The Press.
London, England, 1855-11-24 00:00:00

THE PRESS

SATURDAY,

gives a regiment a bad name, and does not eradicate or even tem
porarily cure the evil. Establish a head-quarters bank, where money
saved can be deposited ; restrict the importation and sale of spirits ;
put the heaviest fines and punishments upon sly grog-selling ; create
occupation and amusement for tho men ; and drunkenness will soon
decrease in the English camp.

The expressions of opinion on the war this week comprise a
most manly and high-principled address of Lord HARDWICKE, from
which we have been compelled to content ourselves with an extract,
though every word of it well deserves attentive perusal. Lord HARD-
WICKE, rejecting all the nonsense commonly uttered to gain a cheer
from thoughtless hearers, adopts the plain principle that the war
ought to end as soon as its original purposes have been accomplished.
Regarding the successes achieved by the allied armies and fleets in
the Black Sea, he thinks it possible that a "prompt and durable peace"
may now be effected. This opinion is of the more weight as coming
from an officer of the highest reputation for skill and courage, and
who has served with distinction in her Majesty's navy. Such men as
Lord llAnnwicxx can atlbrd to oppose a reckless war-cry; as, above all
suspicion of weakness or favour, it is impossible to attribute their
conduct to any other motive than honest conviction and genuine love
of country.

A Polish Legion is to be immediate!) formed, with the avowed
expectation that its ranks will be abundantly filled by deserters from
the Russian army. Is the country prepared to accord its support to
this startling measure—startling, as it must inevitably tend to aggra-
vate the ferocity and cruelties of •war? In the event of the Russians
capturing any of these deserters, they would be justified by the laws
of war in shooting them. How could we save them, though wearing
our uniform, acting under our orders, and receiving our pay ? Should
we threaten retaliation? It would be disregarded. Should we carry
our threat into executic•n? To what would that lead, but a general
massacre of all prisoners on both sides. England, Christian England—
boasting of her superior civilisation—justly proud of her humanity,
is on the point of taking a step which the world will unhesitatingly
pronounce to be odious, cruel, and barbarous ? To whatever degree it
is successful, it will tend to give to the contest a shocking character of
a servile war. We doubt its success; the Poles in England are cer-
tainly not of a character to make efficient soldiers, and it is question-
able whether we shall find deserters so numerous as we expect. But
whatever may be the result in this respect, it will be a lasting blot on
our name, and lay us under the reproach of being driven to the most
unworthy expedients to maintain what we justly boast is a righteous
cause. We can only hope that the country will prevent, by its
remonstrances, this scheme from being carried into effect.

Lord NAAS made a vigorous speech this week to his constituents
at Coleraine. The Noble Lord is one of the most rising members in
the Conservative connection, and Lord DERBY nominated him as Irish
Secretary. His Lordship spoke at considerable length upon the war,
denouncing the conduct of Russia, and retrospectively justifying the
contest ; but, at the close of his speech, Lord NAAS declared himself
ready to entertain the question of peace, if made upon sure and
honourable conditions. We do not observe any particular differene•
bete► een the main sentiments of the Noble Lord's speech and the
general view of the war which we have recently submitted to our
readers. As author of an interesting volume on St. Petersburg, the
speech of Lord NAAS deserves additional consideration.

It is stated that the Duke of ARGYLL is to be the new Po3tmaster-
General. It is but a small post. and his Grace is equal to it. He
has long tried to be a man of science in a small way, and he may now
set up for one of letters on a great scale. The Premier took good care
not to offer the Colonies to the Duke of ARGYLL. That would have
been too serious a joke.

That porcelain cup which Mr. HAYTER received at the last white=
bait dinner was a fatal present. Wells is still " the happy Wells,
while its Whig Member, with a Tory colleague, is now the unhappy
HAYTER. Brittle as his testimonial in crockery has been the sway of
HAYTER over Wells. Those " choristers " whom he promoted into all
the public offices must now tune up their voices, not to " Oh! be
joyful," but to " Oh! be Joliffe's." The electors of that borough have
long been drilled in the virtue of subordination, and of course they
never could have preferred " Sergeant" KINGLAKE to " Captain " Jo-
LIFFE. Even the whipper-in could not flog them up to such a breach
of etiquette. By a telling majority,the electors chose the Conservative
candidate. They selected the Gallant Officer in preference to the
spouting harrister,and preferred a real country gentleman to a legal
hunter after office. They did not want to be used as the electors ( f
Bath were by Mr. PRINK.
Under the circumstances, Mr. HArrEa's friends ought to give
him now another testimonial, but on this occasion, instead of crockery,
they should take a hint from Southwark, and present Mr. HATTER
with a hat, but, in order to make it quite appropriate, it should be of
that mouldering kind known as " the shocking bad." Such a het
could alone symbolise to Mr. HAYTER the last electioneering nevk s
from his no longer " happy Wells." •

The Report of the Hyde-park Riots Commissioners weighs all the
pros and cons of the case with judicial gravity, but seems to have a
great dislike to plain speaking. It gives the impression of having
been penned with a studious desire to conceal the Commissioner,'
real opinion. "It is satisfactory to find," say these Gentlemen,
" that none of the crowd came armed in any manner." Satisfactory !
Is it satisfactory to find that one can walk along the Strand without
being Thugged? What We see no cause for satisfaction in the
matter. Can an Englishman of ordinary common sense conceive the

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NOVEMBER 24, 1855.

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