The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1860-10-18
The PaImcrsrOn Bombshell.

We do not wonder that the speech of Lord Palmer
ston in the British House u Commons on the even
ing OF July %. almost engrosses the attention Of the
London journals. IL has ast0njshel the country and
Will create no little feeling Oh the other side Of the
straits Of Dover. Lord PAimerston's utterances in
td--i present a most anomalous state OF things as eX-
!istin. between tile English and French governments.
England has just concluded q commercial treaty
with France 4 so liberal = character and embracing
such 4 magnitude. present and prospective, Of in
trrests, that all men agreed 10 regard II as the
guarantee VI = lCng-prCtrActed II not perpetual amIiy
between these two great powers - universally was
II - regarded. that all those dread visions Of French
invasion which had foated before the minds Of the
people Of England, quickly dissolved and disappear
Ell, and the sea grit isle had returned to its proprisiy.
In addition. France and England are carrying on
JOINT operations in China. each seeming 10 vie with
the other III the effort make It's ally a. well as itself
respected in that Empire. Ia fact 70 all appearance
the two governments not only understood each other,
but we're in an eminent degree upon a footing Of cor
uisl cooperation and friendship.
At this juncture, Lord Palmerston from his seat in
the House Of Commons and as the first Minister Of
the British Crown station that Is understood TO
impose the utmost caution Of statement-makes a
demand Tor eleven millions OF pounds sterling for
strengthening aud Increasing the iOrtihcatJons Of the
country, anu - 4 justification Of that demand delib-
erately afirrs, d" IL i difficult 70 say when the storm
may burst, but the hOri-oa Is charged rifh clouds that
6sfOksq he possibility ora tempest. The House, Of
course. knows that in the main, | An speaking Of our
immediate n~eighbor across the channel, and there is
no use Disgusting It" Again, d" the army Of France
Is greater than she requires for the purpose Of de-
Tense" And further -
No nation in the world would think. uuproyoleI, OF attack
inS France Nothing could be CAMEL by It; no one could eI-
pect % d,smemhvr France. and no one would fare Otherwise than
IN ~ho Veuiurei upon an unTrovoked attack upon France; and
army unnecessary. do not mean to say that that army IS
r.isei fr the deliberate uu7ss - u aggression. I trust n !. IN,
but the possession Of power 20 agrees frequently giyet he desires
% 10 80 tiear. hear) You cannot. you arr not entitled to,
rely upon the friearAuce o. stronger neichb0r. You are bound
10 make your defensive means prupartionaie 70 his means q ag-
sres-i9n- sLsJT, lrAry Las : At only On land that the ar
defeus=' We kuoS that th- utmost eNrItiaas have been made,
81 I-fe,.- d, Fr.gc-- ari which therefor. ~ - f,!|aLLI ~
looking upon a- a possible antagonist we may have 10 encounter
"a navy which would give 10 our neiehbors the means q trans
Ers5ia 70 T oa9 a5a . re-" hours a large and formidable number Of
Even from an irresponsible member OF the House
Of COmmOus-one unconnected with the government
such language would be thought to be pregnant
with meaning. Coming from the lips Of the first
Minister Of the Crown, il ought TO meaH all il saus
and something more. When Lord Painierston says
that the portents Of a tempest already dlrken the
horizon when he only . trusts - that the Emperor
of France, his sovereigu's ally. cherishes no deliber-
ate purposes Of aggression, and then recommends
that England's means Of defense be at once made
equal 70 Frances means OF aggression, one would not
naturally conclude that the Minister vas in posses
sion Of facts unknown to the world, and that there
have already been movements and correspondence
bordering closely upon 4 revelation Of 4 hostile pur-
pose on the part Of France
And yet it i difficult 10 believe that Napoleon III.
designs the invasion Of the territory of mis- ally, or to
break the faith he has pledged 10 England. We are,
therefore, inclined to suspect that the willy statesman
now ut the head ofthe British government has thrown
in these remarks gIatuitously-possibly not without
an understanding with - his ~neighbor on the Oppo-
site side Of the channel'-in order the more easily
TO obtain the large grant FROM Parliament needed for
purposes Of ratification, the real reason for such an
expenditure being that the pride Of the government
Is sensitive 20 the fact, which Lord Palmerston him
self admitted, that England is rapidly becoming a
secOnd-rate power in this respect. To make the pres
ent demand on the sole ground that the fortifcations,
anu their appliances were necessary for the reputa-
tiOn OF the country, would perhaps be to make it in
vain. To couple with 1t an alarm Of invasion-o
usher it in with the solemn warning that the pOr-
tents If the storm are already gathered above the
horizOn-may induce Parliament 10 grant and the
people TO acquiesce in the demand. But If there be no
understanding between the two governments, is there
not danger thatsuch language IS PIlmPrston employed
NAV hrlnI abnnt ncrress.un ~ ]. CnR. .idr.