Chapter 440: Change people without changing their minds
After hearing the report from the Mediterranean branch squadron, the envoy immediately conveyed to Major General Edmond Lyon the order of Lieutenant General James Dundas to return to Malta.
After receiving the order, Major General Edmond Leon did not hesitate for a moment and immediately issued an order to all crew members present to return to the Mediterranean base.
The semaphore soldier waved the flag in his hand in the cold wind, the lookout climbed up the mast to observe the surrounding situation, and the taxman untied the rope binding the giant sail... Everyone on the ship performed their duties.
With the joint efforts of all crew members, the British Mediterranean Fleet set sail again.
"Go!" Under the command of Major General Edmond Leon, the squadron headed for the Malta Mediterranean Fleet in a long formation.
After hearing the news that the British and French fleets had left on the same night, King Otto I of Greece and his Prime Minister breathed a sigh of relief at the same time. They were grateful that they could save their lives at the hands of their two "big brothers".
After all, not everyone can enjoy the dual "protection" of Britain and France.
…
Just as the fleets of the Kingdom of Britain and the French Empire were heading to Constantinople one after another, Britain, thousands of miles away from Constantinople, was also worried about what was happening in Constantinople.
When the Foreign Secretary, Lord Clarendon (who once served as Foreign Secretary, Sir Russell, had been kicked out by Aberdeen to the House of Commons as President of the House of Commons) presented Canning's telegram to the then Prime Minister, Lord Aberdeen.
, Lord Aberdeen couldn't help but groaned: "Oh God! This is simply a disaster!"
"Your Excellency Prime Minister, this is indeed extremely bad news!" Lord Clarendon nodded and responded to Aberdeen: "But we must face this bad news and then find a solution.
!”
"What do you think?" Lord Aberdeen asked Lord Clarendon as he looked at the bath.
"Prime Minister, I think Britain should be tougher!" Clarendon said decisively: "If we had not received this telegram before! We could still tell the British people that the Russian Empire is for peace.
Action is a last resort, but after we have learned about the series of tragedies that occurred in the Sinop area, from a humanitarian perspective, we must take action! Only in this way can similar things be prevented from happening! If our government
If we do nothing, we will lose the trust of voters!"
"Can I understand that you think the Kingdom of Britain should take a tough attitude towards the Russian Empire?" Lord Aberdeen frowned at the Foreign Secretary in front of him.
Clarendon, who was specially selected by Aberdeen to succeed Russell as Foreign Secretary, is naturally a dovish politician. However, his speech today seems to have violated the "principles" of a dovish politician.
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"Yes! I think so!" Clarendon straightened his back and said without fear.
"Mr. Clarendon, Britain's foreign policy is formulated based on Britain's core interests, not just for the interests of voters! As a politician, we cannot only care about votes and forget about Britain itself!" Aber
Din responded coldly to Clarendon.
"Your Excellency, Prime Minister, taking a tough attitude towards the Russian Empire does not go against Britain's core interests! On the contrary, it is completely in line with Britain's core interests!" Clarendon responded with a solemn tone: "Britain's core interests lie in safeguarding Europe.
The tragedy caused by the Russian Empire at the port of Sinop has seriously violated Britain’s original intention of peace and stability! We must do something!”
"Mr. Clarendon, we should indeed do something, but this does not mean that we must maintain a tough attitude towards Russia!" Aberdeen, a pro-Russian faction, still opposes taking action against the Russian Empire. He understands that he
Therefore, I can still sit in the position of prime minister because I can represent the interests of some pro-Russian factions. As long as I am unswervingly pro-Russian, they will not break away from me.
On the contrary, once he leaves the pro-Russian camp and turns to the anti-Russian camp, he will not be able to compete with the idle Palmerston and Russell, the President of the House of Commons.
Not to mention the famous anti-Russian faction like them, even Clarendon, who was once pro-Russian and now anti-Russian, may not be able to compete.
Only by clinging to the pro-Russian faction... to be precise, the anti-France banner can he continue to maintain this shaky cabinet.
"If not, how should the voters see us!" Clarendon said to Aberdeen reluctantly regarding the voters' question.
"Mr. Clarendon, I've already said it! Voter issues have nothing to do with the policies our government needs to formulate now! How many more times do you want me to say it!" Aberdeen pointed at Clarendon with a hint of anger.
He angrily said: "Besides, is this a matter that can be decided by just you and me?"
Lord Clarendon wanted to say something, but in the end he did not say it. He just bowed slightly to Lord Aberdeen and then said goodbye to Aberdeen.
After Lord Clarendon left, Lord Aberdeen took another look at Canning's message and couldn't help but cursed: "Damn Tsar, why do you always give me trouble!"
On the other hand, after Lord Clarendon left the Prime Minister's Palace, he did not choose to return home directly, but took a carriage to a mansion near Buckingham Palace.
The carriage was walking on a road equipped with gas lights. From time to time, two patrol policemen in police uniforms would appear on both sides of the road. They were the most loyal guards in the wealthy areas of London. Clarendon, who was looking at the policemen through the glass window of the carriage, couldn't help but wonder.
Palmerston was filled with admiration.
These are the rich legacies Palmerston left for London before leaving office.
Lord Clarendon, who came to the gate of the mansion with admiration, took a long breath and knocked gently.
After a while, there was a rush of footsteps from the other side of the door.
Immediately afterwards, a strong and steady response came from the door: "Who?"
"Mr. Palmerston!" Lord Clarendon greeted him respectfully: "I am Clarendon! I'm really sorry for calling you late at night!"
"Minister Clarendon!" The door slowly opened, and Palmerston's figure appeared behind the door. At this time, he was holding a kerosene lamp, and behind him was darkness.
"You can just call me Clarendon! I'm sorry for bothering you!" Clarendon still responded to Palmerston in a respectful manner.
"Come in!" Palmerston invited Clarendon into the room sideways.
"Thank you very much!" Clarendon thanked Palmerston again.
"If you don't mind, please come with me to the study! I think you must have something to ask for before you come here at this time!" Palmerston said to Clarendon.
"That's right! I have some important matters that I want to discuss with someone like you!" Lord Clarendon responded to Palmerston, and then entered the mansion with gentle steps.
After entering the mansion, Clarendon followed Palmerston into the study. In this slightly crude study, Clarendon and Palmerston talked face to face.
"Tell me what you need my help with!" Palmerston said to Clarendon as soon as he sat down.
"The situation is like this..." Clarendon told Palmerston about the news of Canning's telegram and Aberdeen's attitude, and then asked: "Mr. Palmerston, what should I do?"
?”
After Palmerston paused for a moment, he raised two fingers and said, "Two ways!"
"Which two?" asked Lord Clarendon to Palmerston.
"The first is that you don't need to take care of anything. Just pretend that nothing has happened. This can delay the collapse of the cabinet!" Palmerston said to Clarendon in a calm tone: "However, this is only temporary.
Expedient measure! Just like you said to the Prime Minister of Aberdeen, once the British people know the truth, they will definitely not tolerate what the British cabinet does! The cabinet collapse will be faster. This method can
The extension time will probably not exceed the end of the year!"
"What's another way?" Clarendon asked Palmerston hurriedly for the next method.
"I think you should know!" Palmerston said to Clarendon with a smile.
"But, I..." Clarendon hesitated.
"What happened in Sinop was something I did not expect! Under such circumstances, it is obviously impossible to seek peace with Russia! There is only one way left.
Go, that is to take a tough attitude towards the Russian Empire! Only in this way can we win the approval of voters!" Palmerston analyzed Clarendon: "However, it is impossible for Aberdeen to exert influence on the Russian Empire.
There are already two people in the anti-Russian camp, Speaker Russell and me. This means that even if he faces the British voters with an attitude of opposing the Russian Empire, he will not be recognized by the British voters! On the contrary, Speaker Russell and I are two people
But they were able to take advantage of the opportunity of anti-Russia to form a cabinet again! This is the reason why Aberdeen is unwilling to think about Russia!"
"Is there really nothing we can do?" Clarendon asked Palmerston.
"If there was any way, I don't think you would have appeared here!" Palmerston looked at Clarendon with a half-smile.
Clarendon's appearance here means that he is ready to completely break away from the pro-Russian camp and turn his back on Palmerston and the others.
All the previous questions were just excuses made up by Clarendon to convince himself!