NEWS OF THE WEEK.
IN our last week's summary of news we had occasion to remark of M. TITTERS, First Minister of France— •
He valorously threatens, that if certain events take place—if certain acts
be done—then there must be war without fail. But he takes good care to select for those acts and events, which according to him must necessarily lead to war, such as he is pretty well assured cannot occur, (thus saving appearances as to ,consistency, and hoping also to save his imperilled place): if an attempt be made to take Egypt from Mehemet Ali, then France will go to war : but the organs of our Government have again and again protested that the idea of taking, Egypt from Mehemet All has never been entertained."
M. 'Pumas has fbllowed the exact course we expected. In a note
addressed to M. GUIZOT, published here in the beginning of the week, he confined his pen to a review of the steps hitherto taken by Lord PALMERSTON and the Allies on the one hand, by himself and his predecessors in office on the other ; but he carefully re- frained from making explicit declaration respecting the intentions of himself and colleagues for the future. It is alleged that there
was some procrastination on the part of M. Timms in drawing up the first part of his reply to the nate addressed by Lord PALMERSTON to Mr. L. Burovint. He was prompt enough in the production of the second part—the note to M. GI:IZOT WiliCil purports to have been elicited by the Porte's announcement of the deposition of MeuEstur Am. That hasty step afforded 'Al. TITTERS an opportunity of occupying the position lie wished. Aware that the English Ministerial organs had repeatedly disclaimed any in- tention of taking Egypt front the Pasha,—aware, to use his own words, " that the Four Powers could not prove of such con- duct," and " that, in effect, several of them have alre..ly expressed their disapprobation of it,"—aware, or beimeNing, that the urgeney of Lord PONSONITY, our Minister at Constantinople; had been mainly instrumental in precipitating the deposition of MEHEMET
Timms pronounced his ultimatum-
" France believes herself to be under the necessity of declaring that the de- position of the Viceroy, if putt in force, will be, in their estimation, a blow given to the general equilibrium. The question with respect to the limits which ought to be established in Syria in order to divide the possessions of the Sultan from those of the Viceroy of Egypt, might with sap!, be left ft the chances of the war note actually in progress: butt France cannot prevail upon herself to abandon to such a chance the existence of Mehemet Ali as Prince-vassal of the empire. Whatever territorial limits may ultimately separate the two powers by the fortune of sear, their continued double existence is necessary to Europe, and France cannot consent to admit the suppression either of the one or of the other. Disposed as she is to enter upon and take part in every ac- ceptable arrangement which shall have for its basis the double guarantee of the extstenee or the Sultan and that of the Viceroy of Egypt, she confines herself at present to the declaration on her part that she cannot consent to the carry- ing into execution of the act of deposition pronounced at Constantinople,"
On the whole, then, notwithstanding the parade of' warlike de- monstration in France, our impression is, that E. Tin nos feels con- vinced he has contrived to put matters in such a train that an inter- change of notes and protocols will suffice to terminate the elfair ; an 1 that Lord PALMERsTos and his colleagues are of the same opinion. Ent we are from asserting that they are already safe from the obloquy which must rest upon the names of those who for such a quarrel should
involve Europe ia war. France is not yet reconciled to the me- mory of Waterloo; aml the ideas of War, tbs. some weeks SO fami- liar with her excitable population, may produce an effect upon then' passions beyond what their rulers are capable of controllinc,e M. Times (and we, to our cost) may yet find it is more easy to " conjure up the wild Devil " than to lay him agai H. Under theSe circumstances, it is impossible to peruse the clever special-plead- ings of Lord Pa tam EITST■IN and M. Timms without a painful emotion. There is much of' skill and dexterous controversy in both ; but the hderest is entirely personal—the question is always, which of the entagonists has succeeded in reducing the other to a dilemma. The danger or involving, two great countries in a causeless war by this dazzling display of diplomatic fence, haunts the reader like a nightmare. Besides, it is certain that much mischief has been done alreafiy. Men's minds have been unsettled ; old national grudges have becn furbished up anew ; and the commercial inte- rests in both countries muet have suffered from the protracted un- certainty. Two Cabinet Councils have been held in London since our last publication ; at which, no doubt, the despatch of M. TIIIER5, with its additional note, both of which, we believe, were received at the Foreign Office before the first meeting of Ministers on Saturday, formed the subject of deliberation. The intimation we made a short time since, of divisions in our Cabinet respecting Lord PAL- MERSTON'S policy on the Eastern question, was repeated yesterday by the Times ; which expressed a belief that "preparations have been in progress within the last two days to bock out bodily from those demands which had before been insisted on as essential to a peace attended with honour or security." The Times, though still expressing itself with a measured decorum, which some of our Liberal prints have net preserved throughout these discussions, seems to grudge time prospect of a termination of the present embarrasments without the aid of the Conservative party : for our part, we can resign ourselves even to a longer in- fliction of the Whig reign, if it purchase peace. The other leading Conservative journal, the S'tqathird, aims a destructive fire at M. THIERS personally, and wishes to separate his conduct from that of the French Government : to which we, who look upon TITTERS as an unprincipled adventurer in politics, can have no objection, save that it is not our business to judge between Mtn and his country- usen—" surely to his own master he standeth or falleth."
