The Sun.
London, England, 1857-04-06 00:00:00

LONDON, MONDAY, APRIL G, 1857.

If SIDNEY- HERBERT was frank enough to con-
fess that he and the Peelite3 (perhaps he meant
all the members) had learned something from the
election, we may hope Lord PALMERSTON' will have
the grace to show by his deeds at the opening of
.the new Parliament that he, too, has learned
something. He dissolved on a question of foreign
policy, and the hustings and electioneering ad-
dresses and speeches, and the catechisings of hon.
candidates especially, have given him a pretty
.plain lesson on both his foreign and domestic
policy. He has had a very generous support from
the country, but the country which gives him
that support is entitled to have its manifest wishes
regarded. Lird PALMERSTON has, we believe, as
much pleasure as any statesman can have in
'Pleasing the people. Cheery himself, he likes to
see others in good humour, and he can hardly
doubt on two most important points what it is
the people wish for.
On the China question he has, by universal
confession, triumphed, and it will doubtless be
the first business of the New Parliament, formally
to rectify the wrong done by its predecessor.
There was, however, another point in Lord PAL-
MERSTON'S foreign policy, which none can deny
that the opposition attacked but t)o successfully.
Naples has been a most discredit able failure. In-
deed Lord PALMERSTON'S whole European policy
has been but too easily described by Radicals as
playing into the hands of despots ; and by Tories,
as attempting either too much or too litle. The
great mass of the nation paid cheerfully for
the Russian war, believing it was to humble a
barbarian despot who thought himself a god on
• earth. It resulted in a peace which we have
always felt to be a pro-despot peace. It was in-
tended t leave the CZAR despot in Finland, in
Poland, in Circassia—to leave him as great an
oppresor as before, but not to permit him to
oppress Turkey to the inconvenience of the Me-
diterranean powers. Eaglishuen have seen, as
the results of the pacification of Parie, insults to
the Poles and Armies in Circassia ; probably alio
the ,Persians in Herat. The Conservative Oppo-
sition-does not like to say much about all this ; it
is their own policy ; but the Radical Opposition
justly holds up to scorn these
,miserable results of
a great and costly war, and exclaim, " Thus it will
always be with popular wars for European liberty
led and finished by PALMERSTON."
But if the treaty results of the Russian war
have been a miserable failure, those of the Nea-
politan negotiations and demonstrations have been
worse than a failure ; they have been a disgrace.
Begun with some pomp, at the very Paris Confer-
ence in fact, begun to divert perhaps the English
mind from the the wretched peace, by the prospect
of a real crusade against a tyrant thoroughly in
our power, they were carried on by perfunctory
diplomacy, finished off by withdrawing ambassa-
dors, and sending ships, and concluded. by re-
calling
the ships, leaving the prisons overflowing
with innocent victims, and the tyrant laughing
at his schoolmasters, and daily torturing his
patriots by lingering deaths. At this moment
King BOMBA. is more a fiend than ever ; and the
prisons so full that he is scheming t 3 transport
his old victims across the Atlantic, that he may
find room for new ones !

Neither Tories nor Radicals have said much about
it, because it did not suit the objects of either,
but probably the people generally have felt that
the last disclosure, just before the dissolution of
Parliament, was the worst. It was then openly
confessed by the Government that the ships of
war were withdrawn through fear of an insur-
es
rection—that the Government had every rea-
son to believe that if our fleet continued near
Naples there would he a rising of the people.
Now, we ask our readers, how many oC them did
not involuntarily exclaim on reading the reply of
the Government " Insurrection at Naples—
why just what was wanted—and for our broad-
sides to back thorn." Second thoughts might
deem this rather fast policy, bat yet we could
not doubt that something bold--something
that should blow up a tyrant who could not be
coaxed and argued into xeasao, was the thing

wanted. What we maint tin is this—that all Eug-

[and, after what Mr. GLADSTONE and a hunired
Alter honest reporters on Neapolitan despotism
have t ad us, would have commended the stltes-

man who would at least havo said to King BOMBA.

—" Now, your MAJESTY—you would not hearken
3 reason, the hour is come, your subjects mean

!o rise, andiftheyde rise w© mean to stand by thc n

We do not mean to ba made fools of to save you

from the vengeance due to your villanies. Send
your Swiss home—repent, reform, or expect exile

or the gu.llotine:'

Tyrant-4, even superstitious tyrants, are cowards,
and had Lord PALMERSTON declared such a policy,
he knows that the cruel dotard would have
truckled at once ; and even if he had not, and if he
had been sent to St. Helena or to Brighton accord-

ing to taste ; or perhaps have tried the Argentine
republic hirnself, Europe would have rejoiced.

But it may be said France—no, not France—but

the Master of France—stood in the way ; it did
not suit his purpose to see absolute potentates
turned into foot-balls. Perhaps not, there might

be tco many in France rather partial to that game
and ready to play it. To which however, the un-
answerable reply is, that the French alliance is
not to be maintained to our own disgrace. If we are
to be allied to the man and not to the people ;

to ONE man who looks out for the interests of
only OWE man in every other country, then the
sooner we act independently of France the better.
But could Lours NAPOLEON have afforded to
desert us in rectifying the state of things in
Naples ? Unquestionably, had PALMERSTON said
—"Do as you please, but we are determined to
put an end to this Neapolitan villany"—had our
Government spoken thus—the Government of
France could not in the eyes of France and of
Europe have afforded to desert us. We did not
say or act thus. Lord PALMERSTON was behind his
opportunities then. We fear willingly behind.
The countenance given to Austria, and the discou-
ragement offered to Sardinia is also very discre-
ditable to our Government. Ever since the peace
PALMERSTON has leaned more to Austria than to
Sardinia ; in one notable instance rebuking
the latter in the interest of the bully of
Vienna ! We know the pre3sure under
which Lord PALMERSTON may be—via Saxe-
Cuburg—but we confess all things have been
done in a style which enables Mr. COBDEN to paint
ILord PALMERSTON, as practically, the despot'
man; and disposes the people to believe and to

resent it.
Lord PALMERSTON will also, we trust, have
learned a lesson on his domestic policy. He must
have seen that the nation desiderates peaceful but
real reform. Not only administrative, but poli-
tical reform ; that it indeed regards the latter as
the way to the former. We should think that
more demands have been made of candidates to
vote for the Ballot, and more answers favourable
to it given, than at any previous election ; even
the RUSSELL firm, it must never be forgotteu,
thought it wise to soften down the first refusal,
and great numbers of candidates only said that
they should prefer, if possible, some other plan.
It was everywhere a key to popular favour, and
opponents felt it to be a "ticklish question." It was
one on which they no longer dared to put a rude
negative, and oven Lord PALMERSTON'S great
compeer in the House this time felt it incumbent
on him to argue the question with the elec-
tors of Bucks ! Can Lord PALMERSTON have
failed to note all this ?
But on the question of extending the Suffrage
there was almost perfect unanimity. Who ven-
tured to deny that extension was required ?
Tories snore suo, Whigs more suo, and Radicals,
of course, all were for extended Suffrage
in some form. When Conservatives would
grant in part what Radicals demand entire,
it is unquestionably time for " the Tory
chief of a Radical Cabinet" to bestir him-
self. We may remind his Lordship, though
we are sure enough he knows it, that the
Leaguers were not turned out for their strong
opinions on the Suffrage and the Ballot. Their
successors had, on these points, to adopt very
nearly, if not quite, their creed. League dicta-
tion and peace-at-any-price were the accusations
which unseated them. Lord • PALMERSTON will
find Manchester, and Huddersfield, and Salford
as decided as ever for political reform, though op-
posed to an unworthy foieign policy. Lord JouN
RUSSELL will also be to him a rock ahead. Get the
China affair settled, and suppose FERDINA ND to be
still exulting in patriots' groans at Naples, and
Austria encouraged to beard Sardinia—people
Will ask of what use is PALMERSTON for
our European foreign policy—RUssELL will do as
well. At the same time the Whig Lord will be
ready with Reform Bill no 111. in his hand•.
One, no doubt,, necessity compelling, with some-
thing in it ; and then if the Whig Lord has not
been anticipated, " to your tents, oh Palmer-
stanians !" An approach to a seal Reform Bill
will.have the unmistakeable assent of the country,
and compel any Ministry which has not introduced
it to adopt it, or to retire.

Russia is still very desirous of carrying out the
Leviathan Railway scheme, to which we have rc-
peatedly alluded, in all its integrity. In other
words, she is anxious to obtain some 45,000,0001.
iu steiling gold and silver from her late oppo-
nents, for the purpose of constructing a series of
military lines, which can never by any possibility
pay as commercial investments. France and
England are to provide her with means of de-
feating any future effarts on their part ; and, in
doing so, to cripple themselves by parting with so
large an amount of the precious metals, of
which there is already in both countries a very
perceptible scarcity. They are, according to the
time-honoured apophthegm, to " provide a stick
wherewith to break their own backs ;" and, as we
have proved to demonstration, in a double manner
alike by what they give to Russia, and by that
of which they deprive themselves. It would be a
great 'achievement if Russia could obtain the
means of easily transporting troops and military
stores from point to point. Had such existed
during the contest in the Crimea the result might
have been very different indeed from what it was.
It would., therefore, be well worth her while to
construct these important lines at her own expense ;
but a double object would be obtained if, in so
doing, she could tie up the hands of her recent
adversaries, and "bind them over to keep the
peace," or rather not to resist Muscovite aggres-
sion in any form which it may hereafter assume.
The Prospectus of the new Company has just
been published in La Presse. We have given
copious exracts therefrom in another part of
this day's impression. We should hope, how-
ever, that the most credulous cannot now
be deceived by such transparent humbug,
and that they will not allow themselves to part
with their cash without being perfectly satisfied
of the nature of the security offered in exchange.
To any true-hearted and patriotic Englishman or
Frenchman it would be unnecessary even to allude
to the money part of the question. But it is said
that capitalists care but little for tho purposes to
which their advances may be applied when assured
of remunerative returns. Profit is the a and wof
their creed. It is to that, and that only, 'they