The Sun.
London, England, 1852-02-16 00:00:00

eiTtnilTtl

LONDON. MONDAY. FEBRUARY 16, 1852,

Quietly though the news of Lord PALMERSTON'S
dismissal has been received in this country, it has
excited very considerable agitation in various parts
of the European Continent ? It is already well
known, for example, that the intelligence was welcomed
with a sort of enthusiasm in the Austrian capita).
The announcement of the removal from the English
Cabinet of a statesman so long dreaded by the abso-
lutist Governments of the north was made indeed
with as evident delight as would bare been infallibly
displayed by the Ministries of the KAISER and
the AUTOCRAT in the event of the restoration to office
of that political pet of LOUIS PHILIPPE and under-
secretary of M. GUIZOT—" cet excellent ABERDEEN!"
But the satisfaction consequent upon the arbitrary pro-
ceedings of Lord Joule RUSSELL towards the late
Foreign Secretary, has by no means been restricted
to the metropolis of the Red EMPEROR. POSIDS have
been chaunted by other states, sympathizing in
the suppression and abasement of democracy. Berlin
has afforded evidences of the same pleasurable emo-
tions, and the delight which was first manifested at
Vienna was not long in extending its influence as far
as the Imperial Cabinet at St. Petersburg. Another
testimony of similarly joyful feeling has, within
the last few hours, fallen under our observation.
The comments made by the .Athenian newspapers
upon the dismissal of Lord PALMERSTON from the
Administration enable us to form some accurate
notion of the sentiments with which that occurence
has been regarded by the generality of the Greeks,
as well as by their intolerant and repressive Govern-
ment. Immediately on the receipt of the news from
London recounting the coup credal of Lord JOHN
RUSSELL, the official journal at Athens, the National,
pronounced with remarkable promptitude—( Qucere,
precipitancy ?) and with no less remarkable
severity (Quare, insolence ?) what it face-
tiously and grandiloquently termed, " The
Funeral Oration of Lord PALMERSTON." There
e. as manifest in every syllable of these spiteful and
paltry vituperations the rapture with which a weak
power like Greece exulted over the fall of the Eng-
lish statesman. Never daring to breathe even a
whisper of animosity against him during the period
of his administration, the advisers of Oruo seized the
very earliest opportunity for the declaration of that
hatred which they had been cherishing with
such peculiarly mean and despicable implaca-
bility. No sooner had the information
of Lord PaimeasTores fall reached Athens than
the ministerial paper was issued containing
the attack already referred to. While, however, we
cannot, of course, but lament a display of spleen so
melancholy of its kind, coming as it does from one
of the nominally constitutional Governments of
Christendom, we have reason to rejoice at the same
time at the proof it has elicited of the freedom of the
press, even under the authority of the Athenian Go-
vernment. The onslaught made by trio Greek
National upon the character of Lord PALMERSTON
has been answered, and nobly answered, too, in the
columns of :411e Greek Esperance. For our know-
ledge of the discussion upon this matter which has
recently taken place between those journals, we
are indebted to the Courrier -cl'Athenes, from which
it is sufficiently manliest that the advantage, in point
of ability, as well as in point of temper, has been
throughout on the side of Lord PALMERSTON'S
vindicator.
What renders the Greek National's aspersion upon
our late Foreign Secretary more important than it
might otherwise have been deemed, is the declaration
made by its contemporary that it has evidently been
written under the direct influence of the Athenian
Government. The article is consequently, as we
have observed before, official in its character. It
sets out with impugning Lord PALMERSTON directly
and personally as the enemy of Greece. Upon which
the Esperance very sensibly remarks that whatever
nas been the policy pursued by Great Britain towards
OTHO and his Administrators, that policy cannot be
regarded as merely the personal policy of Lord
PALMERSTON—reminding its readers rather signi-
ficantly that it is not one man who can
at any time- rule the affairs of Great
Britain, but that those affairs are, of course, influenced
by the Ministry, by public opinion, by the House of
Commons, by Royalty, and by the Constitution. It
laughs, therefore, and not without reason, at its Go-
vernment being thus cojtk-a-hoop because of the re-
tirement of Lord PALMERSTON, remarking gi it
naively
believes that, for ever relieved from a re-
doubtable personal enemy, it will encounter no fur-
ther difficulties in its retrogressive movement." Upon
the absurdity of
Esperance speaks anyet such species of argument the
~ Lord GRA.NvILLE yet
more plainly. It says,
poe h.iore certain than that—but
Nothing
eau hasb succeeded Lord PALMER-
-1
STON.Is, therefore, evident
dues it follow that the
statesmen are ignorantly
changed ? Assuredly e,1„:7 lotf.
that our
selves in conceiving that the Cabin- et
England has be
Greece that deceiving
them- e 12
Great Britain
resembles the actual Cabinet of
Can be despised,at
public
with
unit and that the House of Commons differs in
no the Legislative Chamber
which
has respect
beene from
stablished in Greece
ing enough, surely !—it is I,nguage which can have
to the Athenian by the united opera -
n
. ain speak-
tion of fraud and of violence." That is DI '
been no less uepalateable
Cabinet
°flu it would be profitable we believe for
the coo.
ei(ieration of her MAJ6STY's Government. In its ap.
Preciauon of the public feeling in Englmd, the
L.sperahce is correct undoub,ecily., but in regard to
cue lateivioes of the present Cabia&---cau it be mis-
taken ? It were well fur the Ministry to deliberate
before it consents to succumb to the German in'
iiiiEnce wi:ieli indisputably led to the dismissal
of Lord PALMERSTON. Whatever the result, it is
satisfactory to observe that there are at least freedom
w
of thought and freedom of writing in Athens as well
journalism mil not more
as in London : and that
readily consent to be gagged in
the capital of Greece
than in the WWII cf rellt Britain. The Liberal