The Press. — London, England, 1858-02-27 00:00:00

THE PRESS, FEBRUARY 27, 1858. ""~ and bloody struggls may be yet looked for around that fated city. In Central India affairs continue in the most disorganised and unsatisfactory state, but the Punjaub and Scinde would appear to be safe, owing to the arrival of troops by the overland route. The appoint- ment to the head of the India Board at such a critical moment of a Minister possessing such vigilance and sagacity and vigorous energy of character as the Earl of ELLENBOROUGH. will be hailed by the country with profound satisfaction. And in common with the country we anticipate the happiest results from the accession to power of the Earl of ELLENBOROUGH. When we are once fairly in for a quarrel it is better to win than to lose. Even when the quarrel is unjust nations cannot afford the magnanimity of welcoming defeat. So now that Canton has been taken, YEn led into captivity, and some sort of impression produced on the Celestial mind, let us beware of an abortive conclusion to our labours. It is yet in our power to reap good out of evil ; and though we are as firmly convinced as ever of the impolicy and wantonness displayed in the commencement of hostilities, we are all the more bound to make use of present circumstances to prevent, if possible, their reccurrence. That many impediments exist in the way of a satisfactory settlement cannot be denied. One is the stolid, impenetrable passivity, if we may so speak, of the Chinese themselves. They will stand to be shot down or bayoneted, but they will not abate one iota of their pretensions. This has always constituted our difficulty in dealing with them. We do not like to persevere in butchery that seems to lead to nothing ; and so finally we come to a compromise, and lose half the fruits of our victory. Such was the result of the last Chinese demonstration, when Sir GEORGE BONHAM was driven to renounce one of the principal points wo were fighting to obtain. Another awkward circumstance is the smallness of onr force upon the spot, and the difficulty, not to say impossibility, of sending any large reinforcements. Active hostilities may now, however, be expected to cease, and negotiations to com mence. We have all confidence in Lord ELottes tact and resolution ; and we trust that under his auspices the best will be done that the nature of the case permits of. Lord DERBY must be congratulated on the manner in which he has filled up the responsible posts of Secretary and Under-Secretary for War. The civil administration of the army has lately been intrusted to a nobleman endowed with great powers for the trans action of ordinary business, but with no desire or capacity for breaking through the red-tape bonds of routine. Fond of power, arrogant in manner, possessing a full share of his countrymen's obstinacy, Lord PANMIIRE was totally deficient in those conciliatory qualities which are necessary for the satisfactory discharge of the delicate duties involved in the concurrent jurisdiction of the Secretary of State and the Com manderin-Chief. His Lordship was assisted by an Under-Secretary, chosen on account of a speech on University Reform and for the ability displayed in moving the Address in January, 1837, who, at the date of his appointment as organ of the army in the House of Commons, was ignorant of the distinction between " staff" and " regimental" officers, and laboured under the impression that " sergeant " and " private " were synonymous terms. Tho War-office is now to be presided over by one of whom it was said by the late Sir ROBERT PEEL, that "my brother JONATHAN, if he ever takes a part in " public affairs, will show that he has a better head than I have ;" and who, having for five years occupied the situation of Surveyor-General of the Ordnance, is remembered for his practical ability and kindli ness to his subordinates. Although never so fortunate as to be em ployed on active service, Major-General PEEL was for twelve years a regimental officer, and during his whole Parliamentary career has evinced the greatest interest in the welfare of the army, having taken an active part in every important inquiry into our military ad ministration. Ho has not, however, been desirous of merely taking the popular side, but, while the soldier's friend, has also beau the defender of the officer, when ignorantly or calumniously attacked. In this good cause ho has not hesitated repeatedly to encounter the taunts and gibes of those to whom it is pleasanter to accuse than defend, but ho has had the moral courage to persevere in his course, and by his conciliatory manners to extort forbearance from his opponents. This happy combination of firmness and tact is precisely the charac ter which is required in the situation now held by General PEEL, and we feel sure that the interests of the public service will benefit greatly by the increased cordiality likely to subsist between the War-office and Horse Guards. Nor could a better appointment have been made than that of Lord HARDINGE to the post of Under- Secretary. It was right to bring forward the son of a father who shared with Sir Lowey COLE the credit of the victory of Albuera, who saved the glory of England, and perhaps her Indian empire, at Moodkee and Ferozeshah, who led her troops to victory at Sobraon, and by whose exertions the rifle was furnished to her army which THE WEEK. Liz past week will be memorable in Parliamentary annals for the downfall of one of the most apparently secure Administrations of the last few years. The course which we intimated last week as the most obvious for the late Cabinet to pursue was followed by Lord PALMERSTON. He tendered his resignation to her Majesty on the day of his defeat, and her Majesty was graciously pleased to accept the resignation of the Noble Viscount and his colleagues. In the course of the same evening the Earl of DEBBY was sent for, and the task of forming an Administration committed to his hands. That task has been completed with the happiest success, and the Noble Earl and his colleagues received the seals of office at a Court of Privy Council held yesterday. It is now six years since Lord DERBY held the reins of power, and the differences between the circumstances of '52 and '5B are strikingly remarkable. The eventualities of the present crisis are all in favour of the Conservative party, whereas in 1852 it was otherwise. Six years since there was an unsettled economical subject associated with recent heart-burnings, and with disputed principles of action on finan cial affairs. The question of the time in that year was one, in point of fact, upon which there had been a great Conservative schism pre viously, but that subject is now entirely at rest, and a new class of contingencies is before the mind of the English public. In 1852, als,), many of the chiefs of the - Conservative party were then untried, but such is not the case now. Six years have rolled by, and select com mittees of the House of Commons, the debates of Parliament, and the opinion of the community have stamped the pre sent chiefs of the Conservatives with the prestige of high personal success. The talents of Lord STANLEY, his capacity for dealing with complicated social questions, and his zeal for progress, have been abundantly manifested. Mr. WALPOLE has been admitted to have deserved the high rank in debate anticipated for him by the late Sir R. PEEL on his first appearance ; Sir JOHN PAHINGTON, Mr. HENLEY, and others have risen into general favour with the community, while their com mand over " the ear of the House " is undisputed even by their political adversaries. Another serious consideration in balancing '52 against '5B cannot be overlooked. In '52 the "Durham Letter" of Lord JOHN RUSSELL had stirred up the wrath of the Roman Catholic population of Ireland, and had intensely excited their feelings. In '5B a Roman Catholic Attorney and Solicitor General of Ireland have prosecuted a priest for doing the same thing which was considered meritorious in '52. So, also, six years since, there was a large " Irish Party" banded together against Lord DERBY. It included "Air. JOHN SADLEIR," Mr. DUFFY, " Mr. EDMUND OTLAHERTY," Mr. FREDERICK LUCAS, and many others. But no such party now exists. In Foreign Politics Lord MALMESBCRY was theu untried, and a stupid " cry" was raised against his Lordship for presuming to go into the office filled by Lord PALMERSTON. But events showed that Lord MALMLSBURY made in most honourable terms an advantageous alliance with France, which Lord PALMERSTON and Lord CLARENDON have done their worst to compromise. No one will deny that. Mr. WALPOLE is fully equal to Sir Gsoßos GREY as Secretary for the Home Department. Mr. WALPOLE represents Cambridge University, and took a front place in the Equity Bar ; and Sir GEORGE GREY represents Morpeth, a nomination borough of the Earl of CARLISLE, and has been gradually sinking in the estimation of the House of Commons, both as a debater and as an administrator. In the important dephrtrnent of the Colonies Lord STANLEY is a prodigious improvement on Mr. LABOUCHERE, who commenced his official life in 1832 as " Lord of the Admiralty." Did any ono ever hear of Mr. LABOUCHERE doing any thing brilliant? Lord STANLEY is a nobleman of untiring labour, ex traordinary acquirements, and can treat colonial subjects from the scientific and philosophic point of view ; while his travels in America, the West Indies, Canada, and elsewhere, have familiarised him with the topics of colonial discussion. In '52 Lora DERBY had not the advantage of Lord E LL E NBOROUGH ' S commanding abilities. We may remind our readers that Lord ELLEN BOROUGH for more than a quarter of a century was the chosen confiden tial associate of the Duke of WELLINGTON and Sir R. PEEL; and the last "great name" reminds us that General PEEL, who has always been a member of the old Conservative party, and whose personal honour is beyond the breath of reproach, has joined Lord DERBY'S Cabinet. Surely in such facts there is great significance; and any one can observe the great difference between the eventualities of '52 and '5B. That difference is, obviously, in favour of the Conservative cause. Sir COLIN CAMPBELL, it appears by the letters from India, still con fines himself to settling the Doab and clearing that country of all remnants of the mutineers before he attempts the conquest of Oude. For that great undertaking his forces at present appear to be inade quate. The rebels, it is known, are collecting in great force at Luck now, and if we may accept their late cruel massacre of the few prisoners in their hands as an indication of their temper, a very severe ~, g...