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    Q74 THE LEADER. [No. 290, Saturday,

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    THE WAR. OxmssA^ift once more menaced by...

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    The New Fact In The War-News Is The Appe...

    The very words are historical—they remind us of striking events . Was not " Napoleon the Second , " as it is now the custom to call him , King of Some ? And is it not the fact that French troops still hold possession of the Eternal City ? Is a Napoleon to be scstted in tthe Capitol , -the Pope to become the Ai ' chbishop of the grand Empire ? But hold ! Napoleon the Second was'in fact Dukjb of R . EIOHSTADT , tolerated in the land of his mother for his maternal relationships . Will Napoleon tue Foubtw , if ever Napoleon the

    Fourth there be , live and die in the land of 7 iis mother , tolerated as the Marquis of the Euro Canal ? Spain itself shakes with dynastic questions , and scarcely promises a qtiiet future home to any stray scion of a doubtful dynasty . An intrigue has just been discovered , which stamps the character of political Spain unchanged . Espartero ' s honesty and general directness we know ; he has difficult men to deal with ; he must accommodate his action to the instruments he has , and be neither

    too tame for the bully O'Donnell nor too nice for the jobbers around him . Still he stands by the general public ; and he is too straightforward and genuine for the Court , which has at its head a sovereign whose womanhood restrains the pen that would characterise her , and a king consort , whose imbecility does not restrain him from intriguing . It has been suspected that this wretched pair have been proposing some kind of partnership to oust themselves , in order to exclude the un-Bourbonian Duchesse x > e Montpexsier with her French

    connexions . It is not impossible at all . Papers have been discovered which show that there was a Carlist movement upon foot for appealing really to the mob , with every promise of magnificent popular government-, extended rights , general employment , and universal prosperity—such as the most reckless intriguer could hold out ; and this from the high grandees , whose true disposition we know ! It is a glimpse under the surface of Spanish political society .

    Unluckily the real patriot party of Europe is not at present in a state to move . We have had evidence but too lamentable of this fact , and we are confirmed in our opinion , that the longer the actual move of the people in any part of the Continent can be deferred , the better it will be for their ultimate interest . We know well how it is said , that if time be allowed , the Absolutists will strengthen themselves . Not at all . At no period in the history of E urope has constitutional republicanism more completely taken the

    ground ; and Napoleon can only hope for a lease of power so long as he is identified with the Western Powers , extended commerce , and , therefore , of popular interests in the end . As to his identifying himself with the dynasties , the very idea is absurd . Insults too strongly marked have been for ever recorded on the injured escutcheons of the Napoleons ; and ho has too much offended and alarmed the old imperial families ever to be trusted . He is not of them , and never will be . He is far less likely to become of their

    set than the ancient family of the Coburgs are . In the meanwhile , we have the address of Kossxjtu , Ledru Rqllin , and Mazzini , showing that these three gentlemen are faithful to the principles which they always professed : resolved not to adapt themselves to the circumstances of the day , but to dictate the republic only as it is to be found in their books and

    speeches . We respect their consistency although it renders them politically impossible . They absolutely refuse to adopt tho course dictated by necessity , which has been adopted by Gabibaldi and Mamin . In fact they oxclude circumstances and the conditions of humanity ; and so excluding , invite the peoples of tho Continent to rise . Happily tho peoples of the Continent have made no arrangements for that purpose at present ; and

    most unlueky would it be if they wei-o to risk an insurrection while the-conflict of Absolute Russia and the Western Powers is doing their work in shaking down the Imperial antiquities that encumber ithe old world . We do not stand alone in this feeling . We speak with the strong support of men whose attachment to the patriot cause , in this country , in Italy , and in France , cannot be doubted ; and in a few days the public will have a distinct evidence from the clear and powerful pen of Louis Blanc .

    Disorganisation , in fact , is the characteristic of all Europe , our own country included . It is not , indeed , that men are entirely without purpose of a public kind ; there are but too many purposes , and the difficulty is to find any which can so master mens' affections us to hring them together . The war alone seems commensurate for that end , and yet the war itself is trifled with , as we have seen . There has been a talk of " a Coalition , " to unite Gladstone , Disraeli , and Brigiit ; but of all occupations in the world , coalescing seems the last that men can accomplish . The manifestations of the day show that they are running

    off in all directions instead of coining together . Mr . Bright and his party are for peace , as Mr . Gladstone is , and the journal that is understood to belong to the Disraeli section of the Conservative party dallies with Manchester and peace , but Manchester itself , in its Guardian , 14 pitches into 1 ' the Peace party in a manner which shows how little that capital of cotton industry is prepared to knock under . Lord Derby speaks out on the subject of the war as stoutly as the Duke of Camrbidge , who " has been there ; " both avowing , in substance , that the sword cannot be sheathed until Russia shall have

    received a thrashing . If Mr . Diskaeli was to have made a declaration , we might have expected to see him at Castle-IIedingham ; but there we find him not—onl y a remnant of a Country party deploring the grievances of the ago * . Castle-Hedingham is now represented only by the Reverend Cox—true to his principles , but without his leader . He will adi » it nothing but old Toryism ; and young Toryism leaves him alone ia the world : Cox ct predcrca nihil . The subjects that most unite men at present are those that have hitherto most divided them .

    Education , for instance , has caused more diversity of action in this country than most other subjects , yet we find a conference at Birmingham , a halfpublic reception of De Metz , a visit of De Metz at Redhill , and again Recorder Hill expounding to the grand jury at Birmingham some of the last and best doctrines on the subject of supplemental education for criminals , adult and juvenile , his principle being that the criminal should be detained until he is fitted to go at large through educational and industrial discipline . Freedom for nil that can use it , for none that will abuse it .

    Again , " the claims of labour , " hitherto asserted by the philosopher in his closet in the highest spirit of Christianity , or expounded to labourers themselves by men who go amongst them , are now assisted by Lord Leicester , of Holkhnin ; by Earl Bruck , of Marl borough , nnd other scions of the landlord class , who insist that the labourer will be better if he ia better lodged , and surrounded , as Robert Owen says , by " auporior circumstances . " For it is " rank Owenism" that is extending amongst the other classes .

    The one blaze of discord is i-eligipn . A bigoted major , reversing custom , has forbidden the band of tho Kerry militia to play tho regiment to the Roman Catholic church at Limerick , and there ia mutiny in tho barrack . The men absolutely resisted so wanton an olFcnco . Romanism , too , is blatant again . st tho Income Tux , through tho priest of Blarney ; who , like other people , finds the payment of the tax against his principles . But there is balm in Gilcad ; the Worcester magistrates , who fined Williams for cutting 1 uh have boon told bthe 1 Ionic

    own corn on Sunday , y Office that they are wrong in law as w < ill us spirit , for that tho " hired labourer " was mA in pursuit of his ordinary calling , and that ho had as much right to reap his own wheat on Sunday as a barber has to shave his own beard . Whereupon the magistrates repay Williams his fine and costs , and say that they hold tho same opinion still . They nave shown tho true function -which the county magistrates faithfully fulfil—which is , to find out the bad parts of our laws und enforce them , that men of sense may amend them .

    Q74 The Leader. [No. 290, Saturday,

    Q 74 THE LEADER . [ No . 290 , Saturday ,

    The War. Oxmssa^Ift Once More Menaced By...

    THE WAR . OxmssA ^ ift once more menaced by the Allied Fleet . Gortscuakoll" has telegraphed to St . Petersburg that the fleet which left Kamieach on the 7 th instant appeared off * Odessa early on the following morning , and anchored 'there ; but no tidings have yet been reeeivedof the bombardment having opened . It is also announced that Otchnkoff is threatened , and it is expected that the French and English marine force will operateon more points than one . The weather , at the date of the last advices , waB favourable . The Allies anticipate that there are large stores of wheat at Odessa ; a fact which induces Le Nord to preach the following sermon : —

    "It is probable that we may behold in the Black Sea a new bombardment of Sweaborg . Even if it should have worse financial consequences for Russia , we may ask ourselves whether such an expedition will exhaust the empire , as the English journals assert , and whether the evil which the Allied fleets can innict on Russia will not be a terrible blow to the commercial interests of all countries which ure interested in Odessa . The reply will be , 'This is war ; we will burn everything on the coasts that is not surrendered . ' Alas ! all will be burnt , perhaps , but certainty it will not be surrendered . "

    Despatches from St . Petersburg speak of the determination of the Russian Government to defend the Crimea ; and assuredly Gortschakoff lias as yet shown no signs of yielding . He continues to increase his fortifications on the north side , and to fire on the Allies , who in their turn increase the strength of their position , and return the fire with interest . The French and English engineers are digging long trenches and mines , the object of which is supposed to be to complete the destruction of the ramparts of the place . The number of cannon found in the water is very great , and it is anticipated that the Allies will obtain possession of six thousand . With respect to the recovery of the sunken ships , different accounts have been received . According to some , they are hopelessly lost : others again state that they may be raised . Should the latter turn out to be true , the bitterness of the Russian loss will be enhanced

    by our gain . Marshal Pclissier baa been visiting the plain of Baidar ; General Bosquet has fully recovered from his -wound , and resumed his former command ; and a universal activity of preparation among the Allied troops seems to promise some speedy result of importance . Gortscbakoff announces on the -tthinst .: — ' Yesterday and to-day the enemy reappeared in the valley of Belbek , retiring at night to the crest of the heights separating that valley from the valley of Baidar . There has been no movement at Eupatoria ; the Meets are visible . The firing against the north side of Sebastopol continues . " On the 6 th ho writes : —

    •' The enemy ' s fleet ia in motion in different directions . His gun-boats are considerably increased in number . The camp between the Tchcrnaya and Balaklava has been partially broken up . Some of the enemy ' s forco /> descended the valley of the Bclbeo again to-day . " An action with the advanced potts of the Cossacks is thus described in a despatch of the 25 th ult .: — " The enemy , after having repulsed the advanced postn of Cossacks on the crest of the hill which separates tho valley of Baidar from the left flank of our positions , and from the upper valley of the Belbek , are engaged in thu construction of a road on this side of the « lopo . Tlioy are , at the same time , csabliohing redoubts on tho jioks of the mountain . 80 , 000 men have been landed at Eupatoria . "

    From Asia , we have very contradictory accounts . The Journal dc Constantinople announces that the garrison of Kara ia suffering severely , and sonic letters from Asia even express a fear that the surrender of the place is inevitable . The Moniteur , on the other hand , contends that the garrison is not in want of food ; an assertion which is said to be proved by the fact of General Williams having scut away from tho city upwards of one thousand horses and five hundred men as an escort . Had ho been in want of food , it is contended that tho lioraes wuuld have been kept with n view to being slain and eaten . Tho convoy was attacked at some distance from the city by tho Russians , who captured two hundred and the other b

    men and three hundred horses , or ace , after dispersing over tho p lain , are said to have reached Er / . croum . The Invcdide JRunse , of September 30 th , publishes a report from General Mouraviefl ' , in which bo Bays that on September 11 th ho gaine t any service , it is high time he should bo on his inarch . Tho writor proceeds : — 4 i According to a letter recently received , wriitr" l ' . V

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), Oct. 13, 1855, page 2, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_13101855/page/2/