freedom, as is usual when great sacrifices are demanded of a nation; or it
may be that he will get through with a struggle, putting French finance on
a healthier footing than has ever been yet. But I think, if he stands, he
_must_ carry on the war; and the more he feels his dangers, the more
vehemently will he resolve to stick at nothing necessary for success, and
will bid high to get Sweden to join us, which means to despoil Russia of
Finland and Poland.

"And if he is overthrown all Italy will rise, and after it Hungary, and
after it Germany and Poland....

"It grieves me much that Kossuth has united his name with Ledru Rollin's;
and altogether I think Kossuth is so _soured_ by the misconduct of the
Western Cabinets as to lose his soundness of judgment and fairness of
reasoning.... Through 1854 his tone became more demagogic, less dignified,
more defiant to authorities. He is now contemptuous to the British
_nation_ also, though I think it has throughout displayed precisely the
sound instinct which he so often ascribes to nations, and from which he
says a statesman must catch his inspiration. Our _nation_ did not know
what he knew--that Austria had given just ground of war to Turkey--that
Turkey was ready in October, 1853, to ally with Hungary against Austria;
nor could it know what were the military facilities for overthrowing
Austria, nor whether the stubborn resistance of Louis Napoleon was what
forced Aberdeen into his policy. But the nation since the Russian invasion
of Hungary has practically felt how dangerous to all foreign liberty is
the Russian power, and the absolute necessity of repressing and curtailing
it; and this determination of the people has made the war a reality, has
given power to that side of the Cabinet which alone was willing to go
forward, has displayed itself equally in our lowest distress and our chief
triumph, which Kossuth ought to honour....