The Press.
London, England, 1856-08-16 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

SATURDAY,

the FRENCH, the counsels of France must far outweigh our own.
From the state of our foreign relations, it is abundantly clear that
in all future points relating to the settlement of the Eastern question
France must exercise a decided preponderance. Lord PALMERSTON'S
bluster is little likely to improve our position.

The letter from General KMETY, which we publish elsewhere,
must attract public attention, and calls for a reply from Sir WILLIAM-
WILLIAMS. General KMETY is a Hungarian of no mean military repu
tation. He is one of the heroes of Kars, though not one of the fortu-
nate heroes. His conduct throughout the siege was most gallant,
his behaviour on the 29th of September superb—upon his skill and
heroic defence of his post the fortunes of that day rested; and
it is mooted about, here and there, that if Fortune's English favours for
that day's work, and indeed for the defence throughout, fell fairly, KMETY'S
share would not be the least; for every one has felt when reading the
description of the Russian repulse on Sept. 29th, that KMETY was the
real hero of the day. He calls now upon General WILLIAMS to give
him at least his due, and not to forget him. How is it, has been
asked on all sides, that nothing is now ever heard of KMETY? Where
is he, and what became of him after his escape? KMETY lives in
comparative obscurity—he has been neglected and left unrewarded
by the Government, and it would also seem that he is almost forgotten
by his more fortunate companions in arms. " I should bo a dirty
" and a scurvy fellow " said General WINDHAM the other day, in allu-
sion to the Redan, "if I took all the praise myself; I don't pretend
" that I did not do my duty as a soldier, but there were scores of
" others who did their duty quite as well as I did." Manly words
coming from an honest heart which forgot no one in its hour of triumph
and rejoicing.—Palman qui meruit
_Prat !

The death of Madame VESTRIS has given ample topic this week
to anecdotists and lovers of gossip. Her notoriety was social as well
as historical, and she had extraordinary talents. The daughter of a
brilliant artist, Madame VESTRIS inherited all the chief features of the
Italian mind, and her life may be assimilated to glut of the great
artist of the Italian stage, with whom she had many points in com-
mon. The versatile intellect of the South was visible in the wide
range of her gifts. She had facile dramatic power, a correct ear for
music, rapid perception of scenic effect, and had considerable talents for
business. In her early days, her beauty, her glorious voice, her
dazzling vivacity, her brilliant eyes, her assumption of fashion-
able graces and follies, her social popularity in certain circles,
commended her to universal celebrity. When her beauty faded,
never did woman fight a more gallant battle against Time. She
fell back on her resources of tact, knowledge of life, and on
her ample stock of brains, of which she had a super-masculine
share. In carrying things as she pleased she had rare
success, and rose from reverses with repeated triumphs.
Her " Olympic " rule will always figure brightly in the
history of our stage ; and her " Green Room," at Covent Garden, was
the nearest approach in our days to the theatrical brilliancy of the
time of GARRICK. Never was " Madame" seen to more advantage than
on a crowded night in her " Green Room," when peers, dandies, town
wits, formed a circle round her, while she rallied the company with
rare piquancy and unfailing flow of spirits. To the last she had great
power over her audience, and her fine voice did wonderful
service for her. Her " Memoirs," if properly penned, would be highly
entertaining. Her exact prototype on the English stage is not to be
found. " Peg Woffington" and Mrs. ABINGTON had many points in
common with her, but VESTRIS had high intellect and a rare strength
of mind, seldom given to women. Her gifts were far beyond tho
common ; her life was full of vicissitudes ; and her whole story would
illustrate the most hackneyed of all Dr. JoHNsoN's verses—
To point a moral, and adorn a tale.

A most respectable Conservative contemporary has been so indis-
creet as to lend countenance to the weak inventions industriously
propagated by the enemy of a split among Conservative politicians.
Surely, the Morning Herald cannot require to be told that men may
honestly differ on many points—such as the Maynooth grant for
example—without in any degree impairing the general union of their
party. Our excellent contemporary's weakness—if we may be per-
mitted to say so—consists in thinking that it is always on the point
of discovering some great treason. Tower-hill, the heads-
man, and the block, are rarely absent from its imagination.
So long as it confined itself to threatening the Ministry for the time
being with impeachment, we regarded the threat as a conventionalism
necessary to give vigour to the style of its articles But now that it
extends its alarms, and seems anxious that the leaders of Opposition
shall be included with Ministers in one grand indictment, we Liar not,
indeed, that the consequences to public men of both parties will be
fatal, but that our esteemed contemporary will attach to itself some
ridicule for its credulity. As to the little stir in the Conservative
party at this time, it is only a sign of healthy activity. The Morning
Post boasts that the Premier is at the head of an "able and strong
" Conservative Government." How will the Liberal party receive this
declaration of Lord PALMERSTON'S chosen organ? We agree with the
Post on one point—no other than a Conservative Government can now
satisfy the requirements of the country, but such a Government must
be Conservative in connection and in principle, and be framed on the
principle of extending and strengthening the essential institutions of
the empire.

The British public, Mr. MACAULAY declares, has its " periodic fi
of morality." Such a crisis has just occurred to the Times. After
enjoying the opera at Her Majesty's Theatre during the season, it has
suddenly discovered that ouc of the representations offered, the