The Press.
London, England, 1855-09-29 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

SATURDAY,

ridiculous to assert that the attack upon the Redan was simply by way
of diversion for the advantage of the French at the Malakoff. That it
was certain to create a powerful diversion was evident, but it was
nevertheless meant in earnest, and should have been followed up with
resolution. It is impossible to read General SIMPSON'S despatch, or
any of the correspondence from the camp, without a conviction that
this attack failed from want of support—that in the first instance the
assaulting columns of fifteen hundred men were misetably in-
sufficient for the work in hand, and that when thrown forward
upon the breach in the Redan, they were left unsupported
to maintain a most " determined and bloody contest" for upwards of
an hour. It seems to be a peculiarity of British Governments
and British Generals to attempt gigantic results with insignificant
means. _ _ _ _ . _ _ _

In this way the honour of the nation and the best blood of the
army are trifled with and wasted. While the French army has
daily grown before Sebastopol ours has remained at its stunted capa-
city. We are surpassed by our Allies in every undertaking, because we
are too weak to undertake it ourselves ; and if a campaign in the field
succeeds we shall surely continue to play but this secondary part
throughout the war. Lord PALMERSTON, who so lately asserted his be-
lief in the theory of equivalents, and recommended us to console our-
selves for our own sufferings by contemplating those of our enemies,
will probably point to the sickening details of those horrors beheld in
the burning ruins of Sebastopol as a consolation for our defeat, and for
a total of 2,447 brave men killed, wounded, and missing. His Lord-
ship is welcome to the consolation.
The loss of the French in the attack is given as 1,489 killed, with
five generals and 140 officers, and ten generals, 244 officers, and 4,259
wounded, with 1,410 missing—a total of 7,557 men and officers.

Our friend the Moniteur, in an article (which has been largely
quoted and praised by all our contemporaries) upon "The Allies and
the Siege," pats us on the back in the most pleasant possible manner.
We are so unaccustomed to be patronised in this way by our neigh-
bours, that the sensation is perhaps more novel than gratifying.
After admitting that both nations share the glories of the war, the
complacent scribe continues, " If Bomarsund fell under the blows of
" our soldiers, it was chiefly the English navy that took them there."
Did the English blue-jackets do nothing else ? Again :—" While by
" the force of courage our soldiers triumphed over the desperate re
" sistance of the Russian army, the combined fleets destroyed their
" provisions," &c. &c. Our army, we know, is very insignificant by the
side of the imposing masses of Frenchmen ; but still, if little, it is
good, and did its work tolerably well at Alma, Inkermann, and Bala-
klava, and during eleven months of the siege. It is very kind of the
Moniteur, no doubt, to give us a rub down now and then, just to keep
us in spirits, and assure us that while we have a " big brother " we
shall not be ill-treated; but we have an odd habit of thinking that we
can take care of ourselves, and can dispense with so much kind
patronage.

If there is anything pre-eminently useful, that one thing is sure of
neglect from a Whig Government. Much as they boast of progress,
the only progress made by them appears to be towards the front bench
on the right hand bide below the gangway. Once safely seated, the
career of enlightenment suddenly ceases, and the cry of the nine-
teenth century is laid aside against a rainy day of opposition.
It might have been imagined that on an occason so momentous as
the fall of Sebastopol, no time would have been lost in procuring at
once all intelligenoe of the victory. A letter from Dr. LARDNER, lately
published in the Times, shows that this might have been effected
with every security and precision iii two hours. But let us give our
Government every latitude. Let us multiply the necessary time by
twelve ; and then let us ask, why were we not in possession of full
particulars within twenty-four hours of the event? All Britain was
deeply interested. Wives, children, and relatives, in thousands were
in agonising suspense. The domestic and patriotic feelings of the
whole country were in anxious expectation ; and yet we have had to
wait the arrival of a steamer liable to stoppage, and even to loss ; while
electric speech, running along as fast as thought, might have allayed
fear, or set at rest unce,tainty, on every hearth in this great empire.

The progress of cholera towards these shores is marked and rapid.
It has passed from Poland to Berlin, from Berlin to Switzerland, in
the north, and from Naples to Florence, Genoa, and Marseilles, in the
south of Europe. The rank, warm atmosphere of the last few days is
precisely that which accompanies cholera. We may have it in a week
or two, or it may be postponed till the ensuing year. But, in the face
of this near approach, what has been done and is doing by our
sanitary authorities? We want active measures. We want that filthy
floating sewer of the Thames to be cleansed without delay, and the
drainage of London to be carried or consumed away from the precincts
of the town. Under Sir B. HALL'S Metropolitan Local Management
Bill nothing is likely to be done for five years to come. Should the
cholera appear amongst us again we shall still have whole districts
decimated, and then we suppose the Board of Health will suddenly
wake up and issue instructions for the prevention and cure of choleraic
symptoms !

CHANT, DURING THE NAPIER COLLECTION.
And we have limited this expression of national feeling to one shilling each person.—Tie
Napier Placard.

Ro and goes the hat,
Unlock each till,
A Bob a head
FOB' BOBADIL I

SEPT. 29, 1855.

PALMERSTON ON SCIENCE.

His Grace the Duke of Argyll, in the course of the lecture in which ho
was so good as to instruct the scientific world assembled at Glasgow,
intimated that Lord Palmerston " intended to bring the claims of
science before Parliament." This announcement naturally afforded
much gratification, which will be increased when we mention some of
the steps which the Premier intends to take for advancing the interests
of science of various kinds.

Considering that the science of Theology is yet in its infancy,
the Premier proposes to institute a series of prizes for those students
who, following his own example, discover new, or hitherto unrecog
nised, truths in religion. To show his earnestness in this matter, he
has already offered to revise, at such intervals as his engagements,
parties, and balls will permit, the present " authorised version ;" and
he thinks that, by a judicious use of the pruning-knife, he will be
able considerably to simplify the labours of subsequent annotators.
He intends also to deal, at the same time, with the Thirty-nine
Articles, which he designs to " concentrate " for general use, face-
tiously observing that " anybody who wants a lot of creed can easily
dilute an article with a little theological hot water."
With the science of Geography he also designs to deal in a
similar manner. He intends to offer rewards for the construction of
new maps, in each of which the inventor shall exercise his ingenuity
by showing some novel arrangement of territorial boundaries and
dynastic possessions. Each map is to be accompanied by a brief,
popular pamphlet, showing how the proposed changes can best be
brought about ; and this is to be translated into the language of
the people it will affect. All science having a higher aim than its
own progress, the Premier hopes to do much good among the
" nationalities," and elsewhere, by a plentiful distribution of these
accredited productions throughout Europe.
The science of Rhetoric, the Premier thinks, may be cultivated
with great advantage, and he will propose to Parliament to institute a
lectureship, by means of which those who intend to enter Parliament
may be instructed in the various artifices which succeed with a re-
formed House of Commons. A prize for the best display of sham
earnestness, and for the readiest and most impertinent retorts, will be
annually awarded to the lecturer's pupils, and will be known as the
Palmerstonian medal.
The science of Politics Lord Palmerston considers has been
lamentably neglectel, so far as its practical working goes. A man, he
justly argues, may be very well react in political philosophy, and be
very well informed upon the political topics, and yet may be utterly
unable to turn his knowledge to its legitimate use, the attainment and
retention of office. A scholarship is therefore to be founded, to be
the reward of the student who will show, at some supposed crisis, the
best way of " managing " a House of Commons, by cajolement, inti-
midation, or private negotiation, such scholarship to entitle its holder,
'after a certain time, to the first vacant Under-Secretaryship of State.

Other propositions for the advancement of science aro under con•
sideration, but these, which it is already determined to carry out, will
show that the Duke of Argyll did not speak—when does he ?—without
book.

THE DOWNING-STREET LOTUS-EATERS.
(AFTER A POEM OF THE LAUREATE HAPPILY NOT THE LAST.)
" Courage !" said Pam, " Behold the official bench—
Old Abby's rope of sand—will scatter soon !"
And then that band whose cheeks no fraud could blench
Nodded and grinned behind the pantaloon.
Abby was in his phrase " a feckless loon,"
Breathing like Sly when he was hailed a lord,
Wondering how he came there, and then how soon
The mutineers would cast him overboard,
Till in one general smash his house of pasteboard fell,
And jeers and curses rung the Coalitions knell.
Then came a gang of easy men and free,
Who to their work did free and easy go.
Chief of the throng of stop-gap sticks was he,
The pantaloon who wrought old Abby's woe,
The silvcr-sabled-whiskered mime whose flow
Was great of jokes and jests like those you see
Printed in name of Miller, y'clep'd " Joe"—
Jests that in place of honest answers stood—
And met with empty laugh the nation's cry for blood.
And thus these drowsy dreamers made their way,
Hoping through noble blood like water shed
Some glorious news to save their place and pay,
Some mighty deed of troops ill-fed, ill-led !
Whose merest wants they grudged them day by day.
And thus its time each quarter's pension sped,
And having nought to do and nought to say.
The Lotos-eaters of Whitehall were fed
By that still Lethe's fruit that's baked for Treasury bread.