The Sun.
London, England, 1855-03-15 00:00:00

LONDON, THURSDAY, MARCH 15, 1855.

We would emphatically warn the public against
indulging in too sanguine expectations of a speedy
return of peace, or lending easy credence to the
various rumours that are industriously circulated
on the point. Although it is certain that ALEX-
ANDER, before his accession to the Imperial throne,
condemned the War and was anxious for the adop-
tion of a moderate and conciliatory policy by his
father, it by no means follows, under existing cir-
cumstances, that he can carry his pacific inten-
tions into practical operation. NICHOLAS had ample
power for good or evil. He was indeed an Auto-
crat in the widest signification of the phrase.
None dared to question his ukases. The Imperial
will was the all-sufficient reason for any course
that might be adopted. Everything depeaded on
his own discretion, and he could select any oppor-
tnnity that he thought proper for meeting his
plans. It was not always so—net until cemented
by copious bloodshed that the power based on the
gibbet, the fusillade, and the knout became so for-
midable. His accession to the throne was resisted.
The rightful heir, his elder brother, had many
partizans, who refused fealty to the junior. But
that brother, after a fierce struggle with his own
ambition, became the most strenuous supporter of
li-Icl/01as—the first to take the oath of allegiance
to him who had been elevated to the position
which he should himself have occupied. The op-
position to NICHOLAS had, therefore, no cohesion
or stability. It lost vitality when CONSTANTIN&
refused to participate in its objects. It conse-
quently might have been easily suppressed, and a
general amnesty accorded to those implicated.
We know, however, the savage energy with which
it was crushed, and the implacable vengeance dis-
played towards those whose only crime was that
they objected to a departure from the constitu-
tional law of their country, if there can be such a
Ong as constitutional law in Russia. The terror
cited by the sanguinary scenes, then of every-day
occurretie
*--the want of a rallying point in the
unhesitating refusal of CONSTANTINE to ascend the
throne even if tendered for his acceptance--p revent ed
any further attempt •
, so that Nicnoras, particularly
from the time when by the deatia of his elder brother
be became EMPSItOa de jure as well as de facto,
exercised the most unlitrdte4 control over every
department of the State without any question of
his unlimited authority.

A superstitious reverence was added to earthly
Power. He was invested with almost super-
natural attributes ; regarded, not merely as a
despotic .monarch or the .impeccable head of the
orthodox Church, but as a terrestrial deity, to
whom unreasoning and unhesitating obedience
'was an imperative obligation. Religious fanati-
cism enhanced his power, and rendered it as un-
questioned as it was irresistible.
Matters are, however, very different with the
present CZAR. He, -too, has a brother CONSTAN-
TINE, whose claims to the Russian diadem have
been strongly advocated. But lie is not so per-
fectly free from ambitious views as his uncle. As
the recognised head of a very numerous and
powerful party, he might easily place the sceptre
Of ALEXANDER in jeopardy, if he opposed
their views, and more especially if he made
any concessions to the Western Powers, or aban-
doned the aggressive policy so long and so steadily ,
Puraut4 by
predeceBsors. tilemoLas could

~.e

have made peace if he thought proper. None
would have ventured to criticise the terms to
which he thought proper to become a party.
But ALEXANDER, however strongly his wishes
might point in the same direction, would not
venture to accede to what might, and with the
insidious intrigues of the old Muscovite party, in
all human probability, would be regarded as a
national humiliation. An opinion that might
lead not merely to a compulsory abdication, but
even to a death as sudden as that which befel
his grandfather, and many of the occupants of
the Imperial Throne. His chief hope of consoli-
dating and strengthening his power would be by
supporting the extreme views of the Muscovite
party, and breathing defiance against those who
dared to resist the will of the deceased EMPEROR,
and who not only had the audacity to circum-
scribe his power, but even to invade Lis
territories. It was to meet the wishes and
to disarm the opposition of these factions
that he made the remarkable allusion to the Will
of PETER the Great, and his determination to
pursue the course of policy inaugurated by his
predecessors.

We must, then, as we have already stated, ab-
stain from lending too easy credence to the rumours
purporting to come from Vienna, and which are
probably got up and circulated for stook-jobbing
purposes. Wo feel convinced that France and
England will not yield or abandon the just claims
they have put forward, and from which alone they
can hope fer the permanent tranquillity of Europe.
It is hinted that the point respecting Sebastopol
may be wai►ed—that the Czut will be allowed to
retain that menacing position, French and English
fortresses being erected at other points. But to
what enormous expenses would this lead—how
heavy and incessant would be the drafts on the
treasuries of the Maritime Powers. If there is to
be an equality of force in the EUxiue, it will be
better for all parties that it should be attained by
the reduction of the Russian than the increase
of the French and English Powers. This must
now be looked to. Should it be disregarded, we
cannot promise a very satisfactory reception to
our Plenipotentiary on his return from the Vienna
Conferences.

The speech of Sir ROBERT PEEL yesterday, at
Tamworth, is deserving of notice. We may not
agree with him in every opinion he expresses in
it, but we cannot deny him the merit of speaking
boldly and to the purpose. The Hon. Baronet
is a man of energy and of liberal views, and, possess-
ing considerable natural ability and good sense,
more than falls to the lot of his brother, the
Under-Secretary of War, does not fail to recog-
nise, to some extent, the cause or causes to which
the mismanagement of the War is primarily owing.
"The character of the Premier," lie says, "stamps
the character of the Cabinet ; and the country
wanted a man of independent action that would
not only inspire vigour into the councils of the
SOVEREIGN, but would throw his spirit into every
branch of the Administration, more especially into
those branches which were connected with the
present War." In other words, the late Adminis-
tration wanted a head, at all events an indepen-
dent and ♦igorous one. Far be it from us to
deny it !
Lord PALMERSTON, in Sir ROBERT'S opinion, is
the man to do what his predecessors did not—is
the man for the occasion, and equal to it. We
hope and trust he is ; and if his measures go to
prove it, he will not want that public support
which the Honourable Baronet says ho ought to
have. The freedom of action his lordship is said
not to have had before he unquestionably has
now. The ball is at his foot.
Sir ROBERT is also of opinion we ought not to
have attacked the possessions of Russia, aud,
taking a particular view of the subject, something
might be said on that head ; but we cannot ad-
mit, with respect to " the terrible things we have
heard" from the Crimea, that the blame of their
occurrence is not in any degree due to the late
Administration. The rotten system of routine of
promotion by seniority or interest, and not by
merit, is answerable for a great deal of what
has taken place, but not for all. A scape-
goat may be convenient enough, bat we
would rather have something less shadowy than
words. The forty-four thousand gallant men
whose bones lie "bleaching in files," or who are laid
up by sickness in the Crimea, call for an equitable
distribution of blame. The generous nation that
has done everything in its power for the welfare of
its gallant defenders echoes the call. Outraged
humanity, that sickens over the horrible de-
tails of needless privation, hardship, and suf-
fering, makes the same demand, and if it

is not answered now, history will do so. Be
it ABERDEEN, RAGLAN, FILDER, CHRISTIE, or who-
ever else that is to blame, let them, we say, have
it as they deserve, as well as " the system."

The caution given by the Honourable Baronet
to the people, lest the alliance for liberty become
transformed into a combination of despots against
it, will be all the better if it is supererogatory,
if Lord Pa.mmsnsrom'sPremiership "is a guarantee
against that." In any case it need not be despised.
With Sir ROBERT'S ardent desire for peace on
honourable terms everybody will sympathise. We
wish we could say the same with respect to his
views regarding the Austrian alliance. It is satis-
factory so far, however, for us to be assured that
the number, always great, of those who deem
that " the Austrian alliance has been the curse of
the War, has paralysed our efforts, and that
German interests have paralysed our action,"
daily increases. The fact is we had a courtier
and a red-tapist at the head of affairs, and, to
further German interests and keep down liberty,
the alliance with Austria was sought at all ha-
zards, and the alliance has really cost us dear in
the expenditure of lives and money. "We must,"
he continues, "be no longerliumbugged by Austria.
We must not permit Prussia, under the cloak of
neutrality, to act as the ally of Russia." Brave
words these, and wise. Moldavia and Wallachia,
ho goes on to say, should be erected into an inde-
pendent State, as a bulwark against Russia. Nay,
ho goes further : " Why," he asks, " why not
raise Poland ?" Whereat the people present, we
are told, wiser in their generosity than their rulers
in their caution, cheered. " Why not raise
Poland T' If we wanted to stop war, check
Russia, awe Prussia, he said " Raise Poland !"
Just
what we have said from the first. In libe-
rated Poland will be found the safeguard of
Europe. Poland free, Russia will have enough
to do at home to undertake aggression, and Aus-
tria will have to render justice to poor oppressed
Hungary. Keep Russia
at
home, and Liberty
way walk abroad unmolested throughout Europe,
with the blessings of
peace and civilisation in her
ed

train.

Mazufacturers of artificial sins and crimes aro
one of the curses of humanity. (MT frail nature
is daily tempted enough to too many real sins to
need any addition to the list. Siu-making seems,
however, to have been one of the pleasures of
priestcraft from time immemorial ; heathen and
Jewish priests hare left on record a notable list
of these rack-conscience lnyeAtions, and, their suc-

cessors in the various great churches of Christen-
dom have imitated them but too successfully.
The most irritating result is the affectation of
superior morality on the part of the contrivers and
defenders of fictitious crimes, and the most me-
lancholy one that priest-ridden but well-meaning
consciences are burdened, enlightened consciences
debarred of their rights, and people whose im-
pulses are stronger than their consciences forced
ono way or other into actual sin.
The sin of marrying a deceased wife's sister is
one of these priest-created crimes. Neither in
nature nor in GOD'S Word has it any existence.
It has been attempted to extract it indeed from a
Jewish text, by a false gloss, shown to be false
by its repugnance to the rest of the Jewish law,
and the practice of the Jews themselves ; it is a
well-known Church invention, not a divine pro-
hibition, and, consequently, a pet with the Church
dignitaries of the land. No wonder priests and
pharisees defend such crime-making; it is a mark
of their power. " Thou shalt not steal " is a
prohibition bringing no honour to them ; but
" thou shalt not marry a deceased wife's sister"
is the fiat of bishops, and, while Parliament will
enforce it, brands the whole community with the
badge of their rule. Hence the holy zeal of the
lawn for this prohibition. These godly legisla-
tors will rise up in their place in Parliament, and
luxuriating in incomes, some of which would have
bought up the whole stock in trade of all the twelve
Apostles, and all the money laid at their feet after
the day of Pentecost, will condemn as a libertine
the man who wishes to marry the woman best
adapted to take charge of his children, and who,
from long and intimate knowledge, he knows is
most likely to compensate for what he has lost.
There were those 1800 years ago who were so re-
ligious as to shun treading a Gentile threshold
lest they should defile themselves, while they were
clamouring for the death of the innocent SAVIOUR.
And there are those now who are religious enough
to invent and clamour for a law of artificial de-
filement, while they have no scruple or shame
about loading, or rather overloading, themselvc s
and their kindred with the unrighteous mammon.
We might think a little better of the bench if
they were as pertinacious for making it a crime in
a bishop to be richer than PETER, or the sons of
ZEBEDEE ; or for him to bestow a rich living, or any
sort of ecclesiastical benefice, within the limits of
consanguinity and affinity. We strongly suspect
that were it proposed to construct a table of de-
grees of affinity and consanguinity for episcopal
presentations and for marriage on the same basis,
the table would be brief indeed.

We may be told that denouncing episcopal in-
terference in the matter is not argument, and it
may be true. We conceive, however, that we
and others have exhausted the argument of the
question long ago. The only argument relied on
by our opponents is the bishops. They com-
pelled Lord LYNDHURST to prohibit all future
marriages of the kind adverted to, when he had
occasion to legitimise the past ; and they now
compel the retention of their law.

Two considerations of fundamental importance
appear to us frequently overlooked, or not perceived
with sufficient distinctness. One is, that the ques-
tion whether it is a divine prohibition is in truth
irrelevant. It is not the business of human law to
enforce GOD'S law. We may not, of course,
knowingly require of men what GOD forbids ; but,
on the other hand, we may not enforce all His
prohibitions by civil penalties. The law forbids
stealing, not because Glop forbids it, but because,
society and stealing could not coexist. For, on
the other hand, the law does not forbid covetous-
ness, though (as the Bishops should recollect)
nothing is more repeatedly forbidden by GOD. It
is therefore irrelevant to plead that GOD forbids.
We are confident He does not ; but if He did, it
would not follow that Parliament should forbid.
It would have to be demonstrated that the good
order of society required such a law. That, of
course, would be impossible, while so many com-
munities as orderly as ourselves have no such
prohibition.

Again, it should be remembered that all de-
manded is to permit people to obey their own
consciences instead of being forced to obey another
man's. Clerics and their counsel in the Commons
frequently argue almost as if men were to be com-
pelled to marry their wives' sisters, while judging
it to be wrong. By all means let those who think
it wrong remain unmarried, or take a survey of
all the other unmarried ladies in the land if they
please. What we resent is that these gentlemen
should force their self-constituted virtues upon
those who deem it a profane interference where
GOD has not spoken, and where, if He had, He
does not ask their aid. We are glad to see Lord
PALMERSTON himself again on this question. His
apposite remark, that laws in opposition to the
moral sentiments of people are useless, practically
settles the question. If Scotchmen are averse to
such marriages, they need no law ; if Englishmen
are not, the law is a grievance, and will be evaded
while it remains in force. The wealthier will
continue, as they now do, to marry abroad; the
poorer will cohabit without marriage. To leave
all to their liberty is the only alternative, and to
this the Legislature must inevitably come.

REMOVAL OF THE COURT TO OSBORNE.—The Queen,
Prince Albert, and the Court this day left Buckingham
Palace for Osborne. Her Majesty, it is expected, will pay
a visit to Haglar Hospital to see the wounded there, and
will also witness the departure from Spithead of the
flying squadron for the Baltic.
ORDER IN COUNCIL.—By an order in Council, dated
March 10, it is ordered, that any person may be enlisted
to serve as a soldier in her Majesty's forces, or in the
forces of the East India Company, for the term of two
years, to be reckoned as is directed and provided in and
by the act of the tenth and eleventh years of the reign
of her Majesty, c. 37, for limiting the term of service
in the army, and for such further term not exceeding one
year, as her Majesty may by Order in Council direct.
REPRESENTATION OF LIVERPOOL.—The Conservative
candidate, Sir S. George Bonham, Bart., K.C.8., issued
his address to the electors of Liverpool yesterday, and
was expected to address the electors the same afternoon.
He had not, however, arrived up to 5 p.m. The Liberal
party havenot yet announced their candidate.
PORTSMOUTH ELECTION.—The official declaration of

the poll was. made yesterday by the Mayor, the numbers
being the same as we reported on Tuesday ; namely, for
Lord Monc:k, 1,478 ; Mr. Serjeant Gaselee, 473. Lord
Monck returned thanks to the electors for the honour
conferred -upon Lira ; and Mr. Gasslee expressed his
thanks to those who had voted for him, as also to these
who bad been his opponents, for the courtesy they had
displayed towards Lira during the contest. A vote of
thanks to the Mayor concluded the business,
Orders have been transmitted to India for the follow-
ing regits cents of infantry to be held in readiness to pro-
ceed to t he seat of war—via., 10th Foot, from Bombay ;
29th dit to, under the command of Lieut.-Col. Sir G.
Congreye, C.B. ; the lst battalion of the 60th Royal
Rifle Cc rps, from Bombay ; and the 76th Foot, from
Bengal.
RUM-t )BRED ENCAMPMENT.—We understand that Mr.
Taylor, -farmer, Newington, has been desired by the
G'overni nent to remove his flocks from the crown lands
held by him at Shorncliffe as speedily as possible. A
survey- look place last week to discover the wells and
drains used during the war period of ISO 3-4-5-6-7. It
lai Mill Lured that 5,000 of a Foreign Legion (Swiss) are
to be Encamped here during the summer, and that
wooden . huts will be erected for their winter quarter,.—
,South L '‘.l4te,.2t Gazette.
THE FAST DAY SERMON BEFORE THE HOUSE OF
COMAOII.4.—It was ordered on Tuesday night by the
Housemat 6( Commons that the Rev. Henry Melvill, 8.D.,
Principal of the East India College, Hailoybury, Lec-
turer of E it. Margaret's, Lothbury, and Chaplain of the
Tower, 1 be desired to preach before the house at St.
.Margaret Westminster, on Wednesday next, the 21st
bei Ong the day appointed by her Majesty for a
general fa, it, and that Viscount Palmerston and Sir G.
Grey do a, ;quaint the rev. gentleman therewith.
The Nil, e, East Indiaman, one of the fleet of merchant
invesselsthe
m
belt ging to Mr. Green, of Blaekwall, has arrived
Doe ins, after a quick passage of 86 days from
Madras apj d the Cape.