The Press. — London, England, 1856-12-13 00:00:00

1192 failed. He established friendly relations with the Court of Persia, and soon afterwards Mal colm was sent to the Persian Gulf a third time, with a present of artillery—the gallant young officers in charge of it being destined for the Persian service—as a present to the King. This time Malcolm rose into higher favour than ever. Liberal offers were made to him to enter the Shah's service. He declined, though with reluctance. His " History of Persia," and Persian sketches, were the results of his visits to the country. He continued ever after to take a warm interest in Persian politics, and to express his opinions on them freely. Generally he conceived that it was ex• pedient for Persia to subsist as an in dependent kingdom, interposing between the Asiatic provinces of Rus s ia and Eng lish empire in Hindostan. In that ease it would be inevitable that the English and Russian embassies at Teheran would at cer tain times be opposed to each other. In countries situated as Persia and as Turkey aro situated, between nations more powerful than themselves, the politics of their Courts must turn almost exclusively on the politics of the foreign embassies resident with them. The parties at Constantinople, instead of being purely domestic parties, must be English, French, Russian, and Austrian par ties, and the embassies are compelled to be continually active to support their respective influence. At the Court of Teheran we must always expect to find English and Russian parties. This diplomatic game is a harassing one to play ; it requires great coolness, patience, dexterity, and knowledge. The agents employed must be equal to their work; they must suffer no partial checks to discourage them. When repulsed, they must wait their time for the reaction which is sure to come. They must always be vigilant, and always firm, but never sulky; and, above all, they must be made to understand that the part they have to play is strictly diplomatic, and that it is not for them to " haul down "their flag" when they think proper, or to call on their respective nations to send an army to avenge their insulted dignity. If their office is not the most dignified that can i.e con ceived, men should be found—and there are such in the employ of every Government—who by position and nature are fitted for it. A certain quality of suppleness is required in such men ; but, on the part of this country at least, our agents must be instructed to sacredly fulfil every promise they make, and to show, under every conjuncture, that they are the faithful friends of the Courts to which they are accredited, and sincerely anxious to main tain their independence, to augment their strength, and to extend their resources. This policy, in the end, will not fail to be under stood and appreciated. The Government of Persia, if rightly managed, might surely be made to see that it has less to apprehend, and more to hope, from a close alliance with Eng land than with Russia. There must be some fault in our diplomacy when Persia is willing to desert our side and fly into the arms of her encroaching and dreaded Muscovite neigh bour. Soon after the peace of 1815, Malcolm's attention was particularly turned to the rela tions of England and Russia with Persia. It was when his mind had been matured by reflec tion and experience that he communicated his ideas on this subject to Count Woronzoff. He wrote, apparently in reference to some specu lations on the danger to British interests in the East from Russian ambition. We entreat our readers' serious attention to these pregnant sentences:— tences I have heard all the news you mention about Persia; but not the nonsense to which on allude. I am, how ever, so sick of the speculations which our English poli ticians indulge upon this subject, that I seldom read them. Persia is on the eve of being in a very distracted state. Amidst these disputes, if cool-headed men are not on the scene, both your country and mine may be led further than is good for the interests of either. 1 do not think it probable they will immediately come into any serious collision ; but, if care is net taken, the seeds of future misunderstanding will be laid, and this can only be avoided by an open and unreserved understanding of each other's plans, which I fear seldom takes place between C 'tins, thon..:h the prose nt is a case in which the usual to mules of mystery and humbug, might be dispensed W.ilt to the great advantage of loth parties. The desire of sectuini; Anent; of qourisia, anti ) . 4.n.u. °titer vrv- > ~,;,. THE PRESS. vinces in that quarter, and Promoting the trade ou the Caspian. will he your motives for interfering to prevent the north-western parts of Persia being disturbed ; while we shall see in any troubles that disturb the southern and eastern parts of that kingdom a cneck to our profitable trade with the Gulf, and discover in your coming across the Arras (whatever be the professed object) a dangerous approximation to our possessions in the East. That all this will eventually happen I have no doubt. Besides the natural action of a great military empire, there is (as my whole life has given me all opportunity of observing) an impelling power upon civilisation when in contact with barbarism that cannot be resisted. These combined causes will bring Russia forward, and there is no nation more constitutionally jealous than one which, like Great Britain, has its greatness in a considerable degree grounded upon extended commerce. Besides, the wisest of nations, or at least those who hare the greatest reputation for wisdom, have a tendency to create evils, by an anticipation if them, that mocks all calculation. There is no subject upon which all my reasoning powers (such as they are) have been more exercised than on that of the relative interests of our respective countries regard ing Persia ; and the result is a conviction that as our policy must always be defensive in that quarter, it can never give serious alarm to your Court; and the latter, whether we consider the unproductiveness of the soil, or the character of the inhabitants of Persia. can have no ob ject in advancing beyond sour present limits; and the peace of all within them can be easily maintained and pro moted, particularly with an increased openness and good understanding of our Iwo nations respecting their mutual interests in this part of Asia. . _ In considering this question, I have never entered into the irrational project of an invasion of India, because, whatever alarm men might endeavour to produce by talk ing of, or even making preparation for, such an expedition, I have been always convinced that the obstacles were of a magnitude that must prevent its ever being carried into execution. In 1826, when Russia and Persia were at war, Malcolm, who was then in England, laboured to impress on the Government the necessity of affording support to Persia, or at least of attempting to mediate between the parties, so as to compose the quarrel. He addressed himself particularly to the Duke of Wellington. The Duke wrote a letter, full of practical sagacity, to Mr. Canning, then at the head of the Foreign-office. He wrote : We have a real interest in the preservation of the inde pendence and integrity of the Persian monarchy, and the existence of this interest is well known in Russia as well as throughout Europe. It will not answer then to allow the Persian monarchy to he destroyed, particularly upon a case of which the aggression and injustice are un doubtedly on the side of the Russians. The real well understood interest of the Emperor of Russia in this case is likewise to keep the King of Persia in a state of independence and respectability, if not as a barrier be tween him and India, at least as one between the Russian dominions and the wild •gibes of Mahomedans in that part of Asia. I think, therefore, that you will not find the Emperor disinclined to listen to your counsels upon this subject. Canning was too busy with the politics of Europe to care for Asia. He called the Persian treaty " a most unlucky effort of " negotiation," and intimated his opinion that we were not called on to interfere. Malcolm observed to the Duke, on the correspon dence :-- I most cordially concur in your opinion as to the interest we have in keeping Persia in a state of independence and respectability ; and the interest of Russia is the same, though I much doubt that Court continuing to view this subject in the light we do. Are these opinions of the Duke of Welling ton and Malcolm entitled to weight? Cer tainly it appears to be our interest to support the Persian kingdom, as the most effectual barrier between Russia and our Indian pos sessions that the nature of circumstances admits of. How then does this policy consist with our meditated attack on Persia ? Can we hope, by hostilities against this only State in Central Asia of any real power, to preserve its " integrity and independence''? If the war proceeds, shall we not compel Persia to look to Russia for support? Whatever turn the contest may take, it must tend to weaken the power and impair the independence of Persia ; and exactly as we succeed in effect ing either of these objects, we shall be acting against our own interests. One observation of the Duke on the po►ver of Russia has been so significantly fulfilled as to deserve notice : Take my word for it that, notwithstanding their [Russia's] million in arms—or rather in congequenee of their million in atmx,—they are not better prepared for win' than their neighbours, end have more cause than others to dread its consequences. (To be continual.) ••••••• SATURDAY, Pen and Pencil Pictures. By Thomas Hood. London : Hurst and Blackett. THIS volume is interesting as the first step before the public of a literary aspirant, whose name ought to be a passport to every admirer of genius. " His father's son "is a flattering introduction, though too provocative of con trast. Young " Tom Hood " possesses a various range of gifts. He has a flow of sweet sentiment, which sometimes becomes girl ish, but is gracefully uttered; he has keen comic perceptions, and his wit plays with some lambert brightness, though it rarely sparkles and never blitzes. his style, indeed, possesses only too much of the ease Which marks facility to please. He has more versatility than depth, more culture than force. He is naturally bright and joyous, and it strikes us, after an attentive consideration of these juvenilia, if " Tom Hood " trained his pen for song-writing, that he would find the most natural outlet for the " gushing " character of his mind. We have not heart to criticise the book of a young man whose name is " Tom Hood." At such a title the critical scales hang lazily, the judgment being balanced by the affections. The volume takes us back to the time when Ma caulay and Praed were young men about the Inns of Court, and whenT.Hood, Charles Lamb, and Hamilton Reynolds, along with Hazlitt and many more, were writing joyously in the lighter magazines We are made to think of " The Annuals " and their songs and scraps of pathos and poetry. The volume is not, however, equal to the juvenilia of Praed. It wants distinctive, sharp-cutting style, and we are too much put in mind of Longfellow and the elder Hood. We rejoice to say that we do not observe a trace of Carlyleism in its pages. There are nearly sixty pieces, long and short, in the volume, and we think that those with the puns and " wit" are worst, and those with poetical aspirations aro the best. The " Home of Romance" thus commences : Romance—a queen dethroned—sits Within her ancient halls : The ivy slowly creeps and climbs About the crumbling walls: Her fading splendour all around, Like dying sunbeam, falls. A dreary solitude and still Fills those deserted rooms, Whose mouldering tapestry is mock'd By dusty cobweb-looms; While rotting fungus bluely lights Their sad and solemn glooms. In the once•merry banquet•hall The grey owl nightly chatints; Within the turrets, dark and drear, The bats have made their haunts; And, where the banner spreads its folds, The blood-red wall-flower flaunts! This is " The Haunted House " over again, some of our readers may think; yet not en tirely so. After a long and artistic descrip tion of the " home," the poem thus ends But while she sits forlorn—as one Who never may rejoice— Throughout that castle old and dark, The dwelling of her choice— Through those still chambers, dim and drear, There sounds a solemn Voice ! " The New becometh Old—the Night v Retreats before the Day— In turn new Cycles must arrive, In turn must pass away! The Past had beauties—Present Time Has charms as fair as they ! And, if no more ye hear of deeds Of gay and gallant knight, Earth hath her heroes still, who strive In silence for the Right— Unheralded—to battle come Truth—Patience—Firmness—Might! " Where " Tom Hood " affects a moral mood he does not succeed so well. Thus the follow ing piece, though printed as " poetry," is merely prose, in spite of its sentimental man nerism : THE PILOT AND THE STAR. saw a pilot seated at the helm Of a small shallop, that hi:ceasing toiled Against the tide. Within the Heavens there shone A single star, to which the mariner Ind steer his course. Its glittering rays o'erlaid His watery path with silver: by its beams He saw to guide his vessel, and the star Spangled his robe with light; and on his head Jt threw hiflory: so lie seemed as ono