The Sun.
London, England, 1846-11-09 00:00:00

FOREIGN POLICY.

(From tin: Times.)
The foreign policy of Lord Aberdeen loses nothing
by the contrast with that of his succcessor ; and a
series of untoward circumstances has case a remarkable
gloom over Lord Palmerston's return to the department
over which he presides. If we were disposed to retort
upon him, or upon the organs of his confidence, that
angry criticism and unsparing abuse which they lavished
upon the late Foreign Minister, subjects and opportuni-
ties for this kind of retaliation would not be wanting ;
but we may safely trust to the force of facts to annihi-
late accusations which never obtained the ear of the na-
tion ; and it were well for England if those energies
which were then so exclusively attributed to Lord Pal.
merston could insure to this country as much influence,
security, and respect as it enjoyed under the temperate
guidance of Lord Aberdeen. The sinking tide has, how-
ever, disclosed rocks and shoals about our course, over
which we floated a few months ego in confidence and safety.
We have reason to be dissatisfied with our foreign relations
on more sides than one. The Queen of England can no
longer meet her Parliament with the customary but im-
portant assurance of an undiminished good understanding
with all the world. The Government have loudly and
justly remonstrated and protested against a transaction
iccomplished without us. and in spite of us, at Madrid ;
ind in the New World Lord Palmerston seems to be
condemned to witness, without even the relief of a re-
monstrance, the incorporation of an empire into the Amer

rican Union. We are not so unreasonable or so unjust
as to impute to Lord Palmerston evils which he could
not prevent and cannot repair. We shall not even press
upon him considerations arising from the mistrust he
unluckily inspired abroad, at a time when his policy
was supposed to be accomplishing its greatest triumphs,
but when it was in reality sowing the seeds of humiliation
and dislike. If it were possible to separate the present
from the past, our Foreign Secretary might lay claim to
the praise of having done all that could now be done to
maintain the honour and interests of the country, when
we were tricked by our nearest ally ; and it is not
the business of an English pen to rccal those incidents
of a former time which have unfortunately made him
an object of such bitter rancour elsewhere. We
pointed them out in 1840. when they took place; we
recorded the verification of our predicant; when Lord
John Russell failed in his attempt to form a eabinet
eleven months ago; and although the obstacles which
then occurred have since been surmounted, the state of
our foreign relations is certainly not calculated to prove
that they were unfounded or that they have been re-
moved. Nothing is clearer in the history of the late
achievements of French diplomacy in Spain than that
Louis Philippe and M. Guizot took advantage of Lord
Palmerston's return to office to effect a stroke of policy
under pretence of a counter-intrigue on the part of
England. They hoped, in the first place, to throw the
blame and disgrace of the rupture that must ensue on a
rival statesman whom they hate; and they expected, in
the second place, that their statements would obtain
credit in Europe, in opposition to those of an English
Minister who does not personally enjoy the confidence
of the Northern Courts. In both these expectations we
are convinced they are signally deceived. We are per-
fectly satisfied that the whole course of the
British Government, with reference to the
Spanish marriages, was as plain, straightforward,
and disinterested under Lord Palmerston as it
had been under Lord Aberdeen, and that the forbear-
ance and good faith of this country have been as
complete as those of our neighbours have been the re-
verse. As long as our case stands thus high, we en-
tertain no fears for the consequences to our character and
influence in Europe ; and we are convinced that the
means and acts by which Louis Philippe and his instru-
ments have filched this Princess and her inheritance from
Spain have done far more injury to his station and cha-
racter in Europe than that which we have sustained by
these intrigues. Some of the journals of the French
Court have amused themselves in speculating on the for-
mation of new alliances with the continental Powers. Do
they imagine that the best means of earning the confi-
dence of those states who view the dynasty of Orleans
and the character of the King with profound aversion is
to show that no obligations are sacred in his eyes, and
that the only country which has made a hundred ge-
nerous sacrifices to the French alliance has made those
sacrifices in vain ? The Presse is ready to purchase a
Russian alliance at any price—the partition of Turkey,
and the final abandonment of Poland. The alliance of
England was proffered on more moderate terms : we re-
quired nothing but good faith and plain-dealing, but
those are qualities which are sometimes more rare
than offers of joint spoliation and combined injus-
tice. As a matter of fact, however, we are confident
that these speculations on a Russo-French alliance are
entirely visionary and unfounded. As long as M.
Guizot adhered steadily to the cause of peace, which
was identified with the alliance of England, he stood
better at Vienna, at Berlin, and at St. Petersburgh, than
any former Minister of France since 1830. But in pro-
portion as he has receded, or diverted his course from the
original principles of his administration, he becomes al,
object of suspicion at the other Courts, as well as at his
own. In 1810 a combination of the four Powers, pro-
jected by Russia and adopted by England, was instantly
regarded as a hostile coalition by France ; and the
isolated position in which she stood shook her frame to
the centre. The deliberate and spontaneous act of the
French Government has now places her in a position
equally isolated, unless indeed she boast of her
alliance with Spain, and her strength in the Peninsula.
The apprehensions and distrust of Austria are
heightened to a state of terror by the attitude of the
Papal Government, the increase of French influence in
Italy, and the disturbances in Switzerland, whilst Paris
is still regarded as the seat of those revolutionary doe-
trices which infect under peculiar forms several pro-
vinces of the empire. In Prussia, as well as in Austria,
any act which threatens to disturb the balance of power
and the tranquillity of Europe is viewed with dismay;
for the Court of Berlin is pertEctly aware that its sub •
jects will make the discharge of their military duties
contingent upon the recognition of their constitutional
rights. In Prussia, the finances of the kingdom could
only be supported in the event of war by the concur-
rence of the estates of the realm. In Austria, they
could not be supported at all. In Russia, we know not
what the French ( xpect after having endured fifteen
years of incivility and insult from the Court; but if they
are content to supplicate for the favour of Ni-
chelas in humble guise, they make up for their ser-
vility at St. Petersburgh by their arrogance at Madrid.
In all these Courts the late transactions are viewed
with indifference as regards Spain, with a little malicious
diversion at the expense of England, but with indigna-
tion and disgust at the duplicity of France. The main
support which M. Guizot gave to the Government of
Louis Philippe was derived from the supposed integrity
of his character—a quality more valuable by far in the
eyes of Europe than his Parliamentary eloquence or his
diplomatic address. The King, however, has made so
large a draught on the virtues he wanted, that he set ms
to have exhausted the supply, and he has proportionably
weakened his Minister and impaired his fame. To the
King such sacrifices cost but little, and he will probably
not step there, if the destruction of the Cabinet can cover
his own share in these performances; but to the real in-
terests of France and the reluctant confidence of the

European Powers, he has given a shock from which they
will not soon recover ; and nothing could tend more
effectually to strengthen the closest understanding be-
tween our own Government and the other great Powers
of Europe, in case more agitated times should follow the
termination of his reign.

THE MILITARY FRACAS AT DE-

VONPORT.

The dispute between the military and police at Devon-
Fie, of which an account appeared in our columns yes-
terday, has been followed by criminal proceedings
against the man Webber, who was brought before the
magistrates on Wednesday, charged with keeping a dis-
orderly house and with assaulting and resisting, by
causing their detention, two policemen, while in the
execution of their duty, On each charge he was fined.
making altogether 161. and costs, and in default was com-
mitted to hard labour to the county House of Correction
for four months.
In reference to this case, the subjoined letter has been
received by the mayor, stating the result of the court
of inqulry:

" Brigade Office Department, Nov. 3.
" Sin—l am directed by the major-general command-
ing the western district, to acquaint you that a court of
inquiry has been held for the purpose of ascertaining
the facts connected with the detention, by a military
guard, of two police-cfficers of Devonport, on the 30th
of October.
" The facts elicited by the inquiry only show an error
of judgment in that detention, and no desire on the part
of the military to interfere with or oppose the police in
the execution of their duty.
" the major-general, has, therefore, merely issued an
cyder, of which a copy is enclosed, that will prevent any
u simar mistakes from compliance with an irregular de-
mand upon a
guard to interfere in a concern of a civil
nature. " I have the honour to be,
" Your most obedient humble servant,

" C. F. MAXWELL, Captain-major of Brigade.
" To the Worshipful the Mayor of Devenport."
The general now states that the military shall not:assisl
the civil power. except upon the written requisitiion of
a magistrate.

WONDERFUL FEAT.—A woman verging on seventy-
four years of age, travelled on Thursday last from
Abernethy to Kinross ; where, after her little business
was done, and as she was preparing to return home, she
entered into an agreement with a cattle dealer to drive
some beasts to Perth, he having failed in finding any
other person. She executed her task faithfully. The
cattle dealer, who had gone in his gig to Perth before
her, in the evening went out on the road a little way to
meet her ; and had his considerable apprehensions al-
layed by hearing her " shoo, shoo," at the top of the
South Inch. He rewarded her with something more
than he promised, on which the poor old creature turned
her steps to Abernethy, where she arrived at good
supper time. The distance she travelled was thirty-four
miles.—Perthshire Courier.
ADVENTURES OF A JACKDAW.—A few days ago,
a carriage arrived at Gilstrap's Hotel, Newark, fur the
night. On the following morning, prior to starting, a
jackdaw, belonging to the hotel, resolved to convert the
same into an observatory. He was driven off, but John,
having taken a liking to the Carriage, or bent upon
having an excursion, found a hiding place on the under-
works of the vehicle. He remained unobserved, and,
on arriving the following morning at the Red Lion
Hotel, Worksop, was recognised by the servant accom-
panying the carriage, and by him and the ostler at the
Red Lion was driven off. He immediately mounted a
ct fly" in the yard, and in a very amusing and command-
ing
manner called out for the " Boots." He was packed
up in a hamper, and sent back to his old quarters at
Newark, and appeared to be much gratified on his re-
-4=134—Derbyshire Courier.