The Press. — London, England, 1855-08-18 00:00:00

...we e „.- 4e , e ....._.„ - gbit 1! tt6,5 No. 120.—VoL. o.t Vrtss. STAMPED .... SIXPENCE. UNSTAMPED..FIVEPENCE.' LONDON, SATURDAY, AUGUST 18, 1855. LONDON, SATURDAY, AUGUST 18, 1855. "PRESS" OFFICE, Friday Evening, disgust 17. WE have reason to believe that the " stir " ring and hitherto unexpected intelligence" which a Government organ of this morning announced was to be looked for from the " Crimea in the course of the next few days," was not in any way intended to refer to the action on the Tschernaya, of which intelli gence was received this afternoon, nor to the telegraphic message of General SIMPSON stating that the bombardment of Sebastopol was to be reopened on the morning of the 17th (this day). The " unexpected intelli gence " anticipated by our contemporary relates, we understand, to information re ceived of the intention of the enemy to evacuate Sebastopol on account of the diffi culty they experience in bringing up their supplies. The Russians will, it is supposed, in the event of their withdrawing from Sebastopol, fall back upon their Tschernaya position, which they have been diligently employed in strengthening for some time past. It is stated, though we do not vouch for the truth of the report, that Lord ELGIN is to be the new Postmaster-General, in place of Lord CANNING. We can scarcely believe that Lord ELGIN would consent to accept so subordinate an appointment, and more especially as it is believed that he refused to join the Government at a time when its tenure of office was believed to be extremely uncertain. The information we gave a fortnight back of the intention to appoint General MARKHAM to the command of our Sebastopol army, has, we observe, been adopted by several of our contemporaries. The retirement of General ENGLAND, the last remaining General of Division originally attached to the Crimean army, has smoothed the way for General MARKHAM'S appointment, should General SimrsoN still, on account of the state of his health, desire to be relieved from the command. IT is a great mistake to suppose that the pre -4 sent Prime Minister of England has no defi nite purpose. Any attention to his conduct since last Christmas, and to the mode in which he has discharged the duties of Leader in the House of Commons, must reveal his object. Lord PALMERSTON is desirous that his conduct should furnish an answer to one of the memorable questions raised by Lord JOHN RUSSELL. In the course of last autumn the deposed Leader of the Whigs discussed the subject, Where was the true history of England to be found? Our Premier has de termined to teach the public that, in his opinion, " The Comic History of England " is the best extant, and he is resolved by his acts, his speeches, and by the selection of his colleagues, to prove his right to being commemorated as a great performer in historical burlesque. We have had a dancing Chancellor in olden times; but a merryandrew Premier is a still more comical illustration. And beyond doubt the actual position of Lord PALMERSTON contains great elements of comi cality. Nothing can be more ludicrous than to see Whigs and Radicals obsequious in the train of a politician reared by the old Tory party. It is truly laughable to see the head of a " Liberal " Ministry passing measures and carrying on a war according to principles long since exploded. The Radicals have always preached about "progress," and our Prime Minister gives them plans and schemes stolen from the dusty pigeon -holes, where they had been left since the days of the French revolutionary war. He makes a jest of modern views of finance, and will not have any measure unless it be ticketed as " Mr. PITT'S plan." What a fine stroke of political satire there is in making the Whig k amilies, and Independent Liberals, and Scotch Econo. mists, all adopt and vote unanimously for even the financial fallacies of Mr. Pin ! But it is even more droll to witness the jolly tone in which our Prime Minister laughs at the public and both Houses of Parliament, and even himself ! He takes them all in as regularly as the newspapers ; be humbugs them all round with unparalleled hilarity— tips the wink to confederates in his secrets (if not in his Cabinet)—gives the artful leer of invitation to some of his confiding dupes— and then, after chuckling over some decoyed Benthamite, he puts on a sentimental face while he pretends to heave a sigh over some ruined Whig reputations. The rollicking air with which he performs his cajolery is quite wonderful in its way, and he never seems more astonishing than when, with a grimace on his face, he encounters a British public in its gloomiest mood. For the growls of John Bull our comic Premier has his wallet of small pleasantries of an excruciating kind. Frisky as a statesman, the Viscount is cer tainly heavy as a wit, though he tries to make amends by exhibiting a levity in his character that is much wanted in his jokes. But his prodigious performances in luring the Radi cals into supposing him to be playing their game, while he is really plotting to put us back to the old Tory times, is far more ludi crous than any joke which our Premier can ever remember. _ „.... It is this singular position of our Prime Minister that explains the qualified support given to him by some of the Conservatives. They find it hard to take part against a gay old Tory of the oldest school, disguising himself as a ” Liberal," and hoaxing the Reform Club. They feel that this aged, though not venerable, placeman is really doing great damage to the Liberal party in England. As a matter of sentiment, many of our Con servatives refuse to doll roughly with one whom they regard as a sort of Parliamentary grandpapa. They know that what everybody says is true, that " Old PAM, at bottom, is a " regular old Tory," and they forgive the irre gularity of his political conduct. They will not fire upon a craft which belongs to their own squadron, though for the nonce it has hoisted false colours. Severer courses would be war ranted towards him, but it would be sheer waste of what CANNING called " that valuable " commodity, indignation," to levish any of it upon a Cabinet Minister iu a cap and bells. A solemn lecture, richly deserved, would only convulse our jolly Premier. It can never be forgotten that his coarsest broadgrins in the House of Commons were contemporaneous with the groans of our soldiers, victimised by the imbecility of the colleagues whom he acted with, and laughed at ! To be angry with such a farcical personage would be absurd. He is to be taken at his word, and be looked on as a great Parlia mentary quiz—making game of everything. If his position had been deliberately acquired, he might be entitled to the praise of adroit ness But his elevation is traceable to the rout of the Peelites, the ruin of Lord JOHN RUSSELL, and the dearth of talent amongst the Independent Liberals. With great connec tions, and experience without parallel, it took our "Brummagem Alcibiades" fifty years to climb into the Premiership, though Mr. PEECEVAL, Lord LIVERPOOL, and several more statesmen under whom he served, gained that distinction with few of his per sonal advantages. But he would laugh at the idea of his having been passed over so long, to be elevated to office when he is really past his work ! He would see a capital joke in that ; and, when we recollect that he has no party, the comicality of the Premier's position is heightened. Yet it cannot be denied that the vis comiea of his political career is well kept up. His capacity for pastime is incessant. If thorough going jollity could pilot the State vessel, the helm should never be taken from our rollick ing Premier. The jesting way in which he encounters a difficulty, and succumbs under it without a pang of self-reproach, is a rare sight. The heartiness with which he offers his hand to friends and foes, treating them all alike with the same impartial jocularity, and the sportive ease with which he plays with principles, 13 amusing as a piece of character. His mockery of everything dig nified or consistent in politics, and his raillery of those who believe that shams are to be despised, have all the reality of nature. The most genuine part of our Premier is his fickleness. His contempt for principle is the sole point in which he has been consistent. To embrace and desert all connections with jocose indifference, to have a hand for all and a heart for none, and to play such a callous part wil a merry man, such is the comic and contemptible of Our Premier has phases which would almost justify human nature. No one is it than Lord PALMERSTON, sides with laughter when and, honest men shaking ith all the mirth of mission at onsis--... Lord P#Azirk. • in his c. eharaclC l3 —: y Swirls r t more eVis ous or but helsh kes his he seei--ntorailsts their hab E.O 1 .4*.• , 711 - --E-...-2, -0 ./// /- / /6•°;491.P.- C4V- `---V'",relL.°'"...% I