The Sun.
London, England, 1853-10-08 00:00:00

tion of public opinion that evening must have the effect
which it deserved to have. He congratulated them on hav-
ing such a magnificent meeting as this without the aid of
peers, for as to their chairman (Lord Dudley Stuart) he did
not consider him as a lord, but as one of themselves. (Loud
cheers.) They had no great City men amongst them that
night, but still the glorious manifestation of public opinion
at which they were now assisting would be felt far and
wide, and would sound the death-knell of the Administra-
tion of the Premier on whose devoted head the weight of
public censure must fall. (Immense cheering.) One of
the newspapers of the day remarked that there was to be
a meeting upon this question held at the West-end and
another at the East-end on the same day, and that they
wished that at the East-end might be held first. He (Mr.
Nicholay) would distinguish between them—one as the
meeting, the other as the conspiracy. (Cheers and laughter.)
As an Englishman, he felt that we no longer occupied the
same position in urope, and that our national good name
and faith had been in a great measure forfeited. He re-
collected the time when the name of an Englishman was
in a great measure a passport, and he was treated every-
where with respect and attention—(hear)—and he trusted
that good old time would yet return. But look at the way
in which Englishmen were now treated when travelling in
Austria or Italy. Recollect the case of the mild and gentle-
manly person who was cut down last year by some brutal
Austrian officer and whose case was turned into a matter
of pounds, shillings, and pence—a course which, in the
feeling of an Englishman, was adding insult to injury.
(Hear, hear.) Contrast the conduct of our Government
with that held by the United States, under s'esilar cir-
cumstances of ill-usage to any of their citizens. Only a
few weeks ago, an embryo American citizen—for he was
not a full fledged one, but an Hungarian exile, who in-
tended to become so—was seized at Smyrna, and taken on
board an Austrian vessel. An American man-of-war, how-
ever, soon made its appearance, and the captain boarded
the Austrian vessel, and insisted on the release of the
Hungarian. The conduct of the American captain was
approved of by his Government when he returned, but
would an English captain who so acted have been approved
of? He said no ; at least, not by the present Ministry.
(Groans.) Therefore, let them have men at the helm who
would make the name of England respected, and would do
justice to Turkey. (Cheers, and a voice called for "Three
cheers for the stars and stripes," which led to further
cheering.) He would now make way for one whom he
knew they were all anxious to hear, the gallant Admiral
Sir Charles Napier. (Cheers.)
Sir C. NAPIER then came forward. and was received
with enthusiastic and protracted cheering. He said—My
lord and gentlemen, I presume the object of the present
meeting is to teach the British Ministers their duty—
(cheers)—and in the event of their :doing their duty fear-
lessly, boldly, and courageously, to give them all the sup-
port that is in your power to carry on their operations.
(Cheers.) It was asked a long while ago, at the beginning
of this business between Turkey and Russia, when Mr.
Rose called up the British squadron to Constantinople,
why the squadron did not go there ? I will tell you, the
reason why it did not go—because the Peace Conference
had forced a weak and imbecile Administration, at the
head of which was one of your representatives, to pay off
the British fleet, and to disable the British army. (No,
no, and cheers.) Why, if we had attempted to send our
fleet to Constantinople, we had not a man-of-war in Eng-
land to resist a force of twenty-seven Russian line-of-battle
ships from the Baltic. (Cheers, and some confusion.)
That was the reason why the British fleet was not sent to
Constantinople. But by the foresight of the late Ministry
—for I will give them credit when they deserve it, though
I am not one of them ; very far from it—this was reme-
died ; they did what the Whigsnever had the courage to do
—they came to the House of Commons, and told the
country that it was necessary to augment the British
army and navy. Well, by their exertions, followed up by
the present Government, who, I must say, have always
done their duty in this respect, we fitted out a very re-
spectable squadron, but instead of our parading and hav-
ing a review at Portsmouth, it would have been much
better to have told the Emperor of Russia, "If you dare to
cross the Pruth our fleet shall go to Constantinople ; and
more than that, we will treat you to a review in the
Baltic, instead of one at Spithead." (Loud cheers.) I
must say it was the duty of the British Government to
have said this, and done this, and we have been guilty of
great imbecility in not doing it ; but if our Ministers had
come forward boldly and done their duty, I am sure you
would have been happy to give them all the support they
would have deserved. (Cheers). One thing must be con-
sidered—the Government are placed in a very embarras-
sing position; all their motions are watched by the party
of the Derby Administration—if they go too fast, they are
accused of precipitation ; and if too slow, they are ac-
cused of procrastination. But we have been too slow, and
the hesitation and timidity which have been apparent in
our policy has caused all the mischief. (Cheers). We
ought to have told the Czar, " If you cross the Pruth, we
will be at Constantinople, and we will not be sa-
tisfied with that, but will go on to Sebasto-
pol!' (Loud cheers.) We were told the other day by
the First Lord of the Admiralty, when reviewing the
fleet, that we were ready to contend with the world in
arms, and when a Minister tells you that, is the Govern-
ment to continne the pusillanimous course they have
hitherto held. (Cheers) ? But the time for it is over—the
fleets can no longer remain in Besika Bey they will be
obliged to go to Constantinople, if only for safety. I
hope they are there at this verymoment—(great cheering)
—but Ido not believe they are there with the dastardly
view of merely getting possession of the castles of the
Dardanelles, but to support and defend the Turks.
(Renewed cheers.) But, gentlemen, you must consider
this matter calmly and deliberately. If you urge on
the Minister to war, and if the public voice says that
there must be war, you must be ready to put your
hands in your pockets, and to • come forward with large
sums to fit our fleets. We shall have work on our
hands, and you must look for no child's play ; for when I
talk of fleets, I mean that we must have fifty or sixty sail
of the line ready to operate with ; you must send them
into the Baltic, and see whether the old Nelson trick can-
not still be performed. (Immense cheering.) I am sure
every person here will be ready to come forward and sup-
port the British Government when they are prepared to do
their duty. I wish this meeting had taken place yester-
day, if it had only been to prime the Cabinet Council.
(Cheers.) Well, there is one consolation; no doubt it will
be well reported, and it will be all ready for the next
Council that is held. (Cheers.) I see there is to be a
Peace Congress on the 13th, and that Mr. Bright, Mr.
Cobden, and all the peaceable men are to be there.
(Laughter.) lam a peaceable man, and I will be there
also ; I am just as much a man of peace as Mr. Cobden ; I
am as fond of comfort as he is, and should like to seo this
country happy, peaceable, and prosperous, and every man
enjoying himself. (Cheers.) lam not fond of bloodshed,
but my way
you s
le it like a piece
le it now ? Will
of preserving peace is very different fromme theirtime
ago that he would take Russia and crnmp
mode. (Hear, hear.) Mr. Cobden told
of brown paper; why does ho not crumple
he can only
Se-
bastopol, and in the Baltic ? (Laugh r.
If
do that, he will save an enormous sum of money. (Hear,
he crumple the army in its fortresses,tean)d
hefleets in
crumple him up, do that and this, and the other thing, and
hear.) If you tell the Emperor of Russia that you will
by pen, ink, and paper stop all this, where is the use of it?
Have we not been trying that for six months ? Have we
not been arbitrating, and has not Austria been arbitrating.
And why did Austria arbitrate ? To propose the very
thing that Russia wanted ; and notwithstanding the
talents of our diplomatists, they never saw that until the
poor, illiterate, uneducated Turk saw through it. (Hear,
hear.) The winter is coming, and the Emperor of Russia
having gained in a single campeign, without the loss of a
single man, two provinces, is he going to give them up ?
(Hear, hear.) He will stay where he is if the people of
this country do not come forward and insist upon the Go-
vernment of this country acting boldly. (Hear.) It will
be called a fait accompli, and Russia will remain as she is
unless the people insist upon the Government taking a
bold position. (Hear, hear.) Look to the position of
Russia. She is throwing her arms around Europe ;
her right arm is over the Baltic, and her left over
oan_ whatevera
( lo
(loud
the Sea of Marmora and the Dardanelles. (Hear,
hear.) Letnnyuasudtelorsocoricakpt_ti back.
Was
Czar
in
treaties
so—f aa
of Russia should send on a moat insulting embassy.
to Constantinople one of the magnates of the land, accom-
pauied by the admiral commanding the fleet, and by the
general commanding the army on the frontier ? (Hear.)
It was as much as to say here is the admiral to examine
the ports, and the general to examine the forts, and if you
do not succumb, our fleets and armies will be upon you.
td thatlae
uv
gee
hry
te
en knownra
a
proud
Suppose there was a French fleet lying at Cherbourg, and
that France thought fit to interfere with us about the go-
vernment of Ireland, and sent an ambassador to London
accompanied by the admiral commanding the Cherbourg
fleet, and the general commanding the army, to dictate
terms to us—suppose they took possession of the Channel
Islands, and said to us if you do not agree to do so and so,
we will make war against you, what would be said
(Hear, hear.) That is exactly the thing that Russia has
done to Turkey, and if it were brought home to you, there
is not a man, woman, or child in the whole kingdom that
would not rise up in arms against the assailants. All the
men-of-war, all the merchant ships, would be afloat to
attack them. (Cheers.) In Turkey they have done the
same thing, and the subjects of the Porte have come for-
ward from the different provinces to attack the Russians
and make war against them. (Cheers.) I hope they will
do it successfully ; but they must be supported. (Cheers.)
We and France must support them with all the power we
can. (Cheers.) Having said so much about Russia and
Turkey, there is one thing we are bound to do. If we
come forward and assist the Turks to resist the aggression
of Russia, the allies that assist her will be also
bound
exact from her proper terms and conditions for her Chris-
tian subjects. (Hear, hear.) I feel very ve on the
subject, because, after the settlement of the last Eastern
question, when Turkey was supported, her she did not fulfil
r omises to the
her promises to the Christians, or keepP
Egyptians. (Hear, hear.) I repeat, I hope and trust
helping hand, we shall
that, if we come forward to lend a
promises that
also insist upon Turkey performing all the
she makes to her Christian subjects. (Cheers.)
Mr. D. URQUHART came forward to address the meeting
amidst loud cheers. He thought that if their fleet had not
found a passage through the Dardanelles, it was owing to
their fatal counsels. It was not caused by the storms of the
north, but by a whisper in the council chamber. (Hear.) It
was not owing to the weakness of England, but to the
dexterity of Russia. (Hear.) He attended there in con-
sequence of having read the resolutions which had been
published, and which he considered to be inapt, ludicrous,
and absurd, and for the purpose of moving an amendment,
but he would not disturb the meeting by doing so. The
following was the amendment he should have moved,
"That the facts which have come before the publi •
c satisfy
this meeting that the men who have advised her Majesty
are not competent to deal with
the emergency." (Loud
cheers.) He had received his noble friend the chairman's
permission to move his amendment, but he had not stated
it all. He would then go on to say, " That a more lenient
expression of
opinion
cannot be come to than this, and that
that expression is made, not for the transfer of power from
one political party to another, but in order to restore to