The Sun.
London, England, 1851-09-17 00:00:00

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LONDON, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 185

The intelligence which arrived this morning from
Paris, of the intention of France and England to
prevent a rupture between Spain and the United
States, and to secure to the former the possession of
Cuba, at the same time requiring her to introduce
such reforms in the internal administration of the
island as shall leave the Cubans no just ground
of complaint, cannot but be received with
great satisfaction by the friends of
peace and of progress throughout the world.
When the affairs of Cuba first assumed a
serious aspect, when the organization of the Lopez
expedition was first announced, we expressed our
hope and belief that Lord PALMERSTON would concert
measures with France and with Spain to secure to
the latter her most valuable colonial possession, and
at the same time to remove any just cause
of complaint on the part of the Cubans.
The fact that M. BAROCHB, the French Mi-
nister for Foreign Affairs, was at the time in Eng-
land, ostensibly on a visit to the Exhibition, and
that he was in constant communication with
Senor ISTURITZ, the Spanish Minister, and with
Lord PALMERSTON, afforded us, as we thought, just
ground fur the conclusion at which we had arrived.
The trust which we reposed in the tact and
the patriotism of Lord PALMERSTON has not
been disappointed. On this, as on every
other occasion, he has proved himself a thoroughly
English Minister, and the most accomplished states-
man of the day. The Paris Afessager of Monday
evening contains the following announcement :
" Dispatches of itnportance were received yesterday
evening from Madrid at the Ministry fur Foreign
Affairs, and immediately afterwards M. Baroche went to
the Ely; 6., and was soon joined by the Spanish Ambas-
sador and Lord Normanby. France and England are
decided on preventing a rupture between Spain and the
United States, and in preserving for the former her va-
luable colony, but with the introduction of some indis-
pensable reforms in the internal government of Cuba.
A French steamer leaves Havre this day for Washing-
ton, with dispatches from the French Government and
the American Minister."

Of the success of this mission—which, without
wounding the susceptibilities of our some what over-
sensitive Transatlantic:brethren, inasmuch as it will
secure to the Cubans all which they profess to desire
to obtain for them, viz.o good government, will at
the same time preserve to Spain her most valuable
colonial possessions—there cannot be a doubt, and we
rejoice, therefore, that at this crisis the seals of the
Foreign-office are held by Lord PALMERSTON, the
statesman, instead of by Lord ABERDEEN, the capi-
tulator.

According to a custom which we are rejoiced to

observe becoming every session more prevalent, the

Hon. Gentleman the Member for Montrose availed
himself recently of the Parliamentary vacation for
the purpose of having a public interview with his
constituents. It may be remembered by those who
have watched the public career of the Chief Com-
missioner of the lonian Islands, that it was annually
his wont to seek this opportunity of personal inter-
course with the electors of Sheffield throughout the
entire period during which he enjoyed the privilege of
being their representative. Since his removal from
the House of Commons to that remote portion of the

Colonial Administration, the system which he had
gradually rendered habitual among his political sup-
porters, has been partially adopted by his successor;
and we are elated to perceive a disposition to follow in
the like direction on the part of several other Mem-
bers of the Imperial Legislature. Our satisfaction
upo❑ this subject is the more earnest because we re-
gard the custom referred to as eminently calculated
to forward the cause of popular enlightenment, while

it conduces at the same moment very materially to
further the interests of reform in the Constitution,
Debarred from the advantages of a gigantic scheme of
national education, the masses absolutely require
some such indirect means of improvement as those
which are here held out for their advancement. By
the discussion amongst themselves of the more im-
portant measures which from session to session are
brought under the consideration of the House of Com-
mons, they are familiarised with themes, the just ap-
prehension of which as necessarily conduces to their
own mental invigoration as it does to the stabilitation
of the whole scheme of government. Besides this, it
should be observed that the agitation of inquiry into
the proceedings of the Legislature is of all things
perhaps, the most beneficial as a preliminary to the
more general extension of the rights of citizenship.
In a country like England this is a matter of no
subordinate consideration. Among ourselves the
principal solicitude of a public character is to partici-
pate individually in the conduct of the machine of
the State—whether it be by raising a hand before
the hustings or by delivering an oration in the pre-
sence of Mr. SPBAKER, by inscribing one's name at a
polling booth or by being counted out into one of the
lobbies at Westminster. Hitherto the enjoyment of
privileges of this description has been restricted to a
very small proportion of the community in the
United Kingdom, insomuch so that during the last
half century the most energetic endeavours have been
made for the extension of the electoral prerogative
on the part of the more practical well-wishers of the
population. Hence that glorious and comprehensive
movement in behalf of reform to which so much good
is already attributable, the movement that at one
period emancipated us from the thraldom of religious
intolerance, that at another time partially destroyed
the evil system of class legislation, and that ultimately
succeeded in ridding the country of that most de-
testable incubus of monopoly which, by grinding
down the industry of England, and by multiplying
the horrors of starvation in Ireland and in Scotland,
had at last driven the inhabitants of these islands to
the very verge of revolution.
Desirable, however, as the extension of the elective
franchise among the multitude is most indubitably,
it will be admitted, nevertheless, by its most enthu-
siastic advocates, that it must by necessity be
preceded by the spread of a certain amount
of knowledge among its recipients. Otherwise the
boon so long aspired to by the majority would prove
a curse instead of a blessing, a weapon capable of
proving, when misapplied, very terrible in its opera-
tion,
being intrusted to hands incapable of using it
either to their own benefit or to the aggregate advan-
tage of the commonweal. To the end that the know-
ledge here indicated might the most effectually be im-
parted to the masses, or at the very least to those
members of the community who are desirous of rising
to the dignity, and of becoming invested with the rights