The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1855-12-20

10y Lord Palmersioa.

II is generally understood that the above remark VA,
made by the present British Premier while Secreaf n
Foreign Affairs in discussion with minister at IO
don II has been pretty extensively circulated in the United
States without exciting any special attention, believe
but coming from such high source, deem il unWo,
thy of a few passing remarks Lord Palmerston regret
10 say is no friend to the United States the contrary
it is very well known both here and in Great Britain that
he has long nourshed peevsh illiberel feeling towards
this country which is of the leading features Of bis
policy aud often prompts him TO ebulons Of spenedc
sarcasm which, even they well founded might per.
haps better be suppressed for the sake OF prudence and
if otherwise for his own credit One might suppose that
almost half century of experience ia public LIE aud high
official stations might have taught him that though he
mag disturb the gravity of Parliament and wake up the
treasury bench to cry hear hear most Justify by very
indifferent jokes, it is paying too dear for laugh bya
Jest or sarcasm calculated the resentment Of
powerful nation
That the assertion hare quoted is totally without oun.
dalton proved by reference to the past history of he
United States That their domestic policy has been under
going many changes and notifications, owing sometimes
the growth of her interests, the admission of new
States into the confederation and at others from different
parties acquiring the ascendency is undoubtedly true But
maintain-what is also VIGOROUSLY truethat in their
great leading principles Of foreign policy they have never
varied from the first moment of their entrance into The
great family of nations These principles condensed in
ling alliances with none"
This is the basis of the foreign policy Of the United
States and to this they have adhered, and still adhere
with an inexible seadiness to which Lord Pamerstona
policy lay pretensions For more than half CEN
ury the foreign relations of the United States have never
varied from this cardinal point They have made
ties of alliance offensive and defensive with any foreign
nation have they pledged themselves to any
compact that rendered ii obligatory them interfere
of
ever The government OF the United States has uniformly
proceeded the great maxim of non-ntervention and
though it may sometimes have happened that unauthorized
adventures interred the internal affairs of Cuba for
the purpose of freeing that island from colonial serviiudc
of the most oppressive kind, the government far from
being party in this violation of its laws has made
constant efforts to arrest all unlawful combinations and
bring both leaders and followers to condgn punishment
Let me turn towards my Lord Palmerstons system
Of foreign policy which exhibits OF the astound
ing to be found in the political history of Eu
rope for centuries past During the progress of many ages
the two neighborng nations of Great Britain and France
rivals and enemies with two brief exceptions
which only to be found in the reigns of the
tempble monarchs that occupied the throne of Eng
land refer to Charles the Second-the pensioner of
Louis the Fourteenth James the Second who depend
ed that monarch for assistance in the great object of
overthrowing both Church and State and at and the
time tamping the liberties of the subject under foot
and erecting Catholicism the ruins of the Protestant
Church. This alliance with France distastefu to
the people Of England that Parliament refused the supplies
necessary to the support of the army navy and
the main source OF all the opposition he encountered from
the Parliament and people during the latter years Of his
reign To his successor it proved still disastrous
being one OF the principal OF his perpetual exile and
the loss of the Crown of Great Britain to himself and his
male issue. 4s4
The policy of William the Third, who succeeded King
James his abdicaton" of the throne of England
termed almost exclusively directed to the preservation
of the balance OF power in Europe arresng the ambitious
designs Of Louis XIV, lat period when France by
no means so powerful as now who was charged witha
design to establish that phantom called universal empire
In pursuance of this object King William formed league
between England Holland Austria and of the minor
States of Germany which, after a long and bloody war
succeeded if not in accomplishing their object at least in
disspang their apprehensons for the time being Since
that period Great Britain and France have acted in
concert and in all the subsequent Of Europe they
have invariably taken sides against each other In
Time and within the recollection of most of my read
ers have Great Britain expanding hundreds Of
millions in substituting the different powers of Europe
haustng herself by efforts png up debts that
will never be paid and struggling almost to dissolution to
arrest the power of France and restore the balance of
Europe.
The inference to be drawn from this system Of policy
uniform and long continued is that the interests Of
Great Britain and France opposed to each other that
this opposition arises not from any Evolutionary recolec
tons of past injuries but that it originated in those per-
manent and Interchangeable causes which make nations
natural enemies and rivals On the accession of Louis
Napoleon to the imperial throne of France (how he got
there Of my busness the British journals ALL
most especially those which presumed to be the
organs of government raised hue and cry against
him that resounded through the universe / shall not
here repeat the choice epthes lavished his head III
sufficient to say, perjure murderer and usurper we're
among the most moderate All at once in the twinklng
Of eye and if by magic the tide turned and flow
ed in opposite direction The Emperor of France was
not only changed, but mctamorphoscd He had under
gone meamorphosis, and from perjured usuper be-
came legitimate monarch, the magnanmous ally, the
winbrother the second self of the sovereign Of the United
Kingdom. An entente cordale established the inter
ests Of two powers which had for ages been irrecon-
ciable became and indvisibe and according to my
Lord Pameston, "one-half the British cabinet was in
London and the other in Paris
foreign policy, this is certainly sudden and remark
able change-a somerset quite equal TO the most active
and flexible clown the circus. From being swords
points, the two nations became handandg glove and from
kicking took to kissing John Bull who used to anahe-
Matte the Frenchman for wearing wooden shoes eating
frogs, and calling horse shovel halls him brother,
and is not only concned but proud of being protected by
French armies in the Crimea Whether this miraculous con-
junction Of opposing planets achieved by the Emperor
Of France the British Premier then Foreign Secretary
shall not stop to inquire but that he party con-
cerned certain He therefore Justly charReabe with