The Press. — London, England, 1853-10-29 00:00:00

OCTOBER 29, 1853. THE PRESS. MODEL LEADING ARTICLE. (From the Aberdeen Organ.) ENGLAND is an island. From the time when Arorsl Nv. preat bed Christianity in Canterbury, and all through the dark ages which followed, down to the days of Cardinal WISEMAN and Pr. CUMMINo, there is no record of England having ever been joined to the main continent of Europe. We have always been insular, and were never more so than at present. These arc simple facts. known to every child in our national schools. But it is not the less necessary to bring them before the public. Nothing is so easily forgotten as that which is best known to us all. A man seldom forgets his friends, though he may not see their faces once in a year ; but how often does he forget himself, though he sees his own face every morning behind a razor? We press the fact upon England because, at this crisis, many persons, wise in their way, are clamouring to Lord AIII:IIPEEN's tiovernment to go to war in behalf of the Turkish infidels. Now, how do the facts stand ? Oru- MAN invaded Nieomedia in 1299, and Constantinople fell before the arms of MAHOMET the Second on the 29th of May, 1453. In 14S1 the head of the Catholic Church, menaced in Italy by the conqueror of Turkey, was actually about to fly beyond the Alps, and SEttm the First, thirty-one years later, commenced his reign by the murder of all his younger brothers. Yet, with these facts patent before our eyes, these evidences of Turkish ambition, blasphemy, and cruelty, men can be found to stand up, in 1553, and say that English guns ought to open upon those who assail the descendants of these very miscreants. But is this all? Does any man, woman, or child comprehend what is meant by Mahometanism? Everybody knows St. Paul's. Imagine that a victorious Moslem army has invaded England by the way of the filthy London river, and, seizing the Citizen steam-boats, has impaled the cheektakers at Hungerford pier, instead of giving up the tickets open. Imagine this army marching down the Strand, tiring into silversmiths' and latnpmakers' shops, forcing its way through Mr. PETER CDNNINOHAM's pet obstacle on the City threshold, and filing in double column round the effigy of BRANDT NAN. The gates of St. Paul's arc flung open, organ, altar, and eagle are smashed to pieces, the memorials of COLLINOWOoD'S lieutenants and of Alma- CROMBY'S colonels are demolished, a row of genuflecting idolaters, with the rear of their physical formation higher than their head, stretehes diagonally across the marble floor, four enormous green Shields with verses from the Koran are suspended beneath the dome, the big bell is converted into cannon, and a loud-tongued unbeliever sticks his head five times a day through the little window of the clock and shrieks to Ludgate-hill that there is one Allah, and people had better come in to prayers. That is Mahumetanism—that is what the Turks have done for Saint SoputA. And it is for these people that we are asked to send out soldiers anti sailors, anti to add another figure to the estituates . of Mr. SIDNEY HERBERT and Sir JAMES GRAHAM? What, in the name of all that is common sense, have we in common with these Turks? The water near their capital is called the Sweet Waters ; ours stinks like a sewer. They wear red caps ;We wear black hats. Their civic memorial is a burnt column; ours, on the contrary, is a column that tells of a burning. Their Sabbath is Friday; ours, such as it is, is Sunday. They smoke tobacco lighted by blacks ; we smoke cabbage leaves tied up by Jews. Their Sultan is a man, and strangles his babies ; our Sovereign is a woman, and edu cates hers. They punish cruelty to animals ; cruelty to animals is the element of half of our national sports. They reverence the name of Allah; our most savage oaths derive their weight from his name. What, we ask again, have we in common with these people ? Therefore, Lord ABERDEEN and his unanimous Cabinet do wisely and well in avoiding outward manifestation of their just and English loathing for these people, but in encouraging their enemies as far as is consistent with policy. They will continue to do so, unless popular opinion makes a decided demonstration for Turkey, in which case the Cabinet will go round, and so shall we. Meantime, if we are an island, let us be insulated. TO MARINERS. - - IN commemoration of the leading articles in the Ministerial prints upon the Eastern question, certain straits are Itenceftath to be called the 139sh-fur-ws. THE POPULAR MEMBER. " Vallltß4 anitstitm !" The popular member through the streets Is seen by the " people" takinsl a walk, And half the admiring public he meets Cry, " There goes Cobbling, the Member for Talk !" How very blank is the City feast If the popular member don't appesr; At popular meetings he takes, at least, A hundred " chairs " in the course of the year. And then, sometimes, on pleasure he'll go— To Woolwich or Greenwich, Putney or Kew, And condescend to enjoy a " blow," As other and humbler atizens do. And, while he is there, perhaps he'll seo A penny steam-boat marked with his name ; Proud will the popular member be, lie Ii think to himself, well, this is fame! he'll see his name on a new fish sauce, Anti yet not feel that his dignity's hurt ; And tradesmen often, its sale to force, Will fix his MIMIC to the popular shirt ! It he glance at the twopenny 'bus he'll see, In monster letters, his popular HAW ;---• Prolltl will the popular member be, He'll think to himself, well, this is fame ! If he, perchance, ton hosier goes, Judge of his pleasure, as well as surprise, Among the " goods" that the shopman shows, What is the vision that meets his eyes? Stamp '4l on a handkerehief, large and clear, Ills well known portrait he instantly knows ; ow gratified must he be to hear That he's blown upon by the public nosy ! COMPENSATION. Tak Scotch provincials are loud in their complaint that Lord PALmciorox, in his Perth speech, talked of " England" as the type Of British dominion, and that, though in, he never spoke of, Scotland. Him Lordship has proposed to nmke amends, by promising never to allude to the Premier except as a Scotching)), to whom, he says, they are heartily welcome, for nobody ever thought of him as having any thing English about him. OVID AS A PROPHET. - - Mn. l'aEas,—l find in Oviu the following lines, deueriptive, as the poet thought, of chaos, hut (as the poet did nut know) really prophetic of the greater chaos—Coalilion " Sic cat instabilis tellun, innabilis undo, Dian egenn a, r, milli sus forma mindful. HMtal►atglle aliis idiud : gun COill4lll . Ili 00000 Frigid* pugnalontit estidin, hu►ncuua Mullis emu durin, sine 'louden: batman innutuft.' I once recollect "taking a shot " successfully ut some white scratched chalk figures on all imposing wooden slate (never mind the bull), at lecture. I got no credit for it. Alas ! the mathematical lecturer knew precisely my mathematical abilities, and quietly announced that " I alone was right, but that 1 did not know the meaning of my own answer." OVID, as regards recent " Cabinet Questions," must have been in precisely the same condition ; and, supposing hint to have been a man possessed of the most ordinary amount of common sense which is not denied even to poets, with good reason, who could havo anticipated a political chaos like the " Coalition" of 1533? In these days of " classical series" it will, of course, be expected that I should give some annotations on the passage slants quoted. " Instabilis talus" is best explained by the subsequent words, " nulli sua forma manebat "—i.e., the members had great difficulty to keep their seftts—a fact which we have little doubt will be illustrated at the next election. " Obstabatque aliis aliud "—i.e., every body was out of his own way, and in every body else's. And I could go on to enlighten you further, Mr. Press, but for the impediment interposed by your printer. I am, yours, &e., ►3O• ~.... 613