The Press. — London, England, 1858-08-21 00:00:00

THE PRESS, AUGUST 21, which its resolutions are set forth. The conven tion, I am informed, contains fifty-six articles, and the first of them proclaims in express terms the suzerainty of the Porte over the principali ties of Moldavia and Wallachia. The others enact that though there shall be a certain union between the Principalities, they shall have sepa rate Ilospodars and separate flags. It is not a little singular that whilst the proceedings of this Conference have excited intense interest, and even anxiety, all over the Continent, they have attracted scarcely any attention in England. Yet they have been of extreme political importance— so much so, as more than once to threaten nothing less than a rupture between the great powers, and an entire remodelling of the system of alliances. It will be gratifying to Englishmen to learn that, thanks to the skilful manner in which Lord Malmesbury has acted, he has carried all the points which were considered essential to English policy, and, though some of them were not palatable to France,lwithout any misunderstanding with her. Some sensation has been caused by the Prince Napoleon having suddenly quitted Paris in a most unostentatious manner. As he announced his intention of leaving to scarcely anybody, it was supposed that something of extreme gravity had occurred, and it was said that he had rushed off to Brittany to consult the Emperor about it. There is reason to believe, however, that he has simply departed on an incognito trip to Switzer land. Some mischievous people say that his object in going is not so much to see mountains and lakes and breathe a new air, as to avoid for a time Mme. I'lessy, the actress of the Th6atre Francais, who, according to Parisian gossip, has conceived a violent passion for him, and has formed the audacious design of making him marry her. The Imperial Government, you are aware, is very partial to grand enterprises, and executes them, too. Witness the Rue de Rivoli and the Boulevard de Sebastopol in this good city of Paris, and the Bois de Boulogne just outside its walls. It is now, if I am correctly informed, causing to be examined a scheme of unexampled magnitude which has been submitted to it— nothing less than the establishment of an electric telegraph from France right away into China! Such a work would outstrip in grandeur the laying of the Atlantic cable, and would cast im mense eclat on the Sovereign who should order and the nation which should execute it. Its success as a commercial speculation might, per haps, be doubtful ; but that is a mere secondary consideration. Be not astonished, therefore, if some dai before long you read in the Afoniteur that a iranco-Chinese telegraph is to be set up. Nothing could have passed off better than the Emperor's fete on Sunday. The weather was fine, the decorations pretty, the military panto mimes exciting, the music noisy, the greased poles greasy, the dancing brisk, the illuminations splendid, and the fireworks dazzling, whilst the people, though they swarmed in a ll - the streets, were, as French crowds on festive occasions always are, full of joy and full of fun, but withal polite and orderly in the extreme. I fear me greatly that in these last respects the same thing could not be said of the London population turn ing out en masse on a national merrymaking. Oue thing was wanting to add eclat to the fete, and that was the presence of the Emperor and Empress. Without that presence there was no grand reception at Court of military officers and civilian functionaries in uniforms of every cut and every hue, a sight which pleases the French exceedingly, and makes the English greatly wonder. But to make up for the absence of their Majesties, the Imperial Prince, their child, was made to hold a grand reception of the officers of a regiment of the Imperial Guard at St. Cloud. And in this reception a curious inci dent occurred—the little Prince, who ever since his birth has figured on the muster-roll of the Grenadiers of the Guard as a soldier, was solemnly raised to the rank of corporal ; in return for which dignity he expressed his Imperial pleasure that the officers should be treated to champagne. In French eyes, which much admire things mili tary, this little affair appears a delicate and pleasing mark of respect on the part of the Em peror to the Imperial Guard; but to some Eng lish people it will no doubt seem grotesque, whilst by those who are afflicted with Cherbourg phobia it will be regarded as a new cause for its being used in two independent and often op posite senses. Those who arc alive to the tactics of Popery (and every educated Englishman ought in these days to be so) must have observed the unsrupu lous ingenuity with which Romanists build a sophism on the ambigulus word " Catholic" ; how from the unwillingness of their more en lightened opponents to deny them to be a part, though a most corrupt one, of the Church Uni versal, they have' pretended to extract the ad mission that they are the whole and sole Church. Many a poor Protestant, if not convinced, has been sorely puzzled, when pressed with the " holiness" of the " Catholic Church," coupled with the undeniable fact that both speakers and writers of his own creed have too generally ac quiesced in the application of the term " Catho lics " to members of the Romish Church. Near akin to this stale Popish device is the abuse of the term " Liberal" by a large portion of the press. As often as a Conservative Ministry do some act which is " Liberal" in the common sense of the word—interfere, for instance, to curb the insolence of foreign despotism; lighten the national burdens; reform official abuses; or strive to improve the condition, moral, physical, or intellectual, of the working classes—the pet sophism is brought into play—the measures, for sooth, are " Liberal," and it is unheard-of base ness in Conservatives to steal them from the " Liberal " party ! In this summary manner the useful legislation of a whole session is perverted into a misdemeanour on the part of a Conserva tive Government, while Whigs and Radicals claim credit, on the ground of prescriptive right, for measures which they would have postponed to the Greek Kalends. Such has been the sophism which, more or less ably disguised, has furnished to the Liberal press the staple of a hundred "leaders" during the last three months. Truly the " magic of a word" is often akin to the black arts. It may be replied, that the fallacy we have been exposing is too transparent to be successful. In the long run this may prove true ; but it cer tainly works temporary mischief, and tells espe cially on the ill-informed, who are easily imposed on by self-assertion, and on the discontented, who are glad to have a pretence of finding fault with what is well done. In truth the word " Liberal" must have been found very con venient by our contemporaries of the "move ment " party, or they would not have harped on it so continually. For the present we content ourselves with this brief notice of a very dis creditable party-dodge. We may hereafter take occasion to show to how few of the really Liberal measures which have been passed during the last sixty years the Whigs and Radicals, who form the mass of that strange aggregate misnamed the Liberal party, can establish an original or exclu sive claim. jortign darrespanbente. PARIS, Thursday. SINCE my last the Emperor and Empress have been making their " progress " in Brittany, and they will not bring it to a close until Saturday. Their Majesties must be heartily glad to be hack again at quiet St. Cloud, as the course of more than three weeks duration of mobs, triumphal arches, flags, bands of music, receptions, Te Drums, dinners, balls, firing of cannon, and listening to complimentary harangues, which they have heroically supported, is about the ex treme limit of human endurance. On the whole, it decidedly appears that the Emperor and Em press have been most cordially received by the Bretons—far better, indeed, than their fnends had hoped. The Emperor, in reply to addresses presented to him, has_: delivered several little speeches, but none of a political character. It is expected, however, that at a grand banquet to be given to him at Rennes, he will pronounce a political discourse. What, however, his Majesty can say beyond what he has already said in his two Cherbourg speeches, it is not easy to see. The Conference on the Danubian Principalities after two months labour, has at last completed its task, and I believe that this very day it has signed the convention and other documents in 1858. distrusting the French Emperor, ir.as L. they will ask what is more likely than that Imperial child has been made a corporal 1 other reason than to qualify him to corm the red-breeched host of 100,000 men 1%1 destined to lay England waste ? This, way, will make a new "point " for Mr. Roo in his next anti-French speech. And, apropos of this learned cynic, allow state that I verily believe there is not an lish resident in F'rance, whatev er hi s polite, sentiments, who is not asham e d o f hi s haral 4 tle and that of Mr. Lindsay. Even if what gentlemen said were true in itself —and deal certainly is not—it is felt that they guilty of execranle taste in saying it on the sion on which they did—just after enjoy French hospitality; and it is felt, too, that have done an impolitic and wicked thing, i much as such language as theirs wounds French more than English people not known' , them would be disposed to think, and, - quently, disgusts them with, and makes impatient of our alliance. During the last few years Protestant had frequent occasion to complain of indignities put upon them by the Catholic clergy, especially in the bu r i a l dead. The Havre journals which have us this morning relate a new one, whist sure will create a most painful sensation Protestant community. A Protestant died lately at Graville Saint Honorine, near town, and was taken on an appointed da d only cemetery in the place to be buried. Popish priest of the parish, however, acconit by another priest, presented himself at the of the cemetery when the corpse arrive. locked the gate with a huge padlock, saying , the heretic dead should not be admitted. Tti, Protestant clergyman prayed and threatened (observe that by law a Protestant is as entitled as a Catholic to burial in the cemetery) ; the family of the deceased wept. the black-robed priest and his companion to and fro with contemptuous gesture. A, a locksmith was sent for and ordered Protestant clergyman to force the lock. man was just about to comply, when the with a sneering remark, opened the gate, funeral was accomplished. PS. The news of the bombardment of which has arrived this day by telegraph, excited some sensation. THE NEW LORD HERRIES. HER MAJESTY having been graciously pl confirm the resolution recently arrived at Committee o' Privileges, namely," that Willi stable Maxwell, Esq., of Everingham-pai; county of York, had made good his claim dignity of Lord Herries of Terregles, in the of Scotland," that gentleman has taken up and is now the fourteenth Lord Herries. stable Maxwell is the eldest son of the late duke William Constable Maxwell, Esq., of ham-park, by 'P'eresa Apollonia, daughter late E. Wakeman. Esq., of Beckford-park, co: cester. He was born in 1804, and reeeivedb education at Stonyhurst College, Lancash . :. lordship is a Roman Catholic of large landed perry in Yorkshire ; he is a magistrate and lieutenant for the East Riding of Yorkst served the office of high sheriff of that mini 1833. Through his grandmother, the Lady Maxwell Constable, his lordship traces his from the Earls of Nithsdale, who also emoyi female title of Lord Herries of Terregles. 'Dr dates from 1487, and is descendable to heirs male as well as female, which was not the the earldom, a title of more recent date. B , were forfeited under attainder soon after t tish rebellion of 1715, in which the Earl of dale played a distinguished part. Tho aI however, was formally reversed by her Mi 1848, and within the last month, as we have stated, Mr. Constable Maxwell has succeeds establishing his claims to that ancient an , trious barony. Herries is descended from aco ancestor with Lord Farnham, and the Ma , baronets of Pollok, Calderwood, and Cardones . lineal ancestor, Herbert de Nlaxeswell, or de well, sat in the Parliament of Scone (F. 1283.84) when the nobles of Scotland ar acknowledge " the Maiden of Norway "as that kingdom, and became the grandfather Eustace Maxwell, the gallant defender of - rock against the invasion of King Edward L—C , Circular. such as :hat the for n o unman," yhich is I, by the A Roeb uc k NW me to an Eng. Political taran gue li tat those tl a great Ley were li he o cea . enjo ying :hat they ng, Mass a Inds the knowing conse. ;es them nts have wanton Roman of their reached ch I am a in the t female near the RV to the ed. The mipanied the gate wed, and ring that ed. The treatened as much common ept. But a stalked 5.t length 11 by the :k. The is priest, and the f Jeddah. raph, has Amid to at by the ham Can- ik, in the m to the kingdom p the title, Mr. Con. As Marna. Evering- ter of the co. Gloo- -1 his early tire. llis ailed pro- id deputy- thire, end county in • Winifred s descent joyed the be barony general, cue with lath titles t he Scot- of Nicht- attainder, rejesty in ve aimed!' seeded io and Mus- a COMMA Maxwells, ,ness ; his le Mom • Feb. 5111 ' woad to Queen 0., er of Sir r L—Court