The Press.
London, England, 1856-04-26 00:00:00

THE WEEK.

As usual, our first information of a most important document comes to
us in a clandestine manner. The Daily Neu•s has published the text
of the Treaty of Peace, with the exception of the Articles 5 to 9.
How the text of the Treaty became known before the ratifications
were received in Paris was a puzzle at first. But it is shrewdly sus-
pected, and with every degree of truth, that a traitor in the office of
the Moniteur betrayed the secret, at the same time in the strictest
confidence, to both the Indipendance Belge and our contempo-
rary, in whose columns it appeared! on :Wednesday morning. This
premature.promulgation of the Treaty has excited the indignation of the
French Government. Such publication, it is announced on authority,
can only result from an " unjustifiable breach of trust." Of the
authenticity of the text, as far as published, there appears to be no
doubt. The first articles confirm the accuracy of the statement made
in THE PRESS so far back as March 22nd, that "Kars was the fatal
" obstacle to the faint attempts made by our Foreign Secretary to
" ride the high horse. Kars was politely whispered into his ear by the
" Russian Plenipotentiaries when he attempted t't introduce a new
" stipulation, or insisted on a strict construction of the recognised
" terms." The Treaty commences with a recital of the exchange of
conquests, " the town and citadel of Kars, as well as the other parts of
" the Ottoman territory, of which the Russian troops are in possession,"
being set against Sebastopol, Eupatoria, Kertch, &c. There are two points
in the Treaty likely to be thought eminently unsatisfactory by the
people of this country :-1. Russia retains the whole of her Trans-
caucasian territory; and hence will, as before, possess the power of
extending her influence in Persia and through Central Asia ;—and 2,
the Principalities will remain divided, and under the nominal suze-
rainty of the Porte (for it is no more), instead of being united, and
formed into an independent kingdom. It is said that this result is
due to Austria, who would have disliked an independent kingdom on
her Hungarian frontier, and whose views of acquiring a predomi-
nant influence in the Principalities such an arrangement would
have thwarted ; and to Lord PALMERSTON, who on this point sided
strongly with Austria against the sentiment of the other Powers repre-
sented at the Conference. It was certainly the opinion of many of
the soundest statesmen in Europe, that the Danubian provinces should
be raised into an independent kingdom, as most conducive to their
prosperity, and most expedient for the purpose of forming a barrier
between the Turkish and Russian empires.

The speech of the Emperor of RUSSIA at Moscow is a new proof
that the policy of the empire is about to undergo a total change. He
says he prefers the " real prosperity of the arts of peace to the vain
" glory of combats ;" and he indicates the steps he has already taken,
and the measures he has in view, to promote commercial freedom and
the industry of the Russian empire. This speech will meet with cor-
dial response in England, and go far to allay the hostile feelings roused
by the war. Now that the contest is over, there is no reason why our
Government should not cultivate the most friendly relations with
Russia. The interests of the two countries are the same. The com-
mercial prosperity of Russia must conduce to the commercial pro-
sperity of England, and if the Emperor keeps his promise, and a portion
of the large revenue which has hitherto been expended in warlike
armaments be now devoted to the development of the natural
resources of the country, a revolution will have been accomplished in
the Court of St. Petersburg, likely to prove of incalculable benefit to
the whole world.

The evidence of Sir EDMUND LYONS before the Crimean
Court last Monday completely demolished the Crimean Com-
missioners' charge of a " want of promptitude and ingenuity "
against the cavalry officers in not sheltering their horses. There was
a want of promptitude and ingenuity, but it was displayed
nearer home than in the camp at Kadikoi. Colonel Teu.oen rested
his charge upon the ground that no canvas or carpenters were applied
for from the fleet. Sir EDMUND LYONS, in a few words, proved that he
had neither the one nor the other to spare ; and, in a pithy sentence,
hit the right nail straight home, in reminding Colonel Tuu.oen that,
however ingenious his suggestions, they were formed after the event,
and from false premises. The fact is, that Colonel Tti.Loen's sugges-
tions will not bear investigation for a moment. No man accustomed
to horses, or who has ever camped out in his life, will pretend to
assert that " canvas covering " would have saved those horses' lives in
the Crimea. All the canvas in the United Kingdom would not have
made the horses one degree warmer. Forage and rugs were the only
things required. If every horse had had a warm rug round his loins,
DM a bellyful of good food, though exposed day and night, the losses
in the whole division would have been trifling. The want of
" promptitude and ingenuity" lay in not providing these primary
necessaries, and their provision rested with the authorities at home.
The suggestions of Colonel TULLOCH are all admirable in themselves,
no doubt, but they arc just the suggestions of a man who visited the
camp in summer time, and, on all points connected with the fleet,
r‘ally of a man who has nothing more than a theoretical acquaintance
W:th his subjec'.

The fatality of the Government to make a mess of whatever• it
undertakes is really laughable. The Nemesis of red tape was never
more netive than on Wednesday. The first victim was the Premier
himself, who, late for the tabu, got into it it•aiitst rules just
a it started, but, was f.'reibly chugged out by the coat-taili by a seru

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