The Press. — London, England, 1856-01-26 00:00:00

JANUARY 26, 1856. again through the same venerable squares. The chimes pealing from the towering steeples vibrate with the sweetness of a forgotten melody. Old times, old friends, thoughts of the lost and gone, the vicissitudes of life, its joys, glories, and struggles, all throng into the heart as we pace the cloisters over again where we mused together in early life. The Johnians and the Trinity men, the " Calves'- head Club " and the debates at the " Union," all come back upon the memory, and we can scarcely walk to record our votes without moralising as we go. Who will say that there is no charm in such associations ? What Cambridge man vi ill confess to indifference to such feelings? But, apart from sentimental recollections, we are all bound as Conservatives to stand by our cause at the present eventful crisis. On no account must it be said that a large element of the constituency of Cambridge University are waverers. At such a time " waverers " are as bad as Whigs, and some would say they are even worse. Let the Conservative electors mark the dif ference between the candidates. Mr. WALPOLE is tried in every sense. He rose at the Bar; he rose in the Senate ; ho rose in office. What has Mr. GEORGE DENMAN done? We admit his personal respectability; but his address painfully recals the memory of his father. Lord DENMAN was open, frank, and uncom promising. His son is an anythingarian, to judge by his address. He states that he is " a sincere member of the Church of England." The same qualification is possessed by millions. Then, again, he declares that " he is free from " all ties of party, and from party views." Now, one would suppose that Mr. GEORGE DENMAN would feel some graceful deference to the " party " which promoted his respected father from being Common Sergeant of London to the Attorney-Generalship of England, and thence to the Chief Justiceship and a Peerage. There are Conservatives who will not think much the better of Mr. GEORGE DENMAN for such a declaration. For our own parts, we see in such a statement a mere artifice of electioneering, unworthy of one with the name of Denman. It is still worse as the address proceeds. " My opinions generally are Liberal, but Con " servative," or, in other words, the cant of Coalition is still parrotted by Mr. DENMAN. After saying that his principles are " Conser vative," the candidate then praises the present Government, to whom he does not venture to commit himself. He only says that the merits of Ministers " would render me desirous to " give them my support." Then on the ques tion of the war this wavering gentleman says, " It would be impossible for him to express any " opinion which the events of the next few " weeks might not modify." Just so. That word " modify" is always can the lips of a waverer, who wishes to see legis lotion proceed on the principle of " Take a " little of this, and add to it some of that ; " then mix the two together; and if the thing " will not answer, modify again." Alt! Mr. GEORGE DENMAN, it was not in that faint hearted, ambiguous style that your manly hearted father won the respect of his political adversaries, and the regard of all his friends. The constituency of Cambridge University will have, indeed, greatly " modified " their character, if such a style of politician as Mr. GEORGE DENMAN be accepted by them. Sound Conservatives must, therefore, take care not to allow the wavering interest to have even a show of vigour at such a crisis. In Mr. WALPOLE an admirable candidate stands upon our side. Mr. DENMAN has not been exercised in a profession; Mr. NVALPOLE was in the great rank of the Chancery Bar. In Mr. DENMAN the University would have a representative without experience ; in Mr. WALPOLE a politician of official knowledge, and eminent rank in his party, is presented. The talents of Mr. DENMAN as a speaker are not proved—for aught we know, he may inherit no more of the eloquence than of the political frankness of his father ; Mr. WALPOLE, on the other hand, has been decidedly successful in debate. We must, therefore, with such candidates before us, call upon Conservatives to mark their appreciation of p►inciple, as opposed to • JANUARY 26, 185( again through the same v The chimes pealing from the vibrate with the sweetness melody. Old times, old frig the lost and gone, the Niels: joys, glories, and struggles, t heart as we pace the cloister we mused together in Johnians and the Trinity n head Club " and the debate all come back upon the mer scarcely walk to record of moralising as we go. Who is no charm in such ass( Cambridge man Kill confess such feelings? But, apart from sentime we are all bound as Consery our cause at the present ev no account must it be said tl of the constituency of Cam are teaverers. At such a tin as bad as Whigs, and some even worse. Let the Conservative elec ference between the candida is tried in every sense. He he rose in the Senate ; ho r( has Mr. GEORGE DENMAN i his personal respectability; painfully recals the memo Lord DENMAN was open, f promising. His son is an judge by his address. He " a sincere member of the CI The same qualification is pos Then, again, he declares the " all ties of party, and from Now, one would suppose DENMAN would feel some gr( the " party " which promo, father from being Common S to the Attorney 7 Generalshil thence to the Chief Justices, There are Conservatives wl much the better of Mr. GI such a declaration. For o see in such a statement a electioneering, unworthy of I of Denman. It is still worse as the " My opinions generally are " servative," or, in other w Coalition is still parrotted After saying that his princ . votive," the candidate then p Government, to whom he (I , commit himself. He only se of Ministers " would rende " give them my support." tine of the war this waverin, " It would be impossible for l " Opinion which the event: " weeks might not modify." Just so. That word "me the lips of a waverer, who lation proceed on the prin " little of this, and add tc " then mix the two together " will not answer, modify GEORGE DENMAN, it was hearted, ambiguous style hearted father won the resp adversaries, and the regard The constituency of Cam will have, indeed, greatly character, if such a style o GEORGE DENMAN be accepte Sound Conservatives mu care not to allow the waveri even a show of vigour at: Mr. WALPOLE an admirable upon our side. Mr. DEN: exercised in a profession ; in the great rank of the Mr. DENMAN the Univers representative without ex WALPOLE a politician of and eminent rank in his p The talents of Mr. DENM4 not proved—for aught we kr no more of the eloquence t frankness of his father ; M other hand, has been deci debate. We must, therefore, wit before us, call upon Con, their appreciation of princi c. '7 THE PRESS. Mr. DENMAN'S style of wavering Whiggism— " Liberal, but Conservative." Even while writing these remarks, proofs have been sup plied to us that the Whios intend to make 0 as large a demonstration as the resources of their party will permit. The zeal of Conserva tives must prevent the waverers from boasting of even a large minority. LICENCE OF THE BAR AND LICENCE OF THE PRESS. AN attempt is being made, it seems, to re move the trial of WILLIAM PALMER from the provinces to London, on account of the dangerous irritation which prevails in the former. It is doubtless very proper that this should be done; but we must remind our readers that local excitement is by no means the only obstacle which exists to the impartial administration of justice. It would be of little avail to remove the prisoner from the scene of his alleged crimes if the whole kingdom is to participate in the prejudices of Shrewsbury and Stafford. Nothing would be gained by the proceeding ; while the accused would him self lose the counterbalancing advantage of local popularity. To bring him away from a spot where a kind of rude balance may, per haps, be maintained by the weight of conflict ing passions, to one where all would be against him and none for him, would be to turn mercy into cruelty; and justice into gross iniquity. These remarks have been suggested by a growing disposition in the newspaper press to assume a jurisdiction perilous alike to its own usefulness and to the interests of justice and equity. In every criminal case the jour nalist rushes in where the jurist fears to tread: judgment no longer goes before execu tion ; and the prisoner is hung before he is tried. The advocate, the jury, and the judge, are all superseded together; and he must pos sess a strength of mind beyond that of an average juryman who, on the day of real trial. can dismiss from his mind every particle of the impression which was made on it at the sham one. This, as our words imply, is lite rally playing with justice, and interposing an extraneous sentiment a tertian' quid—be tween the court and the prisoner, which, were it not for the extraordinary patience, sagacity, and learning of an English judge, would fre quently make the whole business a mockery. Never has this pernicious habit been more strongly displayed than in the recent discus sions on the Rugeley poisoning. We are already told of " the terrible dexterity of the " poisoner." Already blood cries out of the dust, and " suspicion has grown into conviction." That this kind of talk should be widely prevalent in the world is not. perhaps, unnatural. But is it the function of a journalist merely to give substance to the shadowy surmises ? to stamp with a certain air of authority the fancies of the weak and the dogmas of the ignorant? or is it not rather his special and exclusive duty to check public impa tience, to temper public animosity, and to in vite on all questions of justice involving liberty or life a calm and passionless dis cussion? To this question none of our contemporaries could avoid giving the same answer. Yet how little do they act upon the rule. Populus vult decipi et decipiatur would appear to be their motto. They seem, unfortunately, to believe that highly-coloured statements, gaudy epithets, and violent advo cacy are essential to their success, and on this ground habitually indulge themselves in de clamation which is often unjust, and a licence which is often not poetic. Strange to say, this licence of the press is most frequently observable in those journals which denounce the licence of the Bar. Let a barrister in the heat of debate be carried one inch beyond the boundaries of strict fact, and who so ready to thunder at his venal eloquence as the journals we allude to ? " Buzfuz risen " into reality," cries one. " Behold the fee " with blood on it," says another. Even a 75 previous emicert between the murderer and his counsel is hinted at as a possibility . ; yet side by side with these dignified and gentle manlike aspersions we find unsparing con demnation of untried men, and unscrupulous assumption of unproved facts. Why has the advocate so much to answer for, and the jour nalist nothing? Why is the former more venal than the latter? Innocent men have suffered before now. The writer who aids in condemning an innocent man has more on his head than he who defends a guilty . one. His pen it is which is the really venal instrument; his are the wages which are truly the fee with blood upon it. The evidence in the case of WILLIAM PALMER has yet to be heard and sifted by the court legally constituted for his trial. To hunt him down as a portion of the London press has been doing is unworthy of their voca tion. If their business be to show game to the populace, they have done wisely ; if to correct their errors, and to hold up doubtful facts and hasty prejudices to the mirror of reason, they have done both foolishly and mischievously. THE INCUBUS THAT SMOTHERS INDIA. WE were glad to perceive from an article on torture in the last Edinburgh Review that the only party in the State which has latterly shown itself deaf to the wants of India is be ginning to open its eyes and perceive the true incubus that weighs down that empire. Men ignorant enough to be totally unaware of what is now proved to have been a universal prac tice, or dishonest enough if knowing it bare facedly to deny it, are certainly not the persons to assist the Crown in the government of any dependency, much less so important a one as that of India. Still more was their un fitness for this duty evinced when it appeared afterwards, from their own records, that the practice had frequently been brought under their notice, and as frequently elicited from them orders which, like all their other orders issued in the interests of justice and good government, were habitually treated as dead letters. To say that they were so treated with their direct sanction, is to say more than we have actual warrant for ; but everyone who knows anything of the India-house knows what adepts they are in that kind of trickery which consists in writing high flown instructions to deceive the public, which are habitually violated by the func tionaries addressed in them, with the Direc tors' entire concurrence or connivance. What the Crown requires from the Directors is not so much statesmanship, for that i4is enabled to provide from amid the circle of its own immediate servants. What it needs in these official advisers of the President of the India Board is great truth, great energy, great singlemindedness, and a thorough and inti mate knowledge of India. In every one of these great requisites the Directors have shown themselves entirely wanting ; and it is not surprising, therefore, that with such broken reeds to lean upon the Crown should find it self unable to govern satisfactorily that vast empire. Happily for the country, there is abundance of Indian experience to he found out of the India-house; and when the time shall come for a reconsideration of the Indian question, there will be no difficulty in any Ministry selecting ten times more talent and local experience for its assistance than ever was concentrated in Leadenhall-street from the earliest period of history to the present. The Directors have, in fact, proved an incubus on India in all times, seeking only their own selfish ends throughout, and thwarting and paralysing all the efforts of the Ministers of the Crown for the good govern ment of that country. These have had no interest in misgoverning it ; on the con trary, their interest has lain all the other way ; and whatever of goodthas been effected IN ■ -j