1850.
Foe 48

536 LIFE OF COBDEN. Jouss
garian refugees, Lord Palmerston despatched the fleet to the
Dardanelles by way of encouragement to the Porte to bold
firm. According to Cobden, this was a superfluoas display
of force. As he contended, the demands of Russia and
Ausiria had been already withdrawn in face of a vigorous
display of the public opinion of western Europe. What
is certain is that Lord Palmerstou’s action ab this time laid
the train which not long afterwards exploded in the Crimea?
War. His next step was exactly calculated to embitter the
chronic struggle between England, France, and Russis i?
the East, and by its peculiar lawlessness to set an example
which was sare to be followed, of the worst possible way of
settling international difficulties. There happened to be
certain claims which the British Government had for a long
time been pressing against the kingdom of Greece A
portion of these claims were made on behalf of a Portuguese
Jow from Gibraltar, whom accident of domicile made 8
British subject, and after him the whole episode has bee?
known as the affair of Don Pacifico. What Lord Palmerston
did was to despatch the fleet on its way back from the
Dardanelles to the Pirens. There it detained not only #
man-of-war belonging to the Greek Government, but &
namber of merchant vessels owned by private individuals
They were detained as material guarantees. There bas
been very little difference of opinion since, that this was a8
intolerably high-handed proceeding. As is observed bY
Fiulay, the sagacious historian of Greece, who chanced 1°
be a claimant, though of a more reputable sort than Don
Pacifico, no Government in a civilized state of society can be
allowed to have a right to seize private property belonging
bo the subjects of another State, or to blockade the port of
another State, without taking upon itself the responsibility
of declaring war.' Apart from this, it was a direct and
4 Boo Mr, Finlsy's story of the whole trengaction in his mort valuable