New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1854-08-26

man gets up in the morning on his own
premises, but little knows where he may sleep
at night The Gar of all the Russias has
lately been within an ace of Offering in his own
person practical confirmation Of this we'll
known saying What would the British public
have thought; what would Europe have thought;
what would the King of Prussia in his cups have
thought what would Omar Pasha in his fez
cap have thought; what would the allied troops
have thought; and, finally, what would the
Three. per Cents have thought, if, about this
time, the Czar Of all the Russias, the Archduke
Constantine and the Archduchess, and the Rus
sian Admiral in command of Cronstadt, had been
sent home by Sir Charles Napier in the small
steamer which had captured them! Improbable
as the tale may appear-impossible the catas-
trophe-it was fairly upon the cards within the
last few weeks. The facts are these: A short
while back, while the allied fleets were lying be-
fore Cronstadt, an English yacht belonging to
Lords Lichield and Euston, with Lord Clarence
Paget on board. Ventured somewhat too near
the guns of the place. SuddenIya puff Of steam
was seen on the Russian side, and small Rus
sian steamer put out to sea. with the evident
intention of cutting off the English yacht On
board of that steamer were the Gar Nicholas,
his son the Archduke Constantine, the Arch
duchess his wife, and the Russian Admiral, who
all went forth to enjoy the satisfaction Of an
easy triumph over the poor little yacht. eis,
in point of fact, stated to have been in the most
| imminent danger of capture. The Gar, however,
was destined to be foiled in his anticipated little
triumph as he has already been foled in his hopes
| of many great one, An English steamer,
seeing the danger to which the yacht was ex-
posed, advanced with all speed to her relief
Shortly she obtained such position that the
English yacht was safe; and the only ques-
ton that remained for discussion was one
between the two small steamers the
one under English, the other under Russian
colors, Could the English but have known
the valuable freight which that little yacht
contained, could the, captain but have known
that by capturing her, or sending her to the
bottom, peace would have been restored to
Europe, and probably million of human lives,
first and last, be saved, we have no doubt that
he would have carried one or other of the alter
natives into effect. even though his own destrue-
tion, that of his ship aud Of every soul on board
of her had been the inevitable consequences. as
it was, he saw nothing before him but a little
trumpery steamer--he had carried his purpose
Of relieving the English yacht into efect--and
remembered orders which certainly had been
issued, to the effect that no English ship, upon
the mere heroic impulse of her commander
should be thrust into the hon's mouth. We
have no doubt that this was SO, and that wher
the English Captain gave his orders for putting
the head Of his steamer round, he did so witt
the feeling that he had very satisfactorily dis
J charged the duty with which he had been in
trusted. Little did he suppose, at the moment
that he had lost probably the greatest oppor
tunity for obtaining personal distinction WhlGf
had ever been thrown in the way of single
man The English nation yenerate the nams
| of Lord Nelson for the sake of certain little
] affairs in which he was engaged OF Cape st
} Vincent, at the Nile, at Copenhagen, at Trafal
gar, and elsewhere, but not all of these won,
: tderful, important and heroic achievement.
I. s,,a,N1
influence on the history of the world, as tn
capture of that little Russian ship. 1t wa
given to the captain of a small steamer
change the face of Europe in ten minutes vel
employed, but in pure innocence he missed tn
) chance.
It is seldom. in modern warfare, still NOR,
rarely in naval warfare, that monarehs them
: selves run any danger of capture. Napoleon
to De sure, at Arcis-sur- -Aube, was compelled tt
cross swords with swad of Cossacks in the twi-
> light, but he was after all General, not g
t King, by trade. If we remember right, upon
i one occasion poor old George III was in danger
| ef capture from French privateer off Wey-
1 mouth, and was only saved by some marine
8 chance which has slipped from our recollection
e In medieval history there are, of course. tn,
: cases familiar to every school-hoy of King join
lof France at Poitiers, and of Francis aftei
!, Pavia. But what comparison would there haY,
It been between the case Of the Black Primo.
g Whiting on MEDIEVAL King. and who went t,
/, battle in coat of mail, and the grand surprise
1 Of the Russian Gar landing at Portsmouth-no
v at New Haven-while all Europe was in commo.
8 tion upon his account? We are, of course
e specalating upon history of very Hypothetical
e character; but still the event did so nearly oc
: cur as to justify speculation upon its conse
e quences. In our minds eye We can see Lord
n Aberdeen and John Russell communicating th
g information to the Houses in their own dry an,
d cautious manner. What would Messrs, Brigh
J. and Golden have said What would Col Sib
u throp have said The newsmen would has
% gone believing the information about tn
IS streets, and their cries would have been re
garded by the testy old gentlemen in Belgravi
# but as mere leasings for the sake Of deceivins
d the ieges and interfering with their digestiy,
It fractions. What should we have done with tn
}, Car, when we had got him Reckless, unprin
Q ciped and mereiless he has shown himself to be
: We should have been anxious to treat him like
6 gentleman, and make him comfortable during hi