The Press.
London, England, 1857-01-03 00:00:00

THE WEEK.

THE commencement of a new year is a period at which most men, as
well as most newspapers, are accustomed to take a retrospect of the
past. But how few there are who ever derive any practical benefit
from this process. We prefer to consider where we shall be this time
next year, rather than where we were this time last year,—to push on
one side the dibris of '56, and to map out clearly what is the work to
be accomplished by us in 1857. The future is our own, if we choose
to make it so; but we must grapple boldly with the difficulties it
presents if we would not be the slaves rather than the masters of
circumstances. The greatest question is that of peace or war. A firm
but temperate policy during the year which is now opening may make
it close upon a continent permanently tranquillised, and Great
Britain firmly seated in the front of nations. Then for domestic
questions, the coming year will probably determine whether we have
sufficient strength to throw off the disease of a criminal population,
or whether it must remain among us gradually to deteriorate society,
and undermine the purity and honour of the ancient English character.
If we boldly confront the evil—if we are still sufficiently masculine to
prefer the advice of experienced and practical men to the theories of
amiable but intractable enthusiasts—New Year's Day of 1858 may find
the garotte fast declining, and the ticket-of-leave man, if not extin-
guished, at least no longer the terror of peaceful neighbourhoods.
During the ensuing year our finances and taxation may be moulded
as we please. It depends on ourselves whether the law 'shall be re-
formed or not ; whether our metropolis shall bo improved, our people
educated, and our health secured. Without social happiness, what
is greatness worth? and social amelioration is the task to which
Conservative statesmen have now steadily set themselves.
The Russian frontier question is a bugbear no more. What a
loss to some of our newspaper writers ! No more denunciations of
Russian perfidy—no more bombastical thrcatenings of what would be
done to the recusant and perfidious Power—no more shouts of "No
compromise "—no more hints that the world is on the eve of a great
convulsion. Let us forget all this nonsense as fast as we can, and
rejoice that the difficulty has been settled, not in the melodramatic
style which these writers anticipated, but in a sound, common-sense
manner. Russia will yield Bolgrad and Serpents' Isle, but the good
faith of her representations to the Congress that she intended to
retain Bolgrad, the capital of her Bulgarian colonies, will be recog-
nised ; and as she resigns a town which was inconveniently proximate
to the Danube, she will receive by way of compensation, as she
claimed to receive, a wide tract of territory, which will enable her to
found a new capital for her Bulgarian settlements in a convenient
locality. About the extent or character of this ceded territory few per-
sons in England will trouble themselves. They will heartily rejoice
to hear that a squabble, in which they took no interest, but which at
one time threatened troublesome consequences, is now completely set
at rest. The Conference met on Wednesday to formalise the arrange-
ment which has been come to ; and we may now expect, as there can
no longer be any pretence to delay the fulfilment of the stipulations
of the Treaty made teu months ago, that they will be soon carried into

effect.
Nothing decisive has yet been done in respect to the Neufchatel
dispute, but it is satisfactory to learn that negotiations are in progress.
The Swiss aro showing their teeth, and enlisting able generals in their
service. We shrewdly suspect that the King of PRUSSIA would be un
willing to push matters to extremity, and that on his side at least-
there will be no reluctance to listen to any proposal which the other
Powers of Europe may suggest for an amicable termination of the
difficulty. France appears sincerely and disinterestedly anxious to
compose the quarrel, and she will probably be able to enlist influences
in the interest of a pacific settlement which it will be impossible for
either party to withstand.

Lord PANMURE'S speech at Arbroath on Tuesday evening last is a
very skilful admixture of truth and error. By his candour in admit-
ting what can no longer be concealed he hopes to disarm inquiry into
motives which it is yet possible to dissemble. That both he and the
Premier in their management of the war did but play the part of the
Prussians at Waterloo, and come to the aid of an army which had
already regained its spirits, is too apparent now to be denied by any
one. Accordingly, hero Lord PANMURE is all openness and generosity.
The Government deserve no special credit; they had the opportunity,
and they used it, dre. On this particular point his observations are
charmingly frank, disinterested, and commonplace. But it will be
observed that he passes over the appointment of the Crimean Com-
missioners in as few words as possible. There, unfortunately, even
Lord PANMURE'S power of making the mean appear the generous
course deserted him, and he was obliged to content himself with a
simple assertion that the Commissioners were sent out to criminate
no one, but to find out the truth. If so, all we can say is, that the
Commissioners very much misunderstood their instructions, for they
criminated a great many people and found out very little. But the
fact is, the Commission was sent out simply for the purpose of shifting
the blame from the Whigs to the Generals of the army, or, at all events,
to give the public something else to think about than the blundering
of Government. Nobody can read their reports alongside of the de-
fence of the officers inculpated without comprehending this.

We are glad to see that two letters have appeared in the Times this
week, more or less corroborating the views we expressed last Saturday
on the subject of " Dwellings for the Poor." Mr. GEORGE Ross: who
goes into the matter at considerable length, confesses that model