Lord Russell, in laying on the table of the House
of Lords, on Thursday night, notice of the termination of the Reciprocity Treaty with Canada twelve months hence, made a statement, apparently intended as an answer to a speech of Mr. Bright's in the House of Commons ten days ago, in which he charged the Government with unfriendly conduct towards the Government of the North. With regard to the acknowledgment of the South as belligerents, we think the reply was scarcely needed. It would have been impossible to delay it without grievous injury to the interests of all parties. With regard to the " suppressed " de- spatch on the Trent question, Lord Russell could not publish it because no copy vias left with him. And of its pacific word- ing he said nothing, because he sincerely doubted its drift, as did Lord Palmerston. On the Alabama question Lord Russell wisely enough said little. Every one admits it was a discredit to our Government, though probably more of a bungle than of wil- ful neglect. In the matter of the rams the Government did all that could have been asked of them, and on the whole we hold, with Lord Russell, that there is not a shadow of good reason why the North should charge unfriendliness on the Government, —though it might perhaps without injustice do so on the Opposi- tion, and possibly even on the majority of both Houses of Parlia- ment. But the North is not, we believe, quite so childish as to wish to fight us merely because we are "nasty and cross."
