The Press.
London, England, 1854-11-11 00:00:00

THE FUTURE TIME.

Looking broadly at the results, it would be useless to disguise, and unfair to deny, that the
Russians have sustained the attack with a greater vigour of resistance than was anticipated, and
that the defences of Sebastopol, even towards the land, have been rendered very formidable
indeed. How much of this strength is due to the nature of the ground, or how much to the efforts
unflinchingly made during the interval allowed for preparation, we shall probably learn at some
future time.—Times Leader, Nov. 7, 1854.
Who is to thank for the struggle intense
By which we are suffering dearly ?
And who has prolonged our state of suspense,
By doubling the Russian means of defence,
As the Times admits pretty clearly?
Here's an announcement to put in our rhyme,
" We shall learn this, perhaps, at some future time."
Who warned the Russian to be on his guard
So considerately and freely?
And who, as it were, left a national card
To tell him we meant to press him hard,
And he'd better look out—ho had, really ?
Here's an announcement to put iu our rhyme,
" We shall learn this, perhaps, at some future time."
Who is so sparing of surgeons and lint,
And of gun-boats for Baltic shallows ?
And who, again, supplies without stint
The Russian arsenals and Mint
By the purchase of Russian tallowy?
Here s an announcement to put in our rhyme,
" We shall learn this, perhaps, at some future time."
Who was it got up a sham blockade
For the Greek and Prussian traders ?
By whom was our gold to Russia conveyed I
To be sent back for bullets English made
To pick off our English invaders ?
Here's an announcement to put in our rhyme,
" We shall learn this, perhaps, at some future time."
Who is the innocent of the piece
Whom some accuse so unfairly,
Whose woes with his victories increase,
Who wages war while intending peace,
And who plays the " imbecile ' rarely ?
Here's an announcement to put in our rhyme,
" We shall learn this, perhaps, at some future time."

Who is this person beyond our ken,
Of "Great Unknown " the cheapest ?
When History marks with her iron pen
The faults and follies of modern men,
Whom will she brand the deepest?
Here's an announcement to put in our rhyme,
" We shall learn this, perhaps, at some future time."

SPECIMENS OF THE NEW HISTORY
ENGLAND.

his immortal ancestor (who did not take Barillon's money), that
" Popery was advancing in this land," and he fearlessly addressed a
letter to the Bishop of Durham, which, with his world-famous courage,
he immediately repented. This was the man to whom the eyes of
Whitehall were directed. But he was above the sordid notion of seek-
ing office. Warwick was a kingmaker, and Russell desired to become
ministermaker ; and, to show how truly adventurous ho was, ho pro-
posed to make a Minister of Aberdeen. This poor, who had achieved
the desirable distinction of having done nothing, was eminently the
man for that mighty crisis where place is to be had at every hazard.
Ho was bound to no opinions, for, with an enlightened perception, ho
had allied himself to Peel. He was also well affected to the great
Northern powers, which signified one power only, and which was
destined to right tho balance of Europe. Ho knew enough to recollect
that the cuckoo was a bonnie bird that made no nest, and that the
alliances of his predecessors were more creditable than his own, and
his maxim about Turkey was that of his countryman about a goose,
"It was a foolish bird, too much for one and nae enoo' for two."
(What follows here we omit, as being disagreeable to the people
of Edinburgh.)

THE "CROWNING MERCY" AT SEBASTOPOL.
[The following dislocated collection of words is signed T. Carlyle, and la supposod to ha
Intended se a supplement to " Past and Preeent.")
" Sevastopol was taken ! So said the Tatar and his friend the
much-thundering-and-deeply-on-3tamp-returns-insisting Times! And
yet by Capel-court the-well-beloved-and-peradventure-handsomely-
paid-Tatar declared the thing that was not. Glorious, much sounding,
hero-glorifying as in truth his news had been if true, the Tatar lied
in his throat. Sevastopol was not taken !
Now, to me, much revolving, thou half-asleep reader ! appeareth
it among the strangest of what the dilletanti Greek-speaking pseudo-
Englishmen call phenomena—(foreign-language-pedlars as they are)—
that if we had taken Sebastopol, or Sevastopol—(variously so spelled,
but how pronounced who shall decide ?)—that if we had taken, I say,
this variously-spelt and no-warpronouncable city or citadel, or
whatsoever they call it, who wear red coats and send in butchers'
bills—we could not know the fact, if, indeed, there is aught that can
he called a fact in this galvanic generation of electric misrepresenta-
tion and telegraphic flams. If Sevastopol or Sebastopol was " taken,"
as the grammarmongers say—or " took,' as the great heart of the people
persists in expressing it—or " has fallen," as with (who shall tell
what) waste of capital letters the evening and morning papers sold b
boys much bawling asserted—why could not, I say, the Duke
Newcastle have said so at once, plain, open, roundmouthed, an
English? For it behoved' us—that is, good reader, you and me, an
such small deer, who earn our bread by, net improbably, doing nothi
at all—to assert the right of our order I say the right of our ord
to know whether or not they had taken the town, or city, or citadel.'
Now, in past times how did they this? There was one young mane
not very large in stature, nor in structure strong, the son of a curate,
pitifully paid for gospel-shop-keeping at Burnham Thorpe, in the
county of Norfolk (the county where the late Mr. Blomfield Rush
asserted natural right against one Jenny), and this young man, by
name Horatio Nelson, was used to let us know whether he had lost or
won. That was the PAST. Look at the PRESENT! They took the words
even of Oliver—of Oliver surnamed Cromwell—mighty in the line of
king disposing-of, though in the vulgar art of brewing-at-Huntingdon.
beer not quite successful. They gave us a " crowning mercy " that
- - - talc- the mi. of

had not .en place ! Could they-not have let alone _Le worn..
Oliver till they had heard of his deeds—as at the Alma, where not un-
THE FORMATION OF THE COALITION. rivalled might the Ironsides themselves have been? Not Mink,-
"
[This specimen is signed T. B. Macaulay, but not on this occasion dated from " Windsor Castle. Italian-expeditions, nor Vienna-miscarrying-conferences—not armed
The account of the promotion of Aberdeen, and the same author's history of the death of neutralities, nor Austrian-occupa ion-on-behalf-of-both -sides, but
Charles it., will be selected by future judicious compilers as elegant extracts from this chiefly-their-own—were Oliver's mode of going to work ! Yet cometh a
writer.) voice, I say, crying that what never happened was a " crowning mercy."
Tun morning of the 27th day of December 1852, arose upon an awakened Doubtless, and who will deny it? that captures that don't take place are
and exasperated people. The conspiracy by which Derby, Disraeli, and the proper crowns for the mercies dispensed daily by Aberdeen ; but
Malmesbury had endeavoured to ally the nation with the new Empire meddle not with the words of Oliver! When he spoke of "crowning
of France—reckless of Cressy and Poictiers, of St. Bartholomew and
mercies,, not dark-conjecturing, nor on Tatar not-confirmable-
the Boyne—had been discovered. All England as one man woke to announcements, nor steamers spoken random-ways at sea—did he,
the fact that Napoleon was to be conciliated and the malt tax to be ' -.-• o much-thinking great-acting of-his-times.the-man rely.
HI.
reduced. Those who know the English people in their indignation .
may conceive the awful national convulsion that followed. One full
yr HE APPEAL TO PRIVATE BENEVOLENCE TO PROVIDE
dozen of cabs drove up to Chesham-place—and they were no common SURGEONS.
men that stepped out of them and chaffered with the drivers. Among
[This specimen has the postmark "canoes" t aVß.i.sj seated with a Baron's coronet and $
the first was the venerable Graham, who wore on his face the traces
unmistakable that he came of the debatable land. His very shirt- Is it not, I say, beyond all human conception—astounding, amazing,
collar expressed an unbending determination not to be put down by and unparalleled—that even the notorious, undcnied, and undeniable
his ears. It was a solemn moment when he stalked into the narrow patience of the people submitted to this? There were—let not posterity
hall. What did he reek on what principle the Derby domination was be appalled !—Ministers not only of War, but Ministers at War, and yet
to be broken up? Did they want Whiggery, Liberalism, Chartism? had was there no Minister whatsoeverfor war ! Soldiers without surgeons!
he not won the laurels of 1830, and kept his head steady amidst all Trierarchs who provided no tents! A Government—yea, actually a body
the whirls of Peel? Such a man was Graham, unworthily assailed by of men who called themselves a Government—did apply to the people
hireling pens because his mighty mind perceived that he could best to provide, not according to their means, but according to their gene-
serve his country by serving himself, and the time for such a man rosity—who taxed the liberal, and allowed the niggard to escape ; and
was come. His meeting with Russell was one of those events that that Government!—some insignificant and dwarfish portion thereof—
painters will delight to paint at that remote day when the Houses of called itself by the historic name of Whig ! Whig ! Was this the
Parliament are finished and the acts of Parliament are codified. name of Shrewsbury of the Revolution? of Shaftesbury of the Habeas
Russell—the poet, historian, statesman, and polemic—had passed, Corpus? Had they never heard, had it never once been suggested
decidedly, his grand climacteric; but no additional acerbity was in to them from the most remote corner of human intelligence, that there
his countenance, as, indeed, there could not well be. He had studied was once dened some subterfuge for lazy Governments called " The
legislative mankind in all their shapes mores homimum multorum vidit Loyalty Loan?" And what was the conduct, fearless and uncompro-
et urbes. If he so successfully reformed the representation of the mising, of the Whigs of that day ? Did not Brinsley Sheridan, inde-
country he had studied it at Stroud and Tavistock. Did he wish the pendent even in his drink, move the resolution " That for any body of
liberation of the Jews, did he not know the liberality of Rothschild? " men to raise subscriptions from the people for political purposes,
Did he achieve laurels and obtain verdicts of manslaughter in the " saving the King. Lords, and Commons alone, WWI unconstitutional
Irish famine, had he not held the representative trust of Bandon- " and a grievance"? And yet, in the face of this recorded motion,
bridge ? In religion, too, he was an uncompromising reformer. He these men went a-begging, and called themselves, not mendieants, bat
denounced all " mummery," and legalised it: lie saw, as the words of a Government 1

OF

DIRECTED BY LORD JOAN RUSSELL TO BE WRITTEN.