The Sun.
London, England, 1864-06-16 00:00:00

LONDON, THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 1864.

Thanks entirely to her MAJESTY'S Government
War is beginning to look inevitable. We sa-r
thanks entirely to the Government—tot to Earl
licssELL's policy, but to the forcigo Policy of the
entire Government. For, it is simply absurd to lay
the whole onus and responsibility upon the
shoulders of the Foreign Secretary. His be the
brunt, if you will, richly deserving it, as, from his
cificial position, he unquestionably and quite neces-
sarily does. But a relative proportion of the blame
and responsibility devolves upon each of his
Ministerial colleagues in the Cabinet. Their's is
the responsibility of complicity and connivance.
But, especially does a huge share of that solemn
and heavy responsibility appertain by still
greater right and by still more urgent necessity
upon the First Minister of the Crown is his mere
capacity as such, as bead of the Government. 'tie

simply preposterous, acting as the under-graduates
of Cambridge did the other day, when they groaned,
" with a heart and half " in each of their groans,
at the every mention of Earl RUSSELL'S name, and
yet cheered to the echo Earl RUSSELL'S colleague,
and now also his political chieftain, Lord PALMER-
STON, No—the responsibility devolves not by any
means exclusively upon the Foreign Secretary—
it is one the shame and the blame of which
belong collectively to the entire Cabinet—indi-
vidually to each member of the Cabinet. The
Earl RUSSELL, as Foreign Secretary, stands forth
conspicuously, of course, foremost for that matter
among all his colleagues, to receive whatever
shame or blame may be regarded by the people
as due to the foreign policy of the Government.
But—above him as Chief of the Government itself,
as Prime Minister of England, the responsibilities
of the situation, the shame and the blame now
pouring forth abundantly as the miserable fruits of
this foreign policy, are—Lord PALMERSTON'S !

The tiberdeeu Cabinet enjoys in the national his-
tory the credit of having " drifted" us into the war
with Russia. This second Palmerston Cabinet
appears to be earning quite as securely for itself
the credit of "muddling" us into another war, into
a still more terrible war—into a war not upon the
eastern confines of Europe, but in the very centre
or heart of the European Continent—into a war
with Germany.

On Sundry week next (the 26th inst.) the addi-
tional fortnight's armistice will expire. Any
extension of the present breathing time beyond
that supplementary fortnight, Denmark peremp-
torily declines. If nothing be accomplished
during the interval between this and the 25th
instant, the Conference will be more com-
pletely than the ruck at the close of a great race,
just Nowhere. At the first gun again fired in
anger between the belligerents, the silence hitherto
observed with such extraordinary patience both in
the Lords and in Commons will be,at length and at
once, we may be certain of that, broken completely.
Whatever may then come of it, the Opposition
can never in this matter, with any show of reason
at least, be called factious—as Oppositions generally
are at these crises. Such at least must be acknow-
ledged in regard to the Conservatives. What-
ever else may be said of them, that at any
rate mast in justice be acknowledged in their
regard. They have during all this anxious,
tedious, troublous do-nothing, and not only
do-nothing, but say-nothing session—not been fac-
tious. They Liave placed no impediment in the way
of the Government. They have been asked to wait
again, and yet again—aud they have waited. That
in so waiting they have grumbled was what was only
human nature to be expected from any Opposition, in
Whig or Tory, Radical or Conservative. They have
grumbled, but they have waited ! Recognising to the
full the Ministerial responsibility at this juncture of
supreme emergency for the Crown and Country—an
emergency so supreme for (lice, that it involves the
imminent alternative of Peace or War in Europe—
the Opposition, with the cards in their hands
[who shall deny it ? Count the Government
losses ! Count the Opposition gains ! and
then answer !]—the Opposition with the
cards in their hands have abstained from
playing them. Again, we say it, as independent
Liberals of no party, as unprejudiced and dispas-
sionate lookers-en, again and again we say it—
Whatever may now be adventured upon by them,
the Opposition cannot, in this matter, be pronounced
factious.

Between the Opposition and the Govern-
ment what has to be decided is far more than any
question as to a change of Ministry ! It is the
question of questions politically for England--
whether she is to have war or peece in Europe!
Whether she is to have war or peace with German)!
It is—in itself--a fearful alternative. Woe to any
Government that rashly embarks the fortunes of
England in such a war !

The difficulty of the position just now oc-
cupied by the Government in regard to this
supreme alternative may perhaps ba ex-
pressed the most plainly by our saying, that
from the manner in which it has, not drifted, but
muddled the country towards war—it has deprived
itself of the capability of maintaining peace without
disgrace I Otherwise to express it—the Govern-
ment have contrived to get themselves into such
a dilemma that their only means of vindicating the
honour of the Crown is by plunging the nation
into war. Therein lies the strength in troth of
the Opposition. Peace, with honour to England,
seems impossible now—with the present Govern-
ment. War, in tardy and disastrous vindication of
the national honour, seems to ba the only extrication
from ,the diplomatic difficulties they have been
so elaborately blundering into, yet left to the
existing Government. The consideration therefore
forces itself both upon the country at large and
upon Parliament—in this lamentable dilemma, in
this alarming alternative—May not a purer
and a nobler alternative be within reach of the
Opposition ? May not the Conservatives secure
our honour, wit hoat dragging us into a
war ? Whoever can effect this—and we believe
it can yet be effected—is the Statesman of the
Hour. Whatever party can secure this to Eng-
land, that is the avoidance of an European War, is
worthy of superseding, is entitled in the
interests of the Crown and of the country to super-
sede the present occupants of place—what though
the name of the party so supplanting the Govern-
ment should happen to be Conservative.

provinces
course
The affair, of
one of our least regarded colonies
have lately risen
into considerable prominence. It
is many years since the first discovery of the gold
diggings raised Australia into an important coun-
try, and the rapid increase of her population and
the plentiful supply of the
precious metal, which
she can boast of, have long sine
3 made her national
progress,
Canada and the other
North
Americant i s
have
of the great civil
been objects of
l gratifying.
especial interest during the
war, while India, which, though not exactly among
the colonies, forms a valuable part of Our outlying
possessions, has, ever since the great catastr aphe of
1857, been anxiously watched by this country. of
New Zealand, however, little has been hitherto said
or thought. The chronic disputes between the
settlers and the natives were little regarded,
and it
was considered a thriving colony, though compara-
tively small and thinly populated. 9 Thank. ' to the
recent outbreaks, New Zealand pclitic3 have grown
suddenly important. The arrival of the moil is
eagerly watched for, the chances of success and dis-
aster are closely weighed and scanned, while the
proposed New Zealand loan has engaged the serious
attention of the House of Commons. It was fortu-
nate so far that the question of the loan was brought
up for discussion just at this time. The publication
of the news received by the mail had occasioned
some natural uneasiness, which Mr. CARDWELL
was happily able considerably to modify. Accord-
ing to the detaila given by the colonial press, it
eems that two severe engagements took place dur-
ing the month of April—the first of which resulted
in the defeat of the enemy, while the second inflicted
upon us " the first noticeable reverse of the cam-
paign." Fortunately this reverse is transformed in
General CAMEBON'S official despat:h into "the