The Press.
London, England, 1855-09-15 00:00:00

THE LIBERALS AND THE WAR.

QUESTIONS of foreign policy have been always
the rocks on which the Liberals have split.
The fact is not only curious htt important,
and it demands some consideratia ; for there
is every likelihood that in the next session of
Parliament there will be a serious Ministerial
crisis. After the American war, the Shel-
burne and Foxite Whigs quarrelled about the
terms of what was called " The Treaty of Paris,"
in 1783, and political parties became disor-
ganised by the subsequent Coalition. In
1791, when Mr. Pres Cabinet was waning in
influence, its existence was prolonged by the
schism in the Whigs, upon the progress of the
French Revolution. During the Peninsular
war, in spite of the painful Court scandals,
and the personal struggles between Lord
CASTLEREAGH and Mr. CANNING, the Ministries
of Mr. PERCEVAL and Lord LIVERPOOL were
enabled to surmount extraordinary difficulties,
by the standing differences of opinion between
the Opposition parties of the Granvilles and
the Greys, disunited from each other upon the
subject of foreign policy. In 1830, when the
Reform Bill Cabinet was formed, the main
question of foreign affairs at that time—the
recognition of the House of Orleans—had
been settled by the previous Cabinet of the
Duke of WELLINGTON.

Yet it is well worthy of notice, that when in
subsequent years the Whigs prospered with a
cry of " Justice to Ireland," the Melbourne
Ministry was in constant peril from the
policy pursued by Lord l'AurignsToN in
Spain and elsewhere. Nor is there any fact
on this subject more worthy of notice than
that when Sir ROBERT PEEL resigned in 1846,
on the corn question, Lord JOHN Rus-
SELL and the Whigs were prevented from
forming a Cabinet, and carrying their own
economical policy, on account of the objet•

I

AiY2

tions against Lord PALMERSTON brought by
Lord GREY and his friends. But finally, on
account of his acts in the Foreign office, the
present Prettier was removed from his post
by his colleagues in the Russell Cabinet ; and
in return for their conduct, when opportunity
arose, the vindictive Viscount returned them
a " Roland for their Oliver," and upset the
Whig families.
At such a crisis as the present it is of im-
portance to remember these facts ; for we be-
lieve that the causes which have led to these
constant schisms on foreign policy amongst
the Liberals still exist, arid in the course of
the next few months are likely to be actively
developed. Political as well as personal
reasons are continuing to raise a great diffi-
culty in the continuance of the present Cabinet
at the head of affairs.
The Liberal party in this country has always
been much divided by its aristocratic and
democratic portions. A certain deference to
the traditions of power, a courtly regard for
established maxims, and a secret dread of de-
mocracy, have always influenced those Liberals
connected with the landed interest. On the
other hand, some of their number have been
Urged on to covet the platform popularity of
political agitation. Those commercial classes
enrolled in its support have wavered between
the patrician leaders and the popular de-
claimers. This course of things can even now
be seen very plainly in the internal condition
of the Liberal body. They are becoming
divided on the point "How far, and for what,
"is the war to be carried on?" We have
always thought that few subjects could be of
more political interest than to observe how
the modern commercial interest of England
would endure diminished profits, less enter-
prises, and high taxation. Its Parliamentary
power has been vastly increased by the Re-
form Bill. Mercantile members abound in the
House of Commons, and the convictions of a
large section of them have been represented
by Mr. LAING, and others, who seem inclined
to follow the standard of the Peace party.
The personal reasons which foster schism
'amongst the Liberals are very numerous.
Earl GREY is pining to regain his former
influence and station in the party, and Lord
JOHN RUSSELL is only biding his time to make
the Premier feel that the brother of the Duke
of BEDFORD does not intend to be a cypher
out of office. Any ono who knows the moral
temper of these two ex- offielal Whigs, could
never believe that they would tamely succumb
to a statesman of such unparalleled incon-
sistency as Lord PALMERSTON. We may, also,
be assured that men Bo fond of popularity as
Mr. COBDEN and Mr. Bimini. would not act in
their present fashion if they did not know
that they were supported by many of the com-
mercial interests in their neighbourhood. In
the next session of Parliament, the foreign
policy of England will be the question of the
time, and its consideration will be seriously
complicated for the Liberals by the intestine
discords of their chiefs, the ambition of indi-
viduals in their connection, and the litter want
of confidence in the intriguing politician whom
mere chance has made for the time a Prime
Minister. Such difficulties might be mastered
by a Walpole, or a Chatham, but Lord
PALMERSTON is only a clever man in a great
position. To command a discordant party is
beyond his conventional cast of character.
Recollecting, therefore, how questions of
foreign policy have always broken up the
Liberal Cabinet, let our Conservative friends
through the country be prepared for any
political emergency in the coming year. The
present Cabinet cannot last. While some
PREYS are in it, the principal person in that
family is out of it, and Woburn Abbey is now
discontented with Downing-street. As was
Said in our columns last week, "a combina-
" tiott of the essential Conservatism " of the
country will be required to carry on the
. ueen's Government with dignity and power.
e reserve to another day some further con-
siderations on this subject, but we desire that
our readers ivduld bear in recollection the
undisputable fact, that in modern times the
Liberal party has constantly split its strength
on subjects of foreign policy, which by the
naturp of things cannot be left " open sub-
jects" in a Cabinet.

THE PRESS.

NASMYTH'S WROUGHT•IRON
ORDNANCE.

WE noticed the subject of monster ordnance in
our impression of the 25th ult., and then ex-
pressed an opinion that it was impossible
to produce wrought-iron mortars of such sizes
as the public were led to expect by Mr.
Nssmrries promises. Our opinion was formed
upon a firm conviction that the difficulties con-
nected with the construction of such masses of
iron could not be overcome. The result has
pro‘ ed all we advanced ; but no doubt there
are men to be found who, with fine words and
little practice, will declare that the cannons
and mortars so long in hand can still be sue
cessfully finished. However, we hope no
countenance will be given (or rather no money
spent) by the Government in endeavours to
perfect the manufacture of " big guns."
Several letters have lately been addressed
to the Times upon this subject : among
them we have noticed one by a writer,
" W. IL," who sets forth by questioning whe-
ther it is indispensable to forge such a huge
mass of iron, and asks—" Why not take a
" finer quality of iron, and forge it into
" a band or strip, and roll it round and weld it
on a huge mandril ?" and ends by declaring he
thinks this practicable. The writer may think
this practicable ; but we can assure him that it
is not. What does he mean by iron of a finer
quality? If he means iron that has had more
work upon it, and which is consequently of a
closer fibre than that which he supposes has
been used, we differ from him in the outset, for
the more refined iron becomes by working the
less applicable is it for reworking into bands or
strips, and the subsequent welding into a huge
rifle-barrel. Besides this, we should doubt
how he is to handle the mandril with a ring of
iron from eight to ten inches thick, and upon it
a mortar (the size of Mr NARMYTH's) of fifteen
to twenty tons weight. His next proposition for
several longitudinal pieces fastened with
huge iron rings is worse than the first. No
practical gunner would listen to having seams
inside the barrel of the ordnance. Another
letter from Professor Nola) demands notice; and
while admitting the strength of his argument,
as regards the crystalisation
.of axletrees, we
entirely disagree from it with respect to the
manufacture of monster guns. If he had been
content to rest his opinion of crystalisation
upoh the vibration among the particles of iron
in a cold state, we could have agreed with him
so far; but the learned Professor goes further,
and attributes the crystalisation of NAsIMYTH's
gun to long-continued hammering. He must
be aware, when adducing railway axles as an
example in support of his argument., that the
shocks they receive are taken when in a cold
state, whereas the blows are given to the gun
when the latter is, the greatest part of the
time, in welding heat ; and that for the
hammer (however large it may be) to make
the least progress towards the completion of
the piece, it must be when the iron is very
(red) hot.
'or our own part we believe that the
crystalline flakes are not produced by the
hammering, but from a widely different
cause, the burning the iron in the furnace. If
we set forth this proposition of ourselves,
who cannot be expected to know the in-
tricacies of iron manufacture, we may be
thought presumptuous ; but we have the
opinion of those who all their life have
been engaged in such work, and who have
made iron their chief study. How is it possi-
ble that a piece of iron which is increased
piece by piece, and has to be kept in a weld-
ing state for weeks, can be kept from burning
while a large portion of its bulk is always ex-
posed to an immense heat ? When we consider
that about twenty-five per cent. of all that is
welded upon it is melted from the bulk again,
and reduced to cinder by the fire, can we
wonder that the piece should be burnt, and
the nature of the iron's pertinacity be
destroyed? In a word, we are quite satisfied
that no annealing process will restore fibre to
any of the pieces or to the bulk of NABMYTA's
gun. We therefore adhere to our originally
expressed opinion that Mr. NASMYTH's idea is
impracticable, and that large masses of wrought
iron for gnus and mortars cannot be successfully
produced.

SAttilWAt,

THE TRANSATLANTIC IRISH.

IT is now a considerable time since Irish
affairs were recalled to our notice, and it is a
significant fact that we hear of the Irish
through America. Faction has died out in
the " Emerald Isle ;" Mr. DUFFY is departing
for Australia; Young Irelandism is extinct,
and the priest, are quiescent at least for a
season. Mock patriotism is at a discount, and
the recent success of the British arms in the
East was in no place hailed with more enthu-
siasm than at Dublin, Belfast, and Limerick.

It seems, however, that some persons igno-
rant of the feelings now existing in Ireland
have got up an " Irish Platform" at Massa-
chusetts. From what we have heard and read
on the subject, we believe that the association
is more local and sectarian than political or
" Irish." Yet we always foresaw, when the
Irish element became powerful in the United
States, a strong reaction must take place
against Celts and Roman Catholics. The
Pope and his Clergy became formidable in the
American States, and " Know Nothingism "
was organised to counteract the Irish influence.
Under the pressure of numbers and of strong
popular opinion, the Irish for a time suc-
cumbed, hut since then they have Made a
rally, and set on foot another political society,
with the intention of having a permanent
" platform " in the United States.
The address from these " men of Massa-
chusetts," reports the old cant of " Young
Irelandism." Opposition to the " Know
Nothings" is evidently the object of the
society. A hope of disturbing Ireland cannot
animate the hearts of its organisers. They
must know that " Young Irelandistn " is
quite extinct in Ireland, and that " Tenant
Right " is exploded. Their purposes must
principally be to give some social strength to
the Irish minority in the United States against
the power of the majority. They are acting,
perhaps, under the influence of some of their
clergy, who acknowledge the remarkable fact
that hundreds of thousands of Irish Roman
Catholics have conformed to Protestantism in
the United States. We do not suspect, how-
ever, that their priests would openly commit
themselves to so liberal an Association.

It is also quite possible that some Russian
influence has been used to force these Trans-
Atlantic Irish into getting up a " platform."
But the calculations on such a scheme are
egregious errors. It is only fair to say that
the universal sentiment in Ireland scouts the
notion of making " England's difficulty
Ireland's opportunity." The war is popular in
Ireland with all classes ; and the Irish may
well ,be proud of their gallant officers and
private soldiers in the Crimea. The glorious
alliance with France has also utterly con-
founded all fomentors of discord in Ireland,
and conspiracy would be actually ridiculous in
the sister island at this crisis.

We look, therefore, on this Massachusetts
Association as merely a local society, incapable
of political influence in our realm, and pro-
bably destined, like all its Irish predecessors,
to come to an early extinction amongst the
quarrels of its organisers.

—Mimeo the French machinery exhibited in the
Paleis d'lndustrie is a very ingenious and simple
mode of cutting stone, constructed by a man named
Chevaliere. He causes a wire to run at a high velo-
city over the surface which he wishes to bisect, and,
by dropping on it a mixture of sand and water, the
operation is rapidly completed. The hardest
granites yield so quickly to this process that the in.
ventor can, with one-home power, separate it at the
rate of a square foot per hour, the wire running at
the rate of forty feet per second. Using the ordinary
saw, the same amount of work would require three-
horse power, and would expend 15f. worth of mate•
rial instead of If., which is all that the wire costs.
There is also another novelty of appliance, somewhat
resembling this in its character, but used for sawing
wood. It is shown by an exhibitor named Perrin,
and is simply an endless band of steel serrated at
one edge, which, moving rapidly round rollers placed
vertically, saves all the time lost in the back action
which is usually given to saws. The riband of steel
is so narrow that any form of cut may be followed,
even to the most intricate and complex mouldings,
and the operation is performed with marvellous
rapidity and ease, the band travelling at the rate of
4,500 feet per minute. In this way from sixty to
seventy superficial metres of moulding can be cut in
abottt ten hours.