The Press.
London, England, 1856-01-12 00:00:00

The Object of the War. London: Booth.

THE writer (" Vetus") of this pamphlet is one of
those who regard the present time as favorable to
the re-establishment of peace. He considers that
the successes of the allies in the Black Sea have re-
lieved Turkey from all danger of Russian conquest,
aril that the present positions of the belligerent
powers might well lead to pacification on " mode-
rate" terms :

No other would be satisfactory to Germany or to
Europe in general, or consistent with the true interests of

SATURDAY

the allies, and least of all with those of England. No
others are likely to be accepted by Alexander, who
declares his intention of continuing to fight to the last
" for the integrity of his empire; " a cause not, less legiti-
mate against an invader than that of the " iutegrty of the
Ottoman empire," for Winch the allied sovereieds are con-
tending.

Ile obstacles to a settlement on moderate terms he
believes to consist main!). in the excited temper of
the English mind, and the rabid exhortations of the
war press :

The continuance of an offensive war against Russia is,
the more to be deprecated, as we now find " the cause of
civilisation against barbarism," which has been so absurdly
applied to the cause a lurkey against huss.a, ideinitied
with" the cause o► popular government agamst despotism ;
and, watt is worse, we 'ilia th►a cry set up in Euguiutl, iii
the journals which most stro►►gly support the present
Ministry; and thus England, cuu.parat►vel;; secure from
disorder by its constitution, appears to hold a language
tenuing t,u excite revolution u► every mondial) u► Europe,
that tit our own great ally not excepted.

Some suggestive reflections follow on the injury
dune to our " free press " by the course pursued by
most of our powerful journals :
Emulation has produced among them an intemi:eraticc
in assertion, reasoning, and language, directed against
Russia, little consonant with those generous Item.gs
winch England has been wont to enteitam towards an
enemy who tights bravely, and anjthing but a proof ot the
relined manners to whieu we pretend.

The assertion is vigorously opposed that the war is
in the interests of civ►lisation :

It is a fallacy to describe the war as a war of civilisation
against barbarism; with equal or greater piausibility it
might be called a war of the imigiou tit Muhuniet, carried
on by a combination of Cluistiait puwera, against
Christianity. The allies had nut been many dais in the
Crimea before the) were convinced that the western, not
the eastern, side of the black Sea is the peculiar allude of
butbarisin. It is a Witte) to assert that II mite) has been
in any danger how Russia since the occupation tit the
black Sea by the allied fleets. It is mere twin) Litt:lain&
lion, devoid tit truth, to bay that Europe is tineatened by
hussia with the loss tit its ciulisatiou anti nrcetioin ; and a
fallacy, which but for its consequences would Le r.oien•
lons, to represent the Emperor Atexamier as " btriviug
to
reduce all Europe to slavery and barbarism." 1% hatt:ver
dreams Nicholas may have indulged in, Alexander appears
to have had no other object luau tuat of peace wallow. ths.
honour.

The writer, arguing the policy to be followed at the
present tune, notices what he considers to be the
strategic mutts committed in the invasion ui the
Cr-mita—a point on winch military and political
critics are suit divided, though there can be no d►s-
pute as to the magnitude of the oujtcts accom-
plished in the destruction of Sebastopol and of the
Russian fleet.

Tracts for the Present Crisis. By Sir A. H. Elton
" The Alleged insolence of the Russian Circular."

London : Bartlett.
SIR A. H. ELTON'S tracts have deservedly attracted
attention from their broad views and sharp and pret;•
nant logic. The rreseut number is one cf the best.
It examines the proposals of the Russian en cola',
and acutely remarks that the condition fur closing the
Dardanelles to ail ships of war is essential to that
newralisation of the Black Sea which the allies
rropuse, as it would be unfair to the maritime pos-
sessions of both Turkey and Russia in the Buick
Sea to expose them to the hazard of hostile invasion
while depriving them of all means of defence. As
Russia and Turkey possess all the coasts of the
Black Sea, it d.,es not seem unreasonable that they
should be the parties to arrange b.-tween themselves
wiiat maritime forces are to he maintained in it to
protect their interests and uphold their authority ;
while as to the Western powers hearing uu "osten-
sible " part in the ariangement., the phrase can only
mean that their participation is nut to be direct and
formal—a somewhat ridiculous distinction, in which
we seem to see diplomacy arrayed against common
sense. Sir A. Elton, however, does nut contend that
the Russian proposal is perfectly satisiactury

All we contend for is, that it is not the monstrous, wild,
and arrogant notion it is declared to be by the newspaper
press
Whatever other objects llussia may have in proposing.
a special treaty with Turkey, relative to the limitation of
her fleet., this much is obv►ous, that her a►m is partly to
protect her prestige, and disguise the bitterness of the
restriction to which prudence compels her to submit. The
efficacy of the pill will not surely be impaired by a little
harmless gilding. The projected treaty of peace is all the.
more l►kely to prove permanent, and to prove beneficial, it
it be divested of aught that may needlessly gall and wound
the pride of a brave and powerful people.
This tract, even inure that the previous ones, is
remarkable for its fearless and dispassionate tone
and its ratiocinative power. lite author's purpose
is purely patriotic, and his writings will be warmly
welcomed by those persons who desire to hear both
sides of the great question now in progress.

JANUARY 12, 1856.

Introduction to the Literary History of Europe.
By Henry Hallam, LL.D. Fifth Edition, London :
Murray.
FEW scholars have ever been so well qualified for
extended critical discussion as Mr. Hallam. Though
without an active imagination, his understanding is '
so versatile that his mind can thoroughly appreciate
various kinds of literature. He is not a bigot of any
particular school, though " Englishman " is broadly
stamped upon him ; and what his style wants in
subtlety and grace is atoned for by its vigour and
racy homeliness of idiomatic expression. His " Con-
.stitutional History" will probably render his name
most permanently popular in England, on account
of the nationality of its subject ; but there are por-
tions of his " Introduction to Literary History " in
-which he s ows his greatest powers of thought and
his best writing. We allude more particularly to
his analysis of Bacon's Philosophy, to his charac-
terisation of Shakspeare, his estimate of the French
Stage, and his comments on Bossuet, Pascal, and
other divines.
In comprehensiveness of critical aim we are not
racquainted with any one work in European literary
history which equals this performance 01 Mr.Hallaiu
It embraces Italian, German, Spanish French,•
and j'Aiglish classics, on many of which its corn-
.nients tire minute and profound. As a history of
•one country's literature, the great work of 'lira-
:hoschi may be more perfect ; but the various German
manuals have not the variety of Mr. Hallam. Sis-
mondi's "Litterature du Midi " is a brilliant perform-
an ; bat, as its title suggests, a large part of the
m ist important European literature is exempted
from its consideration. On the whole, this work of
Mr. Hallam stands unrivalled for massiveness and
extent of roach.
In portions of it some inequalities may be dis-
cerned. The extent of space is n“t always propor-
tionately assigned to the relative value of the sub-
jects di cussed. A few lines, for example, are given
to Clarendou's great history, while trivial modern
Latin poets are specially commemorated. Too
rnueti honour, we think, is given to the intellectual
achievements of the Jesuits, and Mr. Hallam is
rather too severe in treating of defects of moral
evaracter. He does not always make sufficient
allowance for the miseries of life, and the infirmities
that follow high-wrought temperaments.
These are only slight defects in so great a work,
exhilkting such energy of style, and so much far-
sought reading. It tands like a monument amongst
the hasty and superficial performances of an age
when the printing-press teems with ephemeral b ioks.
"Lo ! what huge heaps of littleness around !" may a
-thoughtful person exclaim in wiu3essing the worth,
'less compilations, more easily written than read,
advertised in all directions. But on recollecting the
names of Thitlwall. Grote, Mitre, Milman, and, last
not least, Henry Hallam, there is ground for con
.gratulation on the number and eminence of our
Jiving British scholars.
The text of this edition has been carefully revised,
and some additional notes have been inserted in it.

Memoirs of British Generals Distinguished during
the Peninsular War. By J. W. Cole, H.P. 21st
Fusiliers. Two Vols. Bentley.

Is.ifuese two volumes the lives of fourteen generals,
who were eminently distinguished during the Penin-
sular war, are narrated in a concise, clear style, por
traits being given of the most famous of them. Mr.
Cole has been diligent in the collection of his mate-
rials, and has shown much skill in avoiding needless
repetition, though having often to traverse the same
ground. He is generally impartial and intelligent, but
we must except his remarks upon Lo►d Castlereagh,
whose character he evidently does not understand.
and against whom he seems to entertain a strong
prejudice. The most important points in the history
of each general are prominently brought out, and
•the controversies concerning their conduct judi
.ciously sifted. The soldierly skill of the author
enables him to relate military events with precision.
The volumes are well fitted to convey a distinct idea of
the separate details of the Peninsular war, and of
the manner in which, under various commands, they
were arranged and combined by the genius of
Wellington.