The Press. — London, England, 1855-09-15 00:00:00

876 among other articles of cargo, an engine for a small steamer raid to be there, but the opportune arrival of some of the squadron off the port prevented her leaving. As I found her deserted, and her sails, boat, and anchors are not to be found, she will be destroyed. I am disappointed iu nut having succeeded in opening a communication with the inhabitants, who have fled from the town, for I hoped to obtain the release of the two Eng lish prisoners they have among them ; I learn, however, from the Americans that they are very well treated. r These prisoners, the admiral announces in a subsequent despatch, have since been exchanged.] In conclusion, I desire to add that although it has ne cessarily been a great disappointment to the squadron under my command to find upon arrival at this place, more than 2,000 miles outside their station, that the enemy had escaped, and the batteries were deserted, yet their Lord ships will not fail to observe that not the less credit is due for the great zeal and anxiety that has been shown by each of the ships in pushing onward, in the hope of being in time to take part in the anticipated operations at this port. The best understandinr , subsisted between Captain Penanros of the Akerle aneme, and I cannot say too much in favour of the zeal and activity he displayed to meet every wish of mine, and to keep the appointed rendezvous; the same continues with respect to Rear . Admiral Fourichon. H. W. BRUCE, Rear• Admiral and Commander-in• Chief. COOKERY IN THE CRIMEA. M. Soyer, we are informed from the camp, is carrying out with great enthusiasm his valuable culi nary reforms in the Crimea. He gave on the evening of the 28th ult., an entertainment at the camp of the first division, to illustrate practically the result of his improvements in camp cookery. Six patent cooking-stoves, in which every particle of fuel is economically expended upon heating the contents of the cauldron above, were placed in the open air, and in each the process of cooking some especial product from the commissariat rations was illustrated. The visitors could hardly credit that salt pork and tough beef, with a few simple and ordinary adjuncts, could be converted into such savoury and palatable messes as M. Soyer placed before them. There were also provided various articles of simple diet, admirably flavored, and even some delicacies, formed of the most ordinary materials, and fitted f r the use of the sick. Rice water, lemonade made from lime juice but flavored by a little oil of lemon, rice puddings made without eggs or milk, firm and delicious jelly made from the feet usually thrown away or buried in the slaughter-yards, toast and water, &c., were among these articles. N. Soyer did not, however, confine his entertainment to the ordinary camp beverages or camp diet, but various kinds of wines, from iced champagne downwards, and other sorts of fare, were not wanting for those who chose to test the merits of the different dietaries by contrast. General Simp son and General Pelissier, and many other distin guished guests, were present, and seemed to take great interest in the camp provisions and the mode of their preparation adopted by the generalissimo of cookery. THE CAMP THEATRE. The winter dramatic season of the naval brigade was inaugurated on the St`th ult. by a splendid series of performances. The histronic artistes, orchestra, and stage appointments all belonged to the ship London, and the entertainment came off in the ravine along the summit of which the camp of the brigade is pitched. The performances included three pieces well known to the habitués of the Hay market and Adelphi , and the blue-jacket actors are reported to have sustained their roles in a manner which would not have disgraced any of the second rate employees of either of those houses. The theatre consisted of a large appropriately shaped and deco rated tent, pitched in the bottom of the ravine ; and the audience looked on and applauded from their al fresco seats along the ascending slope of the hill. Acting, singing, and dancing were all admirable ; and if the boisterous satisfaction expresssed by the ring ing palms and right virrous lungs of the hundreds who crowded the hillside can be in any way accepted as proof of excellence, Messrs. Wright and Buckstone Dever surpassed the nautical knights of the buskin, who gave bodily and vocal shape to the fun contained in the three farces of Deaf as a Post, The Silent Woman (not Ben Jenson's classical comedy), and Masher and Crasher. The only thing to be found fault with in the whole arrangement was its gratuitous character ; a space should have been inclosed for the audience, and a charge made for admission, to be flistributed amongst the performers, or otherwise ap propriated for the good of the men, or as the officers of the brigade should deem best. Among other dis tinguished visitors were the Duke of Newcastle, who paid marked attention to Deaf as a Post, and led the encore for a hornpipe of the first force ; Lord Rokeby, who was as assiduous as his grace ; and many gene rals, brigadiers, lords and honourables. The sense of enjoyment was not marred by the long-range guns, which used now and then to send a lobbing shut near the theatre, and never did any harm ; and if the audience were amused so were the performers, who pled wild surprising spirit and taste, THE PRESS. lortign 6orrtspontalct. FRANKFORT, September 11. THE war in the Crimea is beginning to tell upon the Governments of Central Europe, and its prolonga tion, contrary to the intent of the English and Vienna Cabinets, is begetting results that will shortly test the sincerity of the Palmerston plans militant. Count Buol does not disguise, and his partisans frankly declare, that in the confidential communications with Lord John Russell on subjects beyond the strict limits of the Conference, the English envoy spoke the sentiments of Lord Palmers ton, and had authority for the opinions he expressed and the course that he pursued. That peace at any price was the private instruction of the English Cabinet Lord John Russell himself divulged at Brussels, and the object would have been accom plished had it not been for those informal vagaries which alarmed the trained adepts of precise diplomacy. It was admitted by Count Buol, confi dentially, that should peace be impracticable Austria could not and would not abide by the promise con veyed in the December treaty to take an active part against Russia. He disclosed the untoward position of the finances, the insecurity of the Italian pro vinces, the state of Hungary, and the difficulty of territorial conservatism without the guarantee of England and France for the integnty of the Austrian empire as apportioned and settled at the Congress of Vienna. Another embarrassment, also, would arise if the war should ultimately extend to the princi palities whilst held by neutral and Austrian troops. In these private interviews Count Buol admitted the occupation of the principalities, with the consent of Russia, to have been based upon the understanding that Austria would not exceed the four points of Vienna in articles for peace, would not depart from a strict neutrality, nor permit the principalities to be invaded and occupied by others. The agreement betwixt Russia and Austria, arranged domestically and secretly, was very positive, and so remains. The possibility of the war extending to the banks of the Danube has led the St. Petersburg organ to speak without reservation, and to reveal the sub stance of the intimate conversations of Count Buol and Lord John Russell, which were not unknown to Lord' Palmerston : Le langage alarme de la presse Autrichienne, et l'annonce d'une nouvelle tentative qui ferait le Cabinet de Vienne aupres de is Dieto Germanique a tin de s'assurer l'appui de l'Allemagne, nous ont inspire la retlexion que l'Autriche se trouve en ce moment sous le poids dune pression ever gigue par laquelle lea esperauces occidentales s'efforceut de briser son inertie, et de l'entrainer a leur suite dans touter les consequences d'une co-operation militaire. On tient suspendue stir sa tete la menace dune campagne sur le Danube, et c'est lit ce que l'Autriche redoute le plus. Placee dans la dangereuse alternative de commencer la guerre sans le concours tie l'Allemagne, ou de se voir enlever par le fait dune entrée des allies dans les Principautes, l'uniqae et. precieuse fruit de cos sacrifices et de sa politique, l'Au• triche cherche a conjurer le danger qui la menace. There is no lack of sincerity in this Russian state ment of the real position of Austria, and the open declaration of the compact for the ultimate posses sion of " l'unique et precieuse fruit de ces sacrifices et de sa politique" must be entertaining both to Count Buol and Lord Palmerston. Russia holds certain secrets of the Austrian policy, as Austria is in possession of some of the privy dealings of the Eng lish Cabinet. It is possible that these same are not unknown to Russia, who may disclose just so much as may suit her purpose. Late events have caused fresh communications betwixt Prussia and Austria, and have led to a deter mination by the respective Cabinets to protest for. molly against France and England extending their military operations beyond Turkish and Russian ground. This puny endeavour to prevent the war becoming general is circumscribed to simple protest, for it, is inevitable. The old German nobility are adverse to the existing order of things, and to the corruption of the reigning princes by Russia, and the Hungarians are impatient of Austrian rule. These questions were secretly mooted at Vienna, and in fluenced that peace tentative, improper and irregular, the defeat of which embarrassed Lord Palmerston, instigated the ex post facto letter• militant of Lord Clarendon, and expelled Lord John Russell from the Ministry. It must be remembered that Lord John ltussell, previous to the Vienna mission, was wont to applaud the nationalities as an inherent principle of continental Liberalism, and that upon his return he eagerly seized an opportunity to denounce them as impolitic, inadmissible, and destructive of Eu ropean peace. Each fact that indirectly creeps into light proves substantially that the Palmerston Ministry did not intend to prolong the war, and that Lord Palmerston himself was impressed with the force of the consequences which would be sure to follow if peace were not summarily eataPlisbed, SATURDAY, conclusive evidence may be adduced the want of gun boat and mortar materiel in the Baltic to improve the insignificant success at Sweaborg, and the un prepared state of the Crimea for the necessities of another winter. The Hanse transport affair and the deficiency of huts are not promising proofs of adipi. nistrative improvement in the War Department. In the meantime, the St. Petersburg Gazette announces that Russia is willing to treat for peace on honourable terms, and hints that the offer is neither unknown nor unacceptable to the Ministry of England. Austria has ceased to appeal to the Diet, and M. de Prokersch-Osten has been summoned to Vienna. A daily journal well informed on the affairs of Germany observes . En parlant de l'Allemagns on eat tout d'abord ember rassee de savoir on elle est. 11 y a longtemps que Umpire tiermanique a disparu, et alors que Francois 11. abdiquait un titre dont it reconnaissait publiquement l'inanite, it ne creait pas une situation nouvelle, it souscrivit a un fait ac compli. L'unite de la nation n'existait plus. This want of unity has provoked the contention betwixt Austria and I'russis for a preponderance at the Diet; and the strife of party has permitted Russia to introduce a third and a very powerful influence—the more powerful from the venality and utter want of integrity amongst the German princes. Not so the people. The absence of German unity is the crime of the unpatriotic and corrupt prince,— the desire of German unity is the tie that binds together the ancient noblesse and the people. Powerless for German welfare, it is in vain for the Diet to interfere with the principalities and to attempt to coerce the people, represented in their respective Chambers, into a compliance with the will of an irresponsible sovereign. Hanover has referred to the jurisdiction of the Diet, and the Diet has decreed in favour of the King against the popular Chamber. Wurtemburg may probably follow the example; and the Diet, reversing the case, has also acceded to the petition of the nobility of Saxe Cobourg for a restitu tion of the " droits equestres." This will directly raise the question of the value of the Germanic Confederation and the stability of the princes in opposition to the people, or when with the people against the Confederation. The initiative positive has been taken by the Diet, and it presumes to dictate to the Duke of Saxe Cobourg Gotha, and to command the restitution of the nobility of his princi pality to those feudal privileges which had been legally abolished by the Constitution of the duchy. The reply of the Duke is curt and to the purpose. He asserts that on his accession to the dukedom he became bound, " voluntate suit, et conscia mente," to certain conditions fundamental of ducal rule. His oath was pledged thereon, to which ho adheres ; and he implies the direct impropriety of the Diet in accepting a petition from certain parties in his State against the spirit of the Constitution. Every Ger man who understands and values national honour and national consistency must and will applaud the straightforward conduct of the Duke of Saxe Cobourg. He has encountered the German difficulty by siding with his people against the oppression of the Diet. If the Diet recedes from its decision it becomes for ever inoperative and useless,—and if disposed to try itsi power what step will it take ? The Liberals of Germany are prepared for the event. J. E. L. SIENA, September 8. THE concordat lately concluded betwixt the Pope and the Emperor of Austria does not specify the more important and particular engagements which have been entered into with Cardinal Antonelli. That an armed intervention will be necessary to put down the political effervescence in favour of Italian reform cannot be disputed—;nut will it be allowed, and by whom will it be undertaken ? The Echo of Mont Blanc says, "De tons cotes retentit le cri de l'insur rection" ; and whilst Jesuit Rome is relying for foreign aid against liberalism, at Alexandria in Pied mont the statue of Andrea Vocchieri—a young man shot on June 2, 18.53, for his devotion to "la Giovane Italia"—has been formally inaugurated on the Piazza Grande with every popular and govern mental honour. On the same day, in the adjoining grand duchy of Tuscany, the trial of l'eruzzi took place for a participation in the Florentine conspiracy against Austrian subjection. He is a descendant of the Baldassare Peruzzi of this place, well known in the annals of Pignotti and Guicciardini. This state of things cannot last. If one man be governmentally honoured a few miles north for deeds for which a man a few miles south is governmentally executed, public opinion will surely and immediately interpose its judicial decision, and lead to the overt act of sentence one way or the other; and that way will be clear enough. tsur inscrutable purposes the Emperor of Russia has yielded the point of episcopal nomination i* Poland and the Latin districts to the Pope. Nothing would induce his father, the Czar ;iicholas, to 1 " II