The Daily Nashville true Whig. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1851-1855, 1855-08-09
From the London Times Of July 16.
The Fall OF Lord John Russell.

The Fall Of Lord John Russell.
1t is not to be supposed that the fall of Lord John
Russell from the position he once occupied in the
estimation of his party and of bis countrymen has
been the result of any sudden pique or extraordi-
nary incident. Although his conduct at Vienna
and since his return has reused the just indignation
of Parliament, and terminated, as hope, his ca
reer as a Minister of the Crown, the decline Of his
influence and of his reputation has long been per-
ceptble.
In December, 1851, he availed himself of an
event on which he had the feelings of the country
with him TO eject Lord Pamerston from the Foreign
Office, and although opposed we had been to the
foreign policy of Lord Palmerston in Greece Sicily,
and elsewhere, we viewed that change without re-
greet, the measure was a strange act of pertdious
inconsiste ncy on the part of Lord John Russell
against a colleague whom he had shortly before
described and defended as the British Minister par
erceLie7t:c.
A very few weeks served to show that Lord John
Russell was utterly incapable of prolonging the ex-
stence of the Government OF which he had been
the head since the overthrow of the Cabinet of Sir
Robert Peel; and on looking back to that period of
six years, we must say that so imperative and I'M
successful an Administration has never existed for
so long a period in this country. Il was kept in
Office mainly by the dread of letting in the Protec-
zionist party, and so nuring the grand commercial
reforms of Sir. Robert Peel. Yet in 1852 the Pro-
tectionist party were restored to Office though only
long enough to compel them to abjure the doctrines
for which they had so vehemently contended.
Upon the dissolution of Lord Dcrby's Cabinet,
after Parliamentary struggle, in which Mr.. Glad
stone had borne the most conspicuous part the Co
alition government was formed under Lord Aber-
deem Lord John Russell held the office Of Foreign
Secretary just long enough to write a laundering
and dscredtable despatch in answer to the PROPOSE
ton made by the Emperor Nicholas to Sir Hamilton
Seymour but on the plea Of health, he professed
to prefer an unattached position and so he retained
his seat in the Cabinet and the leadership of the
House of Commons, without any ministerial de-
partment.
Such was, the state of affairs when Parliament
met in February last and the first act of Lord John
Russell was to break up the Cabinet and denounce
those who had been carrying on the war while he
had been enjoying the rustic pleasures of Minto-
1t is needless for US to to the details of
cent and so remarkable a transaetion suffice it to
say that as far as it is possible to Judge of mans
motives from his conduct Lord John Russell thought
that the disasters Of the army in the Crmea gave
him favorable opportunity of cjecting from the
Cabinet those Ministers who were superior to him
self in position, or independent of himself in their
opinions.
But he had utterly miscalculated the effect ofthis
extraordinary proceeding for although the country
did not regret the fall Of Lord Aberdeen and the
Duke of New Castle, it viewed with indignation the
means by which this result had been obtained; and
although her Majesty thought it her duty to give
Lord John Russell an opportunity Of forming the
new Administration, he was then instantly told by
his nearest political friends that such attempt
would cover himself and then with indelible dis
grace His conduct as a colleague and public man
was placed by these intrigues in most unfavorable
light but some reputation he still retained for ma
tional spirit as one Of the chief authors and pro-
moters of the war, and for knowledge of the ques-
tons involved in this contest.
On these grounds, and also from desire to give
him opportunity of repairing damaged politi-
cal character, he was sent to Vienna with most
precise instruction; based on the views he had him
self previously advocated. His mission was not
unaccompanied by some ludicrous details, which
excited the surprise of continental Europe and ev.
cry incident which took place at Vienna
showed his utter want Of knowledge and judgement
in his relations with the society of foreign Court
The result was that in about three week she turned
completely round like mariner without compass in
the navigation of unknown waters, and a British
Plen ipotentiary, who was at the same time q
member of the British Cabinet, found himself adj
vocating the Austrian proposals and making
confident of Count Buol.
Upon his return to London the fumes of diplo-
matte flattery began to clear off and in another
fortnight he had so far forgotten what had passed
u
of Commons in answer to Mr.. Disraeli's charge that
the language OF the Government had been ambig-
Gus. But ere long this double faced game was
brought to close. Count Buol very naturally re-
piled TO Lord Johns warlike harrange by publicly
reminding him that at Vienna he stood committed
to the Austrian proposal; and after having risen
asst February in the House of Commons TO turn
Kings evidence against his colleagues no resource
remained for him on Friday week but to plead gull
Al coli IT,
from Office, convicted upon all these charges, as he
himself expressed it, by Parlment and by the coun-
try
1t may now be said without inconvenience, and
il will be said hereafter for it Is historically true,
that the one great source of difficulty division and
weakness in Lord Aberdeen's Cabinet was Lord
John Russell. He obviously felt with great keen
the loss of that position of First Minister OF
the Crown which he had occupied for six years,
and he watched month after month with the rest
less rr liability of dissatisfied pursuit for an oppor
tunity to recover it. He felt with equal pain the
oratorical superiority of Mr. Gladstone in the House
of Commons, and the growing indifference Of Par
lament TO his own speeches. His cold and exclu-
live nature forbade him TO contract confidential re-
lations with his new colleagues and he continued to
treat all but his own immediate followers in the Cabi
net as his rivals rather as than his colleagues.
Lord John Russell's Explanation.
In the House of Commons, on the 10th ult., Lord j.
Russell stated, that having on Thursday sign6ed to
the First Minister his wish to retire from the service
of the Crown, and her Majesty having been gra'
ciously pleased TO accept his resignation, he held
Office only until his successor was appointed
Recent events, he proceeded to say, having been
complicated and perverted, he wished to place be-
fore the Honse some account of his conduct in these
difficult transactions. 1t had been said that he had
pledged himself to use his influence with the
Government TO accept certain Austrian propositions.
This was not true, but it was ture that he did lay
these propositions before the Cabinet, and he did
in concurrence with persons Of great weight and
authority. He brought those propositions to Lon
don on the 10th of April, and Cabinet was held at
which they were not adopted, circumstances having
occurred, quite independent Of the merits of the
propositions themselves, which madet to his mind,
impossible to agree to them. With regard TO the
merits Of those propositions. he justified the opinion
he had first formed Of them, believing then that
they might afford the means Of combining all the
powers OF Europe against the future aggressions Of
Russia, and placing Turkey in secure position.
Having stated the general grounds upon which
he had thought at the time that the propositions