The Press.
London, England, 1856-01-05 00:00:00

PERIODICAL LITERATURE,

The most elaborate article in the Westminster
Review is the one on "Military Education." Per-
sons who feel interested in this important subject
will find it minutely discussed here. From some of
the positions we must withhold our assent, as it may
fairly be doubted whether literary examination would
supply the best test for the qualification of officers. But
the article is full of matter, though written, we are
inclined to believe, without any military experience
or special knowledge. The paper on " Russia and
the Allies " is rather a theoretical essay than a prac-
tical view of the war. The calculations of the ability
of a nation to maintain war, drawn from statistical
details, are not of much value, as more must always
depend on the resolution of a people than on their
"productive forces." When the writer comes to
English finances lie perceives no difficulty ; he sup-
poses that the war will cost us fifty millions per
annum as long as it shall last. To raire this
amount we have only to increase our revenue to
seventy-five millions by adding to the income tax,
and to raise twenty-five millions annually by loan.
We do not see any calculation whether it would be
possible for the nation to sink this fifty millions
annually, great part of it being expended in foreign
countries, without serious derangement of our
finances and our whole commercial system. Having
provided funds for a prolonged contest, the writer
goes on to prescribe the policy that should be
pursued :

Neither politically nor strategically should this war be
()inducted with the object of striking a heavy blow at the
heart or in a sensitive part of the Russian empire, in order
to tame the spirit of that Government sufficiently to induce
it to condescend to negotiation.

For the state of war revives titles and resumes cessions.
By the state of war Bessarabia reverts, as to its title, to
Turkey ; and sa does the province of Cherson, or that
which is comprised between the Dneister and the l)ueiper ;
and so dues Ekaterinoslaw with the district of Taganrog
The Tauride, coinciding nearly with the Khanate, together
with the Kuban, has no legal claimant whatever, and be-
longs in fact to hint to whom occupation shall give it.
The coast of Circassia is naturally resumed by tho tribes
adjoining to it. Thus the margin of those waters passes
out of the hands of that Power which has made such an
ill-use of its possession. It is of course necessary to add
to t e legal title the title of actual occupation ; and when
these regions are in the occupation of Turkey and her
Allies, it will be safe to make peace, as far as the East
is concerned, but nut before; to make peace not on a basis
of negotiation, but on a basis of fact, and on the simple
principle of Wipes/tide/is.

In the Baltic, Abo, Helsingfors, Sweaborg, \Viborg,
Revel, and Cronstadt, are to be razed, the Russian
fleet destroyed, and portions of Russian territory
occupied. It is positively ridiculous to observe the
easy way in which writers of this order arrange cam-
paigns for years to come, and achieve magnificent
successes. The "European Chessboard" is a
favorite phrase of theirs, and as t my play the gamo
by themselves they have no difficulty in disposing of
the pieces of their visionary opponent as they please.
This writer, after taking the Czar's pieces one by
one, of course cries " check mate " to his own entire
satisfaction. Surely, the complacency on his face, as
he finished his chess-board article, must have pre-
sented to a humorous artist one of the finest
subjects he could wish for his pencil. Of the other
articles, that on "Heinrich Heine" affords a fair
view of the German humorist's character and
talents, though there is little in the specimens given
of his powers to support the reviewer's estimate of
them. The notice of the Limited Liability Act con-
tends fore much more considerable extension than
would be practicable without conceding the princip;e
of limited liability altogether—to one person, we
mean, as well as to two or thre 3. A scholarly paper
on Athenian comedy is suggested by M. Guizot's
" Menander ;" and a notice of " Lion-hunting " gives
more credit to M. Gerard for perfect veracity than
most readers will be willing to concede.
The British Quarterly Review presents a great
variety to its readers. History is represented by the
opening article on Prescott's " Philip the Second";
science by Arago's "Theory of Thunderstorms."
Three papers aro devoted to theology, ono on
Mormonism, one on Romanism and Protestantism,
rather old-fashioned, and one on Mr. Jowett and Mr.
Stanly, entitled " The New Oxford Movement."
Poetry and belles-lettres are respectively treated of
in articles on Browning's " Men and Women " and
" Songs from the Dramatists." While "The War,
its Ethics and its Objects," concludes the number