The Press. — London, England, 1855-11-03 00:00:00

- rrwl< 1048 KtNe / X.N, • THE WEEK. A paragraph in the Times of yesterday, transcribing a letter from Lord STANLEY to Sir W. JONES, Bart., and with an appended note stating that the "editor believed it not impossible that Lord STANLEY " might become a member of the present Government," has excited considerable sensation. Of the actual facts we pretend to no know ledge. We imagine, however, there can be no doubt that Lord STANLEY was offered the post of Colonial Minister, and that he declined it. Of one thing we are well assured, that, with his clear views, definite purposes, and high notions of Ministerial duty, he would accept no post in the present Cabinet save from a conviction that by doing so he could carry out his political principles, more es pecially as regards the policy of the war. The mortification of Mr. FREDERICK PEEL, who is acquainted with the duties of the Colonial office, having filled the post of Under-Secretary, at being unani mously passed over, will be thoroughly enjoyed by "his friends.'i It may, perhaps, teach him that his own estimate of his self importance is a little too high. Tux anticipated retreat, destruction, or possible capture of Prince GORTSCHAKOFF and his hundred and twenty thousand men this autumn, does not seem about to be realised. The bad state of the roads is the ostensible cause of this failure on the part of the Allies, but the strcng central position of the Russians must be honestly acknowledged as the sole serious objection to such a gigantic success. THE PRESS has always held that the powerful force which the Russian General had at his command in a strong central position, would, in all probability, prove more than a match this year for any effort the Allies could make to eject, him, vi et armis, from the Crimea, and so far this view appears to be correct. The advance of PELISSIER beyond the Belbeck has proved to be but a reconnaissance in force, and the advance from Eupatoria nothing more. From this we may infer that the allied army is not sufficiently powerful to be enabled to advance in safety upon so many points at once ; and by the latest Russian despatches—for neither the London nor Paris War offices conde scend to enlighten us upon such points oftener than once a month—we learn that PELISSIER had fallen back to the valley of Baidar, and General D'ALLoNviLLE had returned to Eupatoria. At the same time Prince GORTSCHAKOFF states that the Allies are rein forcing their army at Eupatoria, and it may be possible that the attempt to cut off the supplies of the Russians will yet be made iu such force as to insure succesA. The 40,000 men at present at Eupatoria are insufficient to effect this object. The Russian reserve at Perekop 40,000 strong, and the 15,000 cavalry on the steppes, hold our Eupatorian army in check; and until we can concentrate at Eupatoria some 60,000 or 70,000 men we shall not be able to intercept the Russian supplies to any very serious extent. From every appearance, the campaign, as far as the Allies are concerned, appears to be over. Whether it is to be so on the part of the Russians remains to be proved. The move• ment of large bodies of troops over the Mackenzie Heights, the burning the furze, the clearing the roads, and the constant reports from spies that a serious attack upon the Tschernaya camp was meditated, indicates some intention of the sort on the part of the Russians, though such an attack, thoroughly prepared as the Allies now are, could only meet with one result. That some such intention exist-3 would appear from the telegraphic message sent by Lord PANMIIRE to General SIMPSON. His Lordship received a message direct from Lord BLOMFIELD at Berlin, intimating that the Russians meditated a grand attack upon the whole of the allied line. General SIMPSON, upon the receipt of this message, immediately stopped the embarkation of Sir Corm; CAMPBELL'S division for Eupatoria. The whole army was on the alert; and, by the letters from the camp, we learn that every possible precaution was being taken to prevent a surprise. The appointment of Sir HAMILTON SEYMOUR as Envoy at the Court of Vienna, in the room of Lord WESTMORLAND, may be accepted as a fait accompli. Sir HAMILTON—(from the publication of his secret despatches, recapitulating the private conversations with the late Emperor NienorAs)— possesses at present rather an unenviable reputation at foreign Courts. The extent of his friendly relationship with the Emperor of AUSTRIA will probably be somewhat limited by those recollections. It is not more pleasant for Sovereigns than for less exalted personages to feel that their private and confidential conversations Hill be printed in a Blue-book, and placed upon the table of the English Legislature. At St. Petersburg, Sir HAMILTON SEYMOUR displayed the unerring acuteness of a practised detective. By him the cunning intrigues of the CZAR were penetrated in a moment. But at Vienna his duty will be widely different : he will have to initiate a policy—not unravel a plot ; and here his unfortunate repu tation for an excellent memory and short-hand notes will, we fear, be against him. Some anxiety will be felt to hear how our Transatlantic cousins will receive the diatribes against them by the Government journals here, and what they think of the hint given them, that they had better be on the best behaviour, by the despatch of our disposable ships to their neighbourhood. When this " vigorous measure" was adopted the diplo matic correspondence was proceeding; and it is palpable that nothing would be more likely to turn a mero squabble into a deadly quarrel than this piece of empty brHggadoeio , or harsh and insulting menace THE PRESS. SATURDAY, We have a strong suspicion that, more than any of the Premier's pre vious escapades, this act will satisfy the country that his Lordship is totally wanting in the weighty qualities necessary to his high, and, at this moment, most responsible place. As for hoisting Brother Jonathan, and whipping him till he cries " peccavi," in the few months between the closing of sue Baltic campaign and the beginning of another, tell that to " the marines." He is " too 'cute " to be so easily caught. if his Lordship's menace be seriously taken, it may excite a hur►icane of fury through the States, compose all domestic differences, and produce a radical change in the policy of the Government. The United States may think a powerful navy essential to their defence, organise it as they alone can organise monster undertakings, and be ready for a brush with us at a moment when it might not be quite so convenient to our Government as they appear to think it would be now. The war in Asia still drags its weary length along. MOUBAVIEFF, is was currently believed at Constantinople, had commenced a retreat from Kars on the 16th, but nothing authentic was known. The version which the Russian prisoners give of the assault on the 29th is that it was undertaken solely by order from St. Petersburg, and its immediate aim was to endeavour to gain at Kars a counterpoise to the loss of Sebastopol. OMER PACHA still continues at Soukhain Kaleh, the fifty thousand men he found there have already dwindled down to eight thousand effective troops, and these, with the eighteen thousand ex pected from the camp, and the remainder.• from Eupatoria, will form the entire force at the Paella's disposal. It is doubtful when OMER PACHA will be enabled to advance to the relief of Kars His first movement will probably be upon Kutais, as the most effective diversion in favour of Kars. A vigorous attack upon Kutais, which is a strong fortified post, might be successful; and, if so, the road to Tiflis lay open, and from thence the retreat and supplies of the Russians are cut off at a stroke. Still the capture of Kutais is no easy deed ; it is a place of considerable strength, and, from the threatening position of OMER PACHA at this moment, is not likely to be left neglected by MOURAVIEFF. Accounts from Erzeroum state that an enormous convoy left that town for Kars in the early part of last month, but the powerful force of Russian cavalry in the plains render its safe arrival extremely problematical. WHAT SHALL I DO WITH MY COLONIES 9 A book I have seen advertised — The thought always struck me as funny— In which sonic strange fellow's advised Who asks, " What shall I do with my money?" I've laughed at the mythical elf Thus bemoaning wealth's troubles and hollowness, But, egad! I'm as puzzled myself — What on earth shall I do with my Colonies? Shall I give them to Newcastle's Duke ? He might like to regain the position, Where he did pretty well—by a fluke— Till, misled by a " noble ambition," He forsook it to manage the war ; We all know the nice mess he made of it. I've a great mind to summon him o'er— But, egad ! I'm a little afraid of it. For of four Secretaries of State Only two in the Peers may be seated, So Panmure I should have to translate, For Lord Clarendon can't be so treated. Then what shall I do with poor Manic ? For India's engaged by V. Smith— A statesman whose mind is so small Some suppose it an absolute myth. Some men's genius for bungling is large, And Panmure always has made the most of his— Would it look like a snub or discharge If I just moved him off to the Post-office ? By Jove, the whole thing shall be done, And Fred Peel, that young coxcomb so sinister (Never mind how the army may groan), Shall succeed his old chief as War Minister. FRAGMENT OF A FORTHCOMING HISTORY. [We find it difficult to fix the exact period of the following fragment which is sent to us as Mr. Macaulay's ; but some parts might have been written of the present time.l IT was truly a time when all that has been said of the depth of English determination, and that indescribable quality since denominated " pluck," were required to appear in their fullest vigour and effect. Byng had returned from the un•atteinpted relief of Mahon, but was not allowed time to boast, as was boasted for him at the Court-martial, and has since been boasted, amid tremendous and tumultous cheers, by a truly Reform Admiral, that he had " brought home the fleet without injury of a plank or cord." The people were not then as enlightened j