The Sun.
London, England, 1861-02-09 00:00:00

Ithen by the energetic course pursued by the
SULTAN'S Government in dealing with the recreant
i hordes of the fanatical Druses of the Leba-
non, the perpetrators of those hideous mas-
sacres of the unfortunate .Maronites peopling
the track of country lying between the
range of the Lebanon and the waters of the
Mediterranean. In the subjugation of those tribes
of murderers, the Ottoman Porte has in no case
from first to last stood in need of actual assistance.
The Christian Powers of Europe had consented to
the occupation of Syria for a period not exceeding
half a year in its duration, upon the consideration
of the possible contingency that during those six
, months the troops of the Sublime Porte might re-
quire aid in bringing to justice the authors or
instigators of that appalling series of atrocities,
as well as those chief perpetrators who had been
actually taken red-handed in the midst of
the smouldering ruins of the towns and
villages recently inhabited by the butchered
Maronites. It had not unnaturally been con-
jectured that the Turk, under whose enervate
rule a national crime of so stupendous a magnitude,
and of an infamy so heinous and preternatural, had
been perpetrated, might prove incapable unaided
of extorting from the arch-criminals anything
approaching even to an adequate expiation.
Happily the event speedily enough began to prove
quite otherwise. The Moslem Power at Constan-
tinople, roused for once into unwonted activity,
conscious for once apparently that the dignity of
the SULTAN and the authority of the Divan, hardly
less than the majesty of all the Christian Powers
of Europe, had been wantonly outraged, and that
moreover to the very last degree, by the wholesale
and diabolical murders, arsons, and pillagings per-
petrated (without the smallest provocation) by the
Druses upon the Maronites—Turkey, however
incited to action, at any rate for once did act, and
that, too, in veritable earnest, dealing with the
assassins of the Lebanon as it alone became an
European Power to deal under circumstances so
supreme, and in every way extraordinary. The
result has been—as Europe knows, as Europe dur-
ing the last few months has been witnessing, through
her diplomatic emissaries, in the midst of the very
scene of these remarkable occurrences—the result
of this energetic action of the Turkish Government
has been that Order has long since been effectively
and securely re-established in Syria. The Druses
have been lashed into submission. The principal
criminals amongst them have, months back, died the
death, perishing ignominiously by summary execu-
tions. The soldiers of France all the while stand-
ing by as mere spectators—never once having been
called upon to draw one sword, to fire one shot, to fix
one bayonet for the speedier punishment of the
assassin tribes of the Lebanon. If shame, if almost
infamy, was reflected upon the Ottoman Govern-
ment by the ever execrable deeds of the Druses—
honour is due to that same Government now that it
has evidenced so determined a resolution to avenge,
so far as any earthly power is permitted to do, the
poor murdered, buried, almost forgotten Maronites,
men, women, and children. Such having been the
sequel to the dreadful history of the Syrian mas-
sacres—the last shadow of a pretext has faded out,
the last faint shadow of a pretext has melted into
thin air, and utterly vanished, according
to which France might have hoped to justify
the continuance of her occupation. It rests
now with Europe, it rests especially with England
as the intimate ally of Imperial France, to see that
the stipulation of the European agreement in
regard to the six months' interval here referred to
as the extreme period for the French occupation of
Syria, shall be loyally attended to and faithfully
carried out to the very letter by NAPOLEON'S Go-
vernment. That such shall be done is due to the
dignity of the contracting Powers of Christendom.
It is to the honour of France herself,
and to the honour of the rest of the
European Governments. It is due also to Turkey,
if only in consideration of the energetic and
honourable course pursued by her in vindication
of her character as an independent Government.
Let the speedy evacution of Syria by the soldiers
of France be accepted now, be regarded vigilantly
now, as the earliest test of the French EMPEROR'S
sincerity in avowing as he did the other day his
solicitude in procuring the general tranquillity.

It has been remarked as a circumstance of a most
interesting and exceptional charater that the Prime
Minister of England, the present Leader of the
House of Commons, is likewise all but the Father
of the House of Commons. Lord PALMERSTON, in
truth, as it appears upon the history of that
august assembly, is actually only two removes
from the venerable dignity here indicated. The
veteran Premier having first entered the House at
the general election which took place four and
fifty years ago, i.e. in 1807, has above him in
seniority as members of the popular branch of the
Legislature, only two other rept esentatives, namely,
Sir CHARLES BURRELL (the Father of the House)
and Mr. HARCOURT, both of them having first taken
their seat in Parliament only the very year (1806)
prior to the entrance into the House of Commons
of our perennial First Lord of the Treasury. It is
really in a manner due to Lord PALMERSTON
that, thus early at the commencement of this
his lordship's fifty-fourth session, his position as
all but the Father of the House of Commons should
be indicated, and, thus indicated, coupled with his
twofold positions in Parliament as Leader of the
House of Commons and the responsible chief of her
MAJESTY'S Government. As was said in regard to
him, long since, "We are all proud of him." And,
remembering his indomitable energy and unfading
youthfulness of spirit, we have certainly still
greater reason than ever to be so.

" Spare Austria"—is the now earnest, now
pathetic, tone of the despatches which we find in
the Italian blue-book, at least of those in which the
nervous tremour of our Government would easily
appear. If a story told in Fraser's Magazine this
month be true, this is hardly to be wondered at.
The writer says, " We have heard, and we believe,
that when the Sardinian Ambassador asked Lord
PALMERSTON for an explanation of the former de-
spatch (the memorable one of the 31st of August,
asserting the right of Austria in Venetia, and
lecturing so unbecomingly and threateningly the
Government of Sardinia)—he received a frank
reply—that her MAJESTY'S Government would be
delighted to see Austria freely hand over Venice
to Sardinia ; but a war between the two Powers
could not be confined to the area of Venetia ; it
would necessarily overflow into Austria, and would
give Hungary an opportunity of separating her-
self from Austria. This would be hostile to Eng-
lish interests, and this is what her MAJESTY'S
Government would resist." Whatever the writer's
authority for this statement, no one who has
watched the course of Lords PALMERSTON and
RUSSELL can deny that it is altogether in accord-
ance with the long past and the recent past. In
1848 the two lords were very sorry that
Russia should intervene in Hungary, and that
Austria should, to use their own expression, crush
liher own right arm; still they preferred much to
see her with the arm in -a sling to witnessing its
amputation. Especially, because the arm possessed