The Press.
London, England, 1855-02-17 00:00:00

FEBRUARY 17, 1855.

lortign 6orrtsponboat.

FRLNKFORT, February.
Tut reconstruction of the Aberdeen Ministry, even
with Lord Palmerston as Premier, has in some
degree reassured the downcast spirits of the Russo •
Prussians. From the reported disrelish of Mr.
Gladstone and Mr. Sidney Herbert to join Lord
Palmerston without the company of the Presby-
terian leader, it is inferred they have stipulated that
his Germanic policy is to be continued. Such corn-
pact is opposed to the sympathies of Lord Palmers-
ton for the Emperor of the French, and to the
former policies of an earlier day, although strictly in
keeping, with the late acts of Lord Clarendon, in
whose bands England is far from adopting that
virile energy which the Premier was wont to put in
force with such happy effect. He will either conduct
the foreign policy in direct contempt of the Gladstone
clique, and of their German and Orleans tendencies,
or be will have to continue the imbecility he con-
demned in others. The frank and fearless speech
of Lord Derby, wherein he confessed the personal
intimacy of Lord Palmerston with our imperial ally
the Emperor of the French to be a Strong reason for
desiring him to occupy a commanding position in his
Ministry, has perfectly proved the justice of that
apprehension with which the Russian and Prussian
party regarded the advent to power of the great Con-
servative leader.
Much astonishment, however, has been evinced in
the "Judenstrasse " that Lord Derby should have
proposed for Mr. Gladstone and Mr. Sidney Herbert
to form a junction with Mr. Disraeli. There are
connections with Liverpool, in this place, who say
without reluctance that Mr. Gladstone has always
made known his profound dislike to Mr. Disraeli,
and that his friends and allies have generally asserted
he would never act in concert with that particular
person to whom the Peelites attribute the fall of
their late leader Sir Robert Peel, and his loss of
office. Besides, they turn to the published divisions
of the Commons, and point to the name of General
Peel, a pseudo Conservative, who deserts the party
and votes against Mr. Disraeli whenever be divides
the house, more faithful to personal enmity than
political principle. At a recent contested election
betwixt a friend of Mr. Gladstone and a Derby Con-
servative of unswerving fidelity and honour, it was
boldly put forward by the Romanist and Gladstone
party that a hope existed on their part for a reunion
of Conservatives proper and improper, Derbyites and
Peelites—that only one obstacle existed, Mr. Dis-
raeli—and when the time arrived the necessary
sacrifice would be made. You perceive that even at
Frankfurt information of English tactics is not other-
wise than correct, and none are better instructed
than the Judaic brethren on passing events.
The change in the English Ministry, and the anti-
cipated instability of the present, which is only a
version of the last, coupled with the clear plan of the
French future in regard to Germany, has given a
new turn to affairs. They consist now of two dis-
tinct questions—Russo-Crimean and German exclu-
sive. Were there to be a peace to morrow the Pan-
Germanists would force on the discussion of their
claims and grievances. The separation betwixt
north and south, Prussia and Austria, is increasing
every hour. The letter of M. Drouyn de Lbuys
has resuscitated the old central party which formerly
proposed to elevate Hesse Darmstadt into a kingdom,
and with 13avaria, Wurtemberg, and Saxony, create
a balance of power betwixt the two Emperors; for
Prussia, in that case, would have a Northern Im-
perial Crown according to the plan of the great
Frederick. On the contingent question Bavaria and
Wurtemberg have checkmated both Austria and
Prussia, and, having found out their power, will not
willingly quit their vantage ground.
M. de Bismarck has i pened his game, with or
without orders, with great inaiscretion, and he
cannot control the eager advocates of the " Haus
Politik," who cling as tenaciously to the rnemoried
projects of aggrandisement of Frederick 11. as the
Muscovites to the directions of the will of Peter the
Great. The Austrian and Prussian officers walk
about Ma)ence and Frankfort siler'
When the struggle comes it will
soldiers of Austria are apt to desik
sians as "pfiffig," or sharper that
with honesty, and in retort the Prussia
the Southerne by the term " dumr
When compliments of this nature
bayonets they are a prognostication
weather." The league of Western Euroi
gradually augmenting in numerical sire
directed against Russia and Prussia,
Germany will have its fatherland par
betwixt two magnificent French armies,
recollections not favorable to that

15

require a searclung investigittOn— Ziond cries of ,
hear")—in order that th proper remedy should be
applied, and that the blame—if blame there be—should
fall on the right shoulders (Loud cheers.) These two
points it behoves the Government to lose no time in
attending to; but at the same time I must remark that
it has been the fashion, perhaps too indiscriminate/y, to
pour out blame on the heads of those actually engaged iu
carrying on operations in the Crimea; and I would have
the censurers to recollect that there are others besides
those actually engaged in those operations who must bear
their share of whatever blame may arise out of the mode
in which they have been oarried on. Recollect that
in time of peace this (*entry has always been most
jealous of the existence of a standing army. We have
had, in proportion to the extent, wealth, and power, of
this country, perhaps the smelle,st finny of any Euro-
pean power, and,small as it was, it has always been looked
upon with jealousy, has had every augmentation watched
with the utmost vigilance, and, as a general rule, pre-
vented when prevention was possible. (Hear, hear.) We
had, further, that army so used and so placed, that it was
not likely, at the commencement of a war, to be perfect
for the purposes of extended warfare. But our business
now is to use every effort to repair the emirs that Dave
been committed, to apply the proper remedies, to prevent
their repetition, and so to strengthen and maintain our
army, as that ultimately we may feel a moral certainty of
success. If peace is to be obtained, those who are
anxious for it should contribnte their best efforts towards
the vigorous and active prosecution of the war. (Loud
cheers.) You are aware that her Mejesty's Government
has deputed one of the most eminent statesmen of the
present day to negotiate—if negotiations be honestly sad
fairly oonduoted—for a peace which may be honourable
for England and honourable for the whole world. There
is no doubt that if any country in Christendom has en
interest in peace, it is England, with her thimense com-
mercial interests in all parts of the world, and, above all,
with the strong religious feelings of the people, which make
them pre-eminently desirous of peace. We have entered
into the war reluctantly, but we have done so from a sense
that the peace of Europe was threatened by a power
which, if not resisted new, might become too powerfhl for
resistance hereafter. ( Hear, hear.) The war was entered
into from no selfish motives—although everything that in-
terests Ensland interests all Europe—no, fur the peace of
Europe and the rest of the world have we entered into this
contest, and whenever it is concluded it must be concluded
on terms which will give us solid reasons for expecting
that peace will not be again disturbed, or the progress of
free intercourse and civilisation rudely interrupted. (Hear,
hear.)
The right honourable gentleman resumed his
seat amid general cheering, mixed with a few dis-
cordant cries such sti " Who starved the soldiers?"
" Green coffee ?" " Why spare Odessa," &o.

The Seotsman sa"s :—Lord Raglan will, we have
some reason to believe, return home immediately,
though under what circumstances, i. e., what degree
of compulsion, may he disputed. Lord Lucan, the
commander of the cavalry, will certainly be recalled.
Several of the superior officers iu the departments of
the Quartermaster-General and the Commissariat
have, we think we may staxe, been also removed
from their commands and ordered home.
Mn. W. S. LINDSAY, M.P., left Paris yesterday
week for MaiseilleAs and will probably extend his
jouthey to Malta. Ills object is to organise a regu-
lar service of transports for the sick of the Crimea,
direct to Marseilles, and to establish hospitals along
the coast.
LOAD GODERICH has declined to accept the Secre-
taryship of the India Board, vacated by the resigna-
tion of Mr. Lowe.
MR. Bleussm, M.P., the Clerk of the Ordnance,
bat resigned his office.
THE REV. Ma. CHICHESTER, who succeeds to the
vast estates of the last Lord O'Neil (valued at
40,0001. per annum, and wholly free from incurn-
brances), is at present incumbent of St. Michin's,
one of the poorest parishes in Dublin, and to which
he was but recently promoted from the still poorer
incumbency of St- Michael's. By a late parlia-
mentary return it appears that the annual amount of
" minister's money" to which the latter parish is
liable is no more than 361.
WE have been surprised that for some weeks past
nothing has been heard of Mt. Nasmyth and his
wrought-iron guns, but something—not the guns—
has turned up at last; in fact, We cat has come out
of the bag, although the guns bare not yet come put
of the foundry, nor, if all we hear is correct, are they
likely ever to attain that desirable liberty. Mr. Na-
smyth it appears some weeks back applied to the Duke
of Newcastle upon the subject of indemnification for
- of it indertaki- That