queen victoria-第25章

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f　the　working…classes　and　to　the　general　amelioration　of　the　human　race？　The　answers　to　such　questions　were　all　too　obvious；　and　yet　it　is　easy　to　imagine；　also；　what　might　have　been　Palmerston's　jaunty　comment。　〃Ah！　your　Royal　Highness　is　busy　with　fine　schemes　and　beneficent　calculations　exactly！　Well；　as　for　me；　I　must　say　I'm　quite　satisfied　with　my　morning's　workI've　had　the　iron　hurdles　taken　out　of　the　Green　Park。〃

The　exasperating　man；　however；　preferred　to　make　no　comment；　and　to　proceed　in　smiling　silence　on　his　inexcusable　way。　The　process　of　〃brushing　on　one　side〃　very　soon　came　into　operation。　Important　Foreign　Office　despatches　were　either　submitted　to　the　Queen　so　late　that　there　was　no　time　to　correct　them；　or　they　were　not　submitted　to　her　at　all；　or；　having　been　submitted；　and　some　passage　in　them　being　objected　to　and　an　alteration　suggested；　they　were　after　all　sent　off　in　their　original　form。　The　Queen　complained；　the　Prince　complained：　both　complained　together。　It　was　quite　useless。　Palmerston　was　most　apologeticcould　not　understand　how　it　had　occurredmust　give　the　clerks　a　wiggingcertainly　Her　Majesty's　wishes　should　be　attended　to；　and　such　a　thing　should　never　happen　again。　But；　of　course；　it　very　soon　happened　again；　and　the　royal　remonstrances　redoubled。　Victoria；　her　partisan　passions　thoroughly　aroused；　imported　into　her　protests　a　personal　vehemence　which　those　of　Albert　lacked。　Did　Lord　Palmerston　forget　that　she　was　Queen　of　England？　How　could　she　tolerate　a　state　of　affairs　in　which　despatches　written　in　her　name　were　sent　abroad　without　her　approval　or　even　her　knowledge？　What　could　be　more　derogatory　to　her　position　than　to　be　obliged　to　receive　indignant　letters　from　the　crowned　heads　to　whom　those　despatches　were　addressedletters　which　she　did　not　know　how　to　answer；　since　she　so　thoroughly　agreed　with　them？　She　addressed　herself　to　the　Prime　Minister。　〃No　remonstrance　has　any　effect　with　Lord　Palmerston；〃　she　said。　〃Lord　Palmerston；〃　she　told　him　on　another　occasion；　〃has　as　usual　pretended　not　to　have　had　time　to　submit　the　draft　to　the　Queen　before　he　had　sent　it　off。〃　She　summoned　Lord　John　to　her　presence；　poured　out　her　indignation；　and　afterwards；　on　the　advice　of　Albert；　noted　down　what　had　passed　in　a　memorandum：　〃I　said　that　I　thought　that　Lord　Palmerston　often　endangered　the　honour　of　England　by　taking　a　very　prejudiced　and　one…sided　view　of　a　question；　that　his　writings　were　always　as　bitter　as　gall　and　did　great　harm；　which　Lord　John　entirely　assented　to；　and　that　I　often　felt　quite　ill　from　anxiety。〃　Then　she　turned　to　her　uncle。　〃The　state　of　Germany；〃　she　wrote　in　a　comprehensive　and　despairing　review　of　the　European　situation；　〃is　dreadful；　and　one　does　feel　quite　ashamed　about　that　once　really　so　peaceful　and　happy　country。　That　there　are　still　good　people　there　I　am　sure；　but　they　allow　themselves　to　be　worked　upon　in　a　frightful　and　shameful　way。　In　France　a　crisis　seems　at　hand。　WHAT　a　very　bad　figure　we　cut　in　this　mediation！　Really　it　is　quite　immoral；　with　Ireland　quivering　in　our　grasp　and　ready　to　throw　off　her　allegiance　at　any　moment；　for　us　to　force　Austria　to　give　up　her　lawful　possessions。　What　shall　we　say　if　Canada；　Malta；　etc。；　begin　to　trouble　us？　It　hurts　me　terribly。〃　But　what　did　Lord　Palmerston　care？

Lord　John's　position　grew　more　and　more　irksome。　He　did　not　approve　of　his　colleague's　treatment　of　the　Queen。　When　he　begged　him　to　be　more　careful；　he　was　met　with　the　reply　that　28；000　despatches　passed　through　the　Foreign　Office　in　a　single　year；　that；　if　every　one　of　these　were　to　be　subjected　to　the　royal　criticism；　the　delay　would　be　most　serious；　that；　as　it　was；　the　waste　of　time　and　the　worry　involved　in　submitting　drafts　to　the　meticulous　examination　of　Prince　Albert　was　almost　too　much　for　an　overworked　Minister；　and　that；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　the　postponement　of　important　decisions　owing　to　this　cause　had　already　produced　very　unpleasant　diplomatic　consequences。　These　excuses　would　have　impressed　Lord　John　more　favourably　if　he　had　not　himself　had　to　suffer　from　a　similar　neglect。　As　often　as　not　Palmerston　failed　to　communicate　even　to　him　the　most　important　despatches。　The　Foreign　Secretary　was　becoming　an　almost　independent　power；　acting　on　his　own　initiative；　and　swaying　the　policy　of　England　on　his　own　responsibility。　On　one　occasion；　in　1847；　he　had　actually　been　upon　the　point　of　threatening　to　break　off　diplomatic　relations　with　France　without　consulting　either　the　Cabinet　or　the　Prime　Minister。　And　such　incidents　were　constantly　recurring。　When　this　became　known　to　the　Prince；　he　saw　that　his　opportunity　had　come。　If　he　could　only　drive　in　to　the　utmost　the　wedge　between　the　two　statesmen；　if　he　could　only　secure　the　alliance　of　Lord　John；　then　the　suppression　or　the　removal　of　Lord　Palmerston　would　be　almost　certain　to　follow。　He　set　about　the　business　with　all　the　pertinacity　of　his　nature。　Both　he　and　the　Queen　put　every　kind　of　pressure　upon　the　Prime　Minister。　They　wrote；　they　harangued；　they　relapsed　into　awful　silence。　It　occurred　to　them　that　Lord　Clarendon；　an　important　member　of　the　Cabinet；　would　be　a　useful　channel　for　their　griefs。　They　commanded　him　to　dine　at　the　Palace；　and；　directly　the　meal　was　over；　〃the　Queen；〃　as　he　described　it　afterwards；　〃exploded；　and　went　with　the　utmost　vehemence　and　bitterness　into　the　whole　of　Palmerston's　conduct；　all　the　effects　produced　all　over　the　world；　and　all　her　own　feelings　and　sentiments　about　it。〃　When　she　had　finished；　the　Prince　took　up　the　tale；　with　less　excitement；　but　with　equal　force。　Lord　Clarendon　found　himself　in　an　awkward　situation；　he　disliked　Palmerston's　policy；　but　he　was　his　colleague；　and　he　disapproved　of　the　attitude　of　his　royal　hosts。　In　his　opinion；　they　were　〃wrong　in　wishing　that　courtiers　rather　than　Ministers　should　conduct　the　affairs　of　the　country；〃　and　he　thought　that　they　〃laboured　under　the　curious　mistake　that　the　Foreign　Office　was　their　peculiar　department；　and　that　they　had　the　right　to　control；　if　not　to　direct；　the　foreign　policy　of　England。〃　He；　therefore；　with　extreme　politeness；　gave　it　to　be　understood　that　he　would　not　commit　himself　in　any　way。　But　Lord　John；　in　reality；　needed　no　pressure。　Attacked　by　his　Sovereign；　ignored　by　his　Foreign　Secretary；　he　led　a　miserable　life。　With　the　advent　of　the　dreadful　Schleswig…Holstein　questionthe　most　complex　in　the　whole　diplomatic　history　of　Europehis　position；　crushed　between　the　upper　and　the　nether　mill…stones；　grew　positively　unbearable。　He　became　anxious　above　all　things　to　get　Palmerston　out　of　the　Foreign　Office。　But　thensupposing　Palmerston　refused　to　go？

In　a　memorandum　made　by　the　Prince；　at　about　this　time；　of　an　interview　between　himself；　the　Queen；　and　the　Prime　Minister；　we　catch　a　curious　glimpse　of　the　states　of　mind　of　those　three　high　personagesthe　anxiety　and　irritation　of　Lord　John；　the　vehement　acrimony　of　Victoria；　and　the　reasonable　animosity　of　Albertdrawn　together；　as　it　were；　under　the　shadow　of　an　unseen　Presence；　the　cause　of　that　celestial　angerthe　gay；　portentous　Palmerston。　At　one　point　in　the　conversation　Lord　John　observed　that　he　believed　the　Foreign　Secretary　would　consent　to　a　change　of　offices；　Lord　Palmerston；　he　said；　realised　that　he　had　lost　the　Queen's　confidencethough　only　on　public；　and　not　on　personal；　grounds。　But　on　that；　the　Prince　noted；　〃the　Queen　interrupted　Lord　John　by　remarking　that　she　distrusted　him　on　PERSONAL　grounds　also；　but　I　remarked　that　Lord　Palmerston　had　so　far　at　least　seen　rightly；　that　he　had　become　disagreeable　to　the　Queen；　not　on　account　of　his　person；　but　of　his　political　doingsto　which　the　Queen　assented。〃　Then　the　Prince　suggested　that　there　was　a　danger　of　the　Cabinet　breaking　up；　and　of　Lord　Palmerston　returning　to　office　as　Prime　Minister。　But　on　that　point　Lord　John　was　reassuring：　he　〃thought　Lord　Palmerston　too　old　to　do　much　in　the　future　（having　passed　his　sixty…fifth　year）。〃　Eventually　it　was　decided　that　nothing　could　be　done　for　the　present；　but　that　the　UTMOST　SECRECY　must　be　observed；　and　so　the　conclave　ended。

At　last；　in　1850；　deliverance　seemed　to　be　at　hand。　There　were　signs　that　the　public　were　growing　weary　of　the　alarums　and　excursions　of　Palmerston's　diplomacy；　and　when　his　support　of　Don　Pacifico；　a　British　subject；　in　a　quarrel　with　the　Greek　Government；　seemed　to　be　upon　the　point　of　involving　the　country　in　a　war　not　only　with　Greece　but　also　with　France；　and　possibly　with　Russia　into　the　bargain；　a　heavy　cloud　of　distrust　and　displeasure　appeared　to　be　gathering　and　about　to　burst　over　his　head。　A　motion　directed　against　him　in　the　House　of　Lords　was　passed　by　a　substantial　majority。　The　question　was　next　to　be　discussed　in　the　House　of　Commons；　where　another　adverse　vote　was　not　improbable；　and　would　seal　the　doom　of　the　Minister。　Palmerston　received　the　attack　with　complete　nonchalance；　and　then；　at　the　last　possible　moment；　he　struck。　In　a　speech　of　over　four　hours；　in　which　exposition；　invective；　argument；　declamation；　plain　talk　and　resounding　eloquence　were　mingled　together　with　consummate　art　and　extraordinary　felicity；　he　annihilated　his　enemies。　The　hostile　motion　was　defeated；　and　Palmerston　was　once　more　the　hero　of　the　hour。　Simultaneously；　Atropos　herself　conspired　to　favour　him。　Sir　Robert　Peel　was　thrown　from　his　horse　and　killed。　By　this　tragic　chance；　Palmerston　saw　the　one　rival　great　enough　to　cope　with　him　removed　from　his　path。　He　judgedand　judged　rightlythat　he　was　the　most　popular　man　in　England；　and　when　Lord　John　revived　the　project　of　his　exchanging　the　Foreign　Office　for　some　other　position　in　the　Cabinet；　he　absolutely　refused　to　stir。

Great　was　the　disappointment　of　Albert；　great　was　the　indignation　of　Victoria。　〃The　House　of　Commons；〃　she　wrote；　〃is　becoming　very　unmanageable　and　troublesome。〃　The　Prince；　perceiving　that　Palmerston　was　more　firmly　fixed　in　the　saddle　than　ever；　decided　that　something　drastic　must　be　done。　Five　months　before；　the　prescient　Baron　had　drawn　up；　in　case　of　emergency；　a　memorandum；　which　had　been　carefully　docketed；　and　placed　in　a　pigeon…hole　ready　to　hand。　The　emergency　had　now　arisen；　and　the　memorandum　must　be　used。　The　Queen　copied　out　the　words　of　Stockmar；　and　sent　them　to　the　Prime　Minister；　requesting　him　to　show　her　letter　to　Palmerston。　〃She　thinks　it　right；〃　she　wrote；　〃in　order　TO　PREVENT　ANY　MISTAKE　for　the　FUTURE；　shortly　to　explain　WHAT　IT　IS　SHE　EXPECTS　FROM　HER　FOREIGN　SECRETARY。　She　requires：　（1）　That　he　will　distinctly　state　what　he　proposes　in　a　given　case；　in　order　that　the　Queen　may　know　as　distinctly　to　WHAT　she　has　given　her　Royal　sanction；　（2）　Having　ONCE　GIVEN　her　sanction　to　a　measure；　that　it　be　not　arbitrarily　altered　or　modified　by　the　Minister；　such　an　act　she　must　consider　as　failing　in　sincerity　towards　the　Crown；　and　justly　to　be　visited　by　the　exercise　of　her　Constitutional　right　of　dismissing　that　Minister。〃　Lord　John　Russell　did　as　he　was　bid；　and　forwarded　the　Queen's　letter　to　Lord　Palmerston。　This　transaction；　which　was　of　grave　constitutional　significance；　was　entirely　unknown　to　the　outside　world。

If　Palmerston　had　been　a　sensitive　man；　he　would　probably　have　resigned　on　the　receipt　of　the　Quee