The Press.
London, England, 1853-10-29 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

MODEL LEADING ARTICLE.
(From the Aberdeen Organ.)
ENGLAND is an island. From the time when Arorsl Nv. preat bed
Christianity in Canterbury, and all through the dark ages which
followed, down to the days of Cardinal WISEMAN and Pr. CUMMINo,
there is no record of England having ever been joined to the main
continent of Europe. We have always been insular, and were never
more so than at present.
These arc simple facts. known to every child in our national
schools. But it is not the less necessary to bring them before the
public. Nothing is so easily forgotten as that which is best known to
us all. A man seldom forgets his friends, though he may not see
their faces once in a year ; but how often does he forget himself,
though he sees his own face every morning behind a razor? We press
the fact upon England because, at this crisis, many persons, wise in
their way, are clamouring to Lord AIII:IIPEEN's tiovernment to go to war
in behalf of the Turkish infidels. Now, how do the facts stand ?
Oru-
MAN invaded Nieomedia in 1299, and Constantinople fell before the
arms of MAHOMET the Second on the 29th of May, 1453. In 14S1 the
head of the Catholic Church, menaced in Italy by the conqueror of
Turkey, was actually about to fly beyond the Alps, and SEttm the
First, thirty-one years later, commenced his reign by the murder of all
his younger brothers. Yet, with these facts patent before our eyes,
these evidences of Turkish ambition, blasphemy, and cruelty, men
can be found to stand up, in 1553, and say that English guns ought to
open upon those who assail the descendants of these very miscreants.
But is this all? Does any man, woman, or child comprehend
what is meant by Mahometanism? Everybody knows St. Paul's.
Imagine that a victorious Moslem army has invaded England by the
way of the filthy London river, and, seizing the Citizen steam-boats,
has impaled the cheektakers at Hungerford pier, instead of giving up
the tickets open. Imagine this army marching down the Strand,
tiring into silversmiths' and latnpmakers' shops, forcing its way
through Mr. PETER CDNNINOHAM's pet obstacle on the City threshold,
and filing in double column round the effigy of BRANDT NAN. The
gates of St. Paul's arc flung open, organ, altar, and eagle are smashed
to pieces, the memorials of COLLINOWOoD'S lieutenants and of Alma-
CROMBY'S colonels are demolished, a row of genuflecting idolaters,
with the rear of their physical formation higher than their head,
stretehes diagonally across the marble floor, four enormous green
Shields with verses from the Koran are suspended beneath the dome,
the big bell is converted into cannon, and a loud-tongued unbeliever
sticks his head five times a day through the little window of the clock
and shrieks to Ludgate-hill that there is one Allah, and people had
better come in to prayers. That is Mahumetanism—that is what the
Turks have done for Saint SoputA. And it is for these people that we
are asked to send out soldiers anti sailors, anti to add another
figure to the estituates
.of Mr. SIDNEY HERBERT and Sir JAMES
GRAHAM?
What, in the name of all that is common sense, have we in
common with these Turks? The water near their capital is called the
Sweet Waters ; ours stinks like a sewer. They wear red caps ;We
wear black hats. Their civic memorial is a burnt column; ours, on
the contrary, is a column that tells of a burning. Their Sabbath is
Friday; ours, such as it is, is Sunday. They smoke tobacco lighted
by blacks ; we smoke cabbage leaves tied up by Jews. Their Sultan
is a man, and strangles his babies ; our Sovereign is a woman, and edu-
cates hers. They punish cruelty to animals ; cruelty to animals is
the element of half of our national sports. They reverence the name
of Allah; our most savage oaths derive their weight from his name.
What, we ask again, have we in common with these people ?
Therefore, Lord ABERDEEN and his unanimous Cabinet do wisely
and well in avoiding outward manifestation of their just and English
loathing for these people, but in encouraging their enemies as far as
is consistent with policy. They will continue to do so, unless popular
opinion makes a decided demonstration for Turkey, in which case the
Cabinet will go round, and so shall we. Meantime, if we are an
island, let us be insulated.

TO MARINERS.

- -
IN commemoration of the leading articles in the Ministerial prints
upon the Eastern question, certain straits are Itenceftath to be called
the 139sh-fur-ws.