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

NOVEMBER 24, 1855.

THE BALTIC FLEET.
TO THE EDITOR OF " THE PRESS."
Sir,—A considerable portion of the Baltic fleet
having already arrived in England, the remainder
(excepting the blockading squadron under Admiral
Baynes) being either at Kiel or homeward bound, it
may not, perhaps, prove uninteresting to take are •
trospectite view of their proceedings; as the public
will naturally be desirous of forming an opinion as
to whether the magnificent flotilla that left these
shores in the beginning of the year have answered
the expectations formed of them. The event of the
greatest importance that has occurred has been the
bombardment of the fortress of Sweaborg,—an occur-
rence which, although resulting in incalculable
damage to the enemy, with but very few casualties
to the allies, has been deprived by public opinion of
much of the credit due to its results, apparently
fiom the idea that more should have been done, or
that the success that must so greatly have surprised
the garrison of Sweaborg should have been followed
up by either the batteries having been attacked by
the line-of-battleships, during the confusion that
necessarily existed on shore, or that Helsingfors
should have been burnt. Regarding the opinion
that the ships should have gone in after the place
had been bombarded by the gun-boats, such an attack
doubtless might have been made; but it must be
borne in mind that the advancing ships would have
been exposed to a heavy raking fire from the nume-
rous earthworks on the Island of Bakholmen, on the
right, and from the battery called Stora-Ratan, on
the left; these batteries being situated in so lofty a
position that it would have been impossible for the
ships to have elevated their guns sufficiently for the
purpose of silencing their fire. Supposing, however,
that they had succeeded in getting within, say, 400
yards of the forts (which, it must be remembered,
are cut out of the solid rock), and opened the tire of
their broadsides, I do not doubt that within a
quarter of an hour the Russian guns would have
been unmanned, and perhaps capsized, and for the
time rendered useless; but the garrison would (as
they must have done during the frightful conflagra-
tion of everything not casemated by solid rock)
have retired into the cavities of the rock behind
their batteries, and been prepared to resist any
attempt to land—an attempt which, without a con-
siderable body of troops, would have been sheer
madness. In fact, after he ships had fired a con-
siderable number of broadsides, under a fire from
the neighbouring islands, and, until silenced, from
the rock-bound batteries of Sweaborg itself—after
they had lost many brave fellows—they would have
been extremely fortunate if they had come cff with-
out two or three of the ships being burnt, blown up,
or sunk. If one of the ships had got on shore on
the unbuoyed and unsurveyed position they must
have taken it would have been certain destruction, and
Sweaborg would have remained to this day ignorant
of the effect of their fire,—which fire, indeed, would
have had no further effect than to have capsized or
destroyed the guns, leasing the embrasures intact.
Now, had there been 20,000 soldiers in the fleet, I
consider that a dash might have been made, and the
troops possibly have taken possession of Sweaborg ;
but even this opinion is a matter of great question.
Last year, when General Junes recommended that
Sweaborg should be attacked with the 15,000 men
then at the disposal of the allies—which recom-
mendation was not agrees to by General Baraguay
d'Hilliers or Sir Charles Napier, on the ground of
want of force to take possession—the Island of
Bakholmen, the quarter from which it was proposed to
commence operations, was undefended by earthworks,
but it literally commands Sweaborg ; and this year it
is one mass of earthworks from one extreme to the
other. I think you and your readers will, on calm
reflection, be of opinion that to take the ships in
against Sweaborg would have been, to say the least
of it, a rash act, and that what was done, so far as
Sweaborg was concerned, was satisfactory ; for, with-
out going into minute details, suffice it to say that
the whole place, arsenals, stores, vessels building,
magazines, Sm. Sic., were burnt, excepting, of course,
the fortifications above alluded to. Regarding Hel-
singfors, I have good authority for stating that
political reasons alone prevented that splendid city
from being burnt; we had quite sufficient effec-
tive guns and mortars at our command to have
carried into effect a similar result as had occurred to
Sweaborg. On this line of policy I will not com-
ment, not being in the diplomatic secrets of either
the commander-in-chief or the Government; but
many, I think—l may say the majority—of those
present are of opinion that sparing it was a mistake.
If you will allow me, in my next I will endeavour to
show the general opinion amongst naval officers
regarding Cronstadt, and what might and should be
done there next season.—Your obedient servant,
R. N.

Who has served two campaigns
in the Baltic.

London, Nov. 22.

THE PRESS.

foreign 6ortrspo übtutt.

FRANKFORT, Nov. 21.
ONE of the chief causes of the apparent apathy of
Protestant Germany proceeds from a disrelish to
join the Romanist faction that would subject
the country again to the Papal dominance
of the middle ages. It is past contradiction
that Protestant Germany would rather trust to an
alliance with the Greek Church, having for its
supreme head a Russian emperor, than place con-
fidence in a Hapsburg Lorraine sovereign—not free,
not open—in subjection to a Jesuit confessor, and
chained to the portal of the College of Cardinals. It
has been affirmed in THE PRESS that the continua-
tion of the war would lead to a Protestant and
Roman conflict, not limited, probably, to s battle of
words. That opinion, dated from this the old city
of Charlemagne, was proffered more than a year ago,
and events are working gradually towards that end—
that ominous end. But it must be endured. To
check its onward course would be to cradle the
torrent. "Now, in the time of this mortal life we
must cast away the works of darkness and put upon
us the armour of light," in duty to that Protestant
Church militant here in earth. Let the integrity of
Turkey be firmly guaranteed, and the Persico-Cir-
cassian path to India be barred, and then the
Oriental question will give place to one of a nature
far more grave and solemn fur the future destinies of
Europe than that of Russian ambition. The whole
length and breadth of Northern and Central
Germany is less inimical to Russia than to Aus-
tria, from that just and unanswerable reason which
is founded upon experience. Schiller's "Thirty
Years' War" is not a fiction. The religious cause
that once began in a Bohemian insurrection now
finds another source in the incongruous protection of
an Osmanli dynasty—for the spirit of the treaty of
Westphalia is re-embodied and again unpacified, and
will require the selfsame agency to allay its dange-
rous albeit conscientious excitement. Greece is not
Latin, Italy is anti-Papal ; neither is Scandinavia less
Protestant and anti-Austrian than she was in the
time of Gustavus Adolphus. Whenever peace be
made with Russia the forgetfulness of past injury
and the sympathies of a renewed friendship will be
firmly cemented by the imperative necessity of her
alliance in contest against the Austro•Papal crusade
for the arch-imperial supremacy of the Roman
Catholic Church.
Simultaneously and conjointly with the French
Imperial speech are heralded forth the thirty-six
articles of tile Austro-Papal Concordat. It is styled,
"Convention entre notre Saint Pere le Pape Pie 121..
et sa Majeste Francois Joseph 1., Empereur
d'Aa-
triche. Au nom de la tres saints et invisible Trinite."
Art. ii. deprives the Austrian Emperor of the " pla-
cetum regium," "le pontife Remain ayant de droit
divin, dana toute retendue de reglise, la primaute
d'honneur et de jurisdiction." The supra-imperial
and Divine right admits of no qualifying restriction.
Art. iv. establishes the irresponsible power of the
Roman Church in the management of its affairs
within the Austrian dominions, exempt from civil
and secular interference, and places the inferior
clergy under the absolute rule of the bishops. Arts.
v., vi., vii., and viii. vest the education of the people,
"public ou privet' in the Roman priest 3, as a matter
of exclusive right, and the bishops, " selon le devoir
de leur charge pastorale, veilleront avec la plus
grande vigilance ace pie rien ne soit contraire a la
religion Catholique." All other religious teaching is
prohibited, even in private families, urless with the
express sanction of the diocesan. Professors and
masters of every description are obliged to have
" l'autorisation de l'eveque diocesain, qui pourra la
revoquer des qu'il lui apparel tre opportun de le faire."
Those who presume to disobey and to teach without
such license shall be brought before the ecclesiastical
courts, and be subjected to ecclesiastical and not
secular punishment. Art. ix. confers the right of
" censures des livres dangereux pour la religion ou
les bonnes meeurs." This power is comprehensive.
To cite a case in point, even under the old regime, a
book was prohibited lately because it contained re-
marks eulogistic of the education given to the King
of Sardinia and his late brother, the Duke of Genoa.
Art. x. Ecclesiastical tribunals are to be established,
according to ancient usage—that is as in the time of
the dark ages—and ate to have especial jurisdiction
over all cases, directly or collaterally, " qui ont rap-
port a la foi "—an elastic extension of judicature that
by astute pleading may comprise almost any crime.
Marriages are not valid without episcopal consent.
Art. xi. The Roman and sacerdotal courts are to
have their own particular and especial places of
punishment, prisons, and dungeons, free from entry
or examination by the civil power "dans des mona.s-
teres, dans du siminaires, ou dans D'AT:TBES LILLX

1115

ce destinis." The civil power is not to have a right
of interference with the bishops, "qui pourrout nulls-
meut etre empeches de frapper de censures les
fideles, QUELS PUISSENT ETRE, qui transgres-
seraient lea lois ecclesiastiques." This is the estab-
lishment of the Jesuit Inquisition in its full force.
Positive dungeons, possible torture and blood-stained
" baisers de la vierge," the " oubliette," and agonising
death, without the power of redress, await the Austrian
and Lombardo-Veneto people, princes, counts, gentry,
and beggars—" quels qu'ils puissent etre." Who is
the barbarian? Is it Russia? Art. xv. accords the
right of sanctuary to criminals. Art. xvi. empowers
the ecclesiastical courts to call in the aid of the civil
authority, "qui pretera main forte pour que les juge-
mens des eveques recoiveut leur execution." The
blind obedience of the police to the command of the
Roman priest is explicit and peremptory. Art. xviii.
"Le Saint Siege, usant le droit qui lui est propre,"
is to have the power of changing the bounds of dio-
ceses and creating fresh ones, " lorsque lea Wens des
fideles le demanders." Art. xxviii. places the " regu-
tiers " or monks under the superintendence of the
" superieurs generaux" at Rome, and the priests
" exerceront librement leur droit de visite, au sujet
des religieuses "—that is to say, the " spouses " of
the Roman Church are to be given up to the visits
and uses of the Rumen priests. Art. xxix. The
Roman Church is to have the right to acquire pro-
perty "a tout titre legitime," especially that
bequeathed by moribund repentants, and all property,
real and personal, " lui sera solennellement assuree
d'une maniere inviolable ;" and by Art. xxx. the said
Church property, real and personal, is to be controlled
and managed solely by the ecclesiastical courts. Art.
xxxiii. reestablishes the system of tithes, which had
been suppressed " par lee vicissitudes du temps,"
and in places where they are not possible of collec-
tion " dotations " are to be levied:instead, " qui seront
fixies, et seront tenues, et perches it titre onereux, et
en vertu du -theme droit que les dimes dont elles
sont destinees a tenir place." Art. xxxv. annuls all
former ecclesiastical rules and ordinances of the
Romish Church in Austria,
et desormais cette convention sera en vigeur J perpe-
tuite cunime loi de lend dins toutes lee parties de l'empire.
Donne u Vienne, le dizhuit AOut, de Fan de la Redemp-
tion dixhuit cent cinquante cinq.
JOSEPH OTIINIAR DE KAUSCHER, MICHEL CARDriAL VILLE
M.P. Archeveque de Vienne. PIELA, M.P.
Let the Times, as the avenger of Roman intoler-
ance, and the defender of the rights of conscience,
civilisation, and progress, take the place worthily of
the Connetable de Bourbon.
It will be in vain for the Emperor of the French to
call upon Protestant and liberal Germany to de-
clare against Russia, in the teeth of this iniquitous
aggression, Papal and Austro Lorraine, against the
dearest liberties of the subject. The promulgation
of this " convention " has neutralised any effect
that the spirit-stirring appeal of the Emperor might
possibly have had ; for it is held in Germany that
the gauntlet has been thrown, as of yore, to the
Protestant nations of the North, with whom the
Byzantine and Russian Church will make common
cause. Greek, Scandinavian, Dutch, and German
will rise against this daring act to render Rome
once more pontifically and imperially prepotent.
So far, and in that sense, the Concordat may be
auxiliary to smoothing the difficulties of a peace
with Russia; but likewise it will be, sooner or later,
a cause of the most desolating war. And where will
be France? Where England?

J. E. L.

SIENA, Nov. 29.
THERE is no truth in the reconciliation between the
Sardinian and Tuscan Governments. When the
ruling chiefs of two countries are—the one a
priest-ridden Jesuit, and the other an excommuni-
cated prince—proclaimed by the Roman Church to
be " hors la loi," for having abolished in his domi-
nions the profanities of the conventual system,
common sense will suggest:the breach to be inca-
pable of real amendment. The excommunicated
king, Victor Emanuel, having escaped the medicated
fate prescribed by the Jesuit, is On the eve of depar-
ture to visit the Emperor of the French, upon whom
the Jesuits falsely rely as a sure and trusty protector,
and whose sincerity to the cause of civilisation and
progress will be shortly submitted to a rude test, and
Italy will be that same test. In this Grand Duchy
things wear an unquiet aspect. Any other Minister
of England than Lord Norrnanby would, by the force
of circumstances, have wielded a power that, in his
hands, has dwindled to a courteous submission to
the Jesuit powers that ilbe ; and, indeed, his cul-
pability, both of omission and commission, merit
an expression far less flattering, although more to
the purpose, than the one used. At this precise
period, teeming with earliest interest, and repleta
with danger from intriguing combinations, the

18

Ministers of England on foreign missions should at
least be those on whom the country might depend
for uncompromising devotion and fidelity to the
public service. On this head hitherto Lord Palmers-
ton has never failed, nor is he likely to permit Lord
Clarendon, for whose acts he is responsible as Pre-
mier, to shield with unbecoming partiality those who
are not inclined to perform their strict duty. It is
necessary that, towards foreigners, the Ministers of
England should conduct themselves with those social
and diplomatic courtesies which add a patriotic grace
to the several embassies and missions ; but this is
the least of their duties, and they should remember
that a fawning servility is unbecoming the high am-
bassador of a great nation, and not calculated to
engender foreign respect for the Minister or for the
country they are appointed to represent. That
respectis strictly in ratio to the ability with which the
Minister watches over the important interests corn •
milted to his vigilance and care. The firmness of
the Minister at Naples is neutralised by his colleague
at Florence, and the shortcomings of the latter
are so unfortunately and obviously patent to all,
that it will be impossible they can avoid parlia-
mentary notice. To come directly to the point, were
a Conservative Government to succeed to power in
England, Lord Normanby must be instantly re-
called, and Lord Normanby would be instantly
recalled. If a personal rancour exist on his part
against the Emperor of the French and Lord
Palmerston, that is no reason why the interests of
England should be neglected and jeopardised to
gratify the indulgence of personal spleen.
The recruiting in the North has become of late far
more active and successful, under the management
of Colonel Read. By having a depot on the Sardinian
coast, a continued supply of recruits comes through
the Maremma from the Romagnese and Neapolitan
districts. From the Abruzzi the mountaineers pass
with facility by hill paths to the Apennines of
Romagna, by Terni and Civita Castellana to Monte
Fiascone, Bolsena, and Acqua Pendente into the
Tuscan Maremma of Grosseto, and then pass on
through the Pisan Cascine, by the Serchio to Vil-
lareggio and Lerici. Many of those who have been
tempted to " prender carnpagna," from untoward cir-
cumstances rather than deliberate crime, have seized
the opportunity to escape from unwelcome bri-
gandage to a more honourable state. Strange to say,
amongst the recruits a% not a few young priestlings
of the flock, eager for an emancipation from a dis-
tasteful noviciate. They are nicknamed "Coronati,"
owing to the following circumstance. From the
early practice of the tonsure, the hair, being con-
stantly shaven off on the top of the head, acquires
strong and bristling properties, so that when allowed
to grow it does not lie in obedient harmony with the
adjoining locks, and, it may be said in vulgar par-
lance, "to stiver up "in capillary rebellion. Thus,
these young fugitives of Babylon are easily recog-
nised, and received with acclamation and sundry
felicitations not germane to Pio Nino and his
crimson cardinals.
The insurrection in Sicily is far from being quelled,
for the power of repression is wanting. So certain
are the leading Liberals of defeating the Bombs
helots, that they are only awaiting the progress of
events in order to make success doubly sure.
Nothing has more tended to show the animus of the
country than the invitation to a public dinner given
to the captain and wounded of the Carlo Alberto,
Sardinian steamer, returning from the Crimea, by
the inhabitants of Messina. Bomba gained nothing
by the interference of the authorities in prevention.
Mazza has not yet departed for Spain. M. Caracciolo
and the Baron Gallotti, who had been imprisoned
and exiled by his own and sole act, have returned,
yet the King still clings to his former favorite, and
believes and confides in his power to protect him
from the effects of those enormities which have made
him for ever hateful to the people. The armei
support of Austria can alone preserve him or his
pontifical patron in their chairs of State.

M. T. A.

reign jutaigence.

FRANCE.
The impression produced by the Emperor's speech
has been most favorable throughout France. All
classes agree iu believing the Emperor to be disposed
for peace, an.l desirous of learning the opinion, nut
only of 'rauce, but of Europe, upon this momentous
question.
The near visit of the Km of Piedmont to Paris
has been mada the most of in the French papers this
week. The question of the King's reception by the
dignitaries of the Church excites much attention. It
is generally believed that the higher dignitaries will
riot be present upon any State occasion. The Pope's
Internuncio, it is remarked, has left Paris on " urgent
private affairs," thus conveniently relieving himself
of the awkward .dilemma of meeting a sovereign
under the ban of excommunication.
The Moniteur on the 21st published a letter of the
13th from Stockholm, stating that popular sentiment