The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-09-24

Before the Crmean war began Palmereton
contrived TO reiDstate himself In public favor.
He had vowed never to take once again under
Lord John Russell as Prime Minister, but be
was content to serve with him under Lord Aber-
| deem. receiving the post OF Home Secretary.
Russia was delighted to see the pugnacious
| pam" outside OF the Foreign Once, but under
| Clarendon's glove II felt Pamerstons grip.
| During the nrst two years Of the Crmean war
| the latters influence Ia the Ministry grew more
and moro dominant, until finally by an irresist-
ible impulse Of the English nation, which had
| no longer faith 10 any one but him, he vas
carried TO supreme power. "a month ago." he
| says, in letter to his brother, dated Feb. Is,
1855. " had 7 been asked what was the most i'm
possible OF events, l should have replied, 60 see
| myself Prime Minister. There was Aberdeen,
and there ~ Derby, the head of one great
party, John FSssell OF another. For all that, In
ten days they have been swept away like straw
before the wind, and here am writing TO you
from Downing street, First Lord Of the Treas
ury." 1t must have been delicious to Pslmerston
to send Lord John Russell, wholhad SO lately dis
missed him from ONCE under 4 cloud, as bis
mere mouth-piece, and agent to Vienna. In the
negotiations which culplnated In tho Peace OF
Paris his pretensions were exhorbitant, but In
spite Of the half-hesrted support OF his French
ally he carried bis main point, the exclusion OF
Russian war ships from the Black Sea. This
was the Growing glory OF Palmefston's life,
and It would have broken his heart to see
| GortchakoT quietly tear up the treaty.
No one had contributed more actively than
| Palmerston to give the nav French Empire an
| eminent place In Europe, but his old jealousy
OF France speedily awoke, and, like Fr AIKEN
steiD, he grew afr aid OF his own creation. lie
was fond Of saving that France unit for
freedom, but It annoyed him TO find her I'M
willing % forego glory AS well as liberty. Grad
ually the French alliance, which he had been at
such pains to rvet, came to weigh on him like a
chain, and this, although he drew from It solid
| advantages for Engi md as, for example, the
Golden treaty. But he detected something
restless and anomalous In the mind Of Napoleon
III, something which dened nilyss and CON
troll. 1.-THE fact is" be writes one day to Lord
Clarendon. that In our alliance with France,
we are riding a kicking horse. Such a horse
must be driven with light hand and easy
rein, OF the danger Ia that France and Russia
NAV combine some day In some vast scheme OF
mutual am bitioD." Henceforward tue attitude
OF Palmer.ton toward his Imperial proteee Is
one of watchfuluess and criticism. Neverthe-
less, his complaisance for Napoleon was a second
time the cause Of his toss OF Office. The attempt
on the Y uperor's life, committed In 1857, had
been prepared In Englaud, aud the Prime Minis
ter introduced bill To make tns species Of con
sptracy felony instead OF a mlsd emeanor. Pub
lie opinion la ENGLAND rose ike food and
swept away the bill and its author but two
ye RS aflerwar1, on the outbreak OF the Italian
war, Pdlmerston returned to power and held 1t
TILL mis- death.
Upto the peace Of vllla-franca Palmerstons
policy to tAwsrt the ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF the
Sandman monarchy and afterwarl to detach 1t
from France by insinuations that more ought
to have been given It. Upon the cession Of Sa-
voy and Nice, which he sought to prevent, his
Je lousv of French prestige became more
active thar ever. He even began to suspect his
ally Of contemplating some revenge for Water.
loo. Thus In "a letter to the Duke OF Somerset.
he says; IL have observed the Emperor attsn
tvelv. and studied his character and conduct
well. he assured that 81 the bottom OF his heart
lives an Inc xtinguish ,bie desire to humble and
chastise Envi IN :, and avene-, " possible, the
many political, naval, and military bumiliations
which, since the beginning OF the century. Eng
land, by herself, or through her allies. has laid
on France. He has sufficiently org lnizsd his
mill AIRY strength. lie IA now busy III org sniz n z
secretly, but continuously, his naval forces.
When he is ready, the overture will be played,
he c Irtain viii lice, and we shall have a very
ugly drama"
For reasons which II Is easy to guess. Mr..
AshIeysi biography Is particularly laconic re-
RardinG Lord Palmerston's posture toward our
civil war. IL u well known that tue latter was
no friend OF the United States, indeed he may
be said to have distinguished our fellow coun-
trymen with his special aversion. Palmerston
had often by voice aud gesture encouraged re-
beon In foreign countries, but he had never
gone so far as to attach oflci lily the legal ex
istence Of Governments TO the accidents Of revo-
!ationarv movements. Yet he did not hesitate
70 proclaim In the House Of Commons nj, con
vction that the American Union was definitely
broken. He said In reply to Mr.. Bright, lit
seems To me that what circulates In the though I
Of the honorable gentleman, what guides and
controls hs reasoning Ia a feeling, which he,
perhaps, Ensembles to himself. that the union
mas still legal existence that there Ia In Amer
lea n legitimate Government. and rebels against
that Government. Well, this view places the
two belligerents In a position very different
from that IN which are bound to look at
them" IL would have been bitter stroke for
the veteran arstocrat who, In the Trent affair.
summoned us 40 perenptorily to q banquet OF
humble pic. had he lived to SEQ the same dish
commended to his own country, and an ample
indemnity extorted for the damage caused by
the Alabama.
The last European complication which Pal
nerston was 10 follow W IS the SIesviR- II olstein
war. Hitherto he had treated the question OF
the ducnles ~ a joke. 1t had never been un-
derstood. he SAID out by one German professor.
ana the professor was deal There Is now no
doubt that Napoleon would have Joined Eng.
lana In an alliance with Denmark which Lord
John Russell vehemently urged, ont Paine ston
was reluctant to move in this direction. because
the acquisition Of the Rhenish provinces by
France would be a bad thing for us. AMI would
seriously affect the situation Of Belgium and
iiollind.' Those who belitte the influence Of
individuals ON the destiny ~ nations will do
well to ponder the effect OF Palmerstuns de-
cison at this date on the development of Prus-
STA One thing the English statesman did not
include IN his calculations and that was Bis
marck. Indeed 40 little does he appre bend
from Prussia, that whom the sacrifice Of Den.
mark was accomplished, he was In favor Of Civ
ing the duohies to the former power And vet
the Duke Of Wellington hal assured him that
the Prussian army had lost nothing during the
long pence which followed 1915 and predicted
that It would one day astonish Europe. when
we recall the battle Of DOrlng and other recent
evidences Of English alarm at the possible cone
OF German ambition, f. is curious to read the
words which the IA rlotc Palmerston addressed
| to Russell in 1851 seems In mo tnat pruaafa