Queen Victoria to Lord John Russell.
THE QUEEN'S OPINION
Buckingham Palace, 25th June 1850.
The Queen has received Lord John Russell's letter enclosing those of Lord Palmerston and Lord Lansdowne. The misconception on the Queen's part, which Lord Palmerston alleges to exist, consists in her taking the essence of the arrangement for the mere words. Lord Palmerston pretends that the Protocol "does not decide upon the fate of Holstein nor attack Germany." However, the only object of the Protocol is the fate of Holstein, which is decided upon—
(1.) By a declaration of the importance to the interests of Europe to uphold the integrity of the Danish Monarchy (which has no meaning, if it does not mean that Holstein is to remain with it).
(2.) By an approval of the efforts of the King of Denmark to keep it with Denmark, by adapting the law of succession to that of Holstein.
(3.) By an engagement on the part of the Powers to use their "soins" to get the constitutional position of Holstein settled in a peace according to the Malmoe preliminaries, of which it was one of the conditions that the question of the succession was to be left untouched.
(4.) To seal the whole arrangement by an act of European acknowledgment.
If the declarations of importance, the approval, the "soins" and the acknowledgments of all the great Powers of Europe are to decide nothing, then Lord Palmerston is quite right; if they decide anything, it is the fate of Holstein.