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IXXVL.] HUMILIATING POSITION OF LORD PALMERSTO

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ham. In that case the consequences might be the sax
the position of England would be more consistent and.
dignified. At least these two gentlemen would threatos
nobody; at least they would not have told Denmark that if
she were attacked she would not find herself alone; at least
they would not bave exasperated Germany by declaiming
in the full Parliament of England against the “aggravated
outrages * of her policy ; at least they would not have lured
Denmark on by delusive counsels and fallacious hopes.
When in course of time Mr. Disraeli moved a vote of
censure, Cobden did not let the opportunity slip. The inherent
 strength of his position made his speech even more
free than usual from bitterness or personality. It was felt
that the humiliating breakdown of the Foreign Office, and
the meddling and impotent diplomacy of which Lord Palmerston
 was now the traditional representative, was a complete
justification of the great principles of non-intervention as
he had preached them for a whole generation. For the
last time, as it was destined to be, he pressed home the old
arguments for taking all reasonable and possible precautions
for avoiding continental quarrels. “ Our country,” he said,
“requires peace. Some people think it is very degrading,
very base, that an Englishman should speak of his country
BS requiring peace, and as being entitled to enjoy its blessings;
 and if we allude to our enormous commercial and
industrial engagements as a reason why we should avoid
these petty embroilments, we are told that we are selfish
and grovelling in our politics. But I say we were very
wrong to take such measures as were calculated to extend
our commerce, unless we were prepared to nse prudential precautions
 to keep our varied manufacturing and mercantile
operations free from the mischiefs of unnecessary war. You
have in this country engagements of the most extensive
and complicated kind. You have extended your operations

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