The Press.
London, England, 1854-09-30 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

SEPTEMBER 30, 1854.

" THE LAST DAYS OF A CONDEMNED."
(AFTER VICTOR Hato.)

" THEY have sailed for the Crimea! The blow can be withheld no
longer. My friend of forty years, I may not serve you further. They
have sailed. They have sailed.

"It is something to have no self-reproach. That consolation is at
least mine. I have done all for Russia that Ministers can do, and be
unimpeached. The Baltic armament was to achieve wonders, and the
Baltic armament will return—as soon, ha! ha !—as guard has been re-
lieved by the ice. The Crimean expedition has sailed ; but when ?
Here is autumn.

" I find defenders yet, for the newspapers must be filled, and a pa-
ragraph for me helps the gigantic gooseberries and the discovered
bones to make up a column. But the defence is a sad one. I cannot
be a philo• Russian, for Russell and Palmerston are in the same Ca-
binet with me. Ha ! ha! What is a Coalition but a combination
whose first condition is the sacrifice of independent principles? Have
the public not yet found that out ? The thought makes me laugh even
in my grief. But there is more. I cannot have promoted the interests
of Russia, because Russell and Palmerston would not permit it, and I
was powerless—powerless, with the power of resigning, and the cer-
tainty of thereby smashing the Ministry. My best advocate claims no
more for me than this, that I keep out Lord Derby. But this has given
me a fatal power over my colleagues. Have I not used it? Friend of
forty years, answer for your friend.
_ _

" But they have sailed for the Crimea. I wander from my great grief
to console myself with memories. It is idle. The ferocious soldiery
of England and of France, eager to spring upon the Italy of Russia,
have embarked in overwhelming force. Is there yet a chance ?
" I would not that a man should be lost. But how cheaply pur-
chased were the safety of the Crimea at the cost of ships, guns,
stores! An almanac. Bah! Not this calendar of British victories
but a Russian almanac. 'Tis here—'tis well—and now to see what
winds are frequent, now, on the shores of the Euxine. Gales from
the N.E."Twere well. That would sweep them back upon their
place of embarkation. Murphy of Russia, be thou a true prophet !

" Hark ! what savage cries proclaim fresh news ! Under my very
window they shout, and the popular voice answers with cheering—
' The troops have landed r

" Landed ! It may be so. But the armed array of Russia, drawn
along that shore in stern phalanx, has confronted them. May no blood
have boen shed. But if the sight of those terrible legions have sent
the invaders back to their ships— Here! Silence thy brutal
bawling ! Whom dost call rascally Russians, knave ? Give in thy
paper, take thy penny fee, and begone, and at least thank Russia that
thou earned a guerdon. Let us read.

" Landed without opposition, and without an accident.' There is
no struggling with fate—yet—yet—things may begin too favourably.
Can it be that the professed, the inscrutable military wisdom of
Menschikoff has laid a trap for the invaders? Will they march on in
fancied security, until suddenly myriads of warriors start up around
them, and render resistance hopeless ? Th4uk Heaven lam a humane
man, and I would not willingly hurt a limb even of my friend's ene-
mies. If such a trap have been laid, may the stern St. Arnaud and the
haughty Raglan have discretion enough not to imperil life by their ob-
stinacy. But I will repose in the wisdom of Menschikoff: he will bring
millions of soldiers. The invaders dare not resist. Some mortifica-
tion, some repining, no doubt will follow the capture, but this is the
fortune of war. Then for peace, and the release of the prisoners. Ah!
lam dreaming again. Mensehikoff has no millions. He has but
35,000 men, and must give battle. And to this strait have we—no, I
have neither part nor lot in the matter—but to this strait have Eng-
land and France reduced that noble soldier, the friend of my friend.

" Gives battle !' I begin to despair. Doubtless the gallant war-
rior, fighting on and for his native laud, will acquit himself gloriously
But what can he and his handful of heroes do against the overwhelm
ing weight of the enormous host, advancing in the cowardly security of
resistless strength ? Why should he give battle? Let him shelter him
self behind the fortifications of Sebastopol. There would be no dis-
grace in a small army imitating the wise precautions of two mighty
fleets. What is done in the harbour may be done in the citadel. Be.
hind those stones, brave Menschikoff, and there await the invader.
" More news, more news ! Battle has been given, and the Bus-
' mans, utterly routed, are in full flight upon Sebastopol. hotly pursued
by the cavalry.' Yes, I have a right to despair. What hope was
there? Utterly routed by three times their number. Silence, again,
bawling knaves! Why do you cry' glorious victory,' when three to
one were the odds? Go from under my window—or is this torment
part of my penance?

" Ha! the Home-office window is open, and I see the vindictive
Palmerston dancing a war•dance of triumph. He is waving a despatch
around his head, and the clerks are cheering. This might have been
spared me. The Christian martyrs of old had their luxurious supper

925

on the night before death, but they heard below them the roaring of
the beasts who were to he their tomb. I had my doubts whether I
were a Christian martyr, but now lam sure of it. Also I am sure
that those roaring parties are beasts.
" More news yet ! Sebastopol has fallen ! Ha ! The guns are
opening at the Tower, and in the Park. The bells from all the
churches begin their jangling chorus of triumph. The roar of the
shouting multitude is terrible. Friend of forty years, one voice
mingles not in the insane clamour !
" Aught yet again. The fleet, attempting to escape, has been
totally destroyed, or captured.'
"It is enough ! Fire your guns ! Ring your bells ! Shout your
cries ! Wave your banners ! Toast the victors ! Let off your rockets !
Sing your hymns ! Strike up your music ! lam helpless now. My
work is done. I can aid him no longer, why should 1 aid those who
love him not ? Paper—pen—ink. So. I resign. There—there—
there! Palmerston, am I powerless? Russell, ant I ridiculous—ha!
ha! Down goes the Coalition—and now—now, Derby! now, Disraeli!
" They come—they come!"

End of the Last Words of a Condemned.

THE LAST AUSTRIAN CIRCULAR.

[The text of this important document having been very incorrectly given in our journals, we
supply a genuine and authentic version of it.]

Ar the time when we explained to Count Esterhazy that wo
thought we could discern a little light through the cloudy atmosphere
of German Confederative policy, a repulsive puff of wind from the
north blew the smoke in our eyes again, and left us in the same state
of darkness as before. Nevertheless, out of the great respect and love
we bear to the Diet, which we hope will nourish us in return, we have
not ceased to grope about to find some means of advancing German
interests, and conceive that we have at last been successful in getting
hold of the right end of the stick.
His Imperial Majesty the Emperor of Russia has been so good as
to march his troops out of the Principalities, and they have marched
in double-quick time, to show that they made a military not a political
movement. Yet, very strangely, his Imperial Majesty insists that
double-quick time should have a diplomatic signification, though it is
notorious that diplomacy is regulated only by the slowest of move-
ments. We decide, therefore, in the interests of Germany, that
double-quick time is strategical not political, and that it means run-
ning away from Omer Pasha, and not deference to the wishes of his
Imperial Majesty the Emperor of Austria.
By this act Russia has got out of our way ; and, as we are firmly
resolved never to go after her, we should not refuse to cast our hope—
whatever that may weigh—into the balance of peace, if we had not
other German interests to attend to. Russia says not a word about
giving all the guarantees we require for German interests, and there-
fore, though we are not at war with her, we are not particularly
anxious for the promotion of peace—as, hitherto, the war has done
German interests much good, and no harm, that we can discover.
When the Russian troops marched out of the Principalities our
troops marched in. The allied Powers have candidly told us that
they would not allow us to exclude their forces from entering the
Principalities to act against Russia; and therefore we magnanimously
allow them to do as they please in that respect ; but, to preserve the
integrity of the Turkish empire, we mean to keep these provinces as
long as we can, and we are not without expectation that in the end
some good will result therefrom to German interests.
As we have not the slightest intention of attacking Russia, and
Russia has quite enough work on her hands to perform without
attacking us, we do not anticipate that we shall be forced into a coercive
state ; but, nevertheless, we have resolved to remain armed, and we
trust that our generosity in keeping up this attitude for the sake of
German interests will not be lost on the Diet. Should we be
attacked, however, we must immediately call on Lichtenstein to raise
her army to its full war complement of fifty-five men, and we shall ex-
pect the other States to make preparations of proportionate magnitude
for the promotion of German interests.
We expect that the Diet will fully approve the four bases of peace
we have proposed, for, though not at war, it is proper for German in-
terests that we should have the settlement of terms of peace. We aro
willing that these bases should be called points, if deemed desirable,
as it is clear that points may be base when German interests are con-
cerned. If the Diet should conceive that it need only attend to those
points which concern German interests we shall make no objection.
The points relating to the Danube are German points, and we must
look very sharp after them, and make it a point of honour to obtain
them ; but the points which concern European interests we have no
particular concern with. Every possible latitude and longitude must
be allowed in negotiations in which we are concerned, and, as the
allied Powers have taken up arms against Russia, we ought by no
means to allow them to make a peace which does not keep Russia at a
respectful distance from the Danube, and is not perfectly satisfactory
to German interests.

You will be so good as to impress on the Court to which you are
accredited the necessity of giving an unconditional support to these
and all other propositions emanating from the Government of his Im-
perial Majesty, as without this support there can be no security for
German interests.