The Press.
London, England, 1856-01-19 00:00:00

50

were endangering the French alliance. Many
joined in this foolish noise, who from their
position, and their opportunities of informa-
tion, should have known better.
Later, we announced that Propositions of
Peace had been drawn up, aid were actually
under the considetation of the allied Govern-
ments. Our statement was vehemently denied;
it was characterised as a "canard," and some
Paris journals could only accoltnt for its ap.
pearauce in our columns on the supposition
that we were actuated by sentiments of hos-
tility to Lord PALMERSTON.
Whether the negotiation was undertaken by
the Vienna Cabinet, independent of any hint
or suggestion from Russia, our readers may de-
cide for themselves. It is enough to know that
the Propositions are of a nature which Russia
has found little difficulty in accepting. The fact
that negotiations were in progress oozed pain-
fully out from the Ministerial journals, weeks
after it had been authoritatively published in
THE PRESS. _ _

Last week, in noticing the proposals borne
by Cou'it STACKELBERO, we stated decisively,
and from the highest information, that " the
"prospects of. Peace were favorable," yet up to
the very hour on Thursday, when it was all but
announced by the French Government that
Peace was established,) we were treated to
harangues on the certainty of war, and favored
by one of our contemporaries with a lecture
on the extreme impropriety of our conduct in
taking any other view of affairs. They will
probably be wise after the event. They cer-
tainly were not so before it.
We spoke from the first in the interest of
Conservative sentiment; and we say distinctly
now, that the value of our language at that
time cannot be justly estimated but by collation
with the opinions which had the widest cur-
rency and were received with the most favour.
Russia was to be destroyed, as the anchor to
which all the despotisms of the Continent
clung in their hour of trial. Italy was to be
regenerated by the action of the Foreign En-
listment Bill ; Poland was to be roused to
arms and independence by the embodiment
of the unfortunate refugees who have grown
grey by their daily begging through the streets
of Lbndon. And all the time that these
fictions were being propagated by the creatures
of our Government, our Government was in
secret conference with the Cabinet of Vienna,
imploring its aid, or soliciting its mediation.
Had the Conservative party joined in the
popular clamour for a war of extremity, the
fortunes of England and the world might have
taken a different direction from that which
they have happily done. There are persons
in the elevated position of statesmen whose
chief skill consists in watching the signs of
the times, and in adapting themselves to ex-
isting circumstances. Had the Conservative
sentiment of England been dead or perverted,
these men might have found it their cue to
play the revolutionary game. They found it
vigilant and sound ; they knew that it must
eventually triumph ; and, still adapting them-
selves to circumstances, they bowed to it, and
will meet Parliament with that great card, on
which THE PRESS had staked largely, and which
it has in no mean degree been influential in
turning up—A CONSERVATIVE PEACE.