The Sun.
London, England, 1863-07-21 00:00:00

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Sum

LONDON, TUESDAY, JULY 21, 1863.

" A barking dog is often more useful than a
sleeping lion," remarks WASHINGTON IRVING, in a
letter given by his biographer in the second volume
of his Life. And the phrase now recurs to us with a
whimsical appropriateness, immediately after the
wonderful noise made by Tear'em, with a view to
the rousing up at last of the drowsy old constitu-
tional lion, as personified by Lord PALMERSTON.
The usefulness of the barking dog, however, in this
instance, as compared with the sleeping lion, re-
mains, we grieve to think, rather dubious, to say
the least of it. The advantage accruing to any
question whatever, it matters comparatively little
whether it be one intrinsically of large or small
importance—the advantage accruing to any ques•
tion from the mere discussion of it, that discussion
being raised upon some motion which is eventually
withdrawn, must always be regarded as problema-
tical. We have no faith in the good coming to any
manse in the wide world from the mere ventilation of it.
A motion ushered in, as Mr. ROEBUCK'S was, for
example, with so very sonorous a flourish of trum-
pets, only, after all, to be quietly dropped, comes
before the world es the eptest pcssible illustration
of " mere scund and fury, signifying nothing!" It
has all the effect of an anti-climax. The result
arrived at under these kind of circum-
stances, is assuredly, if there ever be one,
a " most tame and impotent conclusion."
A withdrawn motion, whether in Lords or Com-
mons, might, like the epigrammatiet's infant expiring
At its birth, dictate its epitaph quite as aptly—

" 'Tis strange, so soon that I am done for,
I wonder what I was begun for I"
It was fortunate, last night, all things considered,
that Lord CAMPBELL decided upon not bringing
forward his query in regard to the Confederates.
Lord CAMPBELL, acting thus in the exercise of a
wise diecretion, we presume upon one of those
judicious afterthoughts, the obvious excel-
lency of which has given rise to its being
said, very ungrammatically, that second thoughts
are best—meaning better ! However this may be,
the reventilation in the Lords of the whole complex
question in regard to the American war, supposing
it to have been necessitated by Lord CAMPBELL'S
persistence in his original intention, could not pos-
sibly have occurred at a moment more signally .
in-
opportune. Remembering the actual situation of
things just now out there in the seat of war, to
north of Washington, it could hardly have been
otherwise than distinctly inopportune. It would
have been peculiarly and especially so, however,
upon the very morrow of Mr. ROEBUCK'S rather
Ignominious hushing up in the House of Com-
mons- Ostentatiously introduced, but in the end
most meekly withdrawn, mottons upon matters of
vital importance in themselves, appear, neverthe-
less, just now to be singularly in the fashion. If
remarkable for nothing else, the present Session of
Parliament will, at the very least, be remarkable
enough in that particular. The most brilliant, and
the most effective speeches of the year have inau-
gurated debates that have led to these
feeble results of immense displays, or, at
any rate, semblances of power, whether
in argument or in rhetoric. Now, the hon. mem-
ber for Liskeard has been he Hero of the occasion.
Now, the right hon. member for Stroud has, by
the delivery of an oration remarkable, even from
him, for the brilliancy or its oratorical excellence
and for the scarcely resistable cogency of its rea-
zoning, has afforded the House first, and the Country
afterwards, the opportunity of witnessing,
tho
very manner of his conducting an important motion
up to its withdrawal, a sort of parliamentary
tration—in the way of sheer antithesis—at the
closing couplet of a sonnet as defined by KEATs
rising loudly

Up to its climax, and then dying proudly,"

It came certainly most ludicrously last night, the
effect of this sadden dying out of this abrupt
thuaLler, raised by another sham Jupiter Tonai-s,
among the Parliamentary Independents, this new
SALMONEUS of the back benches, or from below the
gangway, d: icing across the brczeu bridge of a
resolution, the mere p •omise comprised in
which seems to he made, like childrens' toys,
or like piecrusts, just simply to be broken.
It comes all the more ludicrously from the circum-
stance of its arriving simultaneously with the appa
rition, before the world at large, of that notable reply
of Prince GORTSCIIAKOFF, which, if it be, as it
certainly is, most unsatisfactory as a reve-
lation of the policy of the CZAR, is, at any
rate, bold, consistent, and perfectly comprehensible.
All which the Foreign Policy of England most cer-
tainly is not! The which, who shall deny ?
Whether we look at this present moment, or through

the sombre vista of the last three or four years, to
the manifestation of that Foreign Policy of Eng-
lfi.na, as it relates to Italy, to Poland, or to
Amt:rica!

A s might have been expected, Mr. HORSMAN'S
motion last night on the subject of Poland proved
unavailing, and was finally withdrawn. Perhaps,
all things considered, it was the wisest course that
the right hon. gentleman could have done under the
circumstances. His motive was a good one, and,
doubtless, had all he suggested been practicable, it
would have been a wise one, but the obstacles that
would have inevitably interposed themselves would
militate against the alterations and changes he
proposed ever being carried out effectually or effec-
tively. He moved "That the arrangements made
with regard to Poland by the Treaty of Vienna have
failed to secure the good government of Poland or
the peace of Europe, and any further attempt to
replace Poland under the conditions of that treaty
must cause calamities to Poland and embarrassment
and danger to Europe." He made an impressive
speech on the occasion, which, indeed, was to have
been expected from his well-known facility in de-
bate and comm and of language. In the course of
it he said one very true thing, "Poland had been
diplomatised to death." He censured the whole
course of the late representations to Russia, and
wound up by asking if the course which had been
taken was English policy or Ministerial temerity.
The Ministers endeavoured to retrieve matters by
reviving the " exploded hypocrisy of 1815." Mr.
HORSMAN argued that it would be a
mockery to talk of rescuing a country and
give her back again into the hands of her oppressors.
The only way to repair the wrongs of Poland was
co welcome her into the brotherhood of nations. He
concluded by saying that he trusted to the noble '
lord at the head of the Government to correct the
6' feeble utterances" and to repudiate the " ignoble
sentiments" of others. One rather incongruous
statement made by Mr. HORSMAN was, that by
adopting his counsel of entire independence for
Poland, its restoration could be effected without
having recourse to war. This was shown by Lord
PALMERSTON to be untrue. The noble lord, in a
comparatively brief address, spoke very much to
the point, and showed the great difficulties in the
way of interference with the existing state of
things, and the utter impracticability of the propo-
sals of Mr. HORSMAN. He said he hoped the
House would not coincide with the motion of his
right hon. friend ; for he believed it to be a ",most
lame and impotent conclusion." He also observed
that to give up the Treaty of Vienna would be
losing our only hold on the Russians, and thus
nullifying all our arguments. He could not under-
stand how we should be bcnefitting the Poles by
adopting such a course. The noble lord explained
that now we had a right to say to Russia, " You
have not kept to the terms of the Treaty;" but if we
declare that the treaty is annulled the Russians will
immediate reply—" We accept your admission, and
hold Poland no longer by treaty but by conquest.
It is ours by right of the sword, touch it who
choose. We have the same right to hold it, without
any condition whatever, as we have to hold any
part of the great empire which belongs to the Rus-
sian Crown." The noble lord truly went on to say
that this, so far from being an advantage to the
Poles, would be only tying them all, bound hand
and foot, to General MOURAVIEFF, or any one else
Russia might choose to place over them. At the
same time, Lord PALMERSTON showed that it was
impossible to remain quiescent, and to do nothing
after the Polish insurrection had broken out. "The
opinion of the House and of the country—the ~
opinion also of Europe—called loudly for some re-
presentation to be made to Russia." The noble
lord then touched on the other points to which re-
ference had been made, and forcibly declared that
he was convinced that good would be the result of
the endeavours recently made by the Government
of this country in conjunction with those of other
nations. If Russia would agree to an armistice,which
she had not done as yet, he felt convinced that dur-
ing the suspension of hostilities much might be ar-
ranged that would bring satisfactory results. The
noble lord's speech was highly satisfactory on the
whole, and augurs well for the future policy
to be pursued towards Poland. It by no
means follows that because we cannot go to
war for Poland no mediation can be successful
in her cause, and that diplomacy may not effect some
amelioration in the state of that distracted land,
Mr. HENNESSY made some remarks on the ques-
tion, and said that Austria was in a difficult position,
but that a strong feeling pervaded all ranks in
favour of Poland, and that the EMPEROR himself
participated in it. The Emperor of the FRENCH
would gain an immense moral advantage by esta-
blishing the independence of Poland. The hon.
gentleman declared that the assertion of Prince
GORTSCHAKOFF that the war was stimulated by
foreign influence was false. It has been sometimes
said these discussions are of no use, and indeed are
provocative of evil, but to right-minded persons it
must appear that they can do no harm, and may
accomplish much good. It would be derogatory to
the dignity of England to hold entirely aloof and
permit such atrocities to take place without com-
ment of any kind. At the same time what is said
in the debates may be of great service to the cause.
The intelligent among the Russian people will per-
ceive that all agree as to the infamy and iniquity
of the policy that now reigns at St. Petersburg.
Opposing politicians are in unison as to this point,
and diverging interests meet together to condemn
the whole style and spirit of the Russian system.
Who can say that some good effect may not be pro-
duced by these reiterated and indignant remon-
strances. At all events the Ministers have done
their duty as well as might have been expected in
the difficult circumstances in which they have been
placed.

entleVreims;
The N
and indeed importance. not won
without at the
hi
,ational Rifle Asso-
ciation has grown into an institutidoonhohtt. somethat con-
sequence,theto be of great
practice of rifle shooting is likely
stimulus and encouragement which it gives to the
practical benefit. When the enthusiasm died away
which called forth the Volunteers in such vast
numbers, and led men of independent position and
sedentary habits to submit to all the attendant in-
conveniences of drill and routine, it was feared by
many that the energies of the members would flag,
and chat the great Volunteer movement would
collapse and be no more heard of. Such, however,
is far from the case. Thanks to these rifle meetings,
the grand annual reviews, the patronage so readily
accorded by royalty, and the hearty support public, the Volunteers still muster in full fore
the amateur arm y, as we may e' and
calk it, is more firmly
established than ever. It is placed on a regular
footing, which gives it a recognised position ; it
has efficient officers and laws and regulations
of its own duly sanctioned by Parliament,
and we may now rank it among the esta-
blished institutions of the country. This result
was certainly not foreseen by those wise people who
ridiculed the project, and foretold the gradual de-
cadence of the Volunteers in time of peace, or their
iitnotninious flight from the enemy in time of war.
If the latter catastrophe ever takes place, it 7ill ctr-