THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR

573 Lord John Russell in the foreign office and Gladstone as chancellor of the exchequer. Of the three Gladstone alone showed much energy; he wished to carry out a number of important reforms, but his chief vetoed his innovations. Palmerston was seventy-five years old when he took office for the last time, and he was no longer so aggressive and quarrelsome as he had once been. His colleague, Lord John Russell, was a younger man and had once been counted among the reformers; but Russell had never favored making very radical changes in the social or political constitution of the kingdom. Even the foreign office shared in the dull quiet of English politics.

517. The American Civil War. This strange lack of energy is shown clearly in the relations with America during the Civil War, especially in the affairs of the Trent and the Alabama. In the Trent affair Palmerston was The Trent disposed to display some vigor; but on the advice affair. of the dying prince consort, whose last counsel urged peace with the daughter nation, the American government was given an opportunity to explain and make suitable amends. The case of the Alabama illustrates the listless fashion in which the two old chiefs conducted her Majesty's government. Russell and Palmerston knew that a ship, "No. 290," was in process of building at Birkenhead; but they had no information as to the intended use of the vessel, simply because they sought none. When the British authorities finally decided to detain the vessel, it was already on the high

seas.

The Alabama.

After the war the American government presented claims for the depredations committed by the Alabama, and in 1872 an international arbitration court decided that Palmerston and Russell had not been sufficiently watchful in the matter and awarded the American claimants the sum of $15,500,000.

In the earlier stages of the Civil War the cause of the American Union had few friends among the governing classes in England. It was quite generally believed that the South differed so

1 Cheyney, No. 439; Gardiner, 958-960; Kendall, No. 145.

Attitude of the English government toward the

much from the North that it was entitled to a separate national existence. The only prominent Englishman who did effective service in the cause of the Union was John Bright, whose chief arguAmerican war. ment was that the forces of the North were fighting the battles of democracy. The war caused much suffering in England, especially among the weavers and spinners of Sentiment in Lancashire, whose employment was lost because Lancashire. cotton could no longer be imported so freely as before. But the English workingman had come to see that one of the great issues involved was slavery, and he set his face against any effort on the part of his government to assist the South. It is believed that the English cabinet in the autumn of 1862 was ready to intervene in behalf of the Confederacy; but before action was taken came the news that Lincoln proposed to emancipate the slaves on the following New Year's Day. Lincoln's proclamation stayed the hand of Palmerston, for the English nation now refused to enlist on the side of the South.

518. Summary. The first thirty years of the reign of Queen Victoria are properly called the age of Palmerston. During most of this period he was a member of the government, first as foreign secretary, then for a few years in the home office, and finally as prime minister. He was easily the most popular man in England, but was at the same time exceedingly unpopular in the Continental capitals. Palmerston's personality is reflected in nearly all the great events of the time. Except for the repeal of the corn laws there was little domestic legislation of an important character during this period. The interest of the time was chiefly in the development of the

Imperial British Empire. During the age of Palmerston growth. the government of British America was reorganized and the foundations laid for the Dominion of Canada. New commonwealths were being founded in Australia. The crown took over the administration of India, and the East India Company as a governing body passed out of history. In the

closing years of Palmerston's career, England was stronger and more prosperous than ever before. A number of English and Irish problems were, however, pressing for solution. These Lord Palmerston left to his great successor as chief of the Liberal party, William E. Gladstone.

REFERENCES

CANADA. - Lee, Queen Victoria, 82-86; Masterman, History of the British Constitution, 237-241; Ransome, Advanced History of England, 955-957; Woodward, Expansion of the British Empire, 254–259.

AUSTRALIA. Innes, History of England, 838-841; Woodward, 266–271. PEEL AND THE FREE TRADE MOVEMENT. Innes, 822-826; Lee, 165-172;

Ransome, 969-972; Tout, Advanced History of Great Britain, 662-666.

CHARTISM. Ransome, 957-958, 974-975.

THE CRIMEAN WAR. Cross, History of England, 959–965; Innes, 857862; Lee, cc. xix-xxi; Ransome, 981-992.

THE SEPOY MUTINY. Beard, Introduction to the English Historians, 638– 644 (Hunter); Cross, 969-974; Innes, 864-872; Ransome, 993-996; Woodward, 324-328.

ENGLAND AND THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR. Innes, 881-882; Ransome, 999-1000.

CHAPTER XXVII

GLADSTONE AND THE PROBLEM OF IRELAND

519. The Second Reform Act.1 Palmerston died in 1865, and his place at the head of the government fell to Earl Russell, who now became prime minister for the second time. The

Russell's

second ministry.

Chartist agitation of twenty years before was at last to bring fruit.2 Russell was not enthusiastic for further parliamentary reform, but Gladstone, who as chancellor of the exchequer was second in command, practically forced his chief to act. A moderate reform measure was introduced into the house of commons, but it pleased neither the Liberals nor the Conservatives, and the ministry, realizing the situation, resigned.

The Conservatives now assumed control of the government with Lord Derby as prime minister and Benjamin Disraeli as chancellor of the exchequer. Twice before these Derby-Disraeli two men had held these same offices, but for brief

The third

ministry. periods only. Lord Derby had originally been a Whig and had fought with Grey and Russell for the great reform of 1832. He was, however, of a conservative temper, and the reform activities of his party soon drove him over into the Tory camp. Derby was not in favor of parliamentary reform at this time, but his younger colleague realized that the Conservatives would have to meet the demand or leave office, and in 1867 Disraeli set about to contrive a measure which proved acceptable and became a law the same year.

3

The Reform Act of 1867, the Conservative "leap in the dark," as Lord Derby called it, went farther in the direction of

1 Cheyney, No. 441; Gardiner, 961-962; Masterman, 201-202.

2 Review sec. 513.

3 Review sec. 496.

DISRAELI AND GLADSTONE

1867.

577

radicalism than the Liberals had proposed to go. Eleven boroughs were wholly deprived of representation The Second in parliament, and thirty-five lost one member Reform Act. each. More important, however, was the extension of the suffrage. In the boroughs every man who occupied his own or a rented house was allowed to vote; Household this was called "household suffrage." The vote suffrage.

was also given to lodgers who paid £10 in annual

rent. In the counties the franchise was extended to all who owned or rented for life a parcel of land that would yield £5 in rent to the owner; short-time tenants who paid a yearly rent of £12 were also allowed to vote. Thus the right to vote was given to the workingmen of the cities; but the country laborer was not yet enfranchised.

520. Disraeli and Glad

stone. A few months after

1

Retirement

the Conservatives had BENJAMIN DISRAELI, LORD BEACONSFIELD taken their "leap in the dark," Lord Derby resigned his high office and Disraeli became prime minister. From that time on till Disraeli's death in 1881, English of Lord Derby. political history is a long duel between the keen, conservative leader and his great progressive opponent, William E. Gladstone.2 Disraeli's interest, like that of Palmerston before the years had weakened him, lay Disraeli's almost wholly in foreign affairs: he was drawn interest in especially toward the Orient, the land that had been so closely associated with the history of his own 1 Tuell and Hatch, No. 73. 2 Cheyney, No. 437; Tuell and Hatch, No. 68.

the Orient.