Lord Russell has written twice this week to the Times
about the Russian declaration, both times manfully and courageously,. but neither time with much of the tone of a statesman. In- the first letter, he urged the immediate embodiment of the- Militia, which the Government had last session taken power to. do in case of "a great emergency." He thought a great emer- gency had occurred when any Minister of a great Power assumes,. on behalf of his Sovereign, "to, set aside and abrogate a treaty which binds seven of the chief States of Europe." All this is true- and wise ; but Lord Russell added, "it is said at St. Petersburg that Russia has 500,000 men in arms, and at Odessa the number is spoken of as 900,000." Would he think any foreign minister wise- who quoted what was " said " in London, or still more, at Greenock,. as to the number of men in arms in Great Britain ? It diminishes, the force of his opinion as a statesman, when he quotes, in support of it, alarmist rumours, as a child gravely quotes as authority all- it has heard anybody say.
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