The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1876-09-30 00:00:00

TiIEN AND NOW.

The Army and Navy Gazette remarks :—" This day
twenty-two years ago [Sept. 20, 18541 the Englitsh
army, having, in conjunction with the French, won a
great battle [Aloha] was about to ect forth, with the
prayers of the whole English nation, on its errand to
destroy Sebastopol, which was a standing menace to
the safety of Constantinople and to the integrity of the
Turkish Empire. To-day • the Eaglish people are
clamouring for the immediate execution of measures.
better calculated to destroy the Turkish Empire than,
the fleets and armies of Russia. The policy wileh
was then supported with so much passion and hest
is now denounced as fake and wicked. It would
be scarcely too much for Russia to ask us, now that
we are at the white heat of repentance, to rebuild
Sebastopol, restore the docks, present her with
a new fleet, and pay a handsome war indemnity.
What millions of money, what thousands of lives,
seem all to have been thrown away—nay, worse,
spent in a wicked and an abnominable cause, in prop.
pinz up a bloody tyranny, in preventing the spread of•
civilisation and Christianity, in thwarting benedcont
projects, in cpposing the accomplishment of Gad-like
designs—according to some people, indeed, in boldly
attacking Providence itself and defeating the Divine
intentions I 'What agony, not of thousands, but of
millions of people I What houses made desolae
What floods of tears from the orphan and the widow!
What national anguish 1 NA.y, what bltterneis of
defeat must be laid to the door of the authors of the
Crimean war I And to think that all these were caused
by the voice of the country which is now just as rampant
and outrageous on the other side of the question.
Onght not these reflections to teach us a little mode-
!Nation ?"

A COMIC PROPHET.
At the time when the fortifications of Paris were
being erected on the designs obtained by M. Tin ire,
with whose name in all Fistice they ought always to be
associated, various discussions were constantly being
held in the city as to the value or utility which might
ever attach to them. Amongst the critics were, of
course, to be found the comic journals of the period,
and notably among them the then famous Charirtri.
A number of the paper, dated the 4th of April, 1811,
has recently been unearthed by some inqui.itive journa-
list and cmninunicated to tho Esta tette, which has been
able to create a good deal of annia:ment by its revro-
duction. The article in question professes to be a sort
of mock diary, rather in the style of the "Battle of
airking," describing the advent of a foreign army,
and an attack upon the new fortresl, as it was then
about to be called. The supposed invading army hap-
pens to be Prussian, and the progress of ths siege is de-
tailed point by point in the so-called "Journal of a
Besieged." It is certainly rather remaikable, how
faithfully the Ldre•maker has described in his plea-
!entry events which were destined 30 years later to occur
in such stern reality. The retreat of the army to-
wards the Loire, leaving Paris to defend itself ; the
provisioning of the capital ; the interruption of corn.
munications, and constpient proclamation of a state of
seige ; all is described with an accuracy almost calcu-
lated to mike the readers of the present day believe in
the gift of prophecy. Then follows an account of the
suppression of certain journals, of the murmuring of
the "Reds," and of the burning of the house of M.
Thiere.—Globe.

The two gentlemen who were on Monday in last
week drowned while bathing at Boulogne, turn out to be
Mr. W. S Vincombe, f St. Germain. villas, Forest-hill, and
Mr. Harrold, of Grosvenor-park, Camberwell. Mr. Harrold
was to have been married at Christmas: and Mr. Vu.combe,
who was well known in connection with the Camberwell
Church,of Zngland,Young Socletyr leaves a Willewed
mother and two slitters to Mournbis lore'—The body-crier.
Vincombe was washed up on Sunday morning at VVirnereux
and the body of Mr. Harrold was found during Sunday night
a mile from the place where the body of Mr. Vineombe was
roomed.