New-York daily tribune., 1858-12-03
THE STATE OF EUROPE.
From OuI Own correspondeAt.

y
LONDON, Nov. -, l5j5.
The Derby Ministry has got once more into an
ugly scrape by the premature publication Of DIS
patch IT il well known that England holds the
so-called Repubhc of the Ionian Islands only by
the title Of prote ctiop, but it is equally well known
that the islanders bave sympsthles with England,
and, wishing TO be annexed 10 the kingdom Of
Greece, protest against the protection thrust up n
them. The English Government has tried every
lne,ns to overcome this l,elng-rigorous and mid,
brutal and liberal. High Commissioners have sue
cessiyely failed to secure the affections Of the
lonans 10 the English Crown; at last, the presen,
Governor sent dispatch to the Punerston Ministry
in 1866. throw ing out the idea whether II would not
BE- more convenient TO the southern islands 10
Greece und 10 retain only the island OF Corfu "a
regular Crown dependency, on account OF its mill
taIy and naval importance, and likewise because
its cession to Greece would be unfair toward the
Sultan. since it faces Albania aud E@. Greece,
and would unavoidably become the center of an in-
cessant agitation for the rising of the Albanian ds-
tricts against the Porte. This just and wise psn
was of course shelyed by Lord Pamerston, but
Sir L. Buwer LyttOn having found It among tle
Colonial papers, thought the proposal to be gcner-
Gus aud worthy of examination. Lord Stanley and
the liberal and large hearted section of the Cabinet
supported his views. Negotiations We're at once
entered into with Mr.. Gladstone, who had kept
aloof fiom the Cabinet, whether he would not be
willing to examine the case jointly with Sir John
Young, the present LOId High Commissioner and
the able Peeite statesman accepted the trust.
But scarcely had be- lett the shores Of Eng land,
and set all the Clubs into II state Of uncertainty
about his motives and the object of hls visit to the
Ionan Islands, when The DdHg Nors, not the
organ of the Ministry, received the heretofore un-
pa ,lish.d and secret dispatch of Sir John Young.
the liberal OrgsDl published the document, nod in
some respect folled the excellent scheme since
Mr.. Gladstone cannot nov easily ascertain the real
opinion Of the I0nians, for the anncxatonlsts Will
ha,e their own way alter the publication OF tins
scheme, While France aud Russia viii find in 1t
all opportunity of rousing the spirit %; the Cor
fictes, and OF insisting likewise upon the surrender
of this imp poItant island, the fortlcat0ns Of which
strong those of Seyastopol in former days.
or OF Cher tourg. The Pamerstonian organs are
delighted ut this repetition Of the Dude proclamation
bunder and accused the Cabinet of want of states.
mansbip While the Radicals do NOT sufficiently
10 appreciate the boon of diplomatic publicity. The
Ministers now assert that the publication has been
msje surreptitiOusly, and they are in somewhat
awkward POSITION; still, as the question Of Reform
begins to become more exciting, the coming PdIlt
ment may perhaps not have sufficient time to cen
sure the Ministers for this diplomatic msmanoge-
ment. AS to the Reform itself, the Cabinet is in
clined to proceed by resolutOns-thus To escape
sudden overthrow by the rejection Of any bill Of
their own.