The Press. — London, England, 1854-11-11 00:00:00

10153 THE WEEK. As time slips on, and Sebastopol holds out, misgivings begin to be felt for the fate of the allied expedition. Up to the 3rd instant Prince MENSCHIKOFF reports that no impression had been made on the Russian defences, and that the fire of the English was growing weaker. As we are still solely dependent on Russian sources for early information, we have no means of ascertaining the truth of this report, but, from the general correctness of former despatches first published at St. Petersburg, we may assume that this one is substan tially correct. The siege had then lasted twenty days, without any material impression being made on the works of the besieged. Their losses must have been undoubtedly very severe ; but the losses of the allies also had materially weakened their strength—so materially that the resolution of the commanders not to storm until more work had been done by their artillery may not improbably be referred to this cause. We are still without authentic details of the engagement of the 25th, but Prince MENSCHIKOFF reports that the two redoubts taken from the Turks had been strengthened and occupied by the Russians ; and if this be so, and they continue to be thus held, we must suppose that the allies were unwilling to hazard an attack for their recovery. The engagement must have been severe, as MENSCHIKOFF admits a loss in infantry alone of 300 men • he boasts of having made sixty prisoners. We hear, from private sources, that the cause of the heavy loss of our cavalry was, that the Russians brought up twelve pieces of artillery, masked by their cavalry. As our cavalry charged them, their horse broke up, wheeled left and right, and thus exposed our men to the full fire of their gulls. When authentic details come to be published, we fear it will be found that this expedition, so long delayed, and at last so hastily and recklessly undertaken, has been one of the most destructive to life recorded in our annals. The flower of the English army has been, in great part, struck down by it. The speech of the Premier at the Guildhall and his dismal mention of the vicissitudes of warfare having fallen upon us, has raised a suspicion that the Grove rnment may be in possession of more disastrous information than it has yet thought fit to publish. There was a kind of gloomy satisfaction in the Premier's tone as he dwelt upon " the horrors of war," which showed that the topic was not wholly distasteful to him. He foresaw the vicissitudes which we should have to deplore, when those who were now discouraged by them were most eager for war. The aim of the speech seemed to be that we ought never to have gone to w ar at all, but, as we had, it was quite as well that we should learn how wisely Lord ABERDEEN had acted in avoidiug hostilities so long. The return of our Baltic fleet has been signalised by the capture of one of our merchantmen on the coast of West Courland. We con tinue to hear of differences between the Admiralty and Sir CHARLES NAPIER, and it is currently reported that a reprimand was sent out to him in the course of last week. The country will now anxiously expect explanations as to those differences between the Admiralty and our naval commanders which have notoriously prevailed, and have probably been attended with serious injury to the naval service in both seas. The difference between the Turkish authorities and the Austrian officers in the principalities are becoming continually more serious. The Austrians wonder, naturally enough perhaps, that military occu pation can have but one meaning, and regard themselves, therefore, as masters of the country. This is very obnoxious to the Turks, as well as to the principal persons of the principalities, and tends still further to complicate the anomalous position of Austria. A firmer policy would, before this, have compelled her to take one side or the other. Even as a foe her action could hardly have been more mischievous than it now is as a neutral. Negotiations between Prussia and Russia are still, it appears, open. It is even said that, in answer to the last Prussian note, a missive is on its way from St. Petersburg, stating that if Prussia will obtain from the four Powers an assurance that they will not go beyond the four points, Russia will not refuse to negotiate on those bases. Are there any politicians, even in Prussia, so credulous as believe that these negotiations can now have any practical result? Mr. BRIGHT has published a long letter explaining his particular views on the war, for the benefit of his Manchester constituents in particular, and of Russia and the world in general. With many of his statements and arguments we have little to do, just because they are undeniably true, and have often been urged in our columns. Thus : " She [Turkey] drifted,' as Lord CLARENDON said, exactly de " scribing his own position, into the war, apparently without compass and " without rudder." Again : " The whole policy of the Government in " this matter is marked with an imbecility perhaps without example." Mr. BRIGHT indicates the future policy of his political section by dwelling on " the high prices of food, chiefly because war interferes "with imports, and we have declared our principal food growers to be "our enemies." On this ground hereafter there will perhaps be an attempt to make the war unpopular, and should it succeed,—should there be an anti-war agitation as clamourous as the former free trade agitation,—how will it be met ? The Emperor N:CHOLAS may well conceive that he has yet good cards in his hand, while he reads Mr. Barawr's peace letter, and Lord ABERDEEN'S peace oration. The Honourable Member for Manchester very emphatically says that he of all people will "bear no part in this terrible crime," that his " hands " (of all men's) shall be unstained with the blood that is being shed." But is he sure that the stain is not fixed on them, and so deeply, too, THE PRESS. SATURDAY, that not " all great Neptune's ocean " can cleanse it from them. Why, Lord ABERDEEN would have been positively helpless in thu Cabinet, and the war would have been, perhaps, averted alto gether, but most certainly shorn of its present power for mis chief, had he not been supported , in and out of Parliament, in his miserable dawdling by the " peace, peace, when there is no peace," of the Manchester maunderers. When the Yankee Quaker, who makes advances upon Southern Stock, and, in due time, " sells up" the planter, is innocent of the traffic in slaves (the " stock" aforesaid), which he periodically accurses on the platform, then Mr. BRIGHT and the peace prophets will be innocent of the war, and not before. As Mr. BRIGHT craves notoriety, why shouldn't he turn martyr? We propose the question in all friendli ness. We always understood it was against a Quaker's " conscience " to pay a war tax. Conveniently enough, the very preamble of the act that doubles our income tax alleges the war as the cause of it. Fiat experitnentum in an pose viii. Mr. BRIGHT in the pillory for refusing to support the war would be an excellent subject for Punch ! In connection with Manchester, Mr. BRIGHT'S Greek friends have been experimenting upon English patience a little too far. One of them wrote " Blessings, blessings !" in the Manchester Exchange under the telegraphic message of LIPRANDI'S assault on the allied lines ; another, it is said, means to " keep open house " when the siege of Sebastopol is raised. If so, let the man pray to all his gods, saints, pictures, and paraphernalia that it may be taken; for if it is not, and he carries out his intention, his house will be "open" to a far greater extent than ho imagines ; and he will be likely to furnish " entertain ment," in more senses than he is aware of, to a very miscellaneous assemblage of visitors. Amongst home topics we are glad to see that our authorities are bestirring themselves to enforce the provisions of the Smoke Prevention Act. Several informations have been laid during the week, and the offenders fined, with a threat of greater severity being exercised if the law be not complied with. This is as it should be. London has long been poisoned with exhalations from sewer and chimney ; and, as the latter nuisance certainly is preventible, the pro. visions of the act should in every instance be rigidly observed. As for the chivalrous Home Secretary's crusade against smoke of another kind, we much doubt whether it will be attended with equal success. Fancy Lord PALMERSTON laying a bill on the table of the House to prevent the consumption of tobacco ! Lord CLARENDON would resent the measure as a personal insult, and on financial grounds what, would Mr. GLADSTONE say The usual explosion of pyrotechnic " Protestantism" has just taken place, with more than its usual damage to life and property. At St. George's-in-the-East, a firework-maker has had his house blown up, three of his children burnt to a cinder in bed, and his wife, with two others, are reported to have since died at the hospital. At Kirkstall the beautiful Abbey ruins (the favourite holiday stroll of the Leeds artisans) have nearly been destroyed, fireworks having ignited the dry ivy that clusters round them. At Exeter, if we remember rightly, a year or two ago there was a riot on the occasion, and the town got on fire; Oxford and Cambridge contribute annually a traditional amount of broken heads to the glories of the day. As a mere matter of pru dence, among our thickly-peopled homes and quickly excited passions, it is surely time this mischievous nonsense was stopped ; and little boys (of whatever age) taught to find more rational objects of interest than Guy Fawkes. Tho safe return of Captain COLLINSON with his ship to Port Clarence will probably have the effect of terminating for a long time to come the prosecution of arctic discovery, at all events by such expeditions as have heretofore been sent forth The land expeditions proposed to bo despatched to the Great Fish River and to Mackenzie River, will, however, no doubt be sent out, with every aid that can contribute to their efficiency. By crossing from the American continent to King William's Island, and thence travelling north, it is highly probable that the lost ships, or some traces of them, would be discovered. In the latest reports from California, we notice that mention is made of serious disputes having for the last two years existed between Captain COLLINSON and his officers, the first lieutenant having been under arrest for upwards of two years and a half. The Spanish Government have returned a decided negative to the demand of our Ambassador, that " the slave trade should be de clared piracy," alleging as their reason that such a declaration would materially increase the discontent existing among the Cuban slave proprietors. This is letting the cat out of the bag. The slave trade is prohibited throughout the Spanish dominions, and why should the p r oposed measure excite discontent among the Cuban proprietors if the illegal traffic were not extensively carried on? COALITION SMOKE. Bow-SrnEET.—David Mitchell Aird, the printer of the Econmnist newspaper, appeared before Mr. Jardine to answer a summons issued by the direction of Lord Palmerston , and charging him with having failed to comply with the provisions of the new act for the prevention of the smoke nuisance in London Mr. Bodkin, considering who was connected with the journal printed there, had no doubt the nuisance would be prevented.—Times, Nov. 4, 1854. The Coalition consume their smoke ! No ! no! says Wilson, that's no joke ; If they don't, sass Pam., beyond a doubt, The Coalition must bo put out. X. \ \