The Press.
London, England, 1854-03-18 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

MARCH 18, 1854.

"DRIFTING."

TO THE EDITOR OF `!THE PRESS."

Siu,—A single word may sometimes serve better than the longest
disquisition to illustrate the character of an epoch, the conduct of
men, the true nature of a transaction, or the real tendency of a combi-
nation of circumstances. Systems of government have been thus
designated, and epithets accidentally applied have continued to be ap-
pended to them afterwards as a sort of convenient labels.
Such a distinguishing mark, hitherto wanting to the present
Administration, has at length been happily found for them by one of
themselves. The Earl of CLARENDON, whose subtle spirit delights in
searching into and defining the very essence of things—whose acute
mind perceives hidden qualities invisible to common men—who has
lately acquired so much renown by his profound dissertations on War,
Peace, and Neutrality—the Earl of CLARENDON has, with his usual
felicity of expression, characterised by two syllables the whole genius,
policy, and conduct of the Coalition of 's2—drifting.
At a time when energetic action should follow mature deliberation,
when the nation ought no longer to be pulled and pushed hither and
thither by the accidents of the hour, but, in the face of difficulties
which might have been foreseen by sagacity, should be undeviatingly
impelled by firm will along the course traced out by prudence and
fortitude—at such a moment we are told by the man to whose especial
care are entrusted the honour and the interests of England that we
are drifting.
Drifting? Will, then, the vessel of the State no longer answer the
helm ? Is she a disabled wreck—a log upon the water, lying at the
mercy of the winds and waves ? The officers in charge cannot exactly
say in what condition she is. She is moving they rather think, but
they are not quite sure of the fact, and they do not at all know how.
On the whole, they apprehend that she is drifting? Whither?
The captain and pilot hope that the ship may be drifting straight
to a commodious port; but, on the other hand, they conceive that she
may, with equal probability, be drifting towards a rocky coast ; or,
worse still, far, far, out into some unknown ocean.
Alas ! Piteous was the end of the good ship Tayleur. She was a
ship of very peculiar excellence—a perfect model of naval architecture.
Her captain was an ancient mariner, who had practised every system
of navigation, under every flag, on board every species of craft. Her
crew presented a combination of all the nautical talents of all the
nations of the globe. In the cosmopolite combination of maritime
capacity, however, which was the glory of the crew of the Tayleur,
there was ono inconvenience. The able Portuguese and meritorious
Greeks never could make themselves understood by the very distin
guished Lascars ; and the language of the exceedingly eminent Chi-
nese was utterly incomprehensible to all the rest of the sailors. The
ship, although built scientifically according to the most approved
theory, had nevertheless one defect. She would not steer, and, at the
very moment when to encounter the tempest the display of all her

TO CORRESPONDENTS.
1.1 le impossible to acknowledge the mass of letters we receive.
Their insertion is often delayed, owing to a press of matter
and when omitted, it is frequently from reasons quite inde-
pendent of the merits of the communication.
We cannot undertake to return communications of which we do

not avail ourselves.
Communications should always be legibly written, and on one
side of the paper only. If long it increases the difficulty of
finding space for them.
Whatever is intended for insertion must be authenticated by the
nano and address of tho writer, not necessarily fur publica-
tion, but as a guarantee of his good faith.

253

admirable qualities was needed, it became apparent that she had but
one mode of proceeding. She moved, not through the water, but on
the water—she drifted ; nothing would she do but drift. In this diffi-
culty the eminent Chinese and distinguished Lascars showed their
vast abilities in contending of and opposite evolutions, agreeing
in this alone, that they totally disregarded the commands of the per-
plexed captain, who, becoming confused by the variety of his expe-
rience, issued contradictory orders and attempted incompatible
intußu uvres.

And so the model ship, in spite of the perfection of her equipment,
and the universal talents of her crew, began to drift the moment she
got fairly out to sea ; and she went on drifting till at last she drifted
on to the rocks, where she was dashed to pieces in five-and-twenty
minutes. I remain, sir, your obedient servant,

A PASSENGER IN THE GOOD SHIP " GREAT BRITAIN."

SEQUENTI

0 tremorum professores,
Pileati pacatores,
Quantos casus vos audaces
Subiistis heu minaces,
Pium munus ast inane
Sturgi, Peasi,Sharletane! •
Tres amici! qui per altum
Ausi estis dare saltum,
lit lonqinquas regionea
Pererrare sub triones,
Primates 0 ridiculi
Silentis conventiculi

Num vestra congregatio
Pacisque vera ratio,

Ferocem ergs Ctesarem
Amorvo movit, qmererem,
Vel rei novie stadium,

Se.hare hoc tripucliani ?

Tyranno enim monita
Qutecnnque sint insolita,
Vosque tres subfusci certe
Linguam datis qui aperte
Fuistis huic spectaculum,
Prodigium, miraculum.