The New York herald., 1862-03-05
LORD pALMEKsroN's sprEcH.

Lord PALMEas1oS said am not going to answer ths
just sat down. thai is topic which will be moro properly
handled by my right honorable friend me tsir e. O.
Lewis) when be comes to make his statement about the
estimates. But / unwilling TO lot longer tine
e'ase without making some observations on what ls
fallen from the honorable member for Birmingham
said on former that it was desirable IN this
House that We should not only pass laws AMI vote est
mates but should be the organs OF the opinions and
Ieengs OF large masses OF the community go further,
anu admit that II is sometimes useful that this H,lsS
shoua near to views and opinions OF individuals, and
opinions of one instead OF the general opinion. of
many. (Laughter.) But think It must be admit
tad thai the opinions which my honorable friend has
expressed are as nearly as possible corfnei 10 him
sg Qaughter) Sir my honorable friend does us
tics to the course which the government pursued
vernnen Upon that point there is no difference OF
opinion (Hear. hoar He has done full justice to the
considerations which Influenced my noble friend at the
head OF the Foreign office when hc instructed Lord Lyons
to mako the communication end 10 tte delicdcy Judgment
goodtaste Nth aohch Lord Lyons complied o his in
s,rtons (Hear, hoar) II is well, therefore to know
that the ground cleared OF any objections upon those
preliminary points But my honorable friend thinks that
were wrong in those military and naval preparations
which have been made; that were wrong in sending
out troops who with what think ho called "fcro
TO what particular circrmstance he alludcs, but tho
weather was cold whom they were going, and
Save y S.e@ @'d for "ae M pToss s g as y na, &
Gaughtcr.) But the point Of my honorable friends
argument is this that the United States were bound by
obligations of International law TO give up those
persons who taken from board the Trert, ard
that in the course which thoy took they swayed
by mob violence. Ny honorable friend says ,chere svey
b5dy ro,er here Ie mob do MT quite agrae
IN that theory (iear, hear) But no contends that
principles to do that which we asked them and that they
were quito free nor was any control exercised over them
by any class Of the community. But now, would just
ask him II the United States government held all along
that they bound by their principles to dsavow
any act contrary to those principles and therefore, to
7rion? (Cries Of Hear, hear) Was 1t because as he
sao those gentlemen ha opened be tho objects of great
the reason why an act Of injustice should be committed
Qhcers) Why sho Id those gentlemen be kept in
prison, who, according TO the ACKNOWLEDGED principles Of
first moment (Hcar) II is to my mind true that the
United States government had not come in tho earliest
stages OF the matter to the decision that this act
which they must disayow, and that they bound 70
restore those persons (oar, hear But my honorable
friend says that no compus,n was exercised upon the
United States government; that TO war; Mr. Seward
and Mr.. Lincoln could not mako 1t upon their own
hority-oe knmutha rery so; reqnres he sanction Of
nlinal take cacaaied to provoke
Nth The United Safes But had no grouna for thinking
%' Be- comp1iea lea soh I'D aHear, hsar] And viii any
man tell mo who remembers tho indignant
fssIing tes prevailed throughout A, Ms aos E.. ee,..
committed that DE peop. Of Great Brtain ,coud tansly
have submitted 70 rsfusay (checrs;) We'll. then. if
that refusal should be bound to extort by the
usual means that compliance which had been refused
more courteous application. (Hcar hear) wol what
reason had we to think that refusal would be gvcns
My honorable friend cannot have forgotten transactions
recent and events so fresh in the memory Of overy
ono why what was the tono and temper OF the North.
ern States We know that CAPTAIN Wilkes had done this
upon his own authority and that the United States
were quite at liberty to disavow it If they chose. Mr..
Adams told my noble friend that in despatch which he
received from Mr.. Seward 1t stated that the United
States ue'c TO act as ey pleased and that It's conduct
niGht dep nd upon that chch the British go,ernmen might
think Et 10 foto,c. The despatch went no further
Mr.. Bacir-N did 90 further.
Lord PALNERsroN-i don't know that Well, Captain
Wilkes declared that he had done the act without author
iy and instructions. Bat did the people, did the public
the United States hesitate as to whether what had been
done right or wrong? (Hear hcar.) 1t Is welk
that Captain Wilkes nade hero Of; and for whats
Why, the distinctly avowcd andputforward
viz Gcc1use he had had he couraseto insult the British ag
Hear, hear) There was a great ovation at Boston,
where, believe, persons holding Judicial situations,
whom was person in high ONCE the Governor Of
tho Stltc joined In the general chorus OF appreciation
(Hear hear) But you may see that that took pace at
public meeting, and that We have heard many foolish
opinions there expressed which were not backed or re-
echoed by the rest Of the country. CHcar, heal, }"
SVs as 70 the
the whole audience rose, as they might have
done the entrance Of tho great Lberator Of bis country
believe. (Hear.) Well, were the American government
entirely froe from participation in such demonstratonss
With respect to some governments, It Is said that one
department does not know what another department
docs and it Is sometimes made reproach here that de-
parimants conduct their affairs at cross purposes but in
America the naval Department. the Secretary Of the
Admiralty, actually approved Captain Wilkes condrct,
and thanked him. and only vcntured to hint that Captain
Wilkes had shown too great forbearance, and hoped
that the example would not in that respect be brought
into precedent in future (lear, hear.) Then,
voted thanks to Captain Wilkes, and approved his
conduct. (Hear, hear.) Hcrc thon, were the Amcri-
can pnn the Tho act branch of ae
We'll, with all these facts b, fore eyes. should
have been justified in supposng that mere courte-
Gus application, asking the American government TO
have goodness to Gover the four captured persons
into hands, would have induced them to say. 1he
whole American people see that we have nsuited your
flag and glad OF but you ask for the delivery Of
the prisoners favor favor assent to the do
ilvery?, / really think that should have boon de.
serving OF condemnation and short-sIghted
men. actively alive to the interests OF the country,
if we had simply rested our case on on the demand
rally said by persons in Amorca and also believe by
Americans in this country that the four prisoners
be given up.n What considered by tho Americans
to be weak point and what was the circumstance
to deal with by England than by Francc' ,cas
the thought ot Cdnada and the British North American
colonies dsfcncel;ss (Cheers What. then, was It
%ai9us see act I've arc ale 10 defend our ,ss q, thal
t,oich they thought to be the mot rulnsrobe and mot
"ferSciou 0esculation" tIIear hear" and daugllter)
rt was simply defensive measure (hear)-it was
simply strength ming that part which had been weak
weakness OF which might induce the Americans to main
tain that position which they had up to that moment
occupicd-to retain these mon In prison and refuse to
comply with demand for their restoration. (iear,
hcar) Therefore, far from her Majesty government
are oS"S deserving Of commentator for what they
did; and, though they performed more than
their duty, they performed II promptly and EN-
tim OF tho country at large. (Chocrs) think then,
that the censure Of my honorable friend the member for
Birmingham is not deserved, and that what we did
not at all calculated provoke tho government OF the
United states. It was simply measure which 1t was
our bounden duty TO take seong tho uncertainty of tho
result OF the Communications carried out from this
country SO far from any feeling OF ineradcable irrs
ton between the two countries being engendcred by the
course pursued, believe that contrary course would
have produced such q result If her Maesty's govern
mont had submitted to declared insult, doubt vote
of censurc would have been passed them. Still tho
act would have been done, and sense Of humiliation
and degradation would have been perpctually In the
minds Of at least the present generation on account Of
thfgross and unntoned for insult committed against the
country agree with my honorable friend who has just
sat down. that tho actually pursued Is much
more likely produce peace between the two nations.