Palmerston would submit to your Majesty his deep conviction that
this appeal is not better founded than the other, and that a firm and
resolute perseverance on the part of the Four Powers, in the measures
which they have taken in hand, will effect a settlement of the affairs
of Turkey, which will afford great additional security for the future
peace of Europe, without producing in the meantime either war _with_
France, or revolution _in_ France.

France and the rest of Europe are entirely different now from what
they were in 1792. The French nation is as much interested now to
avoid further revolution, as it was interested then in ridding itself,
by any means, of the enormous and intolerable abuses which then
existed. France then imagined she had much to gain by foreign war;
France now knows she has everything to lose by foreign war.

Europe then (at least the Continental States) had also a strong desire
to get rid of innumerable abuses which pressed heavily upon the people
of all countries. Those abuses have now in general been removed; the
people in many parts of Germany have been admitted, more or less, to
a share in the management of their own affairs. A German feeling and
a spirit of nationality has sprung up among all the German people, and
the Germans, instead of receiving the French as Liberators, as many
of them did in 1792-1793, would now rise as one man to repel a hateful
invasion. Upon all these grounds Viscount Palmerston deems it his duty
to your Majesty to express his strong conviction that the appeals made
to your Majesty's good feelings by the King of the French, upon the
score of the danger of revolution in France, unless concessions are
made to the French Government, have no foundation in truth, and are
only exertions of skilful diplomacy.

Viscount Palmerston has to apologise to your Majesty for having
inadvertently written a part of this memorandum upon a half-sheet of
paper. And he would be glad if, without inconvenience to your Majesty,
he could be enabled to read to the Cabinet to-morrow the accompanying
despatches from Lord Granville.

[Pageheading: THE STATE OF FRANCE]

_Queen Victoria to Viscount Palmerston._[55]

WINDSOR CASTLE, _11th November 1840._

The Queen has to acknowledge the receipt of Lord Palmerston's letter
of this morning, which she has read with great attention. The Queen
will just make a few observations upon various points in it, to which
she would wish to dra