The Press.
London, England, 1858-07-17 00:00:00

THE PRESS, JULY l7, 1858.

arsenal which is intended as a check t 3 the sons of
such women as were represented by the fair portiou
of the 2,000 Cremornites. Let him take heed !
Soon after the outbreak of the late war with Russia,
two sketches were published purporting to represent
the Russian fleet in the Black Sea (1) as it was
before the allies entered those waters, and (2) as it
was after they had done so. The first sketch showed
a vast number of gallant ships bearing Russian
colours, careering on the waves. The second dis-
played a vast expanse of water and sky, without one
symptom of a vessel in any direction. Nothing
could be more expressive than this negative repre-
sentation of the enemy's fleet. Perhaps some his-
torical painter may some day exhibit at the Royal
Academy a picture of "The Royal Cremorne
Gardens, as seen on the afternoon of 9th July, 1858,
when attended by 2,000 of the most recherché of the
London beau-monde." In imitation of the Russian-
fleet artist, he will, perhaps, best consult his own
fame by a simple delineation of the gardens during a
pitiless rain, interspersed with impromptu lakes and
with bubbling streams in the place of gravel walks.
We feel too much compassion for the victims to the
search for pleasnre who had the misfortune to find
themselves in Mr. Simpson's hotel and restaurant on
that melancholy occasion, to assist in handing their
names down to posterity. A contemporary, who has
an unfortunate habit of handling persons' names
without foundation, has been severely and indig-
nantly rebuked by some of those whom it had in•
eluded in its list of those present. We will not risk
the possibility of wounding susceptibilities by men-
tioning the names of those whom we know, or
Ithose we believe, to have been amongst the deluded
2,000.

DESPATCHES FROM ST. GEORGE'S CHESS

CLUB.

FRIDAY NIGHT.
THE chess world (for a chess world there is, although
it is seldom brought into contact with any other of
the fifty worlds into which society is so curiously
cross-divided) has received an impulse sufficient to
arouse it from its usual meditative tranquillity. A
general chess conflagration seems to be kindling just
when the political and the fashionable world begin to
" pale their ineffectual fires" in the approaching dawn
of the recess. The matches which have produced
this startling effect are not of the Lucifer order,
but will burn longer and more steadily than the
patent night-lights or Palmer's best stearine. To
convey our views in a more familiar metaphor, Mr.
Paul Morphy, the champion of the American chess,
is in the field, and prepared to joust with all corners.
And putting aside a set match with Mr. Lowenthal
(now actually pending), and another with Mr.
Staunton also on the tapis—the event of neither of
which can we assume to prejudge—thus far ho has
kept his ground triumphantly. Though occasionally
beaten, he has scored a considerable majority of
games against every player whom he has encountered,
including several of our first English celebrities.
And this with a " gallery " of strangers, and at the
age of twenty•or.e. A few years since Mr. Stanley,
a Canadian, was supposed to be No. 1. among Trans-
atlantic chessplayers. But he was never what in
the old country we should call first-rate, and soon,
unfortunately, fell into habits inconsistent with ex-
cellence in any intellectual pursuits. When a few
months since we read of the appearance of an
American phenomenon (our present visitor), who
was to " whip all creation " in the chequered field,
we confess that we felt somewhat sceptical. The
language of the West is singularly tinged with
Oriental hyperbole, and puffing under the auspices
of Mr. Barnum has attained the dignity of a science.
We thought of the Feejee mermaid and the woolly
horse—of the hunter who could whip his weight in wild
cats, and of the mare whose rapid transit past sue-
cessive milestones gave the country the appearance
of a continuous churchyard. Even the report of the
New York " Chess Congress," where the young
amateur from New Orleans woo, unless our memory
tails us, eighty-one games out of eighty-four, did not
completely dispel our prejudices. The games wars
brilliant, but they were played chiefly against third-
rates, with whom it might be safe to take liberties.
So dashing a style would perhaps prove fatal when
tried against wary veterans, trained in defence and
tenacious of the smallest advantage once gained.
Such were our previous impressions and those of
many abler judges—impressions not destitute of
some a priori probability. But we were mistaken
—we confess it frankly and deliberately—utterly and
absolutely mistaken. Mr. Morphy needs no aid
either of "yarn" or "whole cloth" (we adopt the
latest American metaphors) to establish his claims
as an extraordinary genius in his own line. This is
no place for discussing the value of chess, either as
a recreation or as a test of intellectual power.
1 Enough to say, that its living votaries are legion,
including many men (like Messrs. Staunton and
Buckle, now the first names in English chess) of
high literary or professional distinction; and that it

(383

is historically associated with recollections of Charles
XII., Napoleon, and other
Dead, but sceptre'd monarchs, who still rule
Our spirits from their urns.
Our present purpose is to claim for our distinguished
visitor, as a gifted and accomplished chessplayer,
the praise to which he is entitled in that character
even from the non•cbessplaying world.
"Not to put too fine a point upon it," as Dickens
would say, the qualifications requisite for excellence
in chess are principally four-1. Inventive power, for
original combinations ; 2. Power of analysis, seen
chiefly in working out the possible results of a given
position ; 3. Temperament—a word which we pur-
posely use somewhat vaguely; •I. Memory. Of
course it is easy to except to this division as imperfect
and inaccurate, but it is our object to write fur mul-
titudes who are neither finished chessplayers nor
metaphysicians. Under the first head, then, we
would say that Mr. Morphy's invention seems mar-
vellous. He is eminently an attacking player, and
his schemes for harassing his adversary are as
various as they are brilliant. You might play with
him for a year without being able to affirm, as Cicero
did of Hortensius, " Novi omnes hominis petitioues."
Chesaplayers will understand ns when we say that
his assaults remind us of the fiery onslaught of Mr.
Cochrane, but will bear scrutiny better. And here
we may remark (though conscious that we are tres-
passing en other divisions of our subject) that Mr.
Morphy's style of play is singularly fearless—more
so, we must confess, than any which we have yet
seen opposed to it. He is realy, for instance, to give
or accept any of the most critical " gambits," instead
of confining himself to the safer openings at present
in fashion. This adds greatly to the spectator's
pleasure. We remember how much disappointment
was caused at the time of Mr. Stannton's conflict
with M. St. Amant by the pertinacious refusal of the
latter to answer " 1i.P.2 " with " K.P.2." The Ame-
rican champion dislikes the anomaly of a " close
opening." And well he may ; for, secondly, his great
power of analysis tells most in involved and compli-
cated positions. Aided by a wonderful knowledge of
chess-books and of the recorded games of the best
players, he aims (and generally with success) at
looking farther forward than his antagonist's coup
d'ail can reach, confident that none of the thousand
intermediate variations has been overlooked. Play
a dozen back games with him, and you will fail to
show him a contingency which he had not contem-
plated. Mr. Morphy's temperament, thirdly, is much
in his favour. Look at him as he plays. You are at
first struck principally by the roomy forehead, clear
eye, and fine well•placed ear ; but when you have ob-
served hint long or frequently, you discover that he is
never flurried, never nervous— that a defeat does not
discourage nor a victory elate him. Young as he is,
he is always calm and self-possessed, whether in the
quiet circle of the St. George's Club or in the noisier
gallery of the Chess Divan, and is, consequently, as
sure as any player we ever saw to do his own powers
justice under the mental tension of a long match
and the trials of temper which frequently attend it.
We must here record the pleasure with which we
have witnessed both the kind, friendly reception
given by the English players to their formidable
competitor, and alco the unassuming courtesy which
invariably marks Mr.Morphy's demeenonr. Fourthly.
A few words under the head of memory and we have
done. Mr. Morphy seems to forget nothing, from
the game which he himself played yesterday to that
which be read in the Chess Chronicle a year ago.
He has more than once puzzled English players with
" dodges " of their own invention which they had
actually forgotten. But perhaps his most wonderful
performances have been those in which memory and
imagination seem to work together—we mean games
played blindfold, or without sight of a board. Phi-
lidor played three such games at once successfully
against skilful antagonists. Horrwitz has more re-
cently done the same. Mr. Morphy has played
seven simultaneously, losing only one, and winning
the other sill*, This is indeed astonishing; but we
trust that our ingenious visitor will be jcontent with
having once done the feat. As Dr. Johnson said of
a young lady's masterpiece of fingering on the piano-
forte, '` It is very difficult; we wish it were impos-
sible." Sure we are that not even Mr. Morphy's
brains can repeatedly endure such a strain without
injury. A less degree of the same effort killed
Labourdonnais, and had nearly destroyed Horrwitz.
And even could it be made with impunity, the spec-
tacle is rather curious than pleasing. We feel sure
that we shall be pardoned for these remarks ; they
arise from a sincere wish that Mr. Morphy may long
live to practise freely and without arbitrary fetters
the art of which he is so distinguished a professor.
P.S.—The match with Mr. Lowenthal (of which
we expected that the first game would have been
concluded er•e this) has been unavoidably postponed
till Monday, owing to the illness—we trust not serious
—of Mr. Morphy.

• We have heard of a yet greater number of blindfold games
(ten, we believe) played by another American amateur, Mr
Paulsen.

I

684

THE WEEK.

A Royal Commission, of the greatest possible importance, is appointed
in last night's Gazette," for the purpose of inquiring into the organization
of the army at present serving in the pay, and under the control and
"management, of the Hon. East India Company." It consists of—
The Duke of Cambridge. The Secretary for War.
The Marquis of Tweeddale. Lord Stanley.
Viscount Melville. Sir H. G. Smith.
Sir G. A. Wetherell. Major-General Montgomerie.
Major-General Hancock Colonel Burlton.
Colonel Tait.

In the same Gazette, Sir JAMES OuTnAm is promoted to the rank of
Lieutenant-General.

And a Baronetcy is conferred on the son of Sir HENRY LAWRENCE.

The Prorogation of the Two Houses is always pushed forward, by
petty hindrances that arise, to a later day than the one first intended.
The 26th was the day named last week. Now it is the 31st that is calcu-
lated on ; but Monday, or Tuesday, or even Wednesday, the 2nd, 3rd, or
4th, may at last prove the day.
The Parisian rumour, of a new conspiracy or attempt on the Emperor's
life, of which we spoke doubtfully last Saturday, has since been alluded to
by the Times and two other daily journals. But no very definite account
is given, and the prevalent belief is, that the rumour was groundless.

We have noticed in two or three places in to-day's PRESS the progress
of the Government in useful works. There can be no doubt that there
has been a real progress during the last three or four weeks. The success
of the India Bill is, of itself, no slight matter. The settlement of the
" Main Drainage Question"—if it shall indeed be settled—will be a thing
to boast of. The whole course of the Government during these two or
three weeks has been one of success and of real advance, —with one excep-
tion. But that exception is a grave and serious one. With many men it
far more than outweighs all the merits of the other successes. We speak,
of course, of the concession of that question which involves the highest of
all considerations. The passing of Lord LucAN's Bill, if it does not
actually strike out, enables either house to strike out at pleasure, the
solemn words, " On the true faith of a Christian," from the oaths taken in
Parliament.

Now, this concession, to many minds, is of more importance, and
inflicts more damage, than can be outweighed by a hundred Drainage
Bills, or by a score of Bills for the better government of India. A whole
volume of good and useful statutes may be passed without coming near
the hearts of earnest men. Sweeping the streets and enlarging sewers are
good and desirable things; hut they bear no comparison with matters of
faith, or even with questions of morals. " Tithing of mint, anise, and
cummin " is not to be put in the balance with " the weightier matters of
the law."

Hence, while the upper part of the stream may have been running
strongly in favour of the Government during the last three weeks, it
would be foolish to conceal from ourselves that there is also a deeper and
perhaps a stronger current running in an opposite direction. We should
greatly dislike to see a general election just now. Beyond all doubt, what
occurred in so many cases in 1847 would be seen in some in 1858. Protes-
tants had returned Colonel Wool) for Middlesex, and Mr. LYALL for
London, in 1841; but in 1847 these gentlemen both lost their seats by the
defection of their own supporters. And the like thing occurred in fifty
other counties and boroughs.
We deeply lament this ground of dissatisfaction, on the part of
many of the best members of the Conservative party. We lament it the
more, because no necessity existed for so grieving the truest Conserva-
tives. The House of Lords, on the 27th of April, was more than usually
firm. Its majority was larger and more determined than last year. And
no assault of the House of Commons on its decision could have been other
than nugatory. The retreat is uncalled for ; and to combatants whose
courage is unbroken, nothing is so grievous as an unnecessary retreat.
We will not enlarge on a topic on which we feel more than it would
be advisable to utter. All that remains is, to hope that this is the last and
only mistake of the kind that will be made ; and that, on the Church-rate
question, and on similar matters which may arise in the next session, the
Government will show itself firmly Conservative.

We noticed, in our Second Edition, last week, that the CHANCELLOR
of the EXCHEQUER had promised to bring in a Bill for the purification of
the Thames, and we stated that our anticipations of the measure were of
this kind :

" That the Metropolitan Board of Works will be set in motion ; there
being no other body at present in existence, capable of undertaking
the work :

" That the Government will furnish the guarantee, which is requisite
to enable the Board to raise 3,000,0001. of money :
" That the plan which has long slumbered in the Office of Works will
to finally approved and adopted : and,