The Sun.
London, England, 1855-01-19 00:00:00

THE SUN, -LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, JANUARY 19, 1855

resolution in the teeth of Mr. COBDEN'S speech.
The threats of an extension of the naturally odious
income tax, the terrors of a loan, and every appeal
drawn from the purse, were all in vain. A few
brethren of the Friends deputation to St. Peters-
burg, Christians who believe in the unlawfulness
of any war, who would send supplications only to
a conqueror threatening their own dwellings and
firesides, were the sole supporters of the amend-
ment. Such a result of a meeting called at Mr.
COBDEN'S own wish will do excellent service. It
should refute all the calumnies which have some-
times been too freely cast on the great manufactur-
ing community. It is quite clear, if we may use
Sir CoLIN CABasELL's language respecting his men
abroad, that at home our manufacturers " are
bricks." NICHOLAS, for his comfort, will soon
know it, and, if he really be thinking of peace,
this resolution of our men of business to conquer
a peace, will materially serve the purpose of peace-
making. Nothing would prolong the War more
than the English people Toting for a Vienna-made
peace.

As to Mr. COBDEYS arguments, they had
nothing of novelty in them, though of course his
" unadorned and homely eloquence " was not
wanting in some happy hits. When, for instance,
he remarked that this is a War " in which we have
a despot for an enemy, a despot for an ally, and a
despot for a client, and that for twelve months
we had been endeavouring without success to
make an ally of another despot," the merit of this
epigrammatic statement of his case is undoubted.
But a moment's reflection shows that the merit
is that of expression only. Our despotic ally
is the elected of his own nation, and fights for
national independence. Our despotic client is,
even by Mr. COBDEN'S confession, the unquestion-
ably wronged party ; the despotic Ally we would
have is the pet of our Court only ; the English
nation loathe Austria hardly less than Russia ;
while our despotic enemy uses his despotism singly
and simply to wrong and rob every neighbour—
to break oven the Treaty of Vienna, by absorbing
Poland, and giving Cracow to the other treaty
breaker, Austria, and to filch mischievous treaties
by combined fraud and cunning from the " sick
man," till he thought him really at his last gasp.
The argument employed by' Mr. COBDEN illus-
trated most happily the strong English sense
of justice. He relied mainly on the sacrifices
which our Taxpayers must prepare for. When
the groat Anti-Corn-Law agitator used it
against the Corn-laws, it was indeed a telling one.
The cheap loaf was a reason with every pater-
familias ; but, the dearness was an injustice. That
was the real point of the argument. Paying an
unfair tax, a mere class tax, was the strength of
the plea. Could a bread-tax have been shown to
be just, Englishmen would have met to uphold it
to their cost, rather than to abolish it. The case
was now reversed—it was the experimentum, crucis.
Mr. COBDEN was again arguing for immense sav-
ings ; but, as all his hearers felt, for unjust
savings. A vast English meeting of the classes
who feel at income tax and a beer tax severely,
yet manfully voted for both, because demanded
by justice to the oppressed. Whether to spare or
to tax themselves, whether with or against a
people's orator, Englishmen voted for justice.
It is not for us to canvass every statement in
a speech of an hour-and-a-half, its only arguments
of weight were the pocket one just adverted to,
and the incompetency of the war management.
To the latter, the reply of course is, mend it.
Our readers well know that we perfectly agree
with Mr. COBDEN on the thorough exposure made
by the War, as to the utter inefficiency of our
aristocratic administration under any strain. The
exposure is complete. We believe that just now
it is the thing which makes our aristocrats sigh
for peace. The nation charges the "homicide "
of thousands, at Yarna and in the Crimea, at the
door of aristocratic office hunting, and office keep-
ing, and its shameless nepotism. Thousands are
in their graves, and tens of thousands in England
are clad in mourning for them, because proved
capacity is neither noticed, encouraged, nor sought,
while party and family have engrossed the salaries for
which the nation ought to have had all its work
done. ABERDEEN and the COMINGS will sign utterly
worthless preliminaries, if they dare, the one to
save places for a useless set of aristocratic
brothers, nephews, cousins, and supporters ; the
other to save despotism to despots. If the War
lasts men must come into office and yawning dan-
dies go about their business. This, above all
things, makes us fear we shall be sold. Our hope
is rather in the roguery of the CZAR than in the
uprightness of our Cabinet. He, we have some
hope, may be demented a little longer. It was
somewhat absurd for Mr. COBDEN to dilate "to
democrats" on the inconsistency of upholding
Turkey against Russia because the governing
class in the former are in a minority. Why, if
Russia were polled, too, how would Finlanders,
Poles, Tartars, Caucasians, Persians, and fifty
smaller communities vote ? Would not Musco-
vite Tartars be in a minority What he
stated from Lord CARLISLE of the wretched-
ness of the Turkish country beyond the
great towns is, at least, quite as true
of Russia ; let any one but read DE CIISTINE'S ad-
mirable work, or, among the last, the " Eng-
lishwoman in Russia, and they will be satisfied on
this point." Mr. COBDEN' thinks the coun-
try was deluded with the supposition that this was
a war for Polish and Circassian freedom. The
country thinks it ought to be so. It thinks these
the essentials of a safe peace, but it knows that
ABERDEEN and his colletlues have quite a diffe-
rent end in view. It only hopes they will be
forced by events to do their duty. We beli6ve
that no sentence ever uttered by Lord Jonisr Rug-
SELL was more repugnant to the feelings of the
nation he professes to act for than his declaration
that we did not want to deprive Russia of any of
her territories. In one sense we agree with him.
The Crimea, Poland, and Circassia, are not Rus-
sian territory—we would restore them to their
owners. But that is the reverse of the Courtly
Lord's meaning.

Universally admitted and pretty generally
obeyed as the maxim, "Be just before you are
generous," is, it now and then happens that a
kindred obligation, that of being just after being
generous, is overlooked. Cases of distress, where
much misery has been undeservedly endured,
rarely fail, when brought to light, in finding ready
sympathy and effective relief ; but it quite as
rarely happens that justice is dealt out in an
adequate degree to the wrong-door, more especially
if in an elevated position and urging a colourable
Plea in his defence. The British public) is seldom
vindictive, which is so far well ; but it is often
untrue to its own interests in failing to award the
moral reprobation it is bound to dispense. Its
generosity is by no means
is ttoooo gri
me apt
u;
save e
_ defectto too
is, that its generosity
fixed principle
hat while effeeting immediate
cliotitilseecigtoievienrenedis,
The natural
good, it occasionally is the cause of permanent
evil.

The present War furnishes 115 with a case in
point. No one needs to be reminded what cruel
uffering iu the tent, the field, and the hospital

our glorious troops have endured. The record is
in the heart of the British people. Witness the
painful eagerness with which the harrowing nar-
ratives from the Seat of War have been perused,
and the benevolent and patriotic efforts that have
been made to improve the suffering soldiers'
oondition. The heart of the nation is unmis-
takeably sound ; for, not in one quarter,
nor among one class alone, but in every quarter,
and among all classes the pulse of humanity beats
true to the call of duty. Englishmen in foreign
lands may feel proud of their countrymen at home
as the latter do of their gallant defenders abroad.
Yet, with. all this praiseworthy benevolence, with
all this high-toned patriotism there is reason to
fear that the element of justice is to a large ex-
tent wanting, and that the tide of suffering once
stayed the desire for searching inquiry into the
cause or causes of its _ overflow will cease. How
much this is to be deprecated the reflecting reader
can hardly fail to perceive, considering, as
ho must do, that the neglect which entails the most
fearful suffering on helpless thousands, and these
enti:lled to the most careful consideration—the
neglect that strews the shores of a foreign land
with countless victims is mere than a fault—is a
crime of deplorable turpitude—.a crime in whose
non-recurrence the interests of humanity are
deeply involved. Idle to him must appear the
excuse of ignorance, wholly inefficacious as a pal
liation the plea of well-meaning . incompetency.
Ignorance and incompetency, ordinarily evils
challenging pity, ho cannot but regard in a case
like this as grave delinquencies, challenging retri-
bution. Information he does not require to be
told was available, and retirement from respon-
sibility not only possible, but also peremptorily
called for. Tho bitterness, however, of his, as of
our regret, should the apprehensions we have ex-
pressed prove well-founded, and we trust they may
riot, will be, not so much that great delinquents
have escaped punishment, as that their evil
example, owing to ill-judged or careless lenity,
can hardly fail to insure future imitation.

October.

LATEST NEWS.

The following private telegraphic despatches
were received in Paris last night :
VIENNA, JAN. 18.

An order of the Emperor, published yesterday,
abolishes the punishment of flogging in the Aus-
trian army. The news from the Crimea come

down to the 10th. At thatidate nothing of im.
portance had taken place before Sebastopol.

MARSEILLES, JAN. 17

Sixteen Turkish vessels were to leave Constan-
tinople on the 10th to take on board the Turkish
troops in Roumelia, and convey them to the
Crimea. Ahmed Pacha commands the fleet.
The Sultan has conferred 35 decorations in the
French army. Uzzeh Pacha has just decided that
names shall be given to the streets of Constan-
tinople, and that the houses shall be numbered.

COPENHAGEN, JAN. 18

To-day the Premier stated in the Volksthin
that the proposed impeachment of the late Minis•
tern would, if carried out, only render the work.

ing out of the constitution more difficult, and
would form a dangerous precedent.

A division on the question will take place to-
morrow. Bishop Monrad is appointed Minister

for the control of the popular public schools un
der the minister of worship.

The ice reaches to the Trekroner battery.

The French Minister of the Marine has received

the following despatches from Admiral Brim'

" The Montebello, 3d Jan.
" The westerly winds have during the last three
days brought a number of merchant vessels to
Kamiosh. The weather is rainy without being
cold. The Aigle and the Andromaque are about
to leave for France. Nothing new in the port or
in the camp. The barometer is rising and the
wind has come round to the East. The weather
is fine, but a little snow has fallen."
" The Montebello, sth.
" The snow fell heavily yesterday, but this
morning the sun has reappeared. The thermo-
meter is at 2 deg. above zero ; wind, N.Ei"

The Wanderer of Vienna, of the 13th, pub-

lishes the following details of the movement o
the Russians into the Dobrudseha :—" The Rus.

sians crossed the Danube at Tultscha. Favoured
by the obscurity of the
.night they reached the
right bank in boats, surprised the Turkish gar-

risen, and, after making great carnage among
them, recrossed the river laden with booty,
and taking with them a number of prisoners.

The loss was considerable on the part of
the Russians, as the Turks fought with the most
desperate courage. Among the slain is a Pacha,
but the name is not mentioned. The inhabitants
of Tultscha fled into the country with their wives
and children, and did not return into the town
until long after the departure of the Russians."

A letter from Copenhagen, in the Hamburg
Correspondent, says :—" It is generally believed
at Helgingborg that in the spring an army of
50,000 Swedes and 15,000 Norwegians will be
placed under arms. The men belonging to the
late levy are to join their regiments one month
sooner than usual."

SPAIN .
We have received the following telegraphic

despatch

PARIS, JAN. 18.

Advices from Madrid of th© 13th inst. contain

the following :
M. Olozaga to-day submitted tho bases of the
constitution to the Chamber.

The principal points are,—
All public powers emanate from the nation, in
which the sovereignty essentially resides.
The nation engages itself to maintain. the
Roman Catholic Apostolic religion and its mini-

stern, but no Spaniard nor stranger can be an-
noyed on account of his religious opinions, pro-
vided he does not offend the religion of the State

by external acts.

Liberty of the press.

Abolition of the law of confiscation and of the
penalty of death for political offences.
Establishment of a National Guard.

Two Legislative bodies—a Senate and a

Chamber of Deputies.

The senators, to be elected for life, are to be
chosen from certain categories. They must have
attained their 25th year, and be in the possession
of an income of 30,000 reals. 120 are to be

appointed at first.
The king may not appoint more than 12 at the
commencement of every session.

There is to be one deputy for every 50,000

inhabitants.

The Cortex are to meet annually on the Ist of

Each session is to last four months.
No session can be prolonged beyond 30 days.
In case of dissolution, the Cortes are to re-

the Bayard, line-of-battle ships, and several war
steamers. At Gallipoli, the Laplace was preparing
to return to France.
' The establishment of a telegraphic line between
Constantinople and Belgrade, whereby the former
city will be placed in direct communication with
northern and western Europe is proceeding rapidly.
A number of stations and of houses for persons
employed in the service of the line were built as
far as Silivri, but they were greatly damaged by a
recent gale. They are, however, being rebuilt.
"We have received," says the Pays, "a letter
of the sth from Constantinople. A column of
riflemen has taken possession of the important po-
sition of Camara, near Balaklava, after driving
out the Russians who occupied it. The enemy in
this way experienced severe losses, they were com-
pletely put to the rout and fled precipitately,
burning their forage and tents. The loss of the
Russians at Sebastopol and neighbourhood during
the last days of December is estimated at more
than 6,000 men."

" The infantry regiments stationed in France,"
says the Constitutionnel—
"Are about to supply a new contingent of 75 men
each to the army of the East. The detachments levied
in the regiments of the army of Paris are to leave on the
20th by the Lyons Railway for Marseilles and Toulon,
where they are immediately to embark for the Crimea."
Since last night a sharp frost has set in here.
To-day the thermometer stands 13 degrees cente-
grade under zero.
M. Fould, the Minister of State, has arrived at
Avignon, on his way to the. Pyrenees.
•

BOURSE, JAR. 18.—CLOSINO PRIOEFI.
Cash. ' fr. c. End of Month.
43 per Cents — —fr. —O.
3 per Cents 69 40 69f. 50c.
Credit Atobilier 752 50 Roman
Credit Foncier — -- Austrian
Belgian Fives ..... ... Spanish Threes
Piedraontese — Home Debt
RAILWAYS—FOR CASH.

fr. c. fr. c.
Orleans - 1,190 Lyons , 1045
Western 662 50 Rouen 1040
Cette
Mediterranean 916 25 Havre .560
Northern ....... ..... 860 Cherburg