he unchained ambition
of France. It is with a view to prevent the necessity of intervention
that Lord John Russell advises friendly representations.

[Pageheading: NON-INTERVENTION]

_Queen Victoria to Lord John Russell._

ALDERSHOT, _23rd August 1859_.

... With regard to Lord John's letter of to-day, the Queen wishes
merely to say that from the outbreak of the war our negotiations have
ceased, and that the war is not over till the peace is concluded. Our
interference before that period may be prompted by a desire to prevent
a future war; but our first duty is not to interfere with the closing
of the present. The desire to guard Italy against "the ruthless
tyranny of Austria, and the unchained ambition of France" may produce
a state of things in Italy, forcing both to make common cause against
her, and backed by the rest of Europe to isolate England, and making
her responsible for the issue. It will be little satisfaction then to
reflect upon the fact that our interference has been merely _advice_.

[Pageheading: FOREIGN POLICY]

_Viscount Palmerston to Queen Victoria._

94 PICCADILLY, _23rd August 1859_.

Viscount Palmerston presents his humble duty to your Majesty, and
begs to state that Lord John Russell has shown him your Majesty's
communication, in which your Majesty objects to a proposed despatch
to Lord Cowley, on the ground that it would be a departure from the
principle of non-intervention which has been publicly proclaimed
as the rule for Great Britain in the late events between France and
Austria. But Viscount Palmerston would beg humbly to submit to your
Majesty that the intervention which all parties agreed that this
country ought to abstain from, was active interference by force of
arms in the war then going on, but that neither of the great political
parties meant or asserted that this country should not interfere by
its advice and opinions in regard to the matters to which the war
related. Viscount Palmerston can assert that neither he nor any of
those who were acting with him out of office ever contemplated giving
such a meaning to the doctrine of non-intervention; and that such a
meaning never was attached to it by the Conservative Leaders while
they were in office, is proved from one end of their Blue Book to the
other.[70] The whole course of the Derby Government, in regard to
the matters on which the war turned, was one uninterrupted series of
interventions by advice, by o