1851.
A, AT.

556 ) LIFE OF COBDEN. (oma
papal outburst) of living fo see the political millennium which
some people expect from another Reform Bill, Bub I repeat;
the present system is come to a dead-lock, and whether for
good or evil, the people must be called in to give & Pr®
ponderance to one or the other political scale.”
This year the first Great Exhibition was opened. 1%
not find that Cobden was in any way responsible for the
excessive importance which was so irrationally attributed 2
this once famous enterprise. He did not believe that 1
marked the arrival of a pacific transformation, but he thought
that he might take people sufficiently at their word to P™
pose to the House of Commons that the Foreign Minister
should be recommended to open negotiations with Franc®
for a reduction of armaments He stipulated for nothing
specific; he only urged that an effort in this direction should
be made at a time which seemed in every respect so inco™”
parably propitious. Lord Palmerston hastened with virtuon®
alacrity to give a cordial adhesion to the general tendency of
his honourable friend’s views, but would prefer to be Ieff
with his hands free. Other members followed, showing *
bright colours what a noble spectacle we should set; to ma%”
kind, if & solemn resolution of Parliament should commissio®
the Foreign Secretary to say openly to France, «“ We desire
peace, and ask you to aid us in that great work,” All thus
was the fashionable mood of the hour, just as declamatory
panic was the mood of the hour after, There was 1°
hypocrisy in either case. The instability arose from the
omission of influential statesmen to keep in their minds #
systematic survey of the facts of our national position in rela
tion to Foreign Powers. There was no real basis consistently
present to the legislature or the public, to justify their 060%"
sional fits of pacific profession. Cobden had no illusions 88
to the real progress of his opinions, but the fewer bis
illusions, the more strongly he felt bound to persevere.