The Press.
London, England, 1855-12-22 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

In the conduct of the war, the Allies, by the
surrender of Kars, must suffer sorely in repu-
tation. For months their attention has been
i
called to the WO4 in Asia Minor. It is
well known tlikt m than one feasible plan
flit .thd ~Telie Of was laid before *
Scotell . Nor Sio 'hooks our War-otiii
nit
There Is no lit iti et about the name o 9
least vie e antlypractical English gen
nil wit* offei4C,ttle War Minister a R
4
for itiisily reliseatii ' ;nits without strain
heavily on the re Ira of the army before
Sebastopol. It is true, that there have
been recent symptbmi, when "too late," that
Ministers felt that they had committed a mis-
take in not accepting that plan proposed to
them months ago. It is thus that they have
displayed their wisdom—after the event. Their
retrospective sagacity would be more ridicu-
lous, if it were less ruinous. For the probable
—not to say possible—contingency of events
they seem to claim no more responsibility
than " Our own Correspondent."
-

But, many as have been their errors, they
have never committed a graver one than in
supposing that no account will be publicly
demanded, " why they left Kars uusuccoured ?"
It was held that the last Cabinet was respon-
sible for the miseries of our forces during the
last winter. Kars surrendered from starvation.
Brave and glorious deeds had been performed
in vain by General WILLIAMS, and by his
officers and troops. Why should Lord PAN-
MURE be excused in one case, when the Duke
of NEWCASTLE was dismissed in the other?
Indeed, on this head, the charges against
the present Cabinet are less grave than thuse
preferred against the colleagues of Lord
ABERDEEN. The defence of the Duke of NEW-
CASTLE, that war had to bo commenced on a
peace establishment, availed him much. But
the present War Minister has no such plea.
Forewarned but never forearmed Lord
PANMURE has had abundant notice of the emer-
gencies of the occasion.
Thus, one of the first objects of the Allies
should have been to drive the Russians across
the Caucasus. The opportunity presented
itselt, but our rulers had neither the sagacity
to see it for themselves, and, when it was
forced upon their reluctant attention, they
had not the energy to act. A great occasion
has been scandalously lost. General MOURA-
VIEFF can now use his army for any strategic
purpose that seems best to him. The winter
season will be just as unfavorable to OMER
PACHA as to the Russian General ; but if opera-
tions are still possible, MOURAVIEFF can either
meet OMER PACHA on the front, if the latter
should advance, or he can hover on his rear,
if OMER should turn towards Tiflis. That
such a favorable choice of contingencies
should present themselves to the Russian
General is entirely attributable to the absence
of energy in our War-office.
It must not be forgotten, also, that ever
since the Allies have taken part in the war
the forces of Turkey have sunk in repu-
tation. Our Ottoman friends have been
damped instead of being encouraged. Their
soldierly qualities have never received fair
play, and the brilliancy of their own previous
exploits contrasts painfully with the history
of their arms since they have been subordi-
nated to the Western Alliance. The fact is
indisputable, whatever may be its causes.
Admiral DUNDAS did much to degrade the
Turkish navy, which (whether by his own
orders, or those of the Cabinet) was consigned
to total inaction during the operations in the
Black Sea. In March, 1854, the Commanders
of the Turkish squadron were curtly refused
permission to co-operate with the French and
English fleets in the Euxine.

Let other facts also be borne in mind in
conjunction with the fall of Kars. It is now
more than a year since the Turkish Govern-
ment wanted to land a force on the coast, but
the allied Admirals prevented the proposed
expedition sailing for Asia Minor Our readers
will remember that we repeatedly called
attention to the neglect of the struggle in
Anatalia, and the adjacent provinces to the
north and east of it. In last February we
drew special attention to the particulars of
those grave neglects, and indicated the emer-
gency of the case. (PRESS, ante, p. 100 )

SATURDAY,

The want of a military mind in the Cabinet
has been thus made more glaringly conspi-
cuous than ever. The Palmerston Cabinet has
no reasop fbi. bollatjng littito superiority to the
Aberdeeti Minhitit.,‘ All i.te illusions about
i LOT 134MERSTON beirilitable to wield the
thu 'et ' its of iiik Vtl, Sll in the fall of
Ka ' ere nod ire t li proofs of his fore-
sig . o is pnerri, 21,,iif his commanding
cap ty a Wit* V+ Pfis subsidised parn-
phl e . The, ittii.ii ent as the prisoners
of wa /abandoned to MOURAVIEFF
But worse still remains. For people can-
not help asking themselves what security is
there that similar strategic " supineness" will
not continue next year? Can Lord PANMURE
retain the seals of the War-office in presence
of the disaster at Kars? Four years ago,
when Lord PALMERSTON and Lord J. RUSSELL
had their parliamentary duel, the latter made
a statement that he had been told by the
highest personage in the realm that the late
Sir ROBERT PEEL had advised the Sovereign
"to consult Lord J. RUSSELL on foreign
" affairs,"—showing Sir ROBERT'S distrust of
the present Premier. Since then the ex
Whig leader has deservedly fallen almost as
low as Lord ABERDEEN. But the fall of Kars
will arm Lord JOHN and his personal friends
with weapons for retaliating on the " supine'
Cabinet in power.
Under such circumstances there must be a
chronic weakening of the Executive, from
which the country can be delivered only by
the advent of a great national party, with vast
resources in its social strength, and its com-
pact unity, relying not on demagogic delu-
sions, but on the conservative power imparted
by a free people to those who rally manfully
for the honour of the Monarchy and the in-
stitutions of the country. A party above the
degrading necessity of appealing to transient
" cries" can alone save the State, and herald
a lasting, because honourable, peace for
Europe.

TREATY OF THE ALLIES WITH
SWEDEN.

OUR readers will peruse with satisfaction the
terms of the treaty which has recently been
concluded between Sweden and the allied
Powers. The treaty itself, will be found in
another part of our columns, but we will
briefly recapitulate its leading points. They
are simply these. That Sweden will cede to
Russia no portion of her territory on any pre-
tence whatsoever ; that if any proposals of such
nature shall be made from Russia to Sweden,
Sweden shall instantly communicate them to
the Allies; and that, if any aggression be ap-
prehended, the latter shall furnish such ships
and soldiers as shall be judged necessary to
aid in repelling it. _ _

This is undoubtedly the proper method of
resisting Russia; and it is owing to the
neglect of this system that so many minor
States have in all ages fallen victims to their
more powerful neighbours, and thereby
swollen the resources of the latter till they
became formidable to the liberties of the
world. It is only by a resolution to preserve
minor States in their integrity that the equi-
librium of European power can be saved.
They form, as it were, the "middle class" of
Europe, a bulwark against imperial domination
on the one hand, and republican excesses on the
other ; while in the case of the Scandinavian
races we are specially fortunate in finding that
the dictates of true policy are likewise those
which the ties of race would recommend to
us, and which their geographical situation
confirms.
As a matter of policy this truth is univer-
sally acknowledged ; its recognition is indeed
the leading distinction between ancient and
modern diplomacy. Formerly no great king-
dom ever dreamed of contending with another
for the independence of a lesser one ; they
fought for its conquest, and they gave no
quarter. The consequence is that ancient
history is but the history of particular domi-
nant empires, which for a certain period of
years held sway over the civilised world. A
community of powerful and independent