pinions, and by censure now addressed to
one party and now to another. Whatever may be thought of the judgment
which was shown by them, or of the bias by which they were guided, the
principle on which they acted was undoubtedly right and proper.

England is one of the greatest powers of the world, no event or series
of events bearing on the balance of power, or on probabilities of
peace or war can be matters of indifference to her, and her right to
have and to express opinions on matters thus bearing on her interests
is unquestionable; and she is equally entitled to give upon such
matters any advice which she may think useful, or to suggest any
arrangements which she may deem conducive to the general good.

It is no doubt true that the Conservative Party, since they have
ceased to be responsible for the conduct of affairs, have held a
different doctrine, and in their anxiety lest the influence of England
should be exerted for the benefit of Italy, and to the disadvantage of
Austria, have contended that any participation by Great Britain in the
negotiations for the settlement of Italy would be a departure from the
principle of non-intervention; but their own practice while in office
refutes their newly adopted doctrine in opposition; and if that
doctrine were to be admitted, Great Britain would, by her own act,
reduce herself to the rank of a third-class European State.

[Footnote 70: This was the Blue Book, the production of which
would, according to Lord Malmesbury, have saved the Derby
Ministry.]

[Pageheading: ITALIAN POLICY]

[Pageheading: THE QUEEN AND LORD JOHN RUSSELL]

_Queen Victoria to Lord John Russell._

OSBORNE, _24th August 1859_.

The Queen is really placed in a position of much difficulty, giving
her deep pain. She has been obliged to object to so many drafts sent
to her from the Foreign Office on the Italian Question, and yet, no
sooner is one withdrawn or altered, than others are submitted exactly
of the same purport or tendency, if even couched in new words. The
Queen has so often expressed her views that she is almost reluctant
to reiterate them. She wishes, however, Lord John to re-peruse the two
drafts enclosed, which just came to her. If they have any meaning or
object, it must be to show to France that it would be to her interest
to break in the Treaty of Zurich the leading conditions to which
she pledged herself to Austria at Villafranca. Those preliminaries
contain