The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1861-07-23 00:00:00

NOTES OF THE WEEK.

The trump of war in America now gives no
uncertain sound. Men are really preparing for
the battle field, and we may expect to hear, ere
long, that the slaughter of human beings has
commenced in earnest. Congress met on the
4th of the present month, and on the following
day the President's niessage was delivered. It
is a straightforward and old fashioned appeal to
the loyalty and pugnacity of the Northeners
against the fears and scruples of some, and of the
pockets of all. The President asks for 400
thousand men and 400 millions of dollars, or 90
millions sterling. Appeals such as this have
often been made by sovereigns to their subjects
where dynastic interests have been at stake,
but we had been taught to believe that they
could never be beard with patience in an
assembly of Republicans. If the South can be
conquered, the Washington Administration,
backed by the blood and treasure of the North,
will do it, although we very much question
whether they will not have to pay somewhat
dearer for their "whistle" than many of them
have yet calculated on. The Confederate States
do not contain simply a few discontented men
which can be easily put down, but a force suffi-
cient to oppose military resistance to a great
army. The military movements hitherto re-
ported are ludicrously disproportioned to the
magnitude of the result to be achieved; but
things are no longer to remain so. If the
declaration of the President, and the sanguinary
speech of Mr. (low, of Pennsylvania, the new
Speaker of the Rowe of Representatives, be
taken as an indication of the purposes of Con-
gress, there will, no doubt, be bloodshed
enough to emulate the slaughter of the worst
campaigns of the worst of European despots.
But suppose the Confederate State* be subdued,
what then? Mr. Lincoln informs us that when
this is brought about, the laws will simply be
administered as heretofore. But must not
every one see that this is much easier said than
done? The constitution and laws of the United
States are framed for and can only be adminis-
tered among a people who voluntarily receive
them. Subjugation by force of arms is not the
way to win the minds of men, and when the
Southern States are subdued and disarmed, it
will be found neceesarytto enforce the laws—until
now, to a great extent, self administered—by a
nulitary organisation moved from Waahington.
The result will then be, not united but subjected
States not in but under the Union.
The Russian General Onchakow, on the 000s-
aion of a review of the regimenss Yolania,
is
reported by the Csas of Cracow to have made

a speech to the officers of a singularly inflam-
matory and warlike character. lie announced
that a campaign is at hand." and warned
them to be ready at the first call. He reminded
them that the duty of the soldier was to do the
will of the sovereign with submission. Subver-
sive and revolutionary ideas, he said, had pene-
trated among them from foreign countries, and
had had led astray the young men from Warsaw,
who however, had received "well merited
chastisement." Ile cautioned them against the
reading of "seditious" papers, such as the
Kolokoi, the organ of Russian liberalism, pub-
lished in London. If the report, which professes
te give a verbatim version of this speech be cor-
rect, it is about as extraordinary an outpouring
of ill-judged zeal as ever a Russian military
partizan ever indulged in, and is as fine a speci-
men of despotic rule at the most ardent
admirers of despotism could possibly desire.

Some of the French journals have revived the
question regarding the cession of the island of
S.ardinia to 'nee by the King of Italy. A
significant article which a few days ago appeared
in the Rents Contemporaine—a periodical on the
best of terms with the French Government—
naturally suggests the question, whether the
continued presence of the French soldiers at
Rome may not induce the Cabinet of Turin to
make that courteous offer. The writer—M.
Alphonse de Cal ..... says "We had hoped
to possess some day the island of Sardinia, which
would be so useful to us as a station, on the
voyage to Algeria, which would provide us with
such excellent timber for our navy, and with such
convenient harbours for our ships." The island
of Sardinia is a continuation of the island of
Corsica ; it is more French than Italian ; its
population loves France, and knows that on
France her happiness depends; it would vote
the annexation with enthusiasm should chance
or necessity ever release it from its allegiance to
the Italian kingdom. And yet here is M. Rica-
soli dispelling with one breath our patriotic
dreams, and depriving us of a hope similar to
that which he himself entertains with regard to
Venetia. it must, however, be borne in mind
that circumstances may arise' which may induce
the Italian Government to modify its programme
and oven its eyes to the 'very great difference
which exists between Italian and Sardinian terri-
tory, two things which in reality are very
distinct. The Italians will perhaps act prudently
if they accustom themselves to the idea of the
possibility of the annexation of Sardinia to
France, whatever DL Ricasoli may say to the
contrary. We do not believe that the Emperor's
government will ever claim by threats ore resort
to arms this second Corsica, essential though it
be for the keeping of the first, in the event of a
conflict in the Mediterranean, but he would
assuredly not refuse were it to be courteously
offered to us (1), and especially if the population,
on being consulted, answered, like that of Nice
and Savoy, by an almost unanimous vote. To
retain possession of the island of Sardinia,
which no more belongs to Italy than Corsica
belonged to Genoa, the Italians must take care
not to offer it to us—that is their own affair."
On Friday evening in the House of Commons,
Mr. Kinglake, in putting a question to Lori
John Russell, delivered a speech on the rumour
of this project,and an important debate followed.
The Foreign Secretary, in his reply, admitted
the importance of the island of Sardinia, and had
repeatedly stated in his dispatches that its an-
nexation to France would be a great disturbance
to the distribution of power in Europe, and
very seriously affect English interests in the
Mediteivanean. Both the French and Italian
Cabinets denied that there was any truth in the
rumour of the annexation, and "he did not
believe the Government of the Emperor would
make the attempt, seeing the grave consequences
that must follow, putting, as it would, an end to
any alliance between France and this country."
When however, it is recollected that the
intended annexation of Savoy and Nice was
denied up to almost the very moment the event
actually took place, it will not be surprising,
notwithstanding the denials of the two Govern-
ments, in the present instance, if many should
refuse to place credit in them—especially as the
Turin cabinet is so anxious for the French army
to evacuate Rome, while the possession of Sardinia
would make France mistress of the Mediterra-
nean.

---
The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council
has confirmed the sentence of the Court of
Arches, and the Bev. Mr. Bonwell is no longer
the incumbent of St. Philips, Stepney. Baffled
at every point, Mr. llonwell has been trying a
succession of morneuvres during the last twelve
months—first as defendant and then as appel-
lant, in forind patvria—for a restitution of the
privileges that have been justly taken from him.
He contended that it was "unusual" to deprive
• clergyman for a single offence, and that the
Dean of Arches had no power to pronounce the
decree. The series of offences of which he had
been guilty in relation to Miss Yorath, be
summed up comprehensively, •by asking the
Court to reagrd it as a slight peccadillo, for
which he had done sufficient penance. He
whined for mercy, and talked abjectly of the
"anguish of mind" he had endured on account
of his removal from office! The 'uttering' of
the family he had disgraced were regarded by
him as nothing—he had done all in his power to
add to them and deepen the wrong for which no
restitution could be made; and yet, he asked to
be sent back to preach of holiness and purity,
and to use sublime words of scripture, which
must be profaned when uttered by his lips. Sir
John Coleridge. in giving a resume of the trans-
action, completely exposed the effrontery of Mr.
Hormel), who he said, in justification of his own
conduct, seemed, of all who had heard the case,
the only person ignorant of the "atrocity of the
crime he had committed," and added that "the
Court would not allow him to return to his
parishioners to whom his ministrations would be
• scandal, and his presence a shock." The
righteousness of the case must be admitted by
all ; and as no higher court of appeal now
exists, it is to be hoped we shall hear no more
of Mr. Bonwell, who, throughout the prosecu-
tion, has displayed an amount of audacity almost
unparelleled.
General Cialdini is taking active measures to
put down the brigand movement in Southern
Italy. He has ordered 15,000 volunteers from
the National Guard to be enrolled for mobiliza-
tion, and several Garibaldian officers have
accepted appointments. A great number of the
brigands who sere concentrated at Monte
Savona have been arrested, and the others have
been dispersed. The great difficulty, however,
is not to defeat and disperse such bands, but to
cut off their retreat across the Pontificial frontier,
and to prevent the stream of fresh assassins from
pouring in out of the same source. The report
that the Pope had given up to the ex-King of
Naples 30,000 muskets and several guns, which
were taken from the Neapolitan troops
who took refuge in the Papal territory,
and were deposited in the Papal custody by
General De Goyou, is now vouched for on
good authority" by the Opinions Nationale.
This proceeding calls for the serious attention of
the French Government, as these arms are served
out to the hordes of brigands who daily leave
Rome to swell the ranks of the insurgents in
the Neapolitan provinces, who are impeding by
their savage deeds the restoration of order and
peace in their distracted country.
South Lancashire has made a strong ap-
peal to the Chancellor of the Exchequer to
allow himself to be put in nomination for the
seat proposed to be allotted to that division of
the county. A requisition signed, by 7,788
electors, was presented by deputation on Friday
last, promising Mr. Gladstone a triumphant
return. The right hon, gentleman however
declined the proffered honour. His reply, which
which was couched in terms highly
gratifying to those from whom the
invitation emanated, was to the effect that were
he to surrender his present trust it would be
under circumstances unfavourable to the con-
stituency of the University of Oxford, who have
returned him during "a long series of contests,"
and that at the present moment his resignation
of the trust reposed in him by them would be in
an especial manner prejudicial to their interests.
Mr. J. C. D. Charlesworth, the Conservative
candidate for the representation of Wakefield
at the last election, was tried at the York
assizes on Saturday. The first count charged
him with having paid to Mr. John Bard'
Charlesworth a sum of £5,000 with the intention
that some part of that sum should be spent
in bribery in inducing a number of persons
to attend at the nomination and bold up their
hands on his behalf, with a view of in-
ducing his return as a member for the borough.
There were various other counts charging him
with unlawfully causing bribes to be given to
certain electors to vote for him at the said
election. He was found guilty on the first
count, and the learned Judge—Mr. Baron
Martin—discharged bins on the other counts,
but sentence was deferred. Mr. Fernandez,
after another protest, gave evidence in this
trial, and the judge. gave him some hope that
the remaining portion of his sentence of a 12
months' imprisonment would be remitted.