The Press.
London, England, 1855-10-06 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

953

THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER
ON THE WAR.
CORRECTED REPORT.
Sin G. CORNEWALL LEWIS: Gentlemen. The uninformed alone will be
tempted to deny the fact that the events of our own age have had an-
tecedents in those of previous times, and even the information of
those persons is of little practical value who refuse to admit not only
that such antecedents existed, but that they may, to a certain extent,
afford instructive lessons in regard to our own conduct. At the same
time, I wish distinctly to affirm that, in availing ourselves of the teach-
ing of other days, it is necessary never to lose sight of the important
truth, that times have changed. Tempora mutantur, et nos mutainur in
illis. Let us therefore endeavour to steer clear, on the one hand, of
the Scylla of precedent, while, on the other, we equally avoid the
Charybdis of rashness. Medi° tutissimus ibis. This country, in fortu.
nate alliance with three other countries, of different sizes, but of
common cordiality in the undertaking, is now engaged in hostilities
with Russia, a power of which it is not too much to say, nil teligit quod
priggavit. Happily for this nation, the war has been carried on by
men who are fully alive to the importance of the crisis—men who,
familiar with the history of other• days, and deeply attached to the
British constitution, can vindicate the cause of civil and religious
liberty in connection with the principles which placed the house of
Brunswick on the throne of these realms. Gentlemen, her Majesty's
Government has recently taken Sebastopol. And why, gentlemen, did
her Majesty's Government take Sebastopol? I answer you at once.
Because Sebastopol was a stronghold of the power with whom we are at
war; and history tells us that the reducing the strongholds of an
enemy tends to weaken his force and to intimidate his soldiery. The
siege of Sebastopol has been remarkable. The place is monstrum,
horrendum, and I hope that, without undue levity, I may add—now
that the Crimean Cyclops may fairly be stated to go with his eye out
—cui lumen ademptum. But there have been other remarkable sieges,
as may be seen by reference to Mangnall's admirable " Questions," and
the various catechisms of the profound Pinnock. [ will not specially
recur to the siege of Troy, although that city having been taken by
a horse justifies my adverting with contempt to the Russian allegation
that our generals were asses. Our bridge of boats from Varna to
Kalamita was no pons asinorum, gentlemen. Nor will I speak of the
siege of Jerusalem, tempting as it is to pay a compliment to the abilities
of Vespasian as a levier of certain taxes—a royal Chancellor of Exche-
quer. Shall I speak of the siege of Calais, in 1388, when cannon were
first used ; or to the introduction of infernal machines, at that of
Antwerp, in 1576? I could do so, for I have made a long list of these
events ; and I could also remind you of the fact that, at the siege of
Mothe, in 1034, an English engineer taught the French to throw shells
—ostracising their enemies, if you will favour the classic jest ; that at
Philipsberg, in 1688, artillery was first fired a ricochet ; and that at
Tournay, in 1709, the defence, by countermining, was truly magnificent.
But I do not know that there is any argument to be derived from these
interesting facts beyond that of establishing the proposition that vixere
fortes ante Simpsona. Gentlemen, we have taken Sebastopol—a result en-
tirely due to the wisdom of her Majesty's Government, who selected the
best men to do the work, and took care that nothing should be lacking
to enable them to do it. And this brings me to a more painful topic.
The liberty of the press, gentlemen, as every Whig knows, is the
Palladium of our freedom and the air we breathe. This, I think, may
be taken pro confesso. But, on the other hand, gentlemen, there are
times for all things, and circumstances must sometimes override
general doctrines. You all know what the Palladium was,—or rather,
I fear, that you do not all know; for I find that the habitué of spouting
clubs and literary and scientific associations frequently gabbles over
a word whereof he would be puzzled to say uncle derivatur. The Pal-
ladium, then, was a statue of Pallas, or Minerva (for you must not
confound her with the masculine Pallas, slain by Turnus, and avenged
by /Eneas), which fell down from heaven, and not breaking in the fall
was locked up in her temple in Troy, and referred to upon all occa-
sions, but seldom brought out. Here, gentlemen, is an illustration of
the way in which the liberty of the press should be treated—at least,
in times when any insignificant and unrecognised person (who, as Mr.
Bright says, gets a guinea or two for a newspaper article, instead of
fifty or a hundred guineas for a review) presumes to criticise the con-
duct of his betters, Then, again, gentlemen, the liberty of the press
is the air we breathe. But it is possible to have too much air—a
familiar exemplification of this is the catarrh occasioned by a
thorough draught—a more scientific elucidation is in the stifling
effect produced upon the diver by too great a supply of air to his bell.
Now, gentlemen, when I find newspapers censuring the conduct of
the war, and blaming those who, from their position in society and
their long official experience, must understand public affairs better
than unknown men who have never held office, i say procul, 0 procul,
este profani ! And I am free to confess that, if the exigencies of the
war should demand new taxation, I shall be far from looking with an
averted eye upon any project which will at once increase the revenue
and impede the action of what my Noble friend, Lord John Russell,
aptly denominates " a ribald press." Gentlemen, I had intended to
detain you somewhat longer, but your evidences of impatience warn
me that the loftier the oratory the more difficult it is for an unin-
structed audience to give it continuous attention. I will, therefore,
close with the assurance that her Majesty's Government perfectly
comprehend their business, and, therefore, that it will be well fur you
to go about your own.

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