But now for foreign affairs.  May not the present Ministers look with just pride towards every quarter of the globe, and exclaim, Quae regio in terris nostri non plena laboris? In truth their success here has been sufficient to set up half a dozen Ministers—­as is known to no man better than Lord Palmerston.  The Duke of Wellington and Lord Aberdeen have restored peace to the whole world, re-establishing it on a footing of dignified security and equality.  By the persevering energy, the calm determination, and inexhaustible resources of Lord Aberdeen, “the winter of our discontent,” has been “made glorious summer,” with all the great powers of the world.  Look at our glorious but irritable neighbour—­France:  is there any language too strong to express the delight which we feel at the renovated sympathy and affection which exist between us?

We cannot answer for France to the extent which we can for England; but we know, that through the length and breadth of this land—­our beloved Queen’s familiar visit to the King of the French, their affectionate greeting, and her Majesty’s enthusiastic reception by the people, diffused a feeling of joy and affection towards France, which will not soon—­nay, should it ever?—­subside.  But would that visit have taken place, if Lord Palmerston, and not Lord Aberdeen, had presided over the foreign councils of this country?  ’Tis a disagreeable question, and we pass on.  Then as to America, thanks to the mission of Lord Ashburton, peace has been secured between us, on terms equally honourable to both.  We are now at peace with the United States—­a peace not to be disturbed by the (to Whiggish eyes) promising (!!) aspect of the Oregon difficulties—­which we tell our aforesaid friends will end in—­nothing at all—­[It is not, by the way, the fault of our Government, that this disputed matter was not embraced by the Washington Treaty.]—­While Lord Palmerston and his doleful ally, the Morning Chronicle, were daily stigmatizing the treaty of Washington, as highly dishonourable and disadvantageous to this country, it may interest our readers to see what one of the disaffected American senators had to say on the subject.  Thus spoke, in the senate, Mr Benton, a well-known member of congress:—­

“The concessions of Great Britain to the United States are small.  The territory granted to the United States, is of such a nature, that it will never be of importance to hold it, while the possessions given up by the United States are important and valuable to them, and have the effect of admitting a foreign power within a territory which was granted to the United States, by the treaty of 1783. * * When I see the Government giving up more than Great Britain demanded, I cannot conceal my amazement and mortification!”

Glancing, however, from the West to the East—­what do we see?  Wars in India and China, brought gloriously to an advantageous termination.—­“Wars,” to adopt the language of one of the greatest mercantile authorities living, “which have been deranging our money transactions, and making our trade a trade of hazard and speculation, most injurious to the commerce of the empire at large.”