The Sun.
London, England, 1854-07-03 00:00:00

The honesty of Lord Aberdeen can only be
established at the cost of his powers of discrimina-
tion, his judgment, and his knowledge of affairs.
The Minister selected to champion the integrity
and independence of Turkey has looked upon that
country for half a century as a corpse, and has
never concealed that opinion from Russia. But
can his honesty be established even at his expense?
In February he vindicated his course by a convic-
tion throughout of the good faith of Russia; In
June he attempts to clear himself by the pro-
duction of an ancient despatch, which records
his persuasion of the inveterateness of Russian
duplicity. But, whatever may be the motives
of Lord Aberdeen, the result to the country is
the same. He has involved us in a costly, a
perilous, and an unnecessary war. Had he acted
with frankness and firmness towards Russia at the
commencement, Europe would not have been dis-
turbed, and, had peace been maintained for a few
more years, it is evident that even the Czar would
have discovered that the Porte was a sufficient
barrier to his ambition.
Lord Aberdeen concluded the melancholy display
of Monday by one of his habitual notices of
this journal. It seems that we stated in our
last number that Prince Metternich had been
consulted by his imperial master, and we
added that we had reason to believe that the fruits
of his counsel had been communicated, though not
officially to Lord Aberdeen. We alluded also to
previous communications which had taken place
between the two statesmen. Lord Aberdeen de-
clared on Monday that he had had no communica-
tion with his Highness for a year and a half, and
insinuated that the whole paragraph in the Press
had been suggested by a casual allusion to Prince
Metternich in his speech of the 19th June. A little
while ago Lord Aberdeen traced the Cabinet secrets
revealed in the leading articles of the Times to a
youth who had been for a few months a clerk in
the Foreign-office. Now, it is from hints furnished
by his own speeches that the Press has been
enabled to announce to the public the exist-
ence of the " Secret and Confidential Correspond-
ence " a year before it was disclosed ; that,
throughout last autumn, it furnished important
information—sometimes even weeks before it other-
wise transpired ; that, on the 27th of May last, it
announced the secret negotiations which were to
lead, in the first instance, to the evacuation of the
principalities by the Russians.
We really should have thought, after the scrape
of the " clerk ingthe Foreign-office," that Lord
Aberdeen would scarcely again have had recourse
to such desperate rigmaroles. Lord Aberdeen at
present affects sincerity, plainness, and a habit of
rough truth. "Honest lago !" It may be that
he has changed since he gave his friendly and con-
fidential counsels to his predecessors. 'Tis a cha-
ritable conclusion. Time, his " one foot in the
grave," the intrigues of some of his colleagues, the
insolence of others, the sense of the mischief he
has accomplished, terror and remorse, may have
combined to render him less master of his memory
and of a tongue never very skilful. He declares,
with uncouth raillery, that he has had "no com-
munication, direct or indirect, with Prince Metter-
nich since he has been in office." We aver, on
the contrary, that within this year an individual
who for long years has possessed the confidence of
Prince Metternich and Lord Aberdeen, and has
been frequently employed by the Austrian states-
man on special services, arrived in this country,
saw Lord Aberdeen instantly, and without the in-
terposition of any third person, remained here pri-
vately for three or four days, had repeated inter-
views with the English; Minister, and returned.
We have
.the best reasons for believing that the
object of this mission was that concerted action
with Austria which is to extricate both Russia and
Lord Aberdeen from their terrible embarrassments.
We have more to say upon this head, but it will
keep. Lord Aberdeen not only reads the Press
very regularly, but is in the habit of replying to
its articles. The matter, therefore, may rest till
his next speech.—The Press.