The Express.
London, England, 1866-06-12 00:00:00

FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE AND THE

ITALIAN ARMY.

Our Florence correspondent, writing on the Bth,
nays :
I have just seen a letter written by Florence Nightin-
gale to the Cavaliers Sebastian.) Fenzi, one of the committee
for organising a system of volunteer assistance to the hos-
pital department of the army. It contains—set forth with
admirable lucidity—the results of her experience on the
matters in question chained in the Crimea and otherwise.
And all this part of her letter, invaluable as it is to the
Italians, it is not necessary to reproduce here. But the
conclusion of it, which truly falls like balm on the minds
of these people, excoriated as they have lately been by the
ungenerous strictures, and lecturinga, and abuse of the Eng.
lish press, well deserves to be quoted.
" Thus far," writes Miss Nightingale, " I have given
dry advice as drily as I could. But you must permit me
to say that if there is anything I could do for you at any
time, and you would command rue, I should esteem it the
greatest honour and pleasure. lam a hopeless invalid,
entirely a prisoner to my room, and overwhelmed with
business. Otherwise how gladly would I answer to your call,
and come to do my little best for you in the dear zity where
I I was born. If the giving my miserable life could hasten
your success but by half an hour how gladly would I give
it. But you will not want for success, or for martyrs, or for
volunteers, or for soldiers. Our old general, Lord Clyde
(be is dead now), was standing at the port of Balaclava
when, eleven years ago, the Italian Bersagliere were land-
ing; and he turned round and said to his companion (a
man high in office), ' I wish to hide my face—l blush for
ourselves when I see the perfect way in which those
glorious troops are brought up to their work.' And what
have not the Italians done since, in these eleven years ?
the work almost of eleven centuries. I, too, remember the
Italian (Sardinian) hospitals on the heights of Balaclava,
and their admirable government ; and since then what
has not the progress been? I wish you God speed with
my whole heart, and beg that you will believe me, sir,
your ever faithful servant, FLORINCE NIGHTLNOALE.
" Cavaliers Sebastian Fenzi, Florence."
I think (adds our correspondent) that it would
gratify the writer in her sick room if she could
have seen the emotion excited by the railing of
this letter at Florence.

OUR CONTESIPORARIEB.

(THIS DAY.)

TEC BERME GOVERNMENT AND TEC CONTRODITAL CREME.
In the opinion of the Times Mr. Kinglake did
well in giving the government an opportunity last night
of explaining its present opinions, and showing what the
action of this oountry had been in reference to the
state of Europe. Mr. Kinglake, says the Times,
made out a strong cam on behalf of Austria, and
our contemporary admits that from one point of view
Austria's position forms a sort of legal quadrilateral
which is not easily assailable by argument. Although
the Times never had much faith in the congress,
it thinks that in a crisis like the present a humane
government was bound to leave no expedient untried to
settle the dispute. A more importent matter, however,
is the advice which the government, or one or more of its
members, is said to have given to Austria on the subject
of Venetia. It may be unadvisable that the Premier should
trench on the functions of the Foreign Secretary, and
make known the views of the government unofficially by
private letters, and if such a practice has obtained of late
it is to be hoped it may be discontinued. But if the
Queen's government is to give its advise, it is justified in
sesnasiaewikesehe. Froneh goverameat, Alad.Ari". thank
body of the English people, that it is advisable for Austria
to abandon Venetia. Even the Austrian government itself
seems to admit that its position is untenable, for it de-
clares that if victory were to bless their standards, and
territorial arrangements could be effected with advantage,
it might be induced in the interest of a general pacification
to make concessions. The tone of the discussion last
night, which was throughout friendly to Austria, shows
the effect which the insincerity and violence of the Prus-
sian government have produced on English public opinion..
In Germany the imperial power is at present the up-
holder of law and justice, and if war breaks out it will be
through the machinations of its adversary, who is now
said to have despatched an ultimatum to Vienna.
While, says the Daily News, that eminent statesman in
partibee, Mr. Kinglake, was holding forth with his soma-
tomed air of • Roman senator surprised by the Gauls, on
the importance of the Austrian possession of the Quadrila.
Ural to the peace and security of Europe, news had reached
the outside world of London of the Prussian commander.
in-chief in Holstein having dispersed the Estates which the
Austrian governor had convoked ; and of the Prussians ad-
vancing towards Altona. Before this tedious and empty
parliamentary gabble begun, which Lord Craahorne and
Sir Robert Peel deem so eminently dignified and " in-
" finitely more important than any Reform
the Federal Diet at Frankfurt had held an extra.
ordinary sitting, at which the representative of Austria de-
manded the mobilisation of the whole Federal army. And
this was the moment chosen by such representatives of
their country as Mr. Kinglake and Sir G. Bowyer, and one
or two more speakers of equal calibre, to solicit
the attention of Europe to the otiose expression of
their sympathies, and criticisms, and predilections.
The Daily News begs its its friends abroad not to
be duped by names or titles, or to accept Eng-
lish opinion from the mouths of a few busybodies who
presume to take the name of England in vain. It is cha-
racteristic of the straightforward dealing of " the
chivalry " that while they will rail at Italy for five hours
by the clock, in order to put off to as late an hour as pos.
Bible a defeat on the Reform Bill, they are reduced to
attack Lord Russell—now that he is no longer foreign mi-
nister—not for despatches which he has not written—but
for some private letters which they suspect him of writing.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Under-Secretary
for Foreigu Affairs easily dismissed all this random
vituperation in a very few sentences, of which
the temperate yet generous sincerity made amends
for the rashness and incoherence of Mr. Kinglake's fol-
lowers, in whose speeches nothing that was new was true,
and nothing that was true was new. Perhaps the most
sensible words that fell from any private member in the
course of the discussion were those of Mr. Laing, who
suggested, with excellent good sense, that it would be
better that the house should not " erect itself into a sort of
tribunal of sentiment and criticism."
It will probably be said that the debate on foreign
affairs, which last evening followed Mr. Kinglake's mo-
tion for the adjournment of the house, was only intended
to occupy time, and delay the progress of the ministerial
Reform Bill. It cannot, however, with any plausibility
be urged, the Post thinks, that the position of affairs in
Europe at the present moment is not at least as well-de-
serving of the attention of the British parliament as any
possible scheme for amending our representative system.
With regard to the action of her Majesty's government
they cannot justly be blamed for having attempted, how-
ever unsuccessfully, to prevent a European war. But
at the same time it must be confessed that the
means which they adopted to secure that end
are somewhat open to adverse comment. Mr.
Gladstone was right in saying that Venetia did not
lie at the bottom of the dispute; but he was wrong in con-
necting the abandonment of the Convention of Gastein
by Austria with the imminei.ee of war.
In the " conversational debate " of last evening, every
member, the Herald says, not connected with the govern.
ment took his own peculiar view, differing more or less
from that taken by everybody else, but all—with excep-
tions so trifling that they only prove the rule—disapproved
of the line which had been taken by the ministers of the
crown. The pretensions of It dy to Venetia were forti-
fied by something more than the covert encouragement of
France. Rumour, and that of an authentic kind, says
that her Majesty's government had tendered its
advise to Austria that she should cede Vene-
tia. This advice is said to • have come not
from the Foreign Minister, but from the Prime
Minister in a private and confidential letter. Mr. Glad-
stone goes so far as to condemn Austria as the chief cause
of war. He goes further, and accuses her of having given
Prussia a eases belli in her conduct in respect to Holstein.
This, in the opinion of the Herald, is not the opinion of
the country.
Last night, in the view of the Telegraph, was the exhi-
bition of Friday indecently renewed—an attempt to beat
the Reform Bill by talking the session out. Last night
the obetructives had not the poor excuse of knowing at
the time the momentous news of which we arc now in
possession. They bad not seen even the reply of Austria
to Count Ilisniarck's insolent despatch. In fact, the
discussion was "is the air." The proceeding of Prussia
in Holstein is, in the opinion of the Telegraph, more than a
challenge to Austria ; it is a deliberate defiance of the Ger-
manic Diet, and if the Confederation is anything more than
a nonentity, if it desires to retain the slightest hold on the
opinion of Europe, and above all of Germany, as a defender
of right and public law, it must take action, and that
promptly, against the aggressor. The arrival of Garibaldi
on the Italian continent is to the nirgrapli another indi-
cation of immediate action in Italy.

No debating society, remarks the Star, could have
poured forth talk more voluble, crude, and barren than
five out of six of the harangues on the impending war
which were allowed, or perhaps designed, to postpone the
serious business of parliament last night. The English
government have encouraged Italy—especially by recon.-
mending Austria to give up Venetia. Therefore the
English government are to blame for the present crisis.
Such is Mr. Kinglake's view. Mr. Kinglake must have
been asleep, says the Star, so far as European politics are
concerned, since 1862 at least, if he really believes that
Italy is the main cause of the present war. So far back
as 1862 or thereabouts Count von Bismarck delivered
his famous " hlut-und-eisen"— blood and steel—
speech, wherein he described the condition into
which German politics were drifting. The clear and
obvious truth is that Prussia and Austria are going to war
for the object which has long made them rivals irrecon-
cileable, the supremacy of Germany. The Italians are not
the primary cause of the war ; but, even if they were, they
do not make war because of advice from England. There
is really no ground whatever on which to blame our
government. It was quite right to join in the attempt at
a congress even as a forlorn hope. Much of last night's
eloquence was intended, the Star thinks, rather to delay
the progress of reform at home than to check the move-
ment of hostile armies abooad.

NIL HUNT% RATING PIANCHTISZ.

Not a doses members perhaps anticipated, says the Star
that the house would last night have been occupied fee
two hope in discussing Mr. Hunt's proposition to sabsti- •
tuts rating for clear annual value as the standard of en-
franchisement. The opponents of the government bill
unite their methods of procedure with pest determination
and ease. Dishonest delay is tried first; formal oppodtion '
is resorted to when nothing else will do ; and when formal
opposition seems likely to fail recourse is had to motions
for adjournment, moved unscrupulously early and with an
unconscionable disregard of propriety and good feeling.
In all this there is more than mere factiousness. Static
tics were again asked for last night by the
opposition, but it is trifling with the intelligent*
of the country to pretend that further statistics
could throw any new light on the subject. To Mr. Hunt's
argument Mr. Gladstone made a complete and satisfactory
reply, reminding him that, though he objected to the
proprietary voters is counties being swamped, Mr. Disraeli%
bill in 1839 had cut off all the proprietary votes in
boroughs and reduced the occupancy vote in the counties
to 101. The debit of which the opposition are the authors
benefits the government, and cannot permanently hinder
the progress of reform. Their policy will simply cover
them with shame, and exclude them from those ehaseesi
of future power which with oommou prudence they might
sally Woe seenissh . _ .
The Herald accuses Mr. Gladstone of a display of bad
temper last night in his reply to Mr. Hunt, and though he
afterwards put upon his remarks a construction perfectly
homeless and inoffensive, the incident is a proof of Mr.
Gladstone's want of influence and authority in the house.
Mr. Hunt's motion was, as be himself confessed, very far
from commensurate with the arguments by which he sup-
ported it. Those argument, went to condemn the IQ.
franchise altowther. It was evidently the aim of the go-
vernment to hurry the debate to a conclusion, in spite of
the protests of the opposition, and the urgent demands of
county members for time to study the statistics bearing
on the question which had been but a few hours in their
hands. After persevering for an hour and a hall in the
attempt to force a division without a debate, Mr. Glad-
stone yielded, and the discussion of Mr. Hunt's motion
stands adjourned till a day when, we may hope, some
members of the government may thinkiproper to take part
in it.

LITURGICAL REVISION.

The Times compares Lord Ebury's simple confidence
—that if a commission were appointed to revise the Burls

Service less than ten minutes would be sufficient fee a
satisfactory solution of the difficulty—to that of the clear- •
headed clergyman who considered that any controversy
which ever agitated the world might be settled in ten
minutes by ten plain men forbidden to look into any book
but the Bible. When asked to explain Lord Ebury's
answer was even more delightful in its simplicity. The
method consists solely in omitting entirely the obnoxious
expressions, and substituting others which are of a totally
different complexion. After such an exhibition of
confidence the Times fears—not altogether for Lord
Ebury's own sake—that even the division of last
night will fail to discourage him from further efforts.
He himself recalled the fact that the Archbishop of Can.
terbury last year, after consulting with the clergy, reported
that he found the vast majority of them opposed to any
change of any description. This singular piece of coat
deuce is itself a very good illustration of ow of the princi-
pal difficulties in the way of any material alterations in the. i '
Liturgy. No reasonable person can possibly suppose that
the Prayer-book is as perfect as it might be, nor can it be
reasonably doubted that, as times and manners and
thoughts change, it may become in some points even
less perfectly adapted for general use than it once was.
But the difficulty is that everyone is just as convinced as
Lord Shary of the abeolute perfection, truth, propriety,
and sufficiency of his own favourite alteratian. On points
of order, of external arrangement, or of discipline, it
might be possible to effect something by mutual conces-
sion in quiet times, but on matters which involve purely
theological considerations, it is as difficult to obtain the
alteration of a word as to pass a reform bill. The proposal
of Lord Ebury last night, therefore, was peculiarly unfor-
tunate, for it proposed to mix up two things which are
entirely distinct—the revision of the Lectionary of the
church, which is a matter of mere order and convenience,
and the revision of the Burial Service—a proceeding which
involves purely theological considerations, and those
among the most difficult and delicate. It would be impos-
sible, as the Archbishop of Canterbury stated, for any
alteration to be made without one party in the church
gaining a victory over the other. Such a result
might be desirable or not, but it certainly could
not be obtained without a violent and pro.
longed contest, which would do far more harm
than the grievance which it was intended to remedy.
To those who consider the real necessities of the time, it is
melancholy, as well as absurd, to see the attention of
churchmen and of church reformers directed to these
trifles of ceremonies, and rubrics, and formularies, instead
of to the demands of religious thought, or to supplying the
daily religious wants of the vast population around us.

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