Viscount Palmerston to Queen Victoria.
LORD JOHN RUSSELL AND GARIBALDI
Downing Street, 13th February 1861.
Viscount Palmerston presents his humble duty to your Majesty, and begs to state that the Cabinet at its meeting this afternoon were of opinion that Lord John Russell's proposed letter to Garibaldi, as altered by Lord John, might do good, and could scarcely be attended with any material inconvenience, and that therefore it might go.8
Footnote 8: It accordingly was sent in the following form:—
General,—You did me the honour, some time ago, to write me a letter, thanking me for a speech I made in Parliament.
I was not insensible to the value of that compliment. My present purpose however is not compliment.
I wish you seriously to reconsider your declaration that you propose to begin a war in the Spring.
It seems to me that no individual, however distinguished, has a right to determine for his country the momentous question of peace or war with a foreign State.
Italy, represented by a free Parliament, is about to assemble and declare her own sentiments and wishes.