Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-06-15 00:00:00

THE NORTHERN TIMES, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 1859

did so at that most critical conjuncture immediately
preceding the declaration of war. It made France
and Sardinia indifferent to English influence; it
made Austria fearful of English diplomacy. In a
ord, it had a powerful effect in precipitating the
dreadful recourse to arms. And now the overthrow
of her Majesty's Government, it is to be feared,
must aggravate the mischief in no slight degree.

And then there is the peculiar composition of the
political phalanx by which the overthrow has been
achieved. How little, how very little, is there in it
to give assurance of that unity, that stability, that
compactness, which it is so essential her Majesty's
Government should have at so momentous a crisis !
Why, there are in that combination the most
antagonistic principles. There are elements of
intestine war in the confederacy that has been formed
for a destructive object, which must inevitably
destroy itself in no long time.
What can there be to hope, when one remembers
that one of the confederate chiefs, for instance, (Sir
JAMES GRAHAM) could—not very long ago —declare
of another of them (Lord PALMERSTON), and that
very chief, too, who is most impatient of all to be
handling the country's foreign ministrations again,
that his was " a blustering foreign policy, leading to
quarrels in every quarter of the globe, and a stand-
still policy at home when progress is requisite."
While the same distinguished statesman, now his
confederate, and about to be his colleague, has further
declared of him,—" the truth of it is, Lord PALMER-
STON is a Tory of the deeriest dye : it is well known
that he will only introduce the minimum of reform
which the maintenance of his place requires, and the
Tories will give him the maximum of support
that decency will allow." Mr. BRIGHT, too,
another and equally distinguished member of the
coalition, has averred that he objected to Lord
PALMERSTON because "he treated great questions and
the House itself with such want of sincerity, that he
believed that he had no serious convictions in refer-
ence to the important questions before the House ;
that he had experience without wisdom, and age
without the faculties of age." And Lord
PALMERSTON has returned the compliment by
declaring, that " the hon. member for Birmingham
looked at all questions as mere matters of pounds,
shillings, and pence, and, by expressing his belief
that if the country were threatened with immediate
invasion, he would put down the probable contribu-
tions that the invading general would levy, and the
amount that would probably be required for the
defence of the country, and would decide in favour
of the cheapest course." We give no opinion our-
' selves of thele several imputations, either in one
way or the other. We merely adduce them in
illustration of our apprehension, that we arc, here
at home, in the midst of a political warfare, quite
as complicated as that more deadly warfare which
is being waged in Lombardy, and in which our
present disorganised position may expose this country
to the risk of being involved.
The question which the House of Commons have
decided was well described by Mr. ROEBUCK as a
most fearful one. " I ask myself," said the hon.
member, " what are the circumstances under which
I am called on to make this decision ; what is the
condition of England at the present time, when I am
called on to decide between the contending parties ?
It is not simply the condition of England, but the
condition of the World, that I have to consider ; and
what is the condition of the world ? Why, at this
time, great part of Europe is suffering all the horrors
of war ; two great nations—two of the greatest
nations of Europe—are pitted against each other on
n.Lio ,sf Northern Italy, and I have to ask
myself whether, in this state of things, I think it
would be wise to deprive England of her present
Government, in order to establish such a one as must
succeed it." By his vote he decided that it was not
wise so to do. But a majority of the House decided
differently. GOD grant that its consequences may
not be of the disastrous nature which Mr. ROEBUCK
dreads as so likely to ensue. •