s to dispose of other
people's property, which no diplomatic etiquette about the difficulty
of finding a proper representative for Germany could justify. The mode
of representation might safely be left to the Confederation itself.
It is not surprising to the Queen that Austria and Prussia should
complain of Lord Palmerston's agreeing with Sweden, Russia, Denmark,
and France upon the Protocol before giving Prussia and Austria any
notice of it.

[Pageheading: THE PROTOCOL]

_Viscount Palmerston to Lord John Russell._

CARLTON GARDENS, _23rd June 1850._

MY DEAR JOHN RUSSELL,--The Queen has entirely misconceived the object
and effect of the proposed Protocol. It does not "decide upon the
fate of Holstein," nor is it "an attack upon Germany." In fact, the
Protocol is to _decide_ nothing; it is to be merely a record of the
wishes and opinions of the Power whose representatives are to sign
it....[19]

How does any part of this decide the fate of Holstein or attack
Germany?

Is not the Queen requiring that I should be Minister, not indeed for
Austria, Russia, or France, but for the Germanic Confederation?
Why should we take up the cudgels for Germany, when we are inviting
Austria and Prussia, the two leading powers of Germany, and who would
of course put in a claim for the Confederation if they thought it
necessary, which, however, for the reasons above stated, they surely
would not?...

As to my having _agreed_ with Sweden, Russia, Denmark, and France
before communicating with Prussia and Austria, that is not the course
which things have taken. Brunnow proposed the Protocol to me, and
I have been in discussion with him about it. It is _he_ who has
communicated it to the French Ambassador, to Reventlow, and to
Rehausen; I sent it privately several weeks ago to Westmorland, that
he might show it confidentially to Schleinitz, but telling Westmorland
that it was not a thing settled, but only a proposal by Russia, and
that, at all events, some part of the wording would be altered. I have
no doubt that Brunnow has also shown it to Koller; but I could not
send it officially to Berlin or Vienna till Brunnow had agreed to such
a wording as I could recommend the Government to adopt, nor until I
received the Queen's sanction to do so.

The only thing that occurs to me as practicable would be to say to
Austria and Prussia that if, in signing the Protocol, they could add
that they signed also in the name of the Confede