Ireland ! Well, indeed, might the CHAN-
CELLOR of the EXCHEQUER say—" That the Cabal,
" which had a tainted character itself, chose its
" instruments with Pharisaical accuracy."

That conduct such as Lord PALNIERSTON has ex-
hibited can be allowed to pass without exciting the
displeasure of the nation is not, we trust, to be
expected. Englishmen are not the subjects of
Viscount PALNtERsToN ; they have given their
allegiance to Queen VICTORIA; and the dynasty
of the House of Brunswick is not yet dethroned,
and no fondness is shown by Englishmen for
a Dictator. Many recollect that this is not the
first time that Lord PALMERSTON has failed in

respect to the Queen. In 1852 the House of
Commons was informed by Lord J. RUSSELL
that her Majesty was compelled to interfere
specially with reference to the conduct of Lord
PALMERSTON in forwarding despatches which
had not been duly submitted to the Royal
pleasure. The subject is too invidious, and
we shall not describe the scandal which
Lord J. RUSSELL first promulgated to the
world; and it is with that same Lord J. RUSSELL

that Lord PALMERSTON is now ready to cqalesce.
One fled before Mr. ROEBUCK.B motion about
the Crimean disasters, and the other ran from
the consequences of his own "Conspiracy Bill."
And these are the men who now seek to dictate
to the British Crown !

Monarchy is popular with Englishmen as an
institution ; for the people at large well
know that some sovereign power is absolutely
required in the State, in order to counterbalance
the influence of a territorial aristocracy and of the
wealthy commercial classes. Without the Sove-
reignty there would be danger of a class-contest
between the aristocracy and democracy. And the
people like to see the greatest men of the coun-
try paying reverence to the Queen, and they
took pleasure in beholding the illustrious WEL-
LINGTON uncovering his snow-white head in pre-
sence of the Sovereign who prized his long-tried
loyalty and unsurpassed services. The masses
have an instinctive perception of the great truth
that the Sovereign redresses the balance between
the aristocracy and the commonalty. Therefore,
to affront Majesty is to insult the nation, and to
show systematic disregard to the community.
The way in which Lord PALMERSTON fell from
power—the arrogance of his deportment towards
his superiors and his equals—his conduct in
foreign affairs, which recals the lines,

Cowering and quaking before a oomph-Toes sword,
But lofty to a lawful prince restored—

and the appointment of Lord CLANRICARDE to
the Court of Queen VicroßlA—all these consi-
derations ought to have made Lord PALNERsTos
peculiarly cautious in his conduct when he had
forced the Queen to choose a new Ministry after
his own still recent defeat.

But the fatal levity of Lord PALmEnsToN
seems to increase with his years, and the sight of
aged recklessness is painfully distressing. He has
now insulted both the Court and the Country ;
he would rule the first by a Cabal, and he
would fling the other to a Clanricarde. Eng-
land and her Sovereign have not yet fallen into
such a plight as to endure the establishment of a
" Cambridge-house " dictatorship, and the people
of this anc►ent country (to say nothing of the
feelings of the Sovereign) are not ready to allow
their Monarchy to be outraged. The beloved
granddaughter of GEORGE HI. is not the Sove-
reign whom Englishmen will give up to the
power of men who can neither rightly use autho-
rity when they obtain it., nor loyally submit to
it when properly given into the hands of others.