The letters given clearly show that Mehemet Ali could do no more. He promised to deliver up the fleet, Candia, Syria, and the Holy Cities. The Grand Vizier replied, as has been shown: “The fleet is ours; Alexandria is ours;” and when Captain Fanshawe talks to him about peace, he said, “Peace is made between two Governments; and not between a sovereign and one of his rebel subjects.” This indeed was talking big; the Grand Vizier forgot that Mehemet Ali had twice nearly knocked at the gates of Constantinople, and had he not been interfered with, would have dethroned his Master.
What does the Ambassador do? Though he was quite aware that every hour the Eastern Question remained unsettled, a European war was imminent—though he knew that France had intimated that we were not to touch Egypt—though he knew the British fleet had left the coast of Syria and Egypt in consequence of bad weather—yet the Ambassador, acting on his own responsibility, to gratify his dislike of Mehemet Ali, did all he could to keep the question open, though he must have known the Allies were anxious to bring it to a close; and if he had had the power, I know, would have risked the whole British fleet to ensure the Pacha’s destruction. Annexed is his letter to Lord Palmerston, furnishing an account of the Conference which the arrival of Mehemet Ali’s letter gave rise to.
“My Lord,
“Therapia, December 28, 1840.
“I received this afternoon the Protocol of the conference held at the house of the Minister for Foreign Affairs, on the 20th instant, at which were present Rechid Pacha, and the Representatives of the Four Allies, and the dragomans of Austria and England, and M. Francheschi, who made the Protocol which I have now the honour to inclose[[2]].
“I have little need to explain to your Lordship the grounds upon which I acted; submission is the first mentioned of the conditions, upon which I am ordered to give advice to the Sublime Porte, and it is also the most important, the others being insignificant, as things have turned out. My duty is to see that submission has been made by Mehemet Ali—real submission, and there are many things to make it very doubtful if Mehemet Ali has submitted, and has not taken this matter as concessions forced upon the Sultan by the Allies for the purpose of establishing him in Egypt with indefinite power. Your Lordship’s instructions would not authorize me to say that such a submission is the submission contemplated by Her Majesty’s Government, and as I do not think it proper for me, under the circumstances in which I am placed, to declare that it is not a submission, I have declined giving any opinion at all on the point, and said I would await the decision of it by the Sublime Porte, having stated what counsel I shall have to offer in the name of my Government, if the Sublime Porte accept the submission.
“Your Lordship has always declared that the Sultan is the sole judge and arbiter of his own interests; and you will see, in the Protocol, that the Representatives united cordially in disavowing intentions to act upon the Sultan except by counsel alone. I saw this with satisfaction, because endeavours have not been wanting to inspire the Ottoman Ministers with some jealousy of the prepotency of the Four Powers.
“It will appear, I think, in the Protocol, that I am not alone in thinking the submission may be subject to doubt, for the Internuncio says that Mehemet Ali has made a commencement of submission. This may be so, for the interest of Mehemet Ali is to accept the boon offered him, as he gives nothing for it in return; but my orders from my Government are not subject to be modified by me, and I cannot take upon myself the responsibility of acting without the most positive authority in a question like the present.
“I will send a messenger to acquaint your Lordship with the determination of the Sublime Porte whenever I am informed of it.
“I send the copy of the Protocol which was sent to me by his Excellency the Internuncio.