The Press.
London, England, 1854-04-22 00:00:00

PRICE SIXPENCE.

willing to make any sacrifice required to secure
for us the continued alliance or protection of
the potentate he adored.
We will even admit that be was not quite
singular in his grovellingapprehensions ; that 1
there were and are persons in the country so
wedded to the Russian alliance as to deem it
indispensable to our safety. It is not our
purpose to argue the point with them.
We only say that an obstinate adherence i
to Russia, under any and every possible
combination of circumstances, would have been
a definite, and, in regard to the peculiar senti-
ments of such persons, an intelligible, cel
of policy. It was the policy which Lord As
DEER, through his favourite organ, endeavour
to impose on this country last autumn, and '
r.
we are willing to allow that it. was the system
which his understanding dictated, and which
his conscience, of which he so frequently
speaks, approved. . . .
But, when he found that events rendered it
impossible for him to maintain that policy,
how was it that he still retained office ? Why
does this worthy head of a Russian party
consent to wage war with Russia? Is it that
his love of office is stronger than his convic-
tions, or is it that he knows he can best serve
his friend by pretending to act against him ?
With his recorded opinions before us, bow is
it possible to suppose that he is the proper
man to rouse, array, and combine the energies
of the country in opposition to her foe, and,
direct against his power those terrible blows by
which alone his pride can be humiliated and hip
strength taught its limits? What warrants
have we, from the feeble and hesitating man-
ner in which Lord ABERDEEN has drawn the i
sword, that he will henceforth wield it vigo- ,
rously and cast away the scabbard ? While
peace was possible a pacific Minister might be
tolerated ; but, now that hostilities have begun.
Lord ABERDEEN and his philo-Russian col-
leagues can remain in power only to retard
and hamper those active operations which
are essentially necessary to the successful pro-
secution of the war. Can they be ignorant
that, in consenting, or professing, to carry out
a policy to which they are conscientiously
averse, they are exposing themselves to more
odious suspicions than any which would be
justified by mere love of office or vacillation of
mind?

FREE SHIPS, FREE GOODS.
THE principles to be observed respecting
neutral navigation in the present war, as
announced in the royal declaration of the 28th
March last, and still further extended by the
orders in Council of the 15th April, have
naturally given rise to much discussion.
The unprecedented concessions made to the
interests of commerce, while they have more
than realised the expectations of our merchants,
are likely to prove a fertile source of contro-
versy to our lawyers and politicians. A
complete revolution of the British laws affect-
ing maritime warfare will be accomplished,
should the present rules be adhered to. The
doctrine of allowing a neutral flag to protect
an enemy's cargo has never before been recog-
nised by England. Exceptions have, indeed,
been made in favour of particular nations by
special treaty ; but the undoubted belligerent