The Birth of Modem Egypt 57
Egypt and Syria from the Turkish Empire ... we are
prepared to give naval aid to the Sultan against Mehemet
AH, and intend to order our fleet to Alexandria. I write
this on the supposition that France is honest and can be
trusted." But France, as it happened, was neither.
While professedly asking no more than the recognition
of Mehemet Ali as hereditary Pasha of Egypt and Syria,
and while acting in concert with the other Powers, France
was secretly negotiating on its own account in favour of
Mehemet Ali with the Porte. On ascertaining this,
Palmerston, under a threat of resignation, forced Mel-
bourne to sanction a ten-day ultimatum to Mehemet Ali
depriving him of Syria. The French tried to reopen
negotiations, but Palmerston was determined to dictate
a settlement. Admiral Napier was sent to attack Ibrahim
in Syria, and a landing was made at Beirout (September,
1840), while the Porte joyfully proclaimed the deposition
of the Pasha. France declared that it would consider as a
casus belli any attempt to dispossess him (October 8,
1840). Palmerston replied through his Ambassador:
" Tell M. Thiers that if France throws down the gaunt-
let, we shall not refuse to pick it up ; and that if she
begins a war she will lose, to a certainty, her ships,
colonies, and commerce ; that her army in Algiers will
cease to give her anxiety, and that Mehemet AH will
just be chucked into the Nile."
Thus, by trying first to overreach, and then to outface
one another, Palmerston and Thiers brought two friendly
Western people to the verge of war on a point of Oriental
prestige. One was, of course, bluffing and the other
bullying. But the risk of war was none the less real, and
was only removed by the good sense of Louis Philippe,
who replaced Thiers by Guizot. This success for our
spirited foreign policy was followed by a no less gratifying