THE EFFECT OF LORD PALMERSTON'S RESIGNATION UPON THE POLITICAL POWERS OF EUROPE.

New Zealander, Volume 8, Issue 638, 26 May 1852, Page 3

THE EFFECT OF LORD PALMERSTON'S RESIGNATION UPON THE POLITICAL POWERS OF EUROPE.

(From Bell's Weekly Messenger.) But in the meanwhile, the relinquislrment of office by Lord Palmerston will be made known to the furthest extremities of Europe. What effect will the event have abroad \ On the part of all tlve despotic Governments, nothing but the most lively gratification. Next to the success of Louis Napoleon's coup d'etat, we know of nothing which could give more unfeigned pleasure to the European powers, in whose hands the destiny of almost every other nation is held, than that the man they most of all feared and detested, and whose influence had ever been exerted against the advance of despotism, had ceased to be " a thorn in their sides." In like manner, the event will produce a feeling closely akin to desperation, in the hearts of those who have been looking forward to Lord Pttlmerston as their " sheet anchor," and, building upon the dread which their sovereigns have stood of his name, have clung to the hope that he might recover for them some portion of their lost constitutional privileges. A greater blow could not have been struck against them, — inasmuch as, whether Lord Palmerston were sincere or not, respecting these unhappy beings, and the objects of their ardent aspirations, they believed them to be so, and implicitly relied upon his good faith. The advance of liberal principles abroad will be instantly checked by this occurrence ; but the people of the country must not imagine, because Lord Palmer&ton is sacrificed, that any one of the great powers will love Great Britain a whit more than it has done for many years past. The probability is, that they may avail themselves of this opportunity to insult us. With all Lord PalmersUm's faults, he has a chivalrous spirit, and although in too many instances, he carried his interference with foreign politics, almost, if not quite, to the verge of unnecessary meddling, yet he so maintained the honour of his country, that no one abroad dared to annoy a British subject, without being immediately brought to account by the noble lord. We observe — with a contempt for the parties so acting, which we cannot speale of in anything; like terms of patience — that the secession of Lord Palmer&ton from office is used as an opportunity for calumniating his character as a Minister oi the British Crown, and for making the most unworthy attacks xipon the manner in which he has conducted the business of hits office. We have nc great love for the man, or for his principles. We believe him to have been mistaken in many transactions which he has conducted between the Government of Great Britain and foreign powers ; but we should feel ourselves unworthy of the

name of Englishmen, were we to add our voice to the malignant outcry that is now raised against him, by one journal which is ever ready to eat its own words ; and whilst pretending to he so liberal, is the greatest advocate for, and promoter of despotism. Lord Palmerston has ceased to he the Secretary for Foreign Affairs of this great country. Have the liussell Administration found a hotter man of their party 1 Have they been ahle to select one who, with all his faults, will he feared abroad as his predecessor lias been ? Lord Palmerston has played a deep political game of his own. lie had an end* to gain from the moment he commenced it. If let alone, it would have been played out long ago, and most probably more advantageously for England than his enemies may suppose. The hostility of Earl Grey has been a sad stumblingblock in his way ; in fact a positive clog upon his wheel ; and the Premier, having no conception of any bold and manly policy, has been induced to apply the check at times and seasons when it was most injudicious to arrest the progress of the machine which the Foreign Secretary was driving. In spite of all these obstacles, however, Lord Palmerston held on his course, and might eventually have effected the purpose of inducing the Foreign Po\vei"S to give way for the advantage of the liberties of their subjects. But when their circumstances had become most complicated, Lord Palmerston 's power and influence are taken away, and the affaire of his office are left in such a condition that it seems scarcely possible any other result can follow than either an entire disruption of our relationship with Foreign Powers, or the speedy and final extinction of the Russell Administration. By Earl Granville becoming the successor of Lord Palmerston, the object evidently is to endeavour to infuse some Peolite blood into the Cabinet ; but the policy of that party is invariably cringing and expedient. The new juvenile Foreign Secretary will, therefore, soon place Great Britain at the mercy of those Powers, who know full well that his predecessor was the only man of talent or courage amongst his colleagues, and that, if they could get him out of the way, so long as the Russell Cabinet lived upon sufferance, they might do pretty well what they pleased without any dread of consequences. A strong mind and a bold hand, that will not shrink from grasping difficulties, is wanted at this moment ; for, hide it as our Free-trade colleagues may from themselves and their readers, there is no safety in the present condition of the feeling of the Continental Powers against us. They are ready to pick a quarrel, and will only be too glad of the opportunity of doing so ; and if they insist upon the removal of the refugees now finding an asylum from tyranny in our island, and have that point refused, a casits belli is made out ; while, if their demand be granted, the scorn with which they will look upon En° laud's conduct will only be equalled by the dread ail fate which will await those whom pusillanimity and cowardice will have sacrificed and betrayed. The only hopeful aspect in this case is the probability it a'ffordsof the Cabinet soon dying. Difficulties will increase, and as they increase, and cannot be met by men who have neither moral courage nor principle, we fully expect that the next scene in the political drama will bo the desertion of their Royal Mistress, no less than of their Parliamentary Reform scheme, to which the Premier has pledged both himself and his colleagues. The bundle of "sticks" has been divided, to take the strongest away ; a few days will, therefore, answer the inquiry, whether the country may not be thankful for the event, which has all the elements in it to give the people a sti'ong Government, which would be trusted at home, no less than feared and respected abroad.