The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1857-01-21

gree, by the terrible castigation, in the news
papers, which he has just been giving to the
unworthy inheritor of an august name-young
sir Robert Peel, N. P, whose presumption and
oyerbearing disposition are characteristics his
more consplcuousthan commendable. The sto-
ry, in brief, is this: Sir Robert undertook to
arragn the admiral a! a certain public dinner,
not long slnce-and, after repeating over and
over again the old complaint that he accom-
plished so little for the glory OF Old England
with his fleet in the Baltic, concluded with hint
ing that, after all, sir Charles was one of those
persons with whom--llke John Falstaff-"dis-
cretlon is the better part Of yalor.''' Napier
rouses up at this impeachment Of his honor by
sprout of the nobility-and, greatly excited,
writes to lord Palmerston, asking for an investi-
CATION into his conduct, in consequence of sir Ro-
bert Pee's statements. This letter is in Char
ley's best style" 1t concludes in this wise:
1t has been stated at one public meeting,
IN presence Of one of your colleagues, by sir
Robert Peel, another lord ofthe admiralty, that,
chad done my duty Cronstadt would have
| crumbled TO dust --
This was confirmed at another public meet
ing, and it was stated by sir Robert Peel that
what he said at Stafford was approved by the
highest authority" This has gone forth to the
remotest corners Of the earth.
''The highest authority could not have been
your lordslip, after what you have written to
NE. 1t could not have been her majesty
Therefore, think the country has a right to
know who this highest authority is.
''Sir Robert Peel's opinion, my lord, on naval
matters is not worth much; nor, indeed, on any
other. His want Of Judgment is proverbial, bu,
his position gives him weight.
"The course he has pursued reflects little cred
it on your lordships government; and, be as
surcd, my lord, that he is not the Samson to
pull down the pillars of the State, and crush
the administration beneath it's ruins.
Il therefore trust your lordship will grant
me the investigator Irequest have, &c,
"CHARLEs NAPIER.
"The right honorable ytscount Palmerston."
Sir Robert Peel, in his imputatons on the
admiral's courage, it seems, had indiscretion
enough to allude to a conversation he (Peel)
had with the grand duke Constantine, of Russia,
lusttying these imputations He said he (Pce)
had visited the fortress of Cronsadt, and there
was but one opinion, from the grand duke Con-
stantine down to the youngest "middy'' on board
the Vladimir, that, had the energy of the COM
mander equalled The courage Of the British ma
Wy, that fortress at the present moment would
be crumbIed in the dust. Thcreupon sir Charles
Napier wrote to the grand duke, with the re-
quest that, as his hiyhne5s was a frank, open
hearted sailor,' he would be pleased to state
whether, as represented by sir Robert Peel he
had said if he, admiral Napier, had attacked
Cronstadt, he would have crumdled it to the
dust? Here is the grand dukes reply, dated
November 25th, as follows:
my dear Admira: In answer to your let
ter OF the 29th October, willingly affirm that
you have quite exactly reported the conversa-
ton had with you concerning Cronstadt.
.'With regard to sir Robert Peel's statement,
| consider it necessary to say that spoke with
him but one, viz: at his official presentation in
Moscow; and that not word concerning Cron-
stadt--not even the name itself--was mention
ed by either US. Yours, ahectionatcly,
9 "CoNsTANTINE.'
This places young sir Robert in an awkward
predicament, 10 say the least of it, and enables
admiral Napier to say, that if he did not take
Cronstadt, he, with the aid of the grand duke,
at any rate, has made sad work of the veracity
of a certain member of parliament. It is slr
Robert PecI's turn now, to 'crumble into dust
A P1crUIss OF D1sUS1oN-[ From General
Jackson's Farewell Address. In his farewell
address to his counuymen upon retiring from
the presidency, the patriot, statesman and hero
Of the Hermitage, said:
What have you to gain by divisions and dis
sensions? Delude not yourself wlth the hope
that the breach once made would be afterwards
easily repaired. If the Union is once severed.
the separation will grow wider and wider, and
the controversies which are now debated and
settled i'll the halls Of legislation will be tried
in the field of battle and determined by the
sword. Neither should you deceive Your
selves wi tn the hope that the first line of Sc
paratlon would be the permanent one. = r
Local interests would still! be found there, and
unchastened ambition. And if the recollcc-
ton of cpmmon dangers, in which the people
OF the United States have stood side by side
against ehe common foc--the memory Of yico-
ries won and happiness they have enjoyed un-
der the present constitution; if all these rccol-
lections and proofs of common interest are NOT
strong enough to bind US together as one peo-
pie, what tic will hold united the new divisions
of empire when these bonds have been broken
and this Union dissolved? The first line Of
separation would not last long; new fragment,
would be torn oH--new leaders would spring
up--dHu liiS great aHu Sloii Pl!oliC "OuiU
soon be broken into a multitude of petty States,
armed for mutual aggression loaded with tax
es TO pay armies and leaders--and seeking aid
against each other from foreign powcrs-insult-
ed and tramp!ed upon by the nations of Eu-
rope; until, harassed with conflicts and hum
bled and debased in spirit, they would be will
ing to submit to the domination of any military
adyenturer, aud 10 surrender their liberty for
the sake of rcpose.
FROM WEBsTER's REPLY TO HAYNE
When my eyes shall be tured to behold for
the last time the san in the heavens, may not
sec him shining on the broken and dishonored
fragments Of a once & orious Unon--on States
discovered, discordant, belligerent--on land
rent with euds, or drcnched, it may be, in fra;
lernal blood. Let their last feeble and linger
ing glance rather behold the gorgeous ensign
of the rcpxblic, now well known and honored
throughout the EARTH still full high advanced
its arms and trophies streaming in their origi-
nal lustre--not stripe erased or polluted, not
a single star obscured--beasing for its motto