text:  To go no further in Europe than our immediate neighbour France let us ask whether Lord Palmerston did not bring us to the very verge and keep us at it for many months of actual war with that power which is always unhappily eager to "cry hurra and let slip the dogs of war;" and with reference to _us_ to go out of their way to create occasions for misunderstanding and hostilities? Were we not really on the verge of war?--of a war which would have instantly kindled all over Europe a war of extermination? Not however to descend to the discussion of recent occurrences familiar to every body we shall very briefly advert to the state of our relations with America with China and of our affairs in British India when Sir Robert Peel assumed the direction of affairs