But why should the noble lord prevent the Russians from occupying Constantinople? "He, for his part, had great doubts that any intention to partition the Ottoman empire at all entered into the policy of the Russian Government."—(House of Commons, February 14, 1839.)
Certainly not. Russia wants not to partition the empire, but to keep the whole of it. Besides the security Lord Palmerston possessed in this doubt, he had another security
"in the doubt whether it enters into the policy of Russia at present to accomplish the object, and a third 'security' in his third 'doubt' whether the Russian nation (just think of a Russian nation!) would be prepared for that transference of power, of residence, and authority to the southern provinces which would be the necessary consequence of the conquest by Russia of Constantinople."—(House of Commons, July 11,1833.)
Besides these negative arguments, the noble lord had an affirmative one:
"If they had quietly beheld the temporary occupation of the Turkish capital by the forces of Russia, it was because they had full confidence in the honour and good faith of Russia. The Russian Government, in granting its aid to the Sultan, has pledged its honour, and in that pledge he reposed the most implicit confidence."—(House of Commons, July 11,1853.)
So inaccessible, indestructible, integral, imperishable, inexpugnable, incalculable, incommensurable, and irremediable, so boundless, dauntless, and matchless was the noble lord's confidence, that still on March 17, 1834, when the Treaty of Unkiar Skelessi had become a fait accompli, he went on declaring that, "in their confidence ministers were not deceived." Not his is the fault if nature has developed his bump of confidence to altogether anomalous dimensions.
