The Press. — London, England, 1855-02-10 00:00:00

THE PRESS. FEBRUARY 10, 1855. weeks, but according to Mr. Prao it will take at least three months. Every mile opened will however reduce the difficulty of transport Russia and Austria are both concentrating powerful armies upon their Polish frontiers. Already the cavalry of the Russian Imperia Guard, 10,000 strong, have left St. Petersburg en route for the line of the Vistula, and the infantry and artillery of the Guard are under orders to follow as soon us the roads permit. It is said that this army of observation consists already of 15,000 men, and is placed under the supreme command of Prince PASKIEWLTSCH. One hundred and fifty thousand men upon the frontier, with a fine military road leading direct though Cracow to Vienna, necessitates, as a mere matter of personal security, the contra-collection of a large army by Austria upon her side of the frontier. Troops, stores, and materiel, are being by her daily collected upon the spot. Cracow and Olmiitz are both being put into a state of defence ; but, we repeat, this is a mere precaution which, under the circumstances, a State must adopt of necessity, but beyond that we do not see any reason for believing that Austria is about to enter heart and soul into the contest. If there remain but one straw upon the waters of Protocols (and there are a great many floating about at present) to that straw she will cling, while deluding us with prospects of her assistance. SWEABORG. (AFTER THOMAS CAMPBELL.) (See the speech of Sir Charles Napier, on Tuesday night, at the Mansion•house.) At Charley and the North Sing the wonder of the town ! Since from Pall-mall he went forth Just to batter Cronstadt down. It was ten, of St. Martin's, by the chime, When gay Pain, with glass in band, " Peace or war," declared to stand Just as Charley should command For the time ! For its victories, the year All preceding should eclipse, Spake the claret-gifted seer. Then he talked of "lambs" and ships, And he boasted his Whig Admirals the twain. On the youth of seventy's face It was pleasant there to trace Warlike fire and mocking grace Writ so plain. Again ! Again ! A gain ! And the bouncing did not slack (More ere Charley reached the main Than for Nelson coming back !) Till the cheers throughout the room husky rise. They have ceased ; and home they reel, And the telegraphs reveal That " the fleet has got to Kiel," Where it lies. Came the mighty news each day How Old Charley walked the deck, How to pilots he did say To advance and to come back ; And the papers even hinted that he swore. Till at lengt'a arose a cry That he'd put his cruising by And be good enough to try Soinething more. Out spoke Sir Jemmy then By " electric " o'er the deep : " Now, by Jove, we're ruined men If you can't wake out of sleep ! Take an island, or a fortress, or a town, Be the triumph great or small, Let us hear of something's " fall," Or we'll founder, one and all, And go down !" Then the hero, cursing deep, To the Admiralty said, Their advice they had better keep, For hie chance WNS fairly sped. He but hoped to " save the fleet " in its need, So to Bomarsund he flew ; Down in clouds " the rubble" blew, And the French took thousand fe two Home to ed. Then " the lambs " their work all done, Fighting Charley turned around, And he brought his ships each one With their timbers safe and sound. But not to the Reform Club hurried he, But "complained to the Lord Mayor" Of Sir James's tricks unfair — And for once with Charloy there We agree ! TWO EPITAPHS. (AFTER "RETALIATION.") Here lies Aberdeen, whom a wild freak of fate Pitched from ruling the Kirk to confusing tho State. With the heart of a Satrap, the head of a nurse, He had just enough genius the Bad to Make worse ; For the acts of a Statesman mistook each poor shift, After " drifting to war" sent our armies adrift. Too dull and too vain a mistake to recal, Our foes hailed his rise as the dawn of our fall ; For " destruction which follows on madness," they said, Must await the doomed nation that choose such a head. Two years of unfortunate bungling revealed, He could fight in the Council, if not in the field. When he suddenly turned, and in terror went out, When the Commons but asked what he had been about, And betook him to guide the Kirk session in peace, For the Court and the Country " a happy release." Here, in grim desperation, his last venture done, In the midst of his victims reposes Lord John ; None so daring as he an exploit to begin, Or so rapid to quit it when once fairly in— A mixture most subtle of courage and fear — Still snatching the rudder though fearful to steer ; Mistaking ill-temper for wit in debate, And placemens' hack-phrases for maxims of State. As " sincere but mistaken in judgment " he passed, But ill-company shattered his good name at last. The most paradoxical his of all ends— First his friends to set up and then upset his friends ! QU'EST CE QUE NOUS Y AVONS GAGNE ? A story I've heard ('tie an old French Joe, It happened, I fancy, long ago, When the pit was the place for the swells to go) Of a gent who between two acts of the play Rose up to stretch his legs and survey If he couldn't discover some coryphee, • Behind the proscenium, so pretty and gay, Who with her sly ogles might wile away The dreary quart' d'heure that must needs be done Ere the actors resumed their pathos or fun ; But he'd hardly bee i n gazing a minute or so When a cry was heard, " 11 nous tourne le dos !" Heavens ! the din that was then set up! One yelled and snarled like an angry pup, Another siffied, another swore, Till the row about him was getting a bore. Our friend turned round with a ghastly grin On a face as ugly,—as ugly as sin, And, as he showed them his hideous phiz, He gravely said, with a pleasant quiz, " VOUS voulez la figure et non le dos, Qu'est ce que vous y gagnez ma foi, pas trop We think this is very much the case With the change that has lately taken place : The Peelito Rump we didn't approve, And we didn't rest till we got it to move, But the front that is turned to our gaze in lieu Has so little that's pleasing to the view, That we can't help quoting the Frenchman's mot, " Qu'y uvons nous gagne? ma foi,pas trop !" THE NAPIER AND THE GRAHAM. A NAUTICAL VAUDEVILLE. THE AnNTRALTY.—The FIRST LORD is discovered in an easy chair, and reading Ms newspapers, apparently much amused with their contents. Sir JAMES: Dear me, dear me ! Shocking mismanagement, upon my word ; shocking, indeed. Poor Newcastle! (Reads) "No arrangement. no system, everybody at cross purposes in the Crimea' Very sad. Ha! ha! An amiable man—too amiable, hut very inca pable. Ha! ha! How he does catch it! Sidney Herbert, too—they give it him hot and hot. Ha! ha! I ought to be thankful. My lines have fallen in pleasant places. Not much to annoy me. Expe ditions out of my hands. Sadly severe, these papers : but perhaps where men require. like my friends Dukey and Sid., to be kept up to the collar, a good ship hand is the right thing. (Reads.) "Helpless and brainless, those who should administer the system—" SERVANT enters. SERVANT : Sir Charles Napier, my Lord. Sir JAMES (discomforted): The d— (checking himself) —the dear old fellow ! Show him up instantly. (Aside.) Confound him; when I'm alone, too. I wish the porter d ownstairs was a policeman. Enter Sir CHARLES. Sir JAMES (radiantly): Ha! my dear Sir Charles, welcome home ; welcome to the shores of Old England, the land of the free, ha! ha! Give us your hand, my old sea-lion.. a I I 1 I MI