The Press. — London, England, 1856-01-12 00:00:00

JANUARY 12, 1856• /ortign iarrtsponMltt. FRANKFORT, Jan. 8, 1850. Wu flations in active hostility do not the less couuuue to respect each other, there may exist a well founded hope that othet means than the sword may terminate the wattare. In tile midst of civilisation man may degenerate into a savage state of moral degradation, if war, protracted to extremity, be only governad by those tendencies of cruelty and barbarity that are inherent in man. Rousseau sought for the foundation a his " contrat social" in the history of savages. But progression is su perior to retrogression, and experience would be without a mural if the t ieoriesof the unwise philoso pher were held to be just. Hence it is that the practical past inculcates the maxim of an open foe being preferable to an insidious ally, and therefore Russian hostility, frank and noble, is preferable to .kustrian amity, artful and ignoble in its essence. Le Nord, the accredited and legitimate organ of Russia, has prominently placed in its pages the follesing quotation from the work of Moutalembert on the institutions of England : Ce qu'on no volt plus parni les Anglais c'est ce eynirne de l'apostasie, ce (suite abject de la force, et du sucees, cet alaissement presqua univeisel des a mes qui out trop son vent deshonore noire histoire contemporaine. Nous ne talons pas qu'il n'y aft aussi en Angleterre des exeinples d'apostaaie et de corruption; noes Mons qu'ils aient etc acceptes on pardonnes par l'opinion. Place sons le feu a*a u e publicise implacable, eleve dans des traditions d'hon heur politique qui rendent a ll.itume public la bassesse aussi impossible, que lest au soldat la lachete, l'Anglais qui se sent des inclinations basses, qui vent sacrifier au lucre, prend son parti; it salt ne lni est pas promis d'etaler sa home aux yeux de sea concitoyens, et it se fait oublier dans quelque recoin obacur du budget. II n'y a pas exempts dans l'Angleterre de nos joura d'un homine qui nit gran le par l'apostasie, et qui nit gouverne son pays en faisant a son ambition le sacrifice de Is morn e et de l'honncur. Les historiens futurs ponrmnt felieiter l'Angleterre d'avoir toujours en l'aristecratie la plus deiniicranque et la demo cratic la plus aristocratique que le monde aft connues , et si de nouveaux Louis Xl. doivent triornplier stir le continent, no nouveau Coonines pourra repeter le temoignage que ce grand politiqne rendait it y a quatre cent tins :—" Scion mon advis, en toutes lea seignenries du monde dont j'aie con• noissanee, on la chose publitpie est mien: traictee, et oil ripe moins de violence sur la peuple, c'est Angleterre. Tette est la lecon supreme qu'offre la societe Anglaise,"&c. The remarkable words, and the more remarkable quotation of them by Le Nord, do not receive in Germany a ready solution. Although directed against the present Government of France, yet, in order that the point should tell, the principle of the governmental optimism of England must in the first place be accepted. And it is accepted. This is the more singular, since the Peeiite', against whom the sarcasm of " exemples d'apostasie " is levelled, are pro-Russian, and the "inclinations basses," that would " tout surlier au lucre," directly refer to Richard Cobden, Bright, and the peace-at-all price party. flue Cabinet of St. Petersburg has di-covered that there is a strong Conservative party in England, led Ly Lord Derby and Mr. Disraeli, that, whilst up holding the value of the principles for which the war was undertaken, will not consent to a forced con struction of the European balance of power that will go to strengthen and reward Austria at the expense of Russia. The generous compliment paid to General Williams by the Russian general Moura vieff, contrasts strongly with the deliberate insult offered by General Prince Coronini to the royal uniform of England. Nothing can extenuate the apologetic defence of a woithless associate, known to be such, or justify a reluctance to acknowledge the courtesy of an enemy. The amenity of M. de Bismarck-Schhnhausen has been disturbed by the observations of the Morning Post If Russia aura abate her pride, and yield to our terms, we shall be glal for peace sake ; but if she cannot agree to the conditions which she knows as well as we do to be necessary, we shall face the coming campaign with the more ardour, that we shall obtain, we are convinced, a suc cess transcendently great, and conjointly with this we shall have an opportunity of teaching Prussia a lesson she will not forget, and of showing her, not only the danger, b it the penalty which a first-rate power incurs when it abandons its position, and that nobler vi,•es are not more fatal to their owners than hypocrisy and cowardice. These expressions are not more forcible than the occasion warrants. Had Austria and Prussia dealt fairly at first, the war might have been avoided. They will pay the penalty of their misconduct at a period not remote. Nothing, however, can exceed the universal contempt for the German princes whe t whilst reviling France and England, dare to use high language to Russia now that the day appears to be against her. State policy may at times compel a doubtful conduct; but no ingenuity can or ever THE PRESS. shall palliate that foul bravado, that infamous degradation of the humanities which, fearing the strung, would insult the brave in their less fortunate moment. The Gazette dc Berlin says :—" Prussia does not consider her neutrality to be confined to a state of inactivity. She has the duty imposed upon her of insisting upon counsels of moderation and peace." What attitude is Prussia prepared to assume in order to apply the word "lust-t"? But even the Anglo•alliance party in Prussia is apprehensive of the future. The Prince Royal, in addressing the officers of the garrison of Coblentz, with the Prince Regent of Baden a: their bead, said : Providence has permitted our country for the last year to remain in a state of peace, yet that should not diminish oar zeal for the service of the King, since the longer" a pacific neutrality may be maintained, the more difficult will it be to keep our army really for war. And this is the object we must have constantly in view; so that when called upon by our King, "nous soyuns prits au combat et sie de la victorie." These words, coming from the chief of the Anglo- Prussian party, have a certain significance. Bavaria, not backward in her antipathy to the allies, and not caring to conceal her aversion to France, declares through the medium of the Russian journal : We are quite aware that the French are determined at the first opportunity of wiping out the stale received by their armies under Napoleon, in their defeat by the Bava rian troops in 1813. It is well known that in the retreat after the mink of Leipsig, the Prince de Yi'retle, at the head ot• the Bavari...n army, almost annihilated the Young and nothing but fragments of that corps ever re turned to France, "Le successeur de Napoleon I. n'a point oublie retie sanglante defaite et comme je vous le disats hunt, 'ow train!' ici qu'il s'aisisse la premiere occasion pour s'en venger ear l'Allemagne et speciale went stir la Baviere." These martial extravagancies have been caused by the censures of the Times upon German neutrality, made more unpalatable by the speech of the Eu►- peror Napoleon at the close of the French Exposi tion. There is no need of spur to the animosity of the French against Germal.y. They are ready for the onset, and a worn will send them ►o the frontier of the Emilie. In the meantime Prussia consoles itself by substantial gains, which d, not prevent the Zeit from an abuse of the Times in remarking that— La Prnsse s'enrichit par le commerce svec la Russie ; elle autorise la contrabaude de la guerre qui fournit I ceue puissance les moyens d.- soutenir lalutte. In the lace of a fiat denial of the truth of this observation, and which is called a " vieile chanson sur un nouvel air," a correspondent from Stettin asserts : At no epoch of our history have our commercial relations with Russia been so active ; it is almost tabulous, and, unless I witnessed the fact (la verite ) with my own e)e.4, 1 should be tempted to believe th t it was only a myth invented for amusement. One can hardly have an idea of the number of carriages and mineaut, laden with immense quantities of merchandise, coining from all parts of Europe, that are to be seen on the road to Memel, Konigs berg, Polangen, and Kowno, on their way to Courhuld, and from thence to the interior of Russia. After this wholesale confession from Stettin, it must require an ample share of hardihood to sit in judgment on the Times fur asserting the identical fact. A manifesto from Munich, couched in firm and temperate language, counsels the German Faderland to be true to its common cause, and to assert a power that shall command peace. It animadverts on the reereancy of Austria in joining the allies even in word. In the deed Austria is held to be deficient. She is revised for being forgetful of the enemy of old, Napoleonic Franc?, and is accounted to have lost her claim to integrity, in exchanging that enmity for friendship : N'oubliona oas que la France est la nation militaire par excellence. Ses auxiliaires sontpartout en Italie, en Non groie, en l'ologne, dans son indefatigable propagande litte raire, politique et sociale, dans la revolution qui n's pas cease de reorder la France comme son Me?ale, mettle quand celle-ci bailloneit la liberte. La temperament de l'Au trielie pent se (Mink en deux mots; le contraire de tout ce qui fait la force de la France. The camarilla of V►enna has taken refuge in Munich. In every German Cabinet the treaty with Sweden is considered adverse to German interests, and the expression of the Emperor, "II vaut une armee de cent mines baionettes," is felt to be correct. Notwithstanding the cold reception given to Count Esterhazy at St. Petersburg, the propositions of which he was the bearer are said not to have been wholly rejected. A reserve may remain for further negotiation. The stipu ations were supposed to have been kept secret. Prussia, however, privately and confidentjally obtained an authentic ver-ion, and, faithful to Russia, transmitted the same to St. Petersburg, so that they had already been fully dis cussed when M. de Nesselrode said to Count Nesselrode—" Mon maitre s'avisera." A serious obstacle has been removed from the ground of debate. Russia is said no longer to insist 31 upon treating with Turkey alone, on a formal ratifi cation of terms agreed and determined upon with the allies. Russia had objected that any propositions forwarded by Austria should tend—" a faire tout regler, non pas entre la Russie et la Porte mais entre la Russie et les allies substitues a la souverainte de la Turquie," and it was demanded that the questions concerning the Black Sea should be " retlees de commit' accord entre ces drug puissances, non pas , mime dans touts la plenitude de leur souverainte, mais sans que l'intervention des puissances &likes soit ostensible." England and France peremptorily refused. Turkey nut having the power to resist Russia, applied for the eilectual assistance of the allies, and placed her sovereignty in trust for her own benefit; but the controlling power in the bene ficial interest is vested in the trustees, Eni4land and France, until such time as the object of the trust shall have been J. E. L. SIENA, Dec. 5. WITHOUT presuming to animadvert upon the doings of the chief magistrate of Auld Reekie and his covenanters, yet it is proper to observe that his address to the King of Sardinia, in reprobation of the Roman Catholic religion, t 3 which he belo.iged, has had pernicious effects in Italy. The archbishops and bishops of the several States have denounced it as an att rapt to stimulate a propaganda against Romanisin in the name of Victor Emanuel. Austro papal partisans quote it in proof of the necessity of stringent laws to check Protestant heresy, and pro clamations have been alrea ly issued against several liberal works reputed to be iui nieal to ultra•nontane Romanism. Monsignor Romilli, Archbishop of Milan, has sent a sharp pastoral to the librarians, booksellers, and newsveulors iu tie Milanese, censuring, and it might be fairly said anathematis ing, the various periodicals of tt.e day, in which it ►s said that the light of Romanism is obscured uy the profane applications of science to moral government, and wherein au attempt is made to substitute pen. deal infidelity for the holier precepts of divine Rome. The Revue des Deux Minutes, tie English Quarter lies, and monthly Reviews, or all such of them that ►n any way treat of religion or morals, are for the future strictly prohibited. censorsai t ) is about to be most rigid, and a vigilant watch will be kept upon teachers of languages. Were it possible, the Archbishop would prohibit learning English altoge ther, and ass►tredly every obstacle will be interposed to the diffusion of that language. To possess a number of Punch, with the caricature of the Re demptorist FatheN would suoject time unfortunate owner to incarceration or exile. The Bishop of Bergamo has not been behindhand, and has launciied his invective and interdict against all literary journals and periodicals. It is evident that the Vatican is more alarmed at the progress of science and literature than at the direct attack on Romanism. As a set-off to this iguoratit severity, the Austrian Government has withdrawn the seques tration on the property of the Marchese l'allaricini, who is in the Sardinian service; and probably the act of clemency extorted from an uneasiness at the present crisis of affairs, may be followed by others of a simile tendency. If the Roman priesthood is to save Italy, according to the preaching of tile Ultramonanes, the supply of the article at ltorne must furnish much cause for re. joicing. The recent census gives the population at 177 ; 461; and the ecclesiastics in 34 parishes com prise 30 bishops, 1,220 priests, 2,213 monks, 1,910 nuns, and 007 collegians. The nuns are not in pro portion to the sacerdotal emergency. Baron Brennier, the Minister of France at Naples, has commenced a new era of things. His language is nut of a doubtful order; and the French steamer that conveyed him is still in port, ready at a mo ment's notice for his service, should he taiie down the imperial arms from the gateway of his palace. .fhe mules bought in Sicily for the Crimea were for bidden to be embarked ; bui, since the arrival of the French Minister, a counter order has been despatched bj telegraph, so that the King has been compelled to give way. French diplomacy in urgent clues is vastly superior to that of England. It may be short in manner, but it is successlul ; and the " stat pro ratione voluntas " always commands a becoming re spect. With the Sovereign of Naples the appeal in political muralny is not understood ; justice is ignored, and mercy and truth have no place in the 13,mibaic vocabulary. A king of this temper is a mighty help to repuolicanism. E. R. A