The Sun.
London, England, 1858-07-13 00:00:00

prepare for permanent obscurity, though it was
quite certain that their remaining influence was
believed in by the very men who were singing. their
political requiem. The partisans of Disraeli are
now prophesying the most gloomy future for the
late Premier. Were we to take all their words for
gospel, Lord Palmerston has nothing but certain
oblivion to look forward to. His doom as a public
man is, according to their verdict, already signed,
sealed, and delivered.
Thera is not much chivalry in this impotent de-
sire to glory in. the retirement-of a political oppo-
nent, and to puff the withered laurels of a tempo-
rary triumph brought about by the mere accidents
of political warfare. It is rather the artifice of a
party who feel that they have no faith and no
ground of faith, in their Oen boasts.
The gentlemen who take upon themselves—quite
uninvited—the task of pronouncing funeral orations
upon the statesmau who, by due process of consti-
tutional action, has gone to the bead of the Oppo-
sition, base their gloomy vaticinations* upon the
success of Government with their India Bill, and
the rejection by the house of some of Lord Palmer
ston's amendments. But in the first place those
amendments were not in any sense intended or cal-
culated:to test the strength of party attachments.
They were nokaiined at the subversion of the Minis-
try. They were contributions, like these of Lord
J. Russell, Sir E. Perry, and others, to the general
efficiency of the measure, and such as a man in Lord
Palmerston's position was not only 'justified in
making, but actually called upon to make, Had
he refrained from taking an active part in the pro-
motion of the bill, he would have deyarted from
that course of disinterested public conduct which
has been the rule of his life. Inthe neat place, he
has done far more to assist thin to interrupt the
Government measure. 'Upon' several occasions his
timely intervention aided its progress and staved
off defeat. Had his-own scheme 'Ern discussed,.
would, of course, haie underrone extensive modi-^
fications in its passage through Parliament. This
is what-anybody's bill must have la.en subjected to,
but who would have thought of predicating politi-
cal obscurity of all the eminent men whose amend-
ments might have happened not to ho carried ? In-
deed, the circumstances under which the bill has
reached its present stage are such that no party
can be entitled to boast of a victory respecting it ;
and though Lord Pahnerstoa generously said that
he gave it an ungrudging assent, we are not our-
selves so sure that it is a bill to be boasted of at
all. We regard it as a very lame production. But,
anyhow, the Conservatives can claim little credit
for it. Their policy, so far as they had one, was
embodied in their fist bill, which the house would
not listen to. Subsequently they made a second
attempt, every clause of which was dictated to
them by the Howe of Commons, and an examina-
tion of the division lists will show that in no
single instance can they beast a triumph of their
own. Indeed, there has been no tr.al of party
strength at all, and no occasion for any. The time
for parties to show their strength is when the
country is in need of the services of one more than
another. In the recent legislation it was caost de-
sirable that party tactics should be put in abey-
ance, and they were so put, and that most dis-
interestedly.
In another session Ministrs will have to encoun-
ter severer trials. They will have had time to
mature their policy ; they will have no right to ex-
pect extraordinary indulgence. They will have to
stand upon their merits. If they succeed in
framing a policy suited to the circumstances of the
country, and worthy of public support, that suppoia
they will undoubtedly receive from all ranks and
classes of men. But if infirmity and incompetency
mark the Administration, the courtly will know
where to look. Should it please Providence to con-
tinue health and energy to the man who saved the
Crimean army, closed the Russian war, directed the
foreign policy of this country, and took the first
steps for tranquillising the disturbances in India,
he will undoubtedly again be called to the highest
office of the State by the acclamation of the people.
In -0.,e meantime he can well afford to see his oppo-
nents boasting themselves during their brief day,
blinded by the sufferance they hsve enjoyed, and
misconstruing the indulgence of a declining session
into a proof of public favour and Parliamentary
confidence. The British Minister has but to bide his
time. When real difficulties coma Le will be as
indispensab'e to the existence of a competent
British Cabinet as he has been for the last forty
years.

INTENDED VISIT OF ThE QUEEN TO

CH ERBOURg.

(Prom the Times.)
We are informed by the Moniteur de la Platte,
in an article which we publish to-day, that the Em-:
peror Napoleon 111., "whose tact in such matters
is so very delicate," has not hesitated to invite
Queen Victoria to add by her presence an additional
charm and prestige to the rejoicings at Cherbourg.
France rejoices, and, as we are informed, has with
the most consummate tact and the most delicate
taste invited England, her neighbour, friend, and
good ally, to rejoice with her in the revered person
of our Queen. What, then, is France rejoicing
about, and in what is she so sure of our sympathy,
and deems it such excellent taste to invoke it
" Wherefore rejoice ; what conquests brings she
home ?" Not exactly a conquest at this moment,
but only the hope and assurance, the groundwork
and fouuda'ion, of a possible conquest to come—a
conquest over a nation wealthy, powerful, and not
wholly unknown to the history of the world. We
must be niggards indeed of our sympathy were
we to refuse to rejoice with our potent ally at so
agreeable a prospect. But even joy does not ex-
clude curiosity, and before we abandon ourselves
to the full tide of hilarity we may be permitted
to inquire What is the precise object for
which our congratulations are bespoken ? Let
the Moniteur de la Flotte speak for us. It is
the result of the long rivalry between France and
England. It is the completion of a port, arsenal,
and dock at Cherbourg, built, armed, and ready for
war, planned by Vauban in a spirit of hostility to
this country, undertaken by L )uis XIV. in the
same spirit, carried on by the First Napoleon with
the same view, and now completed by Napoleon
111. with every feeling of amity and goodwill
towards the country which it menaces. Nor let
any one suppose that this is some trivial outwork,
some defence available to France against an enemy
with whom she may happen to engage in war.
Such a supposition would do injustice to the deli-
cate tact of the invitation. Against any other
enemy whom France nway possibly have Cherbourg
is absolutely useless ; it is against England alone
that it is constructed, not merely for the purpose
of defending France against any possible aggression
by England, but much more for the purpose of
enabling France to inflict the greatest possible in-
jury on England. Auy blow that may be
launched from Cherbourg will fall, not as those
in the last war, upon the extremities of this em-
pire, not upon the coast of Ireland, or of south
Wales, but it will be short, it will be straight,
deadly, and decisive,—aimed at its very heart.
Our great ally likes no unnecessary manoeuvred.
If ever he wishes to strike, he wishes to be able
to strike home, and so deal his first blow as to
leave very little room for a second. Surely
we have great reason to rejoice that so much direct-
nessdbid aim,ing friendship, and, above all, to a
tact should be united to so much
n
of purpose, such entire straight-forwardness of
characteri ce
so e
d n
It will be a pleasing thing for the
English guests at the forthcoming jubilee for the
completion of a work the avowed end and aim of
which is to facilitate the invasion of their country,
srael
to survey those vast basins destined to hold the
ships whiediahenaaatre ?
are to convey the invading force, those
endless quays from which they are to embark, and
at
iltiht the
h at
once
era with stores,saulem°nient the arsenals which are to sup-
plyand the fortifications which
screen them from observation and
shield them from interruption. That nothing may
w
be wanting to bring home the meauirn of the scene
there will be the statue of the first Empeisor ; and
doubtless, to complete the spectacle, there will be
marry relics of the old Imperial Army wearing the
medal of St. Helena, which commemorates, not the
glorious recollections, but rather the final reverse
of the First Empire, and seerne playfully to allude
to the part taken at that time by Great Britain as
one which France ought by no means to forget.
our tastes,
Itnibedecrosn:nldeste
ought we to be that we have a neighbour who so
in ail its parts, and happy
them with such exquisite tact and discrimination.
How can the Moniteur de la Flotte insinuate that
texts would not be wanting to the English
pre •
Thetho. rofeuteehlvyi
if they eat ertained less high and less clear
people, and caters for
notions, for uneasiness both at the ground and the
form oithis visit of Napoleon 111. to Cherbourg ?
He is not, we are told, going to visit some one or
other of his naval ports indiff.irerrely ; he is going
to visit pre-eminently his advanced pest on the
Charnel coast—advanced, as we may refb_ct with
cheerfulness end thankfulness, not promiscuous y,
as we may say, but pre-eminently—not against the E
world in genera], but against England, and ng-
land alone. Who would Lot be pleased at such a