The Press.
London, England, 1856-11-01 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

NOVEMBER 1, 1856.

primary requirement of all, as we have often said, is the existence of
Party The influences of Government are at the present day so
widely ramified, that the Ministry for the time being are always cer-
tain of being at the head of a very considerable and compact
body of supporters, always far more than enough to resist
any attack upon them which an " independent member "
can organise ; so that, provided a Ministry had nothing
to apprehend but the isolated and fitful opposition of Parliamentary
cliques, their lease of power would terminate only with their lives.
I : then the country would not see itself delivered over to the dicta-
tion of some half-dozen individ•aals, or completely at the mercy of
any one whom the Crown may select as Prime Minister, they must
have a party out of office sufficiently numerous and united to make
head against the party which is in. That is a wall against which
" independent members " may knock their heads till they ache, as
Mr. LAINo seems to do. But that is all that will become of it. Party
can only be resisted by party ; and unless the English people have
such faith in the Liberal leaders as to give them a carte-blanche for
their policy, and surrender the power of resistance even to measures
which they disapprove, they must admit the necessity of a vigorous
Conservative party.

WE are threatened with another Kaffir war. It certainly seems to us
that the Government of this country have acted a very negligent part
in not providing ere this against the possible recurrence of such a
calamity. Sir C'EORGE CATHCART'S despatches from the Cape three
years ago, pointed out a ready and an economical method of restrain-
ing the African hordes in future—merely by the establishment of a
chain of military villages stretching across the British frontier. Our
Government are only just now preparing to carry out this suggestion,
and it looks very much as if even this were being done less because
three were colonists to be defended, than because there were Germans
to he provided for. In the meantime, a great wizard has arisen, who
has pi ophesied unheard-of blessings to all who will join Providence in
exterminating the whites; and the fanaticism of this people once being
aroused may prove the source of the most troublesome war we have
yet encountered. Whether he is in league with the Kaffir chiefs we
do not know, but they will hardly be able to control their subjects on
this matter if he is not; and we are disgusted to foresee the probable
continuance of imposts, relief from which had seemed now to be near at
hand. It would be better to leave the borderers to fight it out for them-
selves, in spite of the cruelties they would probably exercise, and which,
have hitherto formed the ground of our performing the duty instead
than to plunge into another barren contest, and sacrifice such men as
Colonel FORDYCE, not absolutely fur nothing, because the Boors
make an excellent thing out of it by the hire of their cattle and
waggons to the British troops. At present they gain more than they
lose by a Kaffir war. And what, therefore, is the probability of a per-
manent peace

1045

Emperor, and then come home and Abuse a brave sailor for not doing
Imposibilies.
I could no more take Cronstadt without gunboats than you could
play billiards without aQ. Now then.
Friday, One o'clock.
SIR ROBERT PEEL TO SIR CHARLES NAPIER.

CHARLES NAPIER.

Sir,—l find I reckoned without my host in expecting to hear no
more from a Napier.
Your allusions to any memba. of my family might have been
spared. They wound me deeply, and it is little worthy of the manly
character of a British sailor to strike at the dearest and most cherished
of all ties, the domestic affections. lam almost prepared, now, to
hear you speak slightingly of my brother. Strike on, sir ; I must
struggle for fortitude.
If you think that the misconduct of others is an excuse for your
taking too much to drink (a most objectionable practice), and annoying
society by bad taste and swagger, I can only say that I pity you ex
imo pectoris. But such an excuse is akin to your defending your
lachete by the inaction of the French admiral. T never heard, however,
that the latter made signals to his sailors, such as Aifilez le coutelas, et
allex a tenfer, or issued any other message tending to the scandalisa-
tion of the Baltic sea.

I tell you what it is, Sir Charles, I have seen something of nauti-
cal danger, having swum from a wreck about ninety leagues one night,
and the fact is that in naval affairs hearts are trumps, and it strikes
me that you have had none in your hand lately. As for gunboats, Vernon
took Portobello with six ships only. You never took anything but
Portobello oysters, and they had to be opened for you.
Yours respectfully,
ROBERT PEEL.

Friday, Three o'clock.