The Press. — London, England, 1856-01-19 00:00:00

,1140.1U1 , g3iw.=='..aNtr - THE WEEK. Tun greatest political excitement has prevailed in all circles during the week. As the time approached when it was known that Russia must give a definitive answer to the allied propositions, the anxiety increased to know what that answer would be. The announcement in this Journal of Saturday last, that the proposals sent from St. Peters burg by Count STACKELBERG were of a favorable character, had a reassuring effect ; and this was, on the whole, rather strengthened than weakened by the statements in the public journals of Monday. The Morning Post conspicuously announced that Russia accepted the chief propositions, including the neutralisation of the Black Sea, but rejected the proposed new line of frontier, and the last proposition reserving the right to the Allies of introducing further conditions understood to mean the prohibition of further fortifications on the Aland Isles. Opinion was much divided to know what the result would be. On the one hand it was understood that Austria would withdraw her Ambassador from St. Petersburg if an uncon ditional acceptance was not notified by the day fixed, the 18th ; and on the other, the points at issue seemed too trifling to warrant a continuance of hostilities. This suspense endured, though with the predominance of intelligent opinion on the side of ;peace, until Thursday morning, when, about noon, the intelligence spread like wildfire through the metropolis that Russia had signified her unconditional acceptance of the Austrian terms. Second editions of the morning journals soon after appeared, announcing the fact by telegraph from Vienna. The news was not believed till the Times appeared, and even then there were some doubters. The Post, how ever, gave the intelligence officially as from a despatch from Sir HAMILTON SEYMOUR to the Government, and this settled the question. The Funds went up rapidly, and the conviction was general that this time there would be no mistake. Yesterday, the mind of the public was a little more calm and sceptical. The general tone of the public prints was much alike. It hinted the possibility of difficulties—stated that the conditions accepted by Russia wonld dorm, after all, but a " basis of negotiation," and that the failure of the spring negotiation justified mistrust in all well-informed circles. These doubts found no place ; it was understood that the Continental Courts were thoroughly agreed ; and the confidence could hardly have been greater had it been known that a treaty had been actually signed. It is not possible to gather thus early the opinion of the public on this sudden, and to most persons unexpected, conclusion of the war. The Ministerial journals, which a few days ago were loudest iu their clamour against Russia, now discover wonderful virtue in the peace propositions. The Radical organs alone mutter discontent, and they seem uncertain what line it may eventually be prudent to take Those who watch opinion most narrowly, say that the country is sulky, and apprehend strong expressions of discontent. The people have been worked up to a high state of war excitement ; they fully expected another campaign with great victories by sea and land, and there is little probability that they will be in a temper to receive, at least for a time, the announcement of peace with satisfaction. On the other• band, the delay which must elapse before peace can be formally de clared will allow time for them to cool; and when that process begins the reaction will most likely be rapid. The whole land will feel to have relieved itself from a great burden, and we may, perhaps, ex pect bell•ringing and illuminations after all. By the summer we may expect a Russiaphobia to set in, and there are more unlikely things than that the season will he enlivened by a visit of ALEXANDER 11. to oar Court. How long will it be before we shall see his portrait in the print shops ? The rapidity of modern communication was never more strikingly exemplified than in the transmission of intelligence between the Courts of Europe during the last few days. The proposition brought back from St. Petersburg by M. de SEEBACH, and forwarded to our Government by the Emperor of the FRENCH, was rejected by the Cabi net Council held on Wednesday afternoon. The rejection was notified to St. Petersburg the same evening, and while our highest Ministerial circles were rejoicing at the failure of this overture, and speculating with certainty upon a continuance of the war, the Russian Cabinet was deliberating on the course it should adopt. The decision was taken to accept the Austrian Proposals, and tarly on Thursday morning the Cabinet of Vienna received a despatch an nouncing the fact. The intelligence shortly after reached London and Paris, and was published some time before noon in both capitals, President PIERCE, after waiting till he was thoroughly tired, and worn out with the cares of locking up his compositors and altering his Message to suit every fresh mail from Europe, like an invalid suffering from successive throes, has at length unexpectedly voided his secretion upon the Representative Body. The bile from which he had been so long suffering from the Clayton-Bulwer Treaty, is at length discharged, and, although he had no Speaker to receive it, we doubt not that President PIERCE felt himself much relieved. We have no right, says President PIERCE, to any territorial claims in Central America, as the Clayton-Bulwer Treaty decided the relinquishment of all claims. Yet he concedes that Belize was permitted to be retained. Why, if Belize was tacitly permitted to be retained, were not Ruatan a ti the other islands on the coast of Honduras, as well as that portion of territory between the Sibun and Sarstoon, in Central America, and the Protectorate of the Mosquito kingdom, included in THE PRESS. SATURDAY, this understanding, or specially mentioned to be renounced? The uti possedetiB was the basis of the Treaty ; we have not extended our claims, we are merely consolidating what we held in the first instance, with the title of ninety-six years' possession. As to America having any right of guardianship over the Central States, that is a point which requires further elucidation. The ques• is a knotty one, and may from the tone of the passage give riso to peculiar complications. The most notable feature in the message, apart from the usual topics, is the recommendation for the "gradual " and systematic increase of the American navy." Lord PALMERSTON'S late West India demonstration has exposed the naval weakness of the States, and excited apprehensions which will now never be allayed till America feels secure in the possession of a powerful naval force ; and what country in a few years could compete with her in raising and maintaining that arm? It is difficult to characterise properly the article on the French Senate which appeared in the Monitcur this week. It cannot, however, be denied that it ably sets forth what should be the functions and sphere of action of that body, as at present constituted. "An executive power strong enough to do good without being im " peded, a legislative power independent enough to be useful without " being dangerous—such is the double problem which the Constitution "of 1852 proposed to itself to solve." The great point aimed at is, that the Senate should recognise and accept as a fact the difference between itself and the Chamber of Peers. It should acquiesce in the inability to interfere with the Government imposed by the Constitu tion of 1852. It should take up in a liberal spirit the privilege of initiating laws and social reform, which the same Constitution con ceded to it. It should content itself with philosophic legislation, and not turn the impossibily of doing all it might have wished to do, into an excuse for doing nothing in that narrower but still wide field of action secured to it. This would be as shortsighted as it would be selfish and unpatriotic. Such we take to be a fair exposition of the spirit of this article. It may, indeed, occur to some of our readers that the privilege "of being useful without being dangerous," is one of those untangible attributes which Englishmen do not love, and that throughout the whole article there runs a kind of vagueness which is not pleasant, a tone of teaching by implication which to straightforward people is unacceptable. But on a careful considera tion of the existing exigencies of France, where undoubtedly the renovation of the social fabric is a necessity superseding every other, we arc able to come to the conclusion that the article is well-timed, and that the Senate would adopt the course most conducive to its own honour and utility, by regarding its suggestion in a willing and f►iendly spirit. Our Baltic fleet seems nervous of " dark nights and fields of ice." The sea was hastily left and the blockade raised this year upon the first approach of winter. What has been the result? A sudden thaw left that sea open, and neutral ships known to have been lying in the Scandinavian harbours, laden with arms and ammunition for the Russians, have safely made their way to Russian ports This is not creditable to our cruisers. Where one ship can go another can follow. Yankee liners should not have been permitted the freedom to boast, that while English cruisers feared the ice and dark nights, they rau the gauntlet and landed their cargoes. Sir BENJAMIN HALL was never meant by Nature for a high official. By his reception of the gentlemen who recently waited on him about the proposed road across St. James's•park, Sir BENJAMIN showed that he had neither the nerve of a Minister nor the decorum of a courtier. He dreaded lest the potboys of Marylebone would be organised against him; and he was coarse enough to take a silly distinction between " the parks of her Majesty " and " what might be called the " people's parks." Thus the Marylebone Radical was at once invidious and indiscreet. His nervous disclaimers about his "having nothing " to do with it " were ludicrous, and, recollecting how he wriggled himself into office, almost offensive. Passing mischief may yet result to high personages from the awkwardness of the maladroit Member for Marylebone. With a mob at his heels he can swagger, but he is panic struck before opposition, showing neither bravery to his opponents nor breeding to his superiors. In fact, heis a mere Sir BENJAMIN HALL, on whom political art is thrown away. Private assassination seems to be at a premium just now in this country. This detestable crime is becoming a distinctive national feature. That it is in some measure due to that insipid humanity which finds an exculpatory plea for every criminal, and would inflict the just measure of the law upon none, we fear must be admitted. If we continue in this path we shall soon rival Italy with her Borgias, and be able to rid ourselves of persecutors and enemies at the cost of a trifling bribe. It was but the other day that two trials for child murder occurred on the same day in the same Court. One woman cut the throats of the children because she thought they would be better off in the next world than in this, while the other flung her three children into the river, and drowned two, in a delusion. Both prisoners were acquitted on the plea of insanity. Such delusions have a dan gerous tendency under such results. In the case of Mr. WAuoH the prisoner is already described as being under "a delusion." The next thing we shall hear will be that his sanity has always been doubted by his friends. This is all very well ; but if a man is permitted by his friends to go about in that state of insanity which induces him to shoot the man ho believes to stand between him and fortune, his friends should in sonic measure be held answerable for his acts. Migh not some punishment, short of deprivation of life, be provided for Such criminal lunatics ? MAftl