Henry John Temple Palmerston Biography

Dromo's Den

PALMERSTON, Henry John Temple third Viscount (1784-1865). An English statesman. He was born in Hampshire, Oct. 20, 1784, a descendant of an old and historic family. Receiving his early education at home under an Italian refugee and at Harrow, Palmerston studied later in the University of Edinburgh, under Dugald Stewart, in whose family he lived, and at St. John's College, Cambridge, where he received his master's degree in 1806. He succeeded his father in the Irish peerage in 1802. His eminent abilities were early recognized; the Tory party in the university selected him in 1806 as their candidate to succeed Pitt. Twice unsuccessful, he entered Parliament for Newtown, a pocket borough, which seat he held till 1811, when he was chosen at Cambridge and represented his alma mater for 20 years, losing his seat only when he entered the Grey ministry and supported the Reform Bill. After a term for Bletchingley and one for South Hampshire, he found a seat at Tiverton in 1885, which he held till his death. He was appointed a Junior Lord of the Admiralty in 1807, and two years later he accepted the office of Secretary of State for War in the Duke of Portland's administration. This office he held during the governments of Perceval, Liverpool, Canning, Goderich, and Wellington-a period extending from 1809 to 1828 without, however, a seat in the cabinet until 1827. There was ample scope at the War Office for Palmerston's administrative talents and activity. The military system swarmed with abuses, and the labor thrown upon the Secretary of State for War during the Peninsular campaign was prodigious. Palmerston early attached himself to the Canning section of the Liverpool administration and accepted a seat in the cabinet of Canning. His official connection with the Tory party ceased in 1828, when Wellington insisted on accepting Huskisson's resignation, which was followed by Palmerston's retirement. The Duke's government was swept away in the reform flood of 1830, and Earl Grey, who became Prime Minister, offered the seals of the Foreign Office to Palmerston. The European horizon was so disturbed at this crisis that war seemed inevitable, but Palmerston brought about friendly relations with the new King of France, Louis Philippe, and, the two countries thus acting in reasonable harmony, the independence of Belgium was effected, and constitutional governments were established in Spain under Queen Isabella and in Portugal under Queen Maria. In addition to the above questions Palmerston had to deal with Eastern problems. He supported Turkey against Russian aggression. Later (1840) he united with Russia against France to curb the rising power of Mehemet Ali, apparently fearing that French influence in Egypt might endanger England's communication with India. The Opium War of 1840-42 resulted in the opening of five Chinese ports to trade. In 1841 the Quintuple Treaty to suppress the African slave trade was negotiated, but failed, being opposed by Lewis Cass, United States Minister to France, on account of the right of visitation clause. A strong foreign policy gave Palmerston during these pears greater reputation abroad than in England. At home he favored free trade, labor laws, shorter hours, and factory acts.

In 1841 Palmerston went out of office with the Whigs on the question of corn duties, but on their return in 1846 he resumed the seals of the Foreign Office. His second foreign administration furnished various subjects of hostile party criticism. A vote of censure on the foreign policy of the government was carried in 1850 in the House of Lords on the motion of Lord Stanley (afterward Earl of Derby). A counter resolution, approving the foreign policy of the government, was thereupon moved in the House of Commons. The debate lasted four nights. In December, 1851, however, Palmerston was dismissed from the Russell cabinet. He had in an unofficial oral way, expressed his approbation of the coup d'état of Louis Napoleon without consulting either the Premier or the Queen; and, as explanations were refused, her Majesty exercised her right of dismissing her Minister. A few weeks later Palmerston avenged himself by bringing about the fall of the Russell administration on a comparatively trifling question regarding the militia. He refused an offer from the Earl of Derby to join the government which that statesman was commissioned to form, but accepted the post of Home Secretary in the coalition administration of the Earl of Aberdeen in 1852. The fall of this government, on account of the mismanagement in the Crimean War, placed Palmerston in the position of Prime Minister, to which he was unanimously called by the voice of the nation (February, 1855) He vigorously prosecuted the Russian War until Sebastopol was taken and peace was made. His government was defeated in March, 1857, on Cobden's motion condemnatory of the Chinese War. Parliament was dissolved, and Palmerston met the House of Commons with a large majority. But his administration fell in February, 1855, on account of the Conspiracy Bill, intended to protect foreign rulers against the machinations of plotting refugees. A short Conservative administration followed; but in June, 1859, Palmerston was again called to the post of First Lord of the Treasury and Premier, which he continued to fill to the day of his death, Oct. 18, 1865. His sympathies were always with oppressed nationalities, so he favored Italian unity, and opposed the War of Prussia and Austria against Denmark in 1864. It was his ambition to be considered the minister of a nation rather than the minister of a political party; and his opponents were constrained to admit that he held oflice with more general acceptance than any English minister since the time of Chatham. As an orator he was usually homely and unpretending, but always sensible and practical. He was a dexterous tactician and a ready, witty, and often brilliant debater. He was popular as a minister because he was thoroughly English in his ends and aims.

The New International Encyclopaedia, Vol. XVII (New York: Dodd, Mead & Co., 1920) 775-776.