ue.(352) Macedonia and Armenia were left over.

(M187) On the conduct of the two British plenipotentiaries at Berlin he
spoke without undue heat, but with a weight that impressed even adverse
hearers:--

I say, sir, that in this congress of the great Powers, the voice
of England has not been heard in unison with the institutions, the
history, and the character of England. On every question that
arose, and that became a subject of serious contest in the
congress, or that could lead to any important practical result, a
voice has been heard from Lord Beaconsfield and Lord Salisbury
which sounded in the tones of Metternich, and not in the tones of
Mr. Canning, or of Lord Palmerston, or of Lord Russell. I do not
mean that the British government ought to have gone to the
congress determined to insist upon the unqualified prevalence of
what I may call British ideas. They were bound to act in
consonance with the general views of Europe. But within the limits
of fair differences of opinion, which will always be found to
arise on such occasions, I do affirm that it was their part to
take the side of liberty; and I do also affirm that as a matter of
fact they took the side of servitude.

The agreement with Russia had in truth constantly tied their hands. For
instance, Lord Beaconsfield and Lord Salisbury might make to Russia as
many eloquent speeches as they liked against the restoration of
Bessarabia, but everybody in the room knew that the British government had
taken the lead in virtually assuring Russia that she had only to hold to
her point and Bessarabia should again be hers. Most effective of all was
his exposure of the convention with Turkey, a proceeding by which we had
undertaken, behind the back of Europe and against the treaty of Paris, to
establish a sole protectorate in Asiatic Turkey.(353) We had made a
contract of such impossible scope as to bind us to manage the reform of
the judicature, the police, the finances, the civil service of Turkey, and
the stoppage of the sources of corruption at Constantinople. The load, if
we took it seriously, was tremendous; if we did not take it seriously,
then what was the whole story of the reform of Asiatic Turkey, but a blind
to excuse the acquisition of Cyprus? This great presentation of a broad
and reasoned case contained a passage near its close, that had in it the
kernel of Mr. Gladstone's policy in the wh