The Press. — London, England, 1856-03-29 00:00:00

- -•,e,..p• ...4 _ * ' / '——-• . . . . . ....... .... . , I b L U . I t . VOL. IV. LONDON, SATURDAY, MARCH 29,1856 STAMPE D ....SIXPENCE. o. 152. UNSTAMPED..F.IVEPENCE. git Vrtss. vernuient is incapable of acting •a1V46,. and that it is compelled to assent to whatever course our Ally proposes, i 3 a humiliating confession of national infirmity. If two no tions are in alliance, and one proposes a course which is impolitic and dishonourable, while the other proposes a course directly the reverse, is it possible for the latter t 3 yield to the former without such a practical declara -tion of inferiority as must degrade it in its own esteem, and cast contempt upon it in the eyes of the world ? If the terms of Peace should disappoint the expectations which the Ministers and their 'adherents have held out, let us yet have the manliness to acknowledge that we have borne a fair and equal part in of it. If France has been precipitate, could France compel our Government to be precipitate likewise ? What a low estimate must be formed of the national character to suppose that its wounded vanity can he healed by assuring it that in' this great Jnatter of European settlement we have been ,compelled to play a subsidiary part, and to submit to an arrangement which we know to be impolitic, and think cannot be lasting. have a definitive Treaty concluded on the bases it had assented to. If we can trust the reports which have reached us, the English Plenipotentiaries have usually appeared in the unfortunate position of wishing to throw obstacles in the way of that settlement which it was the purpose of , the Conference to effect. The foreign policy of England at this hour seems tending to a policy of isolation. The sneers of Lord CLARENDON have lost to England at Constantinople that influence which it was one object of the war to uphold and strengthen; his unaccountable mismanagement of our relations with America has called forth hostile remou4ratTheii from the Government of that coup the ill-advised measure of 11V stren our West India squadron in e the autumn, has had the effect, as we foresaw it would, of vastly augmenting the war navy of the United States. Lastly, at an assembly of the European Powers, Lord CLfratesnoit assumes an attitude, which, if we may credit the representations of his adherents, places him not only, . .;.;* .tagenism to the general views of the ,7 t •ettee, but threatens to dissolve our • France. This ten dency to isolation'tia . y Suit the views of some Members of the Cabinet; it may be dignified with the name of independence; but assuredly it does not promise us much advantage, or seem reconcileublo with sound statesmanship. If this tone be persisted in, it will excite a :sentiment through the French nation which will effectnally dissipate all the happy effects reasonably. to be hoped from our intimate al liance with that country and from the general concord of our policy and union of our arms. Let English►nen ask themselves what would be their feeling if such reflections as are dis persed through this country came to us from the other side of the Channel. Should we hear with patience that a dishonourable Peace was about to be concluded through our impa tience of the burdens of the war ? Or, if the other line were taken, should we hear to be told that we wished to reject satisfactory terms of peace through a selfish desire to advance our peculiar interests in the East ? This is not the first attempt that has been made to screen our Administration by covert assaults on the Government of France. The object is plainly to throw on our Ally the odium of whatever may prove distasteful to our people when the Treaty of Peace is pro claimed. Against this cowardly policy every man of heart and spirit should exclaim. It misrepresents the feeling of England ; and if it did not, it would fasten on her honour a far deeper stain than that which it professes a desire to wipe away TIM MINISTRY AND OUDE. A GREAT deal of the difference of opinion which exists among independent meinheis'of the Legislature and independent journalists regarding the annexation of Oude arises simply from a misapprehension of the facts of the case. The official defenders of it, to be sure, know perfectly well what they are about, but with these it is au object of the first im portance to mislead the public, because they arc aware what must be the result of a full and complete exposure of the naked truth. But the others allow themselves to be imposed upon by fine phrases, forgetting that no political iniquity was ever perpetrated in any country or at any period of history without abundance of such. Even robbers and high waymen profess only to relieve the rich of their superfluous wealth, and have often been very kind and liberal to the poor. Indeed, the promise that the Governor-General makes in his proclamation, that " every man shall hence `• forth enjoy his just rights," was equally put forth by JACK CADE, end has been simi larly adopted by every other revolutionary leader from his time to the present day. They, too, like Lord DALHoustE, have called the nobility and Ministers of the Government they sought to subvert " worthless favorites " of the. Court," " violent and corrupt inen,uri " fit for their duties, and unworthy of trust," and they, too, on these grounds have claimed the right to depose their kings. The plunder of the nobility has then followed, and after that the spoliation of every man of wealth. What we want, therefore. - the question of this annexal Mr. VERNON SMITH, the India Board, _ what in In the Emperor of the FRENCH we have found a wise, faithful, and vigorous ally. While the war lasted, he put forth all the re sources of the French empire to make the policy of the Alliance triumphant. and snccess ful. It was not his fault that the Adminis tration of this country was less active, nor can it be his fault if on any points during the Conference our Government has taken up an untenable position, and has had to submit to the mortification of having its views over ruled. _ It is probable that the Plenipotentiaries of England have exercised less influence in the Conference than might have been expected from the position of this country If so, the cause must be found, not in the indifference of our Ally, but in the position which our Go vernment from the first assumed. Having committed itself to proposals of peace it affected reluctance to proceed with the negotiation. It never gave those cordial and concilititory assurances which would have been universally accepted as a pledge that •it really desired to phrase about the securing rights really means. Does Ling aside the right of thr —as he is said to have right shall be maintained •e, in deciding on the lion, is to : •II a Pr • 1I) • . e plai E ' i* , g eve '''i ts i i 7::: ti es it wag y 5.... to Ki..." ~", . 2 ,7t i 1 0 h VI e do. ' ,A. "d firir7 %yr, • . ed buy • . s ~ , •P- - , 1.-- • ...r . : 1 „ E . 4 :f • ( 4 1 . - i' .:41 0 0 kr LONDON, SATURDAY, MARCH 29, 1856. his impossible to pass over in silence'-We insinuations thrown out in very influeidtfllt quarters, that if the Peace now on the point of being concluded should prove unsatisfactory, the blame must be thrown on our Allies kir their " unwise and • undignified demonstra " Lions in favour of peace." 'By our Allies, we know that France is intended ; and we protest against the insinuation as false i . .n.itisett; as derogatory to the honour of this coisntrs, , and as directly tending to weaken or break up that alliance which is the best security foil* peace of the world. We see no reason to doubt that the terms of Peace will be otherwise than satisfactory ; but if they should prove otherwise, or if they should turn out to be less efficient for settling all dis- ' puted points with Russia than we had reason to expect, the cause must be sought much less in the proceedings of the Conference at Paris, than in the preliminary negotiations which led to the Conference. The time for firmness was when the main conditions of arrangement had to be determined. As a principal in the war, England had, at the commencement of the negotiation, a right to expressly set forth the conditions which would satisfy her ; but if that opportunity was lost, or if ulterior de mands were veiled under a vague stipulation which might be construed in various ways, and might, or might 'not, be intended to he en forced, it will be vain for her Government now to defend its neglect by pretending that it was compelled against its will to follow the lead of our great Ally The good sense of this country is not likely to be diverted from the true points at issue by such a paltry pretence. It would have been folly to call the Plenipotentiaries together at Paris, without sure and explicit grounds of settlement had first been laid down. Were such grounds determined? If they were not, can our Government escape the blame of having failed to fulfil its first and obvious duty? If they were, how is it that the Minis terial organs are now preparing 'us to expect an unsatisfactory Peace, and that they directly fasten on the French nation a charge which, if true, must dishonour it, and if false, must inspire it with the strongest feelings of indig nation and resentment? It is thus that in all states of life men, without foresight and principle, but. desirous of veiling their weakness from the eyes of the world, endeavour to escape the responsibility of their acts, charge their failures on their friends, and aggravate the adverse circum stances of their condition at hundred-fold by resorting to slander, that they may escape censure. It is plain that the plea is put forward on behalf of the Ministers alone. The country is to be disgraced, that they may be shielded. What are those circumstances of our condition which should induce us as a nation to concur in a course which is in itself unwise and un dignified ? Every representation that our Go-