1861.
Zr. 87.

LIFE OF COBDEN. [cmsr
less justifiable domination in Constantinople? In fact the
foreigner has practically ruled Italy longer than the
Osmanlis have possessed the ancient capital of the Greeks:
But if England is not prepared to allow the Christians ©
drive out their Mahometan rulers, what is she prepared t0
do? Surely it becomes a great country to have a policy
which lifts its diplomacy out of the reach of mere intrigue
and endless altercation and gossip, such as characterizes our
present abortive proceedings on the Turkish question. The
way in which we tolerate, nay perpetuate, the hideous evils
of the Sultan’s Government, because it is not convenient £0
our politicians to bring the Eastern Question to an issue—the
way in fact in which we prevent a body from dying which
is no longer able to live, and look on complacently whilst
millions of intelligent beings are suffering from contact
with this despotism, tends to degrade Englishmen in the
eyes of foreign nations, presenting us in the light of 2
selfish and unsympathizing people.
“ There are a couple of volumes of De Tocqueville’s corre”
spondence and remains lately published, and in his letters
bo Senior and other English friends (which are fall of interest),
 he alludes very delicately to the little sympathy
folt for us in our Indian troubles by the nations of the
Continent, and attributes it to the general impression that
prevails (and which he says is not quite unfounded), thab
the English people make their foreign policy entirely subgervient
 to their own narrow interests.”

(8.) To Samuel Lucas.

The Syrian Massacres—French Intervention,
“ Paris, August 16, 1860,—I am disappointed that more
is not said and done to create sympathy for the many
thousand homeless widows and orphans in Syria. So gresb