The Press.
London, England, 1856-05-24 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

SATURDAY,

woven chain of concatenated facts ; it was delivered in a judicial.,
rather than an accusatory tone, and parts of it were highly dramatic
The speech of Mr. Sergeant SHEE was a great effort in all respects
:Ind will confer increased distinction on that eminent advocate.
But exception may fairly be taken to his protestation of his personal
relief in the prisoner's innocence. Such protestation is wholly
beyond the legitimate scope of advocacy. if allowed at all, where is
it to stop ? If every advocate resorts to it who imagines his client
guiltless, the absence of such protestation will come to be viewed as
a proof of guilt, so that every counsel who does not wish to see his
client hanged or transported, will feel himself compelled to pledge his
personal honour in favour of every felon he is called upon to defend;
and would it not be equally fair in a counsel fer the prosecution to
declare his belief in the prisoner's guilt ? The practice is so inju-
dicious, and so unnecessary—for it is with evidence that a counsel
has to deal—that it deserves a check from the Bench. The speech of
the Learned Sergeant, an an intellectual effort, is the more remarkable
when we recollect that for several days he had the fatigue of cross-
examining witnesses. Sergeant SHEE mentioned one circumstance,
which he said will "redound to the lasting honour of the Attorney.
" General," viz., the fact of that eminent functionary communicating
beforehand to the counsel for the prisoner all the evidence which the
Crown intended to adduce. The trial will probably not terminate till
Tuesday or Wednesday, and till then all remarks on the case must
necessarily be deferred. We recollect no criminal trial which has
extended over so long a space of time.

All accounts from Italy state that great political excitement pre-
vails among the people, that the secret societies are in full activity,
and that an insurrection is ready to burst forth should any favorable
opportunity present itself. The numbers of the affected will
shortly, we suppose, be considerably strengthened by the disbandment
of the Anglo•ltalian Legion, men trained to arms, and, from the
conduct of some of their number in Malta, not unlikely to join in
any desperate enterprise that offers The ambiguous language of the
Ministerialists in this country is likely to have a most pernicious
effect. The Daily News has correctly stated Lord PALMERSTON'S course
in I848,"—" Tho English Government abandoned the constitutional
" patriots of Sicily to the merciless vengeance of the tyrant they had been
" encouraged to brave by prospects of English countenance and
" support." Are we to suppose that Lorct PALMERSTON will be more
active in support of Italian insurrection now that the Triple Alliance
has been formed? It is very desirable that the policy of that alliance,
and our relations to Sardinia, should be fairly brought before the
country.

The break-up of the Crimean army is daily taking place. Corfu,
Malta, Gibraltar, India, and Canada, will receive the bulk of the forces.
The Guards will return home, of course, and the Foreign Legions
will be disbanded. Considering the little available use that has been
made of these gentlemen, after the "urgent necessity" insisted on for
their incorporation, the benefit they have been to the country can
be scarcely estimated as equal to their cost—to say nothing of the
trouble they have given on more than one occasion. The serious
mutiny of the German Jagers at home is scarcely suppressed before a
more serious riot breaks out in the quiet island of Malta, between the
people and the soldiers of the Italian Legion. The soldiers
first offended the religious feelings of the people, then
assassinated the chief of police, and then, because they were
confined to barracks, broke out in open revolt. These are the
men to whom, during war-time, the safety of our most impor-
tant foreign garrisons was intrusted. But, to return to the camp in
the Crimea, little but the " melting away " of the troops is to be
recorded. Sir COLIN CAMPBELL has taken leave of his division. The
evacuation is being pushed forward rapidly, and the troops are daily
leaving in large numbers. The Russians were extremely desirous that
the evacuation of Kertch should be also hastened, but from the Com-
mandant of Kaffa, Prince GAOARIN, having imposed quarantine upon all
ships arriving in the Sea of Azoff, and having shut up General WINDHAM
in a small room on the occasion of a late visit to his Excellency, it a
probable that the Russians will not be permitted to resume posses-
sion of Kertch until all our stores, &c., are withdrawn. Connected
with the return to old possessions in the Crimea, is their reported
ill-
treatment of the Tatars. It is scarcely credible that the Russian
authorities would permit any cruelties to be inflicted upon those poor
peasants, but the Tatars themselves coming to our camp, declare that
their brethren who assisted the Allies are being hanged, treated as
felons, or transported away in the interior of Russia for their deeds.
Really it would appear but a step from the Sarde to the Tatar, for
down to a wretched Tatar it seems the specialite of the present
English Government to throw over their weaker allies, as soon
as they have ceased to be useful. The description of the
exodus of this poor peasantry, given in a recent letter from the camp,
was painful enough, but to hear that the great body are to be left
behind without a single stipulation being made in their favour by the
Allies they so well served, savours too strongly of huge ingratitude
to be left unnoticed.

The Circassians are beginning to feel the heavy hand of their
Russian foes. We read already of a village burnt, of prisoners cap-
tured, and booty taken Lord CLARENDON seems to regard these pro-
ceedings with something like satisfaction, and to think it quite a
sufficient justification of his policy in making no effort to check this
cruel war on the very shores of the Black Sea, that some agent of the
Circassians was not to be depended on.

II