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

THE PRESS, OCTOBER 3, 1857. Sir R. W. CARDEN. He is a sincere Conservative, and therefore he was to be opposed! But neither skulking Liberals nor openmouthed '• 'longshoremen " prevailed. The Lord Mayor Elect behaved with manliness and spirit, and had a brilliant triumph. At a future time it may be our duty to bring before our readers certain considerations respecting the interests and social claims of the Conservative party in the " City of London." It is said that application has been made by some hundred Austrian officers for commissions in our army in India. We dare say it has. But there is this one unfortunate obstacle in the way of granting their requests, that probably there are ten times as many Englishmen in exactly the same position. Much, therefore, as we value the high character and the gallantry of the officers of the Austrian army, wo sincerely hope that here, at all events, the English press will unite in doing their duty, and protest vigorously against the employment of mercenaries in any shape while there is an Englishman left who can raise a sword or fire a gun. Let there be no mistake about this. We have no particular desire to protract Lord PALM ERSTON'S tenure of office, but we have no objection to give him the benefit of our own opinion, which is, that ho could perhaps do nothing at the present moment more utterly odious to the nation than consent to the employment of foreigners in any shape. Such a force would be at once a disgrace to the people, and a job to the Government; while what we have to expect on the dis bandment of such a corps our police-courts, since the conclusion of the Russian war, have scarcely ever left off proclaiming to us. up on the question, and only a small portion of the Cabinet is engaged officially upon the Indian mutiny. We do not ask for details of their measure, if they have one, but we ore entitled to ask for " Yes" or " No" to tho query " Are wo to have a Reform Bill in 1658 r Reports are prevalent that serious misunderstandings have arisen at Calcutta between the Governor-General and the Commander in- Chief. No " serious misunderstandings " exist. Sir COLIN CAMPBELL has very properly resented an imprudent and uncalled-for attempt to limit his authority over the army. The country may rest assured that Sir COLIN CAMPBELL is not the man either to exceed his powers or to permit them to be encroached upon. At the same time it is not to be concealed that the presence in the Council at Calcutta of these petty jealousies and impertinent assumptions upon the part of men, not only utterly ignorant of war, but who have prayed themselves so incapable in a crisis demanding that decision of character for which Sir COLIN CAMP BELL is pre-eminent, is deeply to be deplored. It may paralyse the most vigorous measures of the General-in-Chief, and so hamper the operations of the campaign as to expose him to defeat and disaster instead of that victory and success he will have a right to expect. With reference to the command of the cavalry in India, it is believed that Lord GEORGE PAGET, in preference to General SCARLETI, or to General JACKSON at the Cape, will be selected. The Daily News has made itself unusually notorious this week by a most gross and vulgar and indecent attack upon Lord DERBY. No one, we well know, can read any Ministerial journal for six conse cutive days without seeing some scurrilous calumny upon the Conser vative leaders. It matters not what the subject, or what the occasion, the mode of treatment is exactly the same. The vilest motives and the most degrading sentiments are freely attributed to any one who dares to question the wisdom or to impugn the policy of her Majesty's Government. But if political material happens to be wanting, the Ministerial journalists have no compunction in assaulting the personal character of their opponents, and the article which appeared in the Daily News of last Tuesday is a specimen of the species of guerilla warfare to which Liberalism is reduced in modern times. Lord DERBY might well have treated such nv aspersion upon his character as a landlord and a gentleman with the silence of supreme contempt. But for once he has condescended to crush his libeller, and the letter which we subjoin will, we think, serve to demonstrate the paltry and mendacious spirit which disgraces the leading Liberal journals in these days : TO THE EDITOR OF THE DAILY NEWS. Sir,—l see that in your paper of yesterday you have devoted an entire column to an attack upon my personal character, and an imputation of the most unworthy nritives on my part, for a supposed arbitrary exercise of territorial rights within the borough of Preston. Perhaps it may be a satisfactory—at all events I hope it will be a conclusive—answer to the imputation of motives, to say that the article in your paper is the first intimation which has reached me of the facts, or alleged facts, of the case itself. I shall write to my agent to request that he will satisfy your curiosity upon a point which he has not thought of sufficient importance to bring under my notice; but, from my knowledge of the property in question, 1 conjecture the facts to be that, having been engaged for some years in opening, at great expense to myself, but greatly to the advantage of the town of Preston, an intended thoroughfare through my private property, which is not yet completed, and has not been dedicated to the public, the alleged decision of the magistrates raised a question of right of way, which, for form's sake, could only be contested by placing a chain across the alleged thoroughfare. It is just possible that this statement may lead you to think that you have been somewhat hasty in attributing motives to, sir, your obedient servant, Knowsley, Sept. 30. DEBBY. " City politics" in our days have lost much of their former into rest. In the last century, in the days of WaxEs and others, the City was as interesting to politicians as it is now to speculating capitalists. The great new towns of the north of England were not then in existence; Parliamentary reporting was in the hands of Dr. JOHNSON and others, who made Roman senators discuss the affairs of the eighteenth century in the Gentleman's Magazine, and opposition to the Court was carried on in " the City." Commoners of the family pretensions of the BECKFORDS and SAIVDRIDGES were prowl to aspire to civic honours. The secret correspondence of JUNIUS with WoonrAt.i. and WiLxEs, and the letters of Lord CHATHAM, amply prove the power of " the City " in the last century. The rise of other commercial places, and the changes of society, have now thrown " the City " into shade, and we think that the change has gone too far. We place great value ourselves on the opinion of the " City of London." It is more truly British than the provinces, and it is animated with the spirit of great traditions. We think that " the City" has been far too much neglected in politics, and, for our own part, we feel much interest in Its affairs, both social and political. We are sincerely glad, therefore, that b Sir R. W. CARDEN h as b een so cor di a lly e l e cted Chief Magistrat e for the ensuing year. A miserable attempt was made to disparage him, but it ended i n i gnom i n i ous discomfiture, and the Lord Mayor Elect completely turned the tables on his vulgar and mercenary oppo nents. We never like going into any matters of a pi ivate character, but we may say that we fear factious motives, as well as sordid love of base lucre, influenced some (we say " some") of the oppositionists to VENDETTA! Oh, bitter shame! oh, burning wrong ! Oh, subtle spite of hell ! Hearts know—eyes weep—breath falters at What tongues may never tell. Beneath the knife, sister and wife Butchered like bleating beast; The shambles ply—our darlings die— Die ! that, alas ! the least. The lips so often met in love, The wifely trusting breast, The hand ne'er took but tenderly, Never but gently pressed; Touched—tainted by the cursed palms Of those whose coward eye Dared not till now lift lid to gazo On such sweet majesty. Oh ! brothers—brothers—brothers mine, Curse not, or curse them low ; Let the deep passion of your grief Shake not your sword-arms so ; Clear your keen eyes of blinding tears, Quiet your heart's hot beat, Keep sorrow for the coining years, Take vengeance now—swift—sweet ! They ring the Island Lion round, And dare not close to slay Cur dogs ! his savage teeth shall teach What losing game they play. None must die quiet in his bed Of all the black-souled band Who spilled the gentle English blood On the stained Indian laud. From Ganges to the Western Sea For aid the victims cry From Himalch to Comorin The averging blades flash high. On, Havelock, yet ! stand, Steuart, stand! One to a hundred fight ; A thousand shall not stay the sword Of man's rage and God's right But you whose eyes trusted to guido The vessel of the State Saw not the thunder-clouds drive up, Black with her coming fate, Ye let her drift upon these shoals,l Look that ye bring her through! Who falters in a nation's need A nation's curse shall rue. See to it, then ! that soon the tide Of steel mad• reach and rise To wash that bloody country clean Before men's fearing eyes. Yet but a space !—no sepoy slave Shall lift his hand to show The blood that left his master's heart, The hand that struck the blew. 965