Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-04-23 00:00:00

THE THREAT OF WAR,

WE suppose it was only for an electioneering
purpose, that the threatening construction was put
upon the speech of Lord DERBY, in the House of
Lords the other night, respecting the present state
of Europe. But it was rather too serious a matter
to sport with, even at the hustings. It is an old
English notion, that there is to be a large latitude of
expression allowed at a General Election, - that there
is to be full freedom of speech indulged,—that we
are all to be permitted, even the humblest of us,
without let or hindrance, to speak our political
thoughts, without being expected to be very parti-
cular about it. But when not only is the present
critical condition of the Continent speculated upon, '
but warlike designs on the subject of it are inferred
from declarations on the part of the members of the
Government, just because it would, by spreading
alarm, serve, for the moment, a political party pur-
pose, we humbly think it is carrying the latitude
a little too far. For our part, with one of the ablest
and honestest of our liberal contemporaries, "we
earnestly hope that the people of this country will,
at this momentous crisis, demand a policy of ,non-
intervention, in accents so articulate and emphatic,
that no Government shall, dare to misunderstand or
disobey their voice." There is no more proper, no
more important demand can possibly be made at a
General• Election. But we have always considered
the foreign policy of Lord DERBY'S Administration
to be emphatically " a policy of non-intervention,"—
more thoroughly so than that of any English Minis-
try for a long time past. •
The expressions of the Premier which have created
the alarm we allude to, were contained, we believe,
in the following passages,—" This country is deeply
interested in the maintenance of peace ; this country
is prepared to make many sacrifices for the main-
tenance of peace ; but the interest of this country in
perpetuating peace cannot assume a position that
would leave itself in a helpless and defenceless con-
dition ; and if war break out, whatever may be the
consequences, it must be indispensable and necessary
that as long as our neutrality shall last it must be to
a certain extent an armed neutrality, and, in any
case, take our part on which side soever it may be,
that honour, and justice, and dignity require us to
take. That, my lords, is the course that I hope her
Majesty's Government will be supported in taking by
the unanimous opinion of the Parliament and people
of this country, for I am quite certain I am express-
ing that which is the sound and only rational policy
this country could pursue. God grant my lords, that
the necessity may be spared us of entering on so
dangerous a path and policy ! God grant that in the
collective councils of Europe there may yet prevail a
tone of greater wisdom, and greater temper, and that
those clouds that at present lower as though herald-
ing a storm time may pass by and pass away in an
unknown calm. Of this lam sure, the maintenance
of peace depends in a great measure on the unani-
mous assent of Parliament to the principles laid down,
and to the sentiments so eloquently expressed on
either side of the house; and I am quite sure, also,
that the maintenance of peace will be materially
strengthened and supported by the knowledge
throughout Europe at large that this countri-r
not be allowed to remain a bA1...2...5e ner dignity and
._..:..u:eth titnat a serious responsibility will rest

on the head of that Power, which ever it may be,
without due provocation, and without the most
urgent and imperative necessity, merely to gratify
its own ambitious aims, precipitates the evils, the
dangers, and the crimes of war." Now, really we
cannot see what there was in these eloquent and
spirited declarations justly to warrant the conclusion
that Her Majesty's Government are going to violate
the principles of non-intervention on which they
have hitherto acted. The only words that would
give any colouring to such an apprehension, were
these,---" take our part on which side soever it may
be." But then, to judge correctly and fairly,
one must consider these words in connection
with those which accompany them,—we must
take the whole passage, of which they form
but a fraction of a sentence. And surely there
was nothing whatever to indicate a desire, or an
intention, to meddle with the present Continental
quarrels ; for " the evils, the dangers, and the
crimes of war" were specially and strongly repro-
bated and denounced. But, at the same time, while
condemning and avoiding intervention, the safety,
honour, and welfare of the country must not be
neglected. It is for these that we must be prepared
to contend, if need be. This is the " side," and the
only one, on which the Government would ever think
that we could, with any prudence, or any justice,
" take our part." And this, they may be well
assured, is the only course which they will " be
supported in taking by the unanimous opinion of
the Parliament and people of this country."

There is now only too much cause for appre-
hension, that it may be forced upon us to " take our
part," or our side, in a Continental war. The fruits
of the friendly mediation, and sound counsel, which
her Majesty Ministers have given to the disputants
are now to be set at naught. Sardinia, whose resis-
tance to the demand of Austria, to concur in a
general and simultaneous disarmament, as a
preliminary to the Congress, was likely to precipi-
tate a conflict, in compliance with the advice of
England, backed by France, has not yet agreed to
do so. This, it was hoped, would remove the
most serious obstacle to peace. But should it
not,— should war, after all, be entered upon, while
they will most certainly incur an awful responsibility
who have provoked it, we believe that, as Lord
NIALMESBURY has said, " the only consolation that
her Majesty's Government can have under the
circumstances is, that they have neglected no one
thing which was in their power, if possible, to
prevent those disasters and that general distress
which must result from such a war ; and that what-
ever may occur they are blameless, since they have
done all that lay in their power to maintain to this
country and to Europe the blessings of peace."

HER MAJESTY'S APPEAL.
IT is scarcely fair to call in question, as some of
our liberal contemporaries have done, the consti-