The southern press., 1852-01-13

times the Quixote Of liberalism, there are worse
, Quixotes TO be found. We do not say this of
Lord Granville, of whom the public know but
little-and that little chiefly in connection wi h
! the great exhibition. His appointment has APP
parently originated with the court The cir
cumstance of the foreign minister being in the
} House Of Lords will probably make Lord John
Russell the mouth. piece of foreign policy in the
J House of Commons, no disadvantage in great
many respects But the possibility of Lord
Palmerston in opposition, and abetting in the
House Of Commons Gallican friendship and
alliance, in contradistncton to an Austrian or
Russian connecfion-this, every one must see,
would weaken the wing ministry, and destroy
the wing party, beyond all the slender talents of
4 the Greys to uphold them.
i From the London Times Of Dec. "a
RETIREMENT OF LORD PALMERsToN.
A few days ago, after the departure of all the
ministers from London, ard at the near approach
of Christmas, cabinet council was unexpected
ly summoned although no assignable cause of
public interest has occurred to explain this sud-
den requisltion. This council was held on
Monday, the AID instant; and it was remarked
\ with surprise that Lord Palmerston, one of the
most assiduous members of the government,
was not present From those circumstances
suspicion was excited, and surmse became rife
We now have ii in our power to remove all
further uncertainty ON the subject, for we are
enabled to announce, that from the day on
which that council was held, Viscount Palm
erston ceased to hold the office of Secretary of
State of foreign AFFAIRS or to be member of
her Majestys government.
i 1t would not be easy to overrate the import.
ance of such an event, both to the stability of
the ministry and to the foreign interests of this
nation, at time unusually critical in the affairs
OF Europe. But, on both these grounds, we
] believe that, when the motives of this decisive
measure are more fully before the country,
they will be found to be such that the dignity
of the Queens advisers, and the best interests
OF the state, rendered it indispensable. Diff
culties had arisen, not only in the conduct of
affairs with foreign States but. in the trsnsac-
ton of business connected with our foreign
policy at home, which had shaken the conf
dence of ministers in the secretary for foreign
affairs, and had weakened that control which
the first minister is bound to exercise over every
department of the government.
! These difficulties are not of Yesterday, though
they may have been heightened by some recent
official expressions of sentiment which have been
received with irritation abroad and with aston
ishment At home. Her Majesty's government
could not be indifferent to the fact that from one
reason or another, the administration of foreign
affairs by Lord Palmerston had apparently left
him without an ally in Europe and, as some
think without friend. That, undoubtedly, is
not the natural or proper position of England,
or of an English minister, especially at time
when our sole interest and object should be to
cultivate amicabe and paeii, relations with all
foreign States; and when, in fact, those alnica-
BILE relations are established everywhere bat with
the foreign office. =
Il \ II.
were not his fault, TO have excited among the
elder statesn EN- of Europe degree of hostility
and distrust which exaggerated all his defects
and denied all his merits. Nor, on the other
hand, could much reliance be placed by the lib |
eral party on his attempts TO second their efforts
for the establishment of constitutional govern
ment; for we believe that his very last act in |
power was tt express his unqualified approba- |
lion Of the French coup fetat. This want of
personal good will between the English foreign
secretary and all the leading cabinets of the |
continent operated as practical disqualification
for the transaction of Important affairs and had
tendency to deprive this country of its just |
influences abroad. With nothing definite TO
quarrel about the position of the Queens min. |
ister at several courts had become incompatible |
with the duties OF their mission.
These Inconvenience woul II, however, have |
a
cordial union of opinion and conduct between
Lord Palmerston and his colleagues But we
are now entitled TO assume, from this severance /
Of their official connection, that although they |
had chivarOusy stood by him when he seemed |
plunged in insurmountable difficulties by bis acts
OF intemperance and indisc retion, they were not
sensible 10 the painful consequences Of such
situation. And il we wanted any proof of the
justice of the expostnlations we have sometimes
felt il our duty 10 address 10 the late foreign
minister, we should find il in the fact that Lord
Palmerstons colleagues have at length separa cd
themselves from him, on grounds probably not
dssimiar from those arguments we have con-
sistently opposed 10 him. On their response
bly TO the crown and to the nation, which ont.
weighed at last in their minds all party interests
personal ties, and the habits Of long intercourse
they have felt that The time was come when
Lord Palmerston could no longer hold the seals
Of the foreign department; and If any other
office in the State was proposed 10 him, il was, at
any rate, not accepted.
No doubt, under any circumstances, the diff.
Guilty and hesitation which must have attended
such step before il was irrevocably taken,
were greatly increased by the necessity Of find
ing n successor 10 a minister whose experience
embraced forty years Of official fe and whose
activity had absorbed al the business of bis Office
But we have reason 10 believe that the seals |.
have been offered 10, IL not already accepted by,
nobleman who, though comparatively young
in political life, has commanded the praise and
esteem Of the country in all the positions he
has hitherto filed We believe that such man,
entering uron one Of the most arduous and i'm
portant Offices not only in this county, but in
the world, may confidently rely on the support
OF the nation whose interests IL is bis first duty
TO protect and 10 repr, sent and no less on the
friendly feeling Of those foreign states whose
interests are identified with our own defence Of
the general principles Of legality and peace
This change, important as il is, has been die
tated by no personal or party motives, for they
all tended in the opposite direction, bnt by an
imperious sense Of duty and necessity and we
have no doubt that IL will be considered by the
county a sacrifice, not hastily or inconsider.
ately made, to the public good.
From. Wilmer & Smiths Times, Dec. q.