The Sun.
London, England, 1855-02-21 00:00:00

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,171

LONDON, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1855.

Mr. COLLIER has on many occasions rendered
important services to the country. Never, how-
ever, did he introduce a subject of deeper inte-
rest than when, last night, he directed attention
to the state of our trade with Russia, and the
grave mistakes committed by the " Elder Ditomro"
at the commencement of the War, and strove in
the mildest manner to elicit the intentions of the
younger twin, so as to obviate the necessity of a
more, decided resolution. The moderation of the
Hon. Gentleman should be duly appreciated. The
castigation was administered with regret. It was
given rather in sorrow than in anger—the act
of a faithful but outraged friend, not of a
vengeful adversary. If, therefore, even at
the eleventh hour, there be any manifestations of
improvement—if even a promise be given to
amend the obnoxious practice and inaugurate a
sounder policy, the Hon. Gentleman will rest
contented. He is willing to proclaim an act of
amnesty if we only profit by former errors, and
show a just appreciation of the painful though
salutary lesson taught to us at so high a price.
The time-honoured apophthegm informs us that
" once bought is better than twice taught." Our
experience extends to both points ; and, if we are
not prepared to profit either by instruction or
loss, there should be an absolute change of ma-
nagement—the introduction of a mere judicious
system, where the lessons of the past may guide
the operations of the future.

The " Ministerial mouthpiece " on the question
—Mr. CARDWELL—WaS certainly not sufficiently
explicit or candid in the expression of his inten-
tions. He may mean what is right, but he must
show more earnestness of intention, more energy
of conduct, before we can place confidence in his
measures. Hitherto they have totally failed, and
they have probably tempted Prussia, by the op-
portunities offered, into the course which has been
so injurious to this country, and so prejudicial to
her own position as one of the leading European
Powers. We practically-offered a bribe to induce
her to prolong hostilities by avoiding the decided
action that would speedily bring Russia to a due
sense of her situation, and induce the CZAR to
swallow his leek with all due humiliation.

These are not opinions put on to suit the
-fashion of the day,
We have long held them,
aye, and urged them.
Nearly twelve months
since we pointed out that the only way in which
we could hope to terminate the untoward state
of affairs then existing was, by making the evils
incidental to war as painfully perceptible as
practicable, by making the hostilities forced
on us bring with them their own fearful
consequences to those with
whom we were en-
gaged. We then enunciated the principle, which
has since been established beyond the possibility
of dispute, that it " was not by the destruction
of men so much as by cutting off the supplies
that we could hope to bring the AUTOCRAT to
reason." He might easily find new conscripts—
men pressed into his ranks, and compelled
to fight under a flag they detested, in a
cause they abhorred. But he has no such
moans of maintaining Russian trade—of compell-
ing foreign merchants to bring in their capital,
for the purpose of advancing his interests, and
supplying him with the sinews of war to use, pro-
bably, against their own countrymen. We still
assert the propriety of the doctrine which we pro-
mulgated in the latter end of March or beginning
of April in. last year, namely, " that the destruc-
tion of coy amerce is better than the destruction

of life, even if those lives belonged only to our
adversaries, and that none of our own gallant de-
fenders wtr: invo!vc.l ;it
Having nearly eleven months since given ex-
pression to such views, it must now be manifest
how fully we concur with the Honourable and
Learned Gentleman the Member for Plymouth,
how earnestly we desire the suppression of that
phase of " Germanism" that offered the tempting
bribe for Prussian neutrality. Mr. CARDWELL
indulges in a considerable amount of self-gratu-
lation as to the degree of pressure inflicted on
the enemy with so small an injury to our own
commerce. We fear, however, that the balance
will be found on the other side of the books—
that the injury and annoyance has been to our-
selves, without any corresponding damages to
our opponents. The views of Mr. COI.LIER are
so just—so important, too, at the present crisis—
that they must receive the further consideration,
both from Parliament and the country, to which
they are so eminently entitled.

If there be one quality which more than any
other distinguishes the speeches of Lord STANLEY
it is that of fairness. He seems unable to sink
to the partisan, and, while by no means wanting
in strong attachment to his more important con-
clusions, his advocacy of them is moderated by
what will ever produce moderation, the habit of
mastering both sides of a case. His Lordship is
neither a doubter, who can only arrive at the re-
sult that much may be said on both sides, nor a
ona-sided believer, who sees nothing at all in the
arguments of the opposing party. We must think
that one who shows so well-balanced a mind, and
whose tendency is so markedly in favour of pro-
gress, will become a working statesman in due
time, and one who will be largely trusted. Eng-
land yet leans on her aristocracy for guidance, and
they have but to show qualities worthy of her
confidence to retain the reins in their own
hands.

To take, for instance, in his very able speech
delivered the other day to his constituents at
Lynn, and which occupied several columns in
The Sun of Monday, the. domestic subjects 'of
Education and Church Rates. No two topics
have been more fertile of contention of late years;
none have been more embittered by the partisan
zeal of a large number of those on whom his
political party has leaned for support, both at the
polling booth, and in the House of Commons.
Yet there is no pandering to that party, but, on
the contrary, a strong tendency to themost liberal
and enlightened views. He is decidedly in ad-
vance of Lord JOHN RUSSEL' on both questions.
On that of Education he rejoices in the yearly
approximation of parties, and is well pleased that
between the proposals of Lord JOHN RUSSELL and
Sir JOHN PAKLNGTON there should be no im-
portant difference. While deeming it practically
impossible in rural districts to dispense with the
aid of the clergyman, he will not listen for a mo-
ment to any compulsory attendance on the reli-
gious teaching, nor to the withholding secular
instruction from those who refuse the religious
part ; at least in any schools which touch public
money of any kind. He is also decidedly in fa-
vour of local or self-government, would deprive
the Committee of Privy Council of its present
irresponsibility, and make it directly amenable to
Parliament.

Again, on the question of Church Rates, he
holds language which may well make the Whig- -
Liberals blush. Not only does he advocate total
abolition, and that as a matter of justice and
right, but he does so with a statesmanlike view to
the near future. Lord JOHN RussELL taunted
him last session with the remark, that his Anti-
Church Rate arguments led to voluntaryism. Lord
STANLEY is not the man to have overlooked that
fact, or to shrink from avowing it. He acknow-
ledges the difficulties which may at first occur in
some rural districts, but is confident they will
soon vanish, while he regards the termination of
so many religious battles as an abundant compen-
sation ; but, adds his Lordship, " I think the
change doubly important, not only on account of
the intrinsic merits of the cause, but because it
will afford us the first trial, the first practical ex-
periment, of that principle of self-support in reli-
gious matters which—whether we like it or no—
whether we approve it or no—whether we think it
the best possible system or no—seems likely, perhaps,
certain in the inevitable progress of public events,
to be the principle of the next generation." (Hear,
hear, a►nd applause.) Every reader, whatever his
views on Church Rates, must admire the manly
independence of one with Lord STANLEY'S political
connexions asserting such views as these. For
ourselves we endorse them entirely ; we
are thoroughly tired of the finality men,
whether Tories or Whigs ; and congratulate
the nation on finding in the ranks of the former
rising statesmen who are putting the Sexagena-
rians among the latter and their understrappers
to shame. It is one of our most hopeful omens.
If younger Conservatives begin to look on ecclesi-
astical and other questions in a national and not
a party view, if they aim to take the lead and to
govern by abolishing monopoly and privilege,
and removing all artificial disabilities, then they
will be the men who must come into power. The
people are now utterly sick of the old party
names, and nothing will avail to secure their sup-
port but being honestly ready to do their work ;
and all Lord STANLEY'S popular views carry on the
face of them the evidence of careful examina-
tion and thorough conviction.

On the War and Peace matters though we might
find ground for some considerable difference of opi-
nion, yet our general observation equally applies,
that his remarks are characterised by great fair-
ness. Indeed he excuses but toe much the
errors and mismaiagement of the Cabinet to
which he was politically opposed. We may, per-
haps, froth his position allow him to look with
leniency on aristocracy in the army, but we must
beg him, thorough-going thinker as he is, to settle
clearly in his mind whether the rule should or
should not be laid down and stringently carried
out, making promotion dependent on merit and
qualification only. We can hardly doubt the
conclusion he will come to, and as little the good
service his decision would do. Two popular do-
mestic questions are just now all but brought to a
satisfactory termination, in great part, we believe,
through the course he has taken. We do not
think the system of selling the command of our
poor soldiers to wealthy incompetency could long
survive a decided speech or letter from the Heir
of the House of DERBY.

Chemists inform us that certain substances may
be dissolved and recombined, the elements re-
maining the same, but the physical properties of
the new compound becoming entirely different—.
bland nutriment changing, it may be, into a
drastic medicine. All England is but too willing
to hope for such a result from the separation and
re-union of the parts composing the late Cabinet ;
she must, however, see the altered working quickly,
or she will not believe in the magic change. We
cannot profess to feel at ease as yet. We would
not be impatient, but hitherto we see nothing
done which strikes at the root of the acknowledged
evils. The single War Secretary, with a PEEL
instead of a LAYARD, is but a very imperfect be-
ginning ;
and as yet we hear nothing of ground
being broken and the trenches opened against the
ignorance, wilfulness, and self-conceit of the
boards and offices innumerable who snubbed our
patriotic merchants
victim,
tlpoor Duke
tiin,more delayed every order of
oforth NEWCASTLE airndl
heartless villainy than of
till he became the
any fault of his own.want We some sign, some
unmistakeable proof that every official in every
department, be he the kinsman of a Peer or the
sou of some important M.P.'s best local supporter,
is suspended upon his efficiency and good be-
haviour. We want evidence that Sir CHARLES
TREVELYAN, or any other Sir CHARLES, will never
be imposed on again by his subordinates, but that
every mismanaged shipment,
or other piece of
business, will bring substantial penalties upon the
head of some responsible delinquent. We have
hundreds of men of business who would so order

every practical department of Government that
the blame would always fall on the right shoulders,
and that it would be the interest of none who
owned a pair of 611L,aiden to have the blame rest-
ing on them.
The commissions to the Crimea are to us evi-
dence rather of identity than of difference be-
tween the New Cabinet and the old one. They
spring of course from its Whig section. Whigs
and Commissions must go together. We must
think Lord PALMERSTON wholly failed to meet
Mr. LAYARD'S remarks on Monday night. Com-
missioners were sent out to inquire where no in-
quiry was needed, and double authority originated
where the grand necessity is, one competent
authority. The Commander-in-Chief and the
Commissary-General need nothing but supercession.
Both are too aged for actual service, and the ap-
pointment of younger and competent men in their
places is the thing needed to reassure both army
and nation. Both of them have utterly failed—
worse the thing cannot be, let others try their
hands. The same principle applies to numbers of
worthy old gentlemen in the Crimea.
Then, again, there is Lord JOHN Russia',
Germanism and Poland. We want some reason-
able ground of hope that Saxe Coburg is not to
be as powerful at the New Vienna Conference as
England, and that his Lordship is not gone to
ask very moderate things in the, Black Sea, and to
leave Poland incorporated with Russia. He must
see that his countrymen understand the business
as well as he does. Bath has followed Bridge-
water in asserting the necessity of a free Poland
to a secure peace. Lord JOHN will appear but a
♦ery small statesman a few years hence, much as
he is now bepraised, if he leave Russia master of
Warsaw, and of a strong line of inland Sebasto-
pols, threatening all Germany and Europe. For
ourselves we have little hope from such a devotee
to Austria as Lord JOHN RUSSELL. The Minis-
ter who could tolerate the Russian suppression of
Hungarian liberties to please Austria, who could
put her into the Principalities, who could for her
sake refuse a Polish legion, and even keep Turkey
from forming one, and who could see our army
dying before Sebastopol rather than hoist on the
trenches the Polish flag, who could allow her to
drive political refugees out of Wallachia, and
could crown all by wishing Russia to retain all
her stolen territories—such a statesman is not
one from whom we can hope for a peace worthy
of the Allies, or worthy of England's sufferings.
We want some minimum demands specified.

LATEST NEWS.

VIENNA, TUESDAY EVENING, FEB. 20.

The Imperial Palace on the Hradschin, at
Prague, has been burning since an early hour this
morning.

The ex-Emperor and Empress are in safety.
The reigning Emperor has sent Prince Charles
Lichtenstein, the Lord High Steward, to their
Majesties.

BERLIN, TUESDAY, FEB. 20.

The Borenshalle states that the Russian Govern-
ment has ordered a forced loan and fourfold re-
quisitions for provisions. Every "fiide" of land
in Poland is to pay 15 roubles.
The Preussische Correspondent explains that the
arming of the militia in Russia is a defensive
measure, not opposed in character to the peace
conferences at Vienna. The Emperor in his mani-
festo states that a continuance of bloodshed is
contrary to his wishes.

We have received the Moniteur of yesterday.
It does not contain any political or local news of
interest.

-Under date of Jassy, January 21, it states that
it was expected that the electric telegraph would
shortly be completed between Jassy and Czerno-
witz, Vienna and Galatz.

The following telegraphic despatches are given
in the foreign journals :

ST. PETERSBURG.

Two new measures have been taken by the Go-
vernment simultaneously with the ukase decreeing
a levy of the militia. The first is a fresh appeal
.for subscriptions and voluntary offerings. The
second orders a forced extraordinary contribution
throughout the extent of the Russian empire.

BERLIN, FEB. 19.

A despatch, of the date of the Ist inst., from
the Austrian Government to that of Bavaria, for-
mally announces that Austria considers the estab-
lishment on a war footing of the Federal contin-
gents as a preparatory measure to their mobiliza-
tion, the proposal for which will be renewed.

HAMBURG, Fin. 20.
The Second Danish Chamber not admitting

the constitutional legality of a Grand Council
common to both parts of the kingdom, rejected
yesterday the credit demanded to cover the ex-
penses of that body.