LORD PALMERSTON ON HUNGARY.

New Zealander, Volume 8, Issue 621, 27 March 1852, Page 3

LORD PALMERSTON ON HUNGARY.

[Fiom the "Time*," Novonbei 19] The deputations waited upon Lord Palmerston at the Foreign Office, Downing-slreet, consisting of Mr. W. "\V. Shaen, Mr. P. Barnes, Messrs. D. Harris, Greene, Browne, James, Janson, Mudie, Moor, Wakelin, Medley, Elt, G. Rogei-s, M'Laren, J. H. Parry, (barrister,) Pike, T. Lewis, and C. 11. Williams. Mr. D. Harris then read to Lord Palmerston the following addresses, which had been unanimously agreed to at a very large public meeting, and which his loi'dship had come up from Windsor expressly to receive : "To the Right Hon. Lord Viscount Palmerston Her Most Gracious Majesty's Secretary of State foi Foreign Affairs. " We, the inhabitants of the borough of Finsbury, containing a population of nearly 400,000, in public meeting assembled, this 12th day of November, 1851, Thomas Wakley, Esq, M. P., in I the chair, respectfully beg leave to tender to your lordship oxir hearty thanks for your patriotic and humane conduct, in defiance of frequent and atrocious threats from Christian potentates towards the illustrious patriot and exile, Louis Kossuth, by demanding his release from the hands of those odious and detestable assassins who sought his destruction. My Lord, in the name of our fellow- countrymen, accept our deepest gratitude for your lofty courage and maniy resolution. May you long live among a happy and a free people. "Signed on behalf of the meeting by the Committee."

"To the Eight Honorable Lord Viscount Palmei ston, Her Most Gracious Majesty's Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. " We, the inhabitants of the Parish of St. Mary, Islington, containing a population of nearly 100,000, in public meeting assembled, James Wyld, M.P., in the chair, hail, with much thank fulness to God, your spirited and humane conduct by assisting, in conjunction with His Majesty the Sultan of Turkey, in rescuing the unfortunate but brave patriot and exile, Louis Kossufch, from the hands of those merciless tyrants and despots who sought his destruction. We humbly pray the great God of Justice in Heaven will bless and preserve you with a long and happy life among a free people; and Avhen you have departed this life, may you receive that inheiitance beyond the grave which is incorruptible, imdefiled, and passeth not away. " Signed on behalf of the meeting by the Committee."

Lord Palmerston, who had listened with great attention to the reading of the addi esses, said, he felt extremely flattered and highly gratified by this expression of opinion on the part of so large a number of his fellow-countrymen for his exertions in endeavouring to promote the cause of national freedom among those nations who stood in need of it. The Government were fully aware of the sympathies of the British nation in favour of the caube of Hungary ; but of course, as the organ of the Government of her Majesty, who was in friendly alliance with the great foreign powers which had been referred to, it could not be expected that he should concur in some of the expressions which had been used in the addresses. He felt, however, that it was highly gratifying to have been instrumental in aiding the cause of the patriotic Hungarians and Poles, who, without British intervention, would no doubt have been doomed to perpetual imprisonment, and have sacrificed their freedom, if not even their lives in the cause of their country's independence. They never could have been rescued from the fate which awaited them, even by the aid which the government of this country was enabled to afford, had not the government been backed by public opinion hei'e. There was no questoin of the great moral power which the government of this country had over foreign affairs, so long as the government were backed in the exercise of that power by the public opinion of the people. No doubt the moral power of the British Government was immense, more than people generally imagined, but it would be only effective so long as the people and the government went together. (Hear.) There coiild be no doubt that with regard to its Hungarian policy the government had been backed by the people — as was instanced by the fact of the appeals which had been made from all quarters and from all large towns and cities in the kingdom, urging on the government interference in that important question. It was not necessary that England should exercise a power with its armies, with its bayonets, or with its cannon. The moral power, where the government was backed by the people would do a great deal more. The moral power was greater than anything else, but even that could not be made eftpctivc, unless the Government and people acted in unison. The Government, moie tapeoially the

Foreign Department, were sometimes accused of keeping too much secrecy with regard lo their transactions v»ilh foreign powers. It was said there ought not to be so much MHTecy in diplomacy ; but, upon (he same p'otu.d that men i;i the ordinary business transactions o(" life, did not make public all the details of &ueh transactions, until the bargains in which they might be engaged were completed, so also was it necessary that the publication of the proceedings of diplomacy should bo left to the judgment and discretion of that department of the Government, in order properly to transact the business of the nation. The noble lord again said, the reception of these addresses just read, and the general expression of approval of hih conduct on the part of his countrymen, afforded him unfeigned pleasure and gratification. Mr. Shaen observed that he felt that the people of England had been hitherto somewhat lukewarm and callous as to the relations of this country with foreign nations ; but recent events, coupled with the circumstance that encouragement was held out to them by the Government that they should do so, would have the effect for the future of making them equally alive to foreign as to domestic subjects. Lord Palmerston remarked that one of the difficulties -which was felt in the conduct of foreign affairs arose from the fact of the great bulk of the people earing generally little about them. The Government had no desiie to be urged on to war, although they were desirous of upholding the nationality of foreign countries. At the time when Hungarian affairs were agitating the world — he did not allude to recent demonstrations here, but those which led to the step on the part of the Government, were the great demonstrations held in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Birmingham, and all the great towns, as well as the metropolis— when forty or fifty addresses had leached him from all the great towns, he (the noble viscount) forwarded them to Sir Stratford Canning to show him thr.fc it -was not merely the wish of the Government, but the wish of the people that he should interfere, and prevent, if possible, that which other powers were demanding, and it was only that circumstance which put the Government in a position to grant aid if it were needed. But the Sultan to do him justice, was most willing to lend his aid and cooperate with this country in carrying out the wishes of the British Government. (Hear.) At the same time, however, a great deal of good generalship and judgment was required, and during the pending struggle a good deal of judicioi s bottleholding was obliged to be brought into play. (Hear, hear.) ITis lordship having again expressed his gratification at these marks of confidence and approbation on the part of the people, the deputation withdrew, highly gratified with the warm reception they had received from the noble viscount."