The Press. — London, England, 1854-07-22 00:00:00

THE PRESS. 684 THE WEEK. ABROAD, as at home, the painful evidence of indecisive counsels is forcing itself on public notice, and is exciting strong distrust. The war languishes through want of an energetic will and a ruling mind to direct it. More powerful armaments than England ever before sent forth are condemned to inaction from want of definite instruc tions. Expectation, excited from time to time by the promise of decisive movements, is continually disappointed. The Baltic fleet advances to Cronstadt, remains long enough in view of the forts to get some of the crews infected with cholera, and then returns to its former anchorage. In the Black Sea our ships only exercise the vigilance of the enemy by manceuvring in sight of Sebastopol. Nothing is done, because no plan of operations is decided on, and, though enormous forces have been collected, yet the main proof of Ministerial vigour we receive is, the preparation of additional estimates, and the demand for supplemental millions. The telegraphic reports received last week, and repeated early in the present, that a portion of the allied forces had advanced to Rustchuk, turn out to be wholly unfounded. A telegraphic despatch announced on Monday that General BROWN'S division would be at Rustchuk on the 9th inst., and that the allies would muster there 25,000 strong, but we have now direct advices to the Rth, at which date the division was encamped at Devna, or Dwina, some twenty miles from Varna, on the Schumla road. The Times of yesterday anticipates that " the regret felt at our apparent want of alacrity in marching to the " relief of Silistria, or in joining the attack on Giurgevo, will be effec " tually removed by orders to the whole force to proceed against " Sebastopol ;" but on this supposition the movement to Devna would be unintelligible. It does not seem likely that there can be any intention on the part of the allies to undertake operations on the Danube this season ; the difficulty of sending supplies to that.distance; with the imperfect commissariat arrangements would be enormous . the marshes of the river might be fatal to the health of the troops' and, after all, no result might be attained except the temporary occupation of an exhausted territory. No further operations have occurred between the Turks and the Russians on the Danube, though preparations for a decisive blow w ere making on both sides. Prince GoarsciimcoFF was supposed to have concentrated 70,000 men at Frateschti, in front of Bucharest. The action of Giurgevo must have been severe, as OMER PACHA returns his loss at 1,700 in killed and wounded. This distinguished commander received a warm welcome from our troops at Devna, and, as was to be expected, the high condition of our force excited his warm commenda tion. The operations of the Firebrand at the Sulina mouth of the Danube have been completely successful. The Russian batteries were destroyed, and efforts are now making to clear the navigation of the river from all obstruction. The Russian flotilla is thus caught, and sails up and down the stream, despairing of safety. It will probably be destroyed, to prevent it from falling into our hands. Captain BUTLER has fallen a victim to h is heroic exertions in defence of Silistria. His career was short but glorious. A volunteer, he held a naked outwork against the strenuous assaults of the enemy, and thus mainly contributed to keep the whole Russian army at bay. It is singular that the recognition of his noble exploits appeared in the Gazette only the day before the intelligence of his death was received. The successful defence of Silistria will for ever be memorable in the annals of war. The Russian force against it amounted at one time to 60,000 men, with sixty guns in position. They threw upwards of 50,000 shot and shell, constructed upwards of three miles of ap proaches, sprung six mines, yet for the whole forty days the siege lasted gained not an inch of ground. OMER PACHA is reported to have said, with great sangfroid, that the Russians ought to have taken the place. The embarkation of the French destined for the Baltic is pro ceeding steadily: it is generally supposed to be destined for the Aland Islands. Sir CHARLES NAPIER, with his ships, has remained inactive since his return to Baro Sound. The Vienna Conference has again assembled in the interests of peace, and have addressed communications to the Courts of Paris and London. The Prussian Envoy, Count BEUNSTORFF, has arrived here with full powers, and had his first audience with the Queen on Thursday. Further notes from the Ministers of Austria and Prussia have been addressed to their respective Ambassadors at St. Peters burg, making new apseals to " the magnanimo us sentiments of the " Emperor NICHOLAS, and urging the evacuation of the principalities, as their occupation has caused the failure of all attempts to arrive "at a pacific solution." These letters are courteous and earnest in their phraseology, and may probably meet with a favourable reply. Meanwhile, we hear no more of the determination of Austria to enter the principalities, or to fulfil the conditions of the convention recently concluded with Turkey. As a measure of precaution, we learn from St. Petersburg that 300 young men have been arrested whose senti ments were suspected to be adverse to the Czar's Government. The Ministerial gathering of Monday was a humiliating confes• sion of weakness and insecurity. Why should the meeting have been summoned, except that a new defeat was feared ? The creation of a Secretary of War while a Secretary at War is retained looks like a blunder or a job, as it unnecessarily creates a new department. The explanations of the Lord President of the Council were coldly received, and when he ceased, some supporters of the Government SATURDAY, gave excellent reasons why they should support it no longer. The real object of the meeting was to intimate that the Government could not stand if the vote to be proposed that evening were refused. The implied threat answered its purpose, and the Ministry on sufferance, though condemned by the opinion of the House, is for the present to receive its reluctant tolerance. The week, however, furnishes a new proof of the inability of the Ministry to control the House, or guide the course of even administrative business. A motion for a committee to inquire into parliamentary printing, the object being to puff a private speculation, was carried against the Government by a majory of 24. The insurrection in Spain has swollen to a magnitude which not even telegraphic despatches can longer avail to conceal. ESPARTERO has left his retirement to put himself at the head of the movement, and Madrid has risen against the Government. The insurgents pro fess loyalty to the Queen and Constitution, but call for the downfal of the Ministry. The Government has been changed, but the con cession may come too late. If it be true that NARVAEZ has offered his services to the Queen, and is to be placed at the head of the army, the insurrection may have more serious results than a change of Administration. The American papers, usually fertile in horrors, have lately sent us two stories of darker character than common, and both relating to the favourite "domestic institution of the South.' The slave population, jealously separated from all humanising influences, sink in many in stances below the level of brutal nature. In Marshall County, Mis sissippi, a slave who was at work in a field rushed on a lady lately married, who was out walking, outraged her person, and then suffocated her Bloodhounds were put on his track, he was tortured till he con fessed his crime, then mangled, hung by the neck until nearly dead, taken down and hung by the heels, and finally shot by the crowd. A similar clime was committed by a slave in Tennessee, but in this in stance he murdered a family to conceal his guilt. He was pursued — shot down before any inquiry was made—tortured till he confessed — and then chained to a tree in front of his master's house. Pine logs were heaped round him and set on fire, and a company of 1,200 or 1,500 persons remained to enjoy his agonies till he was consumed to ashes. One motive which prompted the wretch to his crime was, it seems, his fear of receiving a whipping which had been promised him. It is plain enough, from these horrible instances, that the barbarous slave code of America brutalises not only the unhappy African, but his master also, and that society must be in a fearful state where such crimes and such punishments are of common occurrence. What would be the condition of those states where the African population , is systematically brutalised, should a servile war ever break forth in I them ? ADVERTISEMENT TO WAR MINISTERS. Wanted the noo a canny chiel Wha kens war•ministering weal, An' pikes, an' niccan things o' steel, Is nae bit feared ; Wha in lang protocols can deal, An' wag his beard. 'Gin he be Russ, it's no the waur, There's ithers in like place afore ; Just stan' on baith sides o' ane door, Ye'll ken wha's coming ; We hear what's done against and for Without the drumming. He'll hae to ken what's "belli anus," And when the foe slaps British faces, Aye mindful o the Christian graces, Wi' holy fear To turn their ither cheeks his place is, And say, " Slap here !" He must nae hold that war means battle, But just a toy for Czars to rattle ; An gin the Russians fly like cattle He'll bide a wee, An' stap the Parliamentee's prattle Wi' " Wait and see." Aiblins his weel-meant letters spurning, The carlins will hae powder burning, And swear o' all Vienna learning They'll mak' an end, Then he'll just ken wi' wily turning To save a freend. The lads gang off where glory led 'em Nae fash! sma' food or fire will stead 'em. The fleets look big, and like to bleed him, If to 't they buckle. Gude sakes ! just wait till ice imbed 'em, They'll nae do muckle. 'Gin any laughs at patriot stuff, An o' this lore bath gat enough, Lord A., care of M. Romanoff, Will meet reply. N.B.—The Advertiser's ganging 'aff, Sae just be spry. E. A. • ■ t L .‘