The Press. — London, England, 1853-12-17 00:00:00

THE PRESS. prophesied should be taken ; if Sproggs should triumph—and the " sad necessity of the guillotine be called into play—l much fear. I say, that Liberals and Conservatives will Lind themselves in the same boat—Chnron's. 1 shall find myself cheek-by-jowl in the tumbril with my accomplished Whig friend Iles .ell Sid ne y Delamiere, and we will die like gentlemen—in company. But, waiving these melancholy seenlathins, k now i lig th a t, Mew are crowns to be broke !" which no thickness will save, before matters go so far as all that, where, ask you, is the mighty force of Radicalism, if the Radical literati be, as I say, inferior to their late predecessors ? 1 think we may say that, first of all, of course, much that seems formidable is formidable only in sound ; but that, at all events, the preternatural «cticity of Rathealismis more remarkable than its force. . . Now, how much depends on this element of activity? Consider the 'sorbs* pedienhnis of which Sylla died : it is a funding pe4hePdaris of its kind which is attacking old Europe ! The insects are all alive, and work with never-ceasing zeal. A man who preaches in a cathedral must induce people to come to the cathedral ; if he preaches from a tub, he can roll it front place to place. and find an audience every where. Good Mr. Freville of Freville Likes life easily : but Professor Cockroach is always on the wing, demolishing St. Paul at Manchester, polishing off the Middle Ages at Preston, showing up aristocracy in Cow-lane, all in the same week ! Squitt the novelist has a press which never stands still, pouring out incessant exposures of a ruffian." While Tennyson is in seclusion, and Browning quiet at Florence, Squally the Radical poet is singing incessantly : you 1111111 t hear him whether you like it or no ! While you fondly believe that in order to understand politics you must study history and the philosophers, a dozen fellows like Sproggs know far better, and are chattering with insane activity the prejudices of the hour. While one humorist esteems it absolutely necessary to his talent to study Horace and Erasmus, the Radical Jester, his neighbour, does not so waste his time, but is crackling with incendiary sarcasm all about the public streets. Let us always remember the advantage the attacking party, too, has. When a house is burning the tire feeds itself and leaps up by its own force : the water to put it out must be forced up by machinery. How profoundly conservative must the natural English mind be to be so faithful to institutions in the midst of such au uproar of assault ! John Aniseed Potts, Esq., author of the " Vast Abyss " (a poem), " Lives of Great Men " a series, of which the thirtieth is in prepara tion), is an illustration of these remarks. He will drop the "John " in a year or two, and call himself simply Aniseed Potts." He is the most " pushing" man in Europe, as insatiable and imperturbable a seeker of success as Dando of oysters. Ho will want a crest some day ; he will take a erest—as he would take the best potato or the liver-wing ; or, as he would march into your drawing-room and propose to your daughter. Does he require the aid of the eminent Mr. Sampson, with whom he has a slight acquaintance ? he sets the knocker going. " Mr. Sampson is at dinner—a party, sir !" " Ile will see Mr. Potts ; Mr. Aniseed Potts !" He is asked in ; he is asked to take a glass of wine ; he instantly begins to talk; and unpack all his intellectuality and his knowledge as readily as a pedlar. It is the inalienable and most blessed conviction of Potts that pm cannot kick him out, you knmr. And you don't kick him out. He carries his point everywhere. Potts was born a Radical, inasmuch as he found out at his first plush of knowledge that the British Constitution had not made a proper provision for—Potts. To harmonise this unnatural state of things was his immediate object, and antagonism his natural attitude towards English institutions. As writing in our days is evidently a matter of inspiration chiefly, Potts wrote very early. In the army or the navy no such bore could have been tolerated by his associates, had their professions been within his reach. But in " literature" Potts was at home, for no man can define what " literature " is, in the sense in which it is used to signify a profession. Clearly (as we see every day), everybody who writes is a literary man, if he chooses to tall him- self so. Potts writes, ergo, &c. In a little while he was the "distin guished Mr. Potts." fur who is to settle the degree of fame which en titles a man to that appellation? It is the advantage of the Radical man of letters that he can embody his radicalism in so many forms like garlic, it suits a dozen dishes, according to taste. To biography, poems, reviews, &c. &c., the charming flavour can be imparted. Potts cannot add an argument or an idea to any of those disseminated by his brother Radicals of whom I have discoursed. But he can propagate them through the medium of polite letters, insinuate them in vanotis ways, and use his " genius " to convey them, even as an ass caned Silenns, in certain processions of anti quity. A "pushing man, sir; a pushing man, said Mr. Sampson of Potts, and, with all England beti ire him, he may push away successfully for years to come. Biography alone is field enough for one man, if he goes actively to work,—if, having finished a saint, he takes up a soldier, and keeps his eye on a martyr while working away at the statesman he has in hand. Time improves everything ; a gosling learns to fly by watching the geese do it; and a pushing man by degrees learns how the polite world pronounces names like Thucydides and Herodotus. and thus refines and improves on his education. Potts, I have heard, astonished a man or two by freaks of pronunciation, which Wert: at first supposed to be contributions of his own to a " large measure " of University Reform, but, from his having adopted the ordinary customs of the world in the matter since, it is supposed that the peculiarity was the result of early circumstances. - - - - It is satisfactory to know that the institutions 44 Entflanil. if they do not meet the approval. yet enjoy the careful attention o f th e n►nny Aniseed Pottses who adorn our current literature. 781 APPLICATIONS FOR LORD PALMERSTON'S PLACE. Tut: moment that the intelligi•nee of I PAI.SII:IIAToN . % resignation got wind on Thura,tlay last it was remarked at the arious Chiba that there was a sudden rush to the writing-tables. This as not under stood by non-politie4l members. but the results were painfully appa rent to Lord amtorEN that evening. Many letters arrived litter. by railway parcels. from various parts of the kingdom. Mid LI Ira Arimi- EN's servant?, weir being perpetually rolled out or bed all Thursday night to take them in. The numbers were mike.' by his lordship. and denote the order in which the documents were received. We have been favoured with the sight of the epistle,. a n d are permitted to pub lish some of the moat interesting : No. 1. My Lord,-1 have just heard that Viscount Palmerston ha• resigned. This is *I stet► in the right direction. I shall have inueh pleasure in taking his place. and in discharging its duties in. 1 hope and trust. a superior manner. If you think that I shall be more useful in the Lords, a peerage %ill not be objected to. In tart, I reel it a 1101110 r of conseience to len.l her Majesty's I iovenitinuit any assistative in my pk.wer at this crisis. I !Instill to Voll4ol'l you by assuring you of this.—l ant. .te.. Itr:?.►.lllts N4l.t. 1 1 . S. Pietist' not to mart' this note to L►►rd 11. C. S. A worth) fellow, but impracticable. Ni. '2. Nly dear I MINI rause of civil and religions liberty must not at this juncture be entrusted to hands inadequate to its defence. Nor eon the I tome -office be properly eonthlisl:to any 111411 Who) is not to the taiga that all Mankind are brothers, that all refugees are virtuous and persecuted patriots, that every continental monarch is a scoundrel, that all policemen are brutes and spies, and that a beard, a foreign accent, and dirt generally, MIN' credentials which should entitle the holder to the usual m 414416,1 attention from a British Minister. Having ~aid this, I need only add that 1 hall be at horns from ten to seven tomorrow, and that I am, it e., lU•oury t'orrrs STUART. _ . hate tny , :tery ; but you luny Rs will soy nothing of thim note to Sir 13. 11. A sharp fellow, but very• meitish. Net. i. Aly I .onti,—(ll so mistress you nm aOM rs win, not Unit 'on or any -1""IY eNe i. 'HY hint.) The Home Scerntary it out. I distil ask his Owe. I ask nothing. lint if I °Mee, it ix on the distinct that I tun pledged to malting, Null that I inn not obliged —no, I shtnitil like to know who eonld Oblige toe—bit that I inn not SI )lieit el I to go through the Mir:lint 01111 limit of kissing ginpii Viettnia's bawl. Tin, inish.rstotal. 'int inay t•all null say what %stu have to say. I alit generally at home, or. if not, oil the world knows whert• I ani.-I'siiim Jon% .‘itrin It M.Li t t., k. I admit. by this opplientiiiii, ibut dun might t' have the right to I if mie Serrettuy. No. 11. Respected Frien4l,—Thee host an opening, I learn, for one who is compe tent to do the work of Ilon a ' Secretary. lam a man of peace, lint nut nuablo to view the signs of the times, and I can tell thee, for thy comfort and cenoola - lion, that thou wilt have about as stormy a session, next year, as ever raged in the British Parliament. Thee art in a 11184.4. I could heartily wish to see oho but, in the House which is n o t lon might b o ma d e that of t h e l e t tae f'urthe'r tell thee, that thy subordinates will be none the worse for having secured the aid of a p)1111:4 and healthy mum, not ever tEI with veneration or other scruple, having sound lungs and a roaring mid totally eareles4 what he says to anybody, ail what anybody to him. If thee art eel that . . mind, adolre4s a ling• to thy %i•!I- ~~i.hs .lull\ Milli+ll7. No. V. Lord Aberdeen,--You have now a chance of wiping out one of this million stains which a brutal Saxon nation has east upon the shield of pour Ireland— poor in money, 'jell in virtue and honour. Select % our new Home Siseristory from the ranks of the Brigade, and for once dare to do bold and a joist thing. To show that I am not mercenary, I will take the situation at half the salary demanded by a haughty and luxurious Englishman- for, alas! you hare train's! us to penury and self denial. Bo not think to get another Is ishinnti on cheaper terms; we have all sworn by our hopes of the regeneration of Erin not to take a farthing less titan the terms I offer.— I , a n, Lord Aberdeen, Ac., C. 1.. fhltr. No%. 14, 2:r, 211, •:7, 2s, 29, and 341, . . are all from members of the Brigade, each underbidding the other, and all begging that nothing may he said to any other Irishman of their arplieitt No. .1.2. Sir John V. Shelley presents his compliments to the Earl of berdeen ► and begs to inform his lordship that Sir John V. Shelley will be at home from ten to twelve, walking up and down before his door from twelve to one. at the Club from one to three, under the Opera colonnade from three to four, at home from four to six, at the Club from six to nine, and at home from that time until Lord Aberdeen pleases to send for him. Copy the address. No. 61. Sly dear Aberdeen,—Now's your time. Put me into the !tome office. I'm at home anywhere except at sea and in grammar. (iridium wants it; but never mind Graham. lam the man for you. I know you think I've been very dull in the House and very useless out of it since I took office, but it's not my fault, but Graham's, who cheeks Inv flow of spirits, and harps upon any little mistake a• if it were a matter of impeachment. You give me Pam's place. and sss• how PH give it the Opposition. tilailstone's neat, but so wordy, (iridium's mischievous. hut not safe, and as for Wood, and Wilient,land the lawyers, bless you! Pam ran smash the quartet in a brace of shakes. No, as said, I'm y ou r mute, and, if you know what you're about, I'm Hume Secretary at this arising. So, my dear Abby, no more at present from yours teetotally, It. 111: ItN.l T. 0 , 10 'RN r. No. 100. ...,....... My Lord,—lf Lord l'almerston's going out, at this cri.is, means anything at all, it :ileum that the Government is determined tii adhere to a policy of peace, no matter at what sacrifice of that 'AMA fooli%li reo.ple call honour and glory. This I suppose is logical. Very well then. I . 1114 the limernment means to do things by halves, it will replace the War r with one who has all along oily-nested the extreme pence policy, namely, that of n 1111111111 V trades man, who will let anybody .mask his face, provided the its%ailant bit's the work '4 (4 the assaulted party. I will be at your counting-house by 12.30 to morrow. Tours truly, His HARD Co/DER. DECEMBER 17, 1853. 4