Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-03-06


ston; and on Saturday the whole correspondence
was sent to the Queen, with an intimation from
Lord John Russell that Lord Palmerston ought to
| be dismissed which was Immediately ordered.
| Such is the Premier's statement Lord Palmer
son in his reply, passes over the affair of the Hun
garian deputation as matter of no great moment,
admitting that it would have been better if he had
required that their address should be submitted to
him in private beforehand With respect to the ex-
preston of his opinion to NJ Walewsk decidedly APP
proving the coup detat, he says that he did not ex
press himself in language quite so strong; that what
he did say was said conversationally and not OH
cially; that other members Of the Cabinet, including
Lord John Russell himself, expressed their opinions
of the coup detat to M. Walewski conyersationaly,
Che does not say to the same effect y and that it
would be impossible for Foreign Secretary to per-
form his duties satisfactorily, if he were obliged in
details like this to have previous consultation with
his colleagues. With respect to the delay in an
swering Lord John Russells letters, (Which had
evidently given great offence) he says only that
there was an interval between Lord John Russell
letter and his answer" For this he gives no rea-
son, but that he was laboring under heavy pres
sure Of business and, wishing to write fully, could
not find time to do SO till the 10th. Of the slight
to the Queens authority nothing is said. 1t is UNI
derstood that, in this respect, Lord Palmerston's
conduct had given great dissatisfaction. There are
evidently some antecedents that point which are
not explained. In the commencement of Lord John
Russells speech, after stating to the House what
was and ever had been the rule of the Government
in reference to taking the orders of the Grown on
important matters Of business he read to the House
an extract of letter from the Queen, in August,
1850, which exhibits rather remarkable foresight
of the leading features of the present transaction and
is for this reason worth quoting:
O,aor raor;rao 6ro+ that Lord
distinctly state what he proposes in given case in order
that the Queen may know distinctly to what she is CIV
ing her royal sanction Secondly having given her
sanction to measure that be not arbitrarily altered or
modified by the minister Such she must consider
failing in sincerity toward the Crown and justly to be
visited ny the exercise of her constitutional right of dis
missing that minister She expects to be kept informed
of what passes between him and the foreign ministers
before important decisions taken based upon that in
ercourse to receive the foreign dispatches in good tme
and to have the draugh for her approval sent to her in
sufficient time to make herself acquainted with their con-
tents before they must be sent off =
The Queens letter to Lord John Russell contain
ing these stringent instructions was sent by her
order to Lord Palmerston 1t evidently was prompted
by the course taken by Lord p in transactions
to which no allusion is made in the recent expla-
nations and shows decided jealousy on the part
of the Queen towards Lord p; feeling unquestion-
ably entertained by considerable portion of the
party habitualy supporting the Government
After giving the above account such as it is, of
his conduct on this occasion, Lord Palmerston en-
cages in general defence of the foreign policy of
the Government of which he was member, taking
credit to himself for the friendly relations which he
had preserved with other Governments. The value
of this defence depends on the opinion which may
be entertained how far in his foreign policy he has
followed his own unbiased impulses, or has been
influenced and controlled by his colleagues. We APP
prehend that the general impression in reading the
explanations given this occasion will be in favor
of the latter branch of the alternative. Our limits
will not allow follow Lord Palmerston through
his enumeration of the different foreign Govern
Inents In reference to the United States he uses
the following language:
Tho United States constitute Power between which
and this country in former years the most serious difficult
ties existed. But these countries upon
cordial footing and better understanding prevails be-
them than has before prevailed between those
great and kindred Powers This is state of things which
is very much owing to the abilities and conciatory man.
of late Minister to the United States Sr Henry
Buwer and very much also to the manly, straightfor
ward frank and conciatory character of that distn
gushed person who represents the United States at this
Court
Lord Palmerston, in this handsome compliment,
does no more than justice to Sir Henry Bulwer and
Mr. Lawrence. The latter certainly, and far as
we know Sir Henry Bulwer have done all in their
power to promote good feeling between the two
Il
dation of the course pursued by them. But, as far
as Lord Palmerston is concerned, it is little GU
rious that every one of the grave questions which
have arisen between the two countries within TWEEN
ty-fve years has been settled when he was out of
office The Northeastern boundary and the African
question, the affair of the Caroline and Mcleod,
which, under Lord Melbourne's administration and
while Lord Palmerston was Foreign Secretary, had
all but led to war, we're settled by Lord Aberdeen
and Mr.. Webster in less than two years Lord Pal
merston exerted himself to the utmost to dscredit
that settlement, and denounced it in speech Of
three hours as Lord Ashburton's capitalization. The
Oregon question, which had not grown into threat
enng Importance in Lord Melbournes time, doomed
up rapidly under Sir Robert Peel, but satisfac
torly settled in the very last days of his admins
tration.
When Lord Palmerston returned to the Foreign
Office under Lord John Russell, he found the rela-
tons between the United States and Great Britain
on the most amicable footing. The difficulty about
Central America has since arisen The precise state
of that controversy has not been laid before the pub
lie, and we lay claim to no private information, but
we are under strong impression that Lord Pal
merston's retirement from Office is regarded at
Washington as a circumstance very favorable to
final and satisfactory adjustment of that controversy
and it happens that the affair of the Prometheus
was settled not by Lord Palmerston, but by his
cessor. Such being the facts of the case, it will
probably be thought that Lord p is hardly justified
in claiming the good understanding of the United
States and Great Britain as one of the fruits Of his