The Press. — London, England, 1857-10-03 00:00:00

964 THE PRESS, OCTOBER 3, 1857. THE WEEK. THE interest felt in the Indian crisis is shown in the fact tha t even at agricultural meetings it fills a large space amidst the dis - cussions on husbandry, the harvest, and farmers' prospects. On Wed nesday Mr. DISRAELI and Sir BOLWER LYTTON spoke at Newport Pagnell and St. Alban s. Their speeches were eloquent and interest ing. Sir BULWER LYTTON most forcibly exposed the fatuity of our officials in India, and one admirable sentence deserves emphatic record : I may (said the Honourable Baronet) be permitted to soy that revolutions or revolts are never sudden. Those which appear to us to have been so had always given long previous, though it might be neglected, warnings. Revolts and revolutions are like the springing of mines. The ground must be hollowed, the barrels filled, the train laid, and the match must be fired, before we can be startled by the explosion; and therefore the man who tells us that a revolt which must have taken lnonths, if not years, to organise, no prudence could have foreseen, or no energy averted, simply asks us to believe that policy is an accident, and Government a farce. These are strong and eloquent words, but not too strong for the occasion. At Newport Pagnell Mr. DisnAELI dwelt power fully upon the immense evil of underrating the danger of the Indian crisis, and referred to " the issue at stake being " enormous, and the peril colossal." For the use of such language a leading organ has specially assailed Mr. DISRAELI on Friday, passing over the strong language of retrospective censure which fell from the lips of Sir BULIVER LYTTON. But side by side with this attack on Mr. DISREALI, what do we read in the first article of the same number of the Times ? Referring to the feelings of the Anglo- Indians, the Times says : - - Strangely enough this feeling of anticipated triumph betrays itself at the very moment when the arrival of the English mail brings what seems there an immense nndcr• rating of the mutiny The statements and estimates made in or out of Parlia ment, to the best of our recollection, simply reflected from time to time the latest news from India (!) It was nobody's business here (!) to anticipate worse than what was known; and reinforcements were despatched, if not quite as expeditiously as if the worst had been known, as expeditiously as anything is ever done in this country (!!) We search in vain through the speech of Mr. DISRAELI for language of incrimination so severe as we have here extracted from the organ which has censoriously attacked the Right Honourable Gentleman. It appears that the " statements made in Parliament" reflected " the " latest news from India." What a confession ! The Cabinet live from hand to mouth ! and that at a time when the detailed know ledge and repeated official warnings of the late Sir CHARLES NAPIER and his " secret" papers were before them ! "It was nobody's business "to anticipate worse than was known." Never look forward, never calculate emergencies, never anticipate eventualities, never provide against probable dangers. If the chimney catches fire, do not reflect that the house itself may be in flames ; if a beam gives way, do not suppose that the structure is in danger; if a plank starts, do not for a moment think that the ship may scuttle, and never look whether the pumps are in order. Read " Swift's Advice to Servants," and let Government be carried on by the rule of contraries. It is not the "business" of Government to look ahead, to be cautious, vigilant, or sagacious in seeing danger. To be " wide tiwalce " applies only to private life. Besides, the Government is "nobody." Honours, patron age, titles, salaries are heaped upon the Ministers, but collectively they are " nobody." The quiet irony of this style of invective may be proper or not, hut those who use it ought not to blame others for censuring the neglects of a Cabinet, wavering in its policy, and dilatory in its deeds. The statement that " reinforcements were de " spatched as expeditiously as anything is ever done in this country," is calumnious towards the public service. We know the contrary to have been the case. A fortnight since we proved in detail in our columns that extreme remissness was exhibited by the authorities in not being more prompt in aid; this week we have shown the amount of practical sagacity they brought to bear upon the crisis. We shall not now traverse that ground again, and we shall content ourselves with saying, that nothing so severe or damaging to the Cabinet has yet been written or spoken as what appears in the identical number of the journal which seeks to censure Mr. DISRAELI for his observations at Newport Pagnell. As the intelligence by this mail from India is free from the repe tition of any of those frightful massacres we now associate with every movement of the rebels, it is so far satisfactory ; but we must candidly confess that we fail to perceive any other clement of consolation in the details placed before us. Everywhere in India the cry is for " reinforcements." At Agra, Lucknow, Cawnpore, and Delhi, in the Mahratta country and in the Punjaub, at Calcutta, Bombay, and Madras, reinforcements of British troops were looked for with longing eyes in August last. It is now October ; it will be November before the army from England, yet at sea, reaches that unhappy country. Ere this, in India they have reaped the fruits of that apathy and delay which, in the months of May and June, depreciated the dangers of the crisis, and gave the rebels time and space to rear that colossal column of atrocity at which the world will shudder to the end of time, and amidst the ashes of our dead, to flood India with that deluge of blood which still flows from their victims. England will never forget the heroism of her children, but she can never forget the indifference of the Government to their fate. They fought like lions ; they have been left to die like dogs. The heroes of antiquity were more fortu nate. They did not depend upon a Minister at War. That it has been the same everywhere is not remarkable. The most heroic efforts are paralysed, the most disheartening losses inflicted, for want of force. The question we aro now told is narrowed to one of reinforcements." It is more ; it is a question of time as well as reinforcements. It was a question of time and reinforce ments in May and June, when Ministers, slothful and dilatory, refused to believe that force would ever be used or could ever be necessary. It was the same in July, when aroused from their torpor. Time even then was a matter of indifference to them. The result has been what all wise men anticipated, and what the country feared. As each succeeding mail now tells us of calamities we might have prevented, of heroic struggles we might have relieved, and of conquests we might have consolidated, every heart in the country writhes to reflect upon the unparalleled incapacity and criminal neglect which deserted our countrymen in their hour of need. Alas ! these regrets are embittered by the consciousness that reflection is useless, and remorse without avail, fur this page of our history is written by Ministers in the heart's best blood of our countrymen and friends. The Imperial interview at Stuttgardt has terminated, and that at Weimar has followed, to be in its turn superseded by one more dis• tinguished nearer Paris. The result of either interview at Stuttgardt or Weimar does not trouble the English nation much. We have per fect confidence in the good faith of the Emperor NAPOLEON, and we thoroughly understand the position and necessities of Austria and of Russia. The incidents of the interview at Stuttgardt were numerous, and lengthy letters have daily detailed each as it arose. The unbounded popularity of the Emperor NAPOLEON is very generally noticed. The Emperor of RUSSIA, amidst his own relatives, with good tact gave the place of honour to the stranger. Nothing had happened to mar the occasion, when the sudden appearance upon the scene of the Empress of RUSSIA, whose advent was wholly unexpected and defi nitely set aside, took everybody by surprise. It is not for us to ques tion the tact or the good feeling of a lady of such illustrious rank, but it is certain that her Majesty's appearance chilled cordiality, and justly roused a sense of disappointment that was not easily removed. The visit of the Emperor NAPOLEON to Weimar and his interview with tits Emperor of AUSTRIA, which had been nearly arranged, was post poned at the last moment. It is possible that in the course of the month the camp at Chalons will be honoured by the presence of some distinguished visitors, and that either then or shortly afterwards this postponed interview may take place. The Liberals must speak out about " Reform." It is now the month of October, and the country has a right to know what are the intentions of the Ministry about the new Reform Bill which has been kept so long suspended over Parliament. Lord Jortx RUSSELL has declared himself at Sheffield:— Gentlemen (said the Noble Lord), I believe the lime has come, and the Government of the day has allowed that the time has come, when the franchise may be further ex• tended ; and I think, nearly in the words of the Prime Minister, that large classes who have not hitherto possessed the franchise should in future enjoy and exercise that privilege. 'this declaration of opinion was received with " loud cheers." That expression of sentiment was delivered at Sheffield on Thursday, the 24th ultimo. On the same day Mr. OSBORNE found his voice at Dover; he delivered a long and elaborate speech, taking special care to avoid the subject of " Reform." Twice over the Secretary quoted " the great BURKE," and once to the following effect, in which the first axiom of English Conservatism is enunciated : A. man of pure speculative benevolence may wish the frame of society under which he lives to be differently constituted ; but a good patriot and a good politician will endeavour to make the best of existing materials. The disposition to preserve and the ability to improve would be my standard of a wise and true statesman. No " loud cheers" followed the quotation, which, under the circum stances, was probably one of Mr. OSBORNE'S intended indiscretions. One of the Liberal M.P.'s present animadverted on the " reserve" of Mr. OSBORNE upon " Reform." That is just the point. If we are to have a new Reform Bill, the country must not be taken unawares without proper preliminary discussions and due notice. In mercan tile language, " stock must be taken," and Ministers must declare what are their intentions. On Wednesday evening, at "a Reform Demonstration at Bury," Sir CITARLES NAPIER, said—" I think that " Reform cart go on at the same time that we are sending out " troops to India;" and Mr. R. N. PHILLIPS, M.P., spoke of "a new " Reform Bill being wanted," and if Lord PALMERSTON would not bring it forward, that Lord JOHN RUSSELL would do so ; and the Honourable Gentleman expatiated on the advantages of " bringing " forward a Reform Bill jest now." Let it be marked that this occurred at " a Reform Demonstration." The literary organs of the Ministry utter contradictory opinions upon this important question. We think that it is due to the country at large that Ministers should speak out as to their views. The public must not bo taken unawares. England recoils from violent acts of power. A main cause of the objection to "Catholic Emancipation" in 1801 and 1829 was, that both Mr. PITT and the Duke of WELLINGTON were supposed to have surprised the country. Lord PALMERSTON has pledged himself to a new Reform Bill for 18;►H. This is the tune to say whether he means to keep his pledge, and many think his Lordship could not escape from it without a ship wreck of character. Ministers, surely, must have their minds made