The Sun.
London, England, 1850-06-26 00:00:00

,r~ ~

;

LONDON,

n

1850.

and agreed to mediate ; that I purposely delayed the media-
tion, with a view to defeat ; and that whilst I was sending
to Switzerland to urge meo;ation, I was at the same time
ezfeiting the circumstances that were bringing on the war, in
order that the mediation might come to an end. Now, Sir,
to the first part of the charge I plead guilty, viz., that when
the mediation 'first arose it- did not seem to be a case with
regard to which this country should interfere.—(Hear,
hear.) The dispute arose between different portions of Swit-
zerland. The seven cantons that were peculiarly Catholic
entered into a separate league, or t4onderbund, as it
was called, and the other cantons were ranged
under a different aggregation—the. difference between
the two portions being that the states forming the
majority called upon those that constituted the
minority, viz., the seven Catholic cantons, to expel the
Jesuits from their territories. This the minority refused to
do, and the consequence was a likelihood of this d ffer- •
ence of opinion leading to an appeal to arms. The majority
contended that this separate band was inconsiStant with the
Act of Confederation, and that they Were entitled to put it
down by force of arms. On the '29th of October, 1847, I
wrote a dispatch to Mr. Peel, then our Chargé d'Affaires in
Switzerland, and that dis"patch I will 'read to the House to
Show what was the opinion of the Government as to the
civil war then on the point of breaking out in that country
—what was their opinion but a very few days before it did,
break out—and in ord to ask the House hOw that opision
would, be consistent,, those opinions hiving been tints ex-'
pressed to Mr. Peel, and which he was instructed to express
to the Fresident of the Diet, with the report of M. d'Hausson-
ville, as to what he bad understoOd was fhe • opinion Mr.
Peel was to communicate the President. The dispatch is as
follows:

• (Copy.)
" VISCOUNT PALSIZILSTON' TO MIL MEL. •
" Foreign-office, Oct.-29. 1847;
" Sir,— With reference to your dispatch of the 18th hist.,
announcing the assembling of an extraordinary Diet to
decide upon ulterior , measures for carrying into execution
the decrees already passed respecting the separate league
existing within the Swise Confederation, I have to desire
that you will state to M:Ochsenbein that her'Majesty's Go-
vernment, animated by the sincerest wish for the welfare of
Switzerland, most earnestly recommend the Vorort to pause
and well consider all the possible consequences of the step be-
fore they actually commence civil war against the seven
smaller cantons. Her Majesty's Government concur with the
,majority of cantons in thinking the Sonderbund at 'variance
with the federal compact; but at the same time"it must be
remembered that this union has not any active or aggeessive
-measure for its object, and the're does not seem to be' any
practicable evil that mnst necessarily flow from the abstinence
of the Diet from any measures of coercion for the purpose of
enforcing its demand, that the Sonderbund should be dissolved.
On the other band, evils of great magnitude seem likely to be
produced by a recourse to such measures. The first and im-
mediate consequence will be a civil war between the differ-
ing sections of the'Swiss nation; and as civil war is one of
the greatest calamities which can befall a people, heavy must
be the responsibility which 'will weigh upon those who,' with-
out an overruling necessity, shall take the first steps in sutili
a conflict. The next evil will be the too probable inter-
ference of foreign powers, as allies of one of the parties en-
gaged in that civil conflict, and thus to the bloodshed and
devastation which attend civil war, and the lasting bitterness
and resentments which survive such conflicts, maybe added
the permanent establishment of foreign influences in the in-
ternal affairs of Switzerland, essentially impairirig the politi-
cal independence of the country.
" Tile majority ought, moreover, well to weigh their
chances of success or failure in the conflict in which they
are preparing to embark. In .order to succeed they must •
conquer the wen cantons; are they likely to be able to
do so even if none but Swiss were to be engaged in the war ?
Considering the nature of the country of some of these
cantons; and the character of the people, it May well be
doubted whether even in that case the Diet would he able to
do all. But • is. it .not probable that these neighbouring
power's, who ,have alreadysupplied the seven cantons wi'h
.atrnse anti ammunition,, ande,rathee warlike sieyes, Would, if
the seven cantons were reduced to extremity, 'aficl"sv'et'O' to
call for succour, afford them effectual assistance of a still
more decided kind? -and in that caee is it 'not certain that
the attack of the Diet would fail, and if . that attack should
fail, either by the unaided resistance of the seven cantons,
or by the interposition of stronger powers, would the
attacking cantons remain in the same relative situation in
which they now stand towards the other party ? Most
assuredly not. On the contrary, they would be the beaten
party in a war begun by themselves; and the experience
of all times shoW that defeats of such a kind are attended
with inevitable 'evils to the defeated party. Her Majesty's
Government entreat the Vorort to take these reflections
into their most serious consideration, and truly 're-
joiced would her Majesty's Government be, if the Direc-
tory were, upon mature reflection, to abstain from a course
so replete with hazard, and so pregnant with danger to Swit-
zerland.
"I have to desire that you will read this dispatch 'confi-
dentially to M. Ochsenbein, and that' you will say that 'the
communication is prompted solely by the frier dly interests
which her Majesty's Government take in the welfare of the
Swiss nation. • " I am, &c.
(Signed) " PALMERSTON."
(Hear, bear.) Oa the 4th of November, Mr. Peel writes a
dispatch, reporting the 'conversation he had had with- M.
Ochsenbein, when he read to him the dispatch of the 29th
of October, and gives the reasons ,why 31. Oehsenbein could
not abstaie from following the course on' which the Vorort
had already determined. Well, on the 6th 'of November,
after this conversation between Mr. Peel and M. Ocheenbein,
in which every motive was urged which he thought likely to
induce bins to abstain from
,war, the Duke de 1-..raglie cum-
municated to me a dispatch' from M. Guizot, proposing a
measure to be adopted by the five great powers, with a' view
to put an end to the civil war in Switzerland. Now, I have
been, much blamed for not at once accepting the proposal,
and for having delayed until the 16th before making a
counter one. But what was the propos-al of the French' Go-
vernMent? That the five powers should make 5a collec-
tive dcclaration, first, that they would apPrOe and
support the arbitration of the Pope as to The beeligious
questions, viz., the expulsion of the Jesuits' 'then *ding in
Switzerland; and secondly, that we sheruldoffer to the States
of. he Confederation a mediation of the powers as to all
politiCal,questions. The Noble
.Lord here stated 'various
other provisions exinnectedwith this proposal—namely, that
a conference being held; the twenty-teen cantons should be
invited to' send deputies to examine and detern-iiiin-L first,
the means of conciliation, 'and next the alterations to be
made in the federal compact. Ie went•on to propose that we
should Invite the cantons to cease from' the civil war, and
that if they eefased we should consider the confederation as
not existereg, eauliafeers-vards that, to use 'a dipternatic
nous nous y aviserimth ; that is, that' we Should take counsel
as to our future course. Now, in the first plane, we 'could not
bat feel that to propose the arbitration of the Pope would
heeejepted, arddhat with respect to the' second' proposition
it would not *ef)ted. We' could not; 'agree, therefore,
to decree that the cantons refused 'our terms' we should
consider the confederacy as no longer existing, and ranch less
that we shbulcl consider our engagements with it as having
ceased, 'one of those erogagentents being that Switzer-
land should be considered as neutral .ferritory. In short,
the m-e was this, that - if' they refused our proposal, it
should be enforced by force of arms. Well, it ' required
time to consider a counter proposal. But, on the
16th we did make one, namely,' an offer, the basis of which
was that the Jesuits should be withdrawn, either by an act
of the'Swiss Government or by' consent to be obtained from
the Pope; and that the minority should be reassured by the
majority that they had no hostile intentions against them,
and that each should disarm. The minority, being thus as-
sured, were at once to dissolve the Sonderbund. I think that
was apropoiral in accordance with those principles' which
ought to cheracterise the foreign policy of the Geverriment.
With respect to the French Government the details of the
proposal required consideration, and it was•not until the 26th
that the Due de Broglie and I agreed upon a note, which
each party was to have presented to 'the Vorort, 'through
its agent in Switzerland. But on the lath of'November I
received ,a communication from the Consul-General of Swit-
zerland here, founded on a resolution of the Voiort, adopted
on the 6th of that month, whith gave but little hope of suc-
cess. in our mediation, for it refused to admit of any foreign
interference with respect to their dispute with the Sonder-
bund. The note was not sent to Mr. Peel to present, but to Sir
S. Canning, who was then going on to Switzerland, which was
one of the places to which he had instructions to repair.
But he was told to go through Paris in his way, and com-
municate with the French Government, in order that we
might be perfectly agreed as to all the details. He was told
that if, on his arrival,'he found the civil war at an end, there
would be no use in presenting the note, and he was accord-
ingly to keep it back. In the fueittrlme, while these com-
munications were going on, the French Government had
communicated their first note to the Courts 'of Vienna,
sad St. Peteraburgh, and it met with their approval.
A doubt arose when we came to one of the agreements,
whether the, representatives of those countries would feel
themselves authorised to present an altered note, and Sir S.
Canning wrote from Paris to say he doubted whether they
had any authority to present such a note. lam quite at a
loss to understand that Mr. Peel could have said
to M. Bois le Comte, the/ et if this note, which we had
agreed upon with the French Government should be sent
to him, he would rather resign than present it, because it
was 'totally at variance with all his termer instructions."
Our note offered mediation, to be accepted or rejected as the
parties might choose—it offered no alternative of force— it
went on the basis of the settlement of the dispute respecting
the Jesuits, according to, the wish of the majority—it went
on the basis of the settlement of the threatened hos-
tilities to the satisfaction of the Sonderbund and complete
reconciliation between-the two parties—and how Mr. Peel
could say such a note was at variance with the dispatch of
the 29th of October passes my comprehension to understand
—(Loud cheers)—and I therefinte wholly disbelieved that
staternent.7-(Loud and long-continued cheering.) The only
explanation can possibly give of it is this note
abl y
noteAr.Peel which \oh! strekoernigoinfhad sent to
E. 1.• Boisene hl eComteGovernmentniightbave been
the other Courts, and which Mr. Peel might therefore be
expecting to receive, and then he Would be quite eight in
saying that such a note was at variance with his former in-
structions.—(Cheers.) As to the assertion that Mr. Peel
sent ward to General Dufour to make baste end finish the
war for fear this mediation should coma, all I can say is, that
I never wrote him a single syllable, private or public.; which
could justify such a course.-- (Cheers.) Neither have I had
) I have been told
of, the kind.-r-
-any intimation, written oe verhalc,btehearst.he ever did anything
(Hear.,
on
hear, and
lied a conversation' with Mr.
by,,Sir E. Lyons tia
,Timperley, the person said to be sent, and Mr. Tins-
perley admitted thet he did go to head-quarters to See
what w„ ping on,
communication of the sort or kind from Mr. Peel.—
any
dcontinued cheers.) I must say 'the manner in
is said to have beau extracted from
Peel does not inspire me with any great contidende in it.
Mr.
would rather be the object than the worker of 'such a
Peel.--
(Loud which thisan admission
wou•
manoeuvre.—(Loud and tong-continued cheering.) That
two Ministers representing two great 'powers should take ad-
vantage of private intercourse, and, like two greyhounds
turning a nare, set themselves to extract, by artifice and
stratagem, from the representative of a third power some-
thing they thought he had done, is most discreditable.—
(Loud cheers.) After all, I can suppose that Mr. Peel, see-
ing through the artifice, may, in order to mystify them, have
feigned to fall into their trap.—(Loud cheers and laughter.)
But Mr. Peel had no authority to take any such step—l do
not believe that he did take it—l have no grounds for think-
ing that he took it—and the evidence of Sir E. Lyons 'goes di-
rectly to negatire such an assumption.—(Cheers.) We should
have been glad if that mediation 'had succeeded; because it
would have restored peace to Switzerland, and have left the
minority on better terms with regard to the majority; but
circumstances over which we had no control ren-
dered it impossible, without the oppertunity of its
being effected by any studied delay on our part. It
has been' said, however, that Switzerland is 'an instance
of the bad effects of our interference. I think, on the con-
trary, that it might be quoted as an instance when the prin-
ciples we have advocated have led to good results because,
while all the rest of Europe has been more or less 4:mulsed,
the Swiss, who had effected, by our recommendation;changes
in their internal organisation, wholly escaped. (Loud
cheers.) NON., Sir, I will travel over the Alps to the
stalling plains of Lombardy.--(Cheers.) I have been ac-
cused of great injustice; to Austria, in' 'withholding a certain
dispat'c'h 4om Prince ' MitterritOi Count 0611oredo. The
simple facts are these :—The Austrian Government sent
dispatches to their Minister to be communicated to us, in-