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Leader (1850-1860), 24th March 1860, Edition 2 of 2, Page 4

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      European Politics, /R The Proceedings Of...

      completely failed in eliciting from Prussia one generous sentiment or one noble thought . In reply to their fears for the safety of the Khine , we do not hesitate to tell the Germans , that if they will not be strong- through the ascendancy of liberal opinions , little sympathy will be felt for them in this country about any territorial question . . One-half of " king-deluded Germany" has constituted itself the abettor of Austrian despotism in Italy , and the Jesuits hope , if the war is renewed , to drag the other half into their toils . As a firm supporter of progress and right , Germany would be safe enough , but it will arrive at no such dignified position until it

      ceases to be the land of petty courts , selfish intriguing sovereigns , and reactionary ministers , such as Humboldt ' s correspondence lias exposed to public , gaze . It is lamentable that the German race should be so little , and count for so . little , when Austria is , to all appearances , moving steadily towards a renewal of hostilities , and with the avowed policy—as we recently showed out of Count Rechberg ' s own mouth—of endeavouring to bring about a general European Avar . If Germany were wise and honest this evil intention might be certainly frustrated , but as she is , misguided and disunited , it is - not improbable that , instead of ruling the circumstances which most concern her , she will be

      ignominiously dragged at the tail of events . The conduct of the Sardinian Government is inexplicable , except we regard it as preparatory to a fresh war . The sudden cession of Savoy has all the appearance of a purchase of French aid , to be delivered when required ; and Count Cavour , who has shown himself an , able statesman , would scarcely burden the . oppressed finances , of his country with the expense of a large addition to the national army , unless lie had good reason to believe that the Austrians would follow up "their protests against the annexation , of Central Italy by : contriving some pretext for an in

      appeal to arms . Four thousand Austrian soldiers are already the service of the Pope , under the command of the Austrian General Mayebhofjer , and three thousand more have been sent to reinforce the despot of Naples , whose conduct is so bad as . to have drawn from Lord John Russell the emphatic warning , that if his subjects rise and expelboth himself and his ; dynasty , he need expect from this country neither moral nor material aid . All these are warlike symptoms , and we cannot wonder if France should take such steps as she may conceive necessary ,, not only to combat Austria , but also to meet the German Confederation if it should oppose obstacles to the successful prosecution of a new campaign . , It is expected that Count Cavour will make arrangements to preserve what the French Government calls the" autonomy of Tuscany , " as even the staun chest adherents for annexation to Sardinia are desirous of keeping their L . eopoldine code , whiclv—¦ framed under the , enlightened influence of Keocaria—is one ^ of the best in Europe ; and they would also protest against allowing their country to sink into the position of an ordinary province . Difficulties of detail would speedily vanish if Italy could he freed from the expense and anxiety which the conduct of Austria entails . Even without the additional 75 , 000 men which are to

      be raised , the army kept by Sardinia , Tuscany , and the Emilia , is out of all proportion to the population and resources of the country ; but we could not wish to see , a inim . less under arms ¦ while Austria preserves her threatening attitude , and , through the possession of Venice and the Quadrangle , would be able to overwhelm any mqderate force . This state ? of tension cannot last long , and it would not surprise those who are acquainted with the Austrian Court to hear that 3 ? ranoxs Joseph had suddenly resolved to risk his crown and dynasty in another war . For the present , Austrian intrigues in Russia do not seem to havo succeeded , as Prince Gouxschakoff hns recoverqd from the " state of health "—a purely diplomatic malady—which was

      to be the excuse for his retirement if the Cssa ' r could bo induced to give up his services and take a Hai'SBUKG partisan in his stead . It is also a satisfactory symptom that the Cfcur , in his repent speech to the committees of twenty-four Governments , continued to enforce the claims of the sorfs , and reiterated his determination to ameliorate their condition—a great notional movement , which will require the suspension of aggressive designs . The attitude of England should be watchful and fiira ; but while Parliament' is bound to obtain ndcqutite information and cheek the conduct of the Cabinet , we want neither Kinglake fireworks , nor constant pun ' s of Normanhy euioke .

      272 ¦ ¦;' The Leader And Saturday Analys...

      272 ¦ ¦;' The Leader and Saturday Analyst , [ March : ? A , 1860 .

      Wall With China. "Itm-Ien My. Gladstone,...

      WAll WITH CHINA . " ITm-IEN My . Gladstone , in Ins budget Speech , debited VY the national account for tiho year with no greater sum than $ 500 , 000 lor tho probable expense of the impending Expedition to l ' ekin , tho moro serious of liis hearers stared incxQdttlously , and ttxose of more impulsive temperament laughed

      aloud . What could he mean by talking , of a bagatelle vote of this description to defray the cost of oive of the ¦ most difficult and questionable enterpr ises ever undertaken by venturous obstinacy or ambition ? When I ^ apoljson planned his ' memorable expedition to Mosco w ^ he had for the base of his operations the neighbouring States of Germany , whence he was able to launch an army consisting of half a ¦ million- of men , amply supplied with ail abundant commissariat and all the munitions of war He had to traverse , indeed , several hundred niiles of

      thinly-populated and ill-cultivated country , and to encounter a brave and disciplined enemy , but he was liot dependent On the regions he proposed to overrun for provisions , and if his antagonists were numerous and brave , he had much to gain in a political sense , by successive victories over them . The state of the case as between our Government and the Chinese is in every respect different ; , and in every respect the difference is disadvantageous . The base of the Elgin expedition . agrmnst China is between Jour and five thousand miles from the first scene of

      its operations . E \ j . ery item of commissariat , every pound of gunpowder , and every ton of coals must be borne that distance over sea before- it can be landed" on the outermost rhix of the vast empire Lord Palmekstox threatens to humiliate , if not to dismember . Thence to the inland capital the distance is greater than that which Napoleon had to traverse after he had crossed the Vistula . Glory there is none to be sought or hoped for on the way . A . swarming peasantry may be bargained with by our suttlers , or bullied by our soldiers in detail , and wholesale

      contributions may be exacted from towns and villages by order of our commanders ; but military reputation cannot be acquired anyhow , though the safety of the devoted troops who tire to form the expedition may be hazarded , arid the lives of the greater portion of them forfeited by the way . Sir Be Lacy Evans was told by ministers the other night that he reckoned too high when he assumed their number "to be 40 , 000 men ; a careful silence was observed as to what their numerical strength . was really to be ; and we are left to conjecture , therefore , whether the actual number of victims doomed to be sacrificed in vindication

      of Mr . Bruce ' s reputation as a diplomatist be . twenty , twentyfive , or thirty thousand . All we are told is that these gallant men are to scramble and scuffle their way as best they-can from the mouth of the Peiho to l ? . ekin ; and that when they get there , they are to remain long enough to humble the pride and wound the prestige of the Imperial Government , get the Treaty of Tientsin ratified , and then make their way back again as best they may . All this is easily said behind the red box in the Rouse of Commons at Westminster : it sounded just as easy

      forty years ago in Napoleon ' s Cabinet at St , Cloud , to say , Go to Moscow , sleep in the Kremlin , dictate a spoliation treaty , and return triumphant by Christinas Day : but every wise counsellor of the French Government iri 1812 deprecated , the desperate and wanton enterprise , and foretold its failure ; and every humane and disinterested statesman in England at the present hour , publicly . or privately , deprecates the foolish and cruel expedition projected against Pekin . . In it speech , remarkable for condensation of varied , and valuable matter , as well as for clearness and calmness of exposition , Sir J Elpiiinstone described in the recent debate the

      circumstances in which the expeditionary force will be placed ,. from the moment it began to . penetrate into the interior . Ho muinded Lord Pal . MEIISTON of the fatal precedent which his own ollicial experience jfuniisjied in Cubul . Wo there unrighteously and unwisely risked and lost a British army , for sake of the phantom termed " the due recognition of our dignity and influence" by a remote and semi-barbarous court . Jiy the intrepidity of our soldiers we had forood our way through all obstacles and privations to the goal of our insane ambition ; but when established there we had found ,, as the French found at Moscow , that it 3 permanent retention was impossible , and amid tho horrors of mid-winter , our isolated troops had to

      attempt their retreat encompassed by myriods of pitiless and exulting foes . Yet , looking at tho map of Hussia or thut ot Afghanistan , the madness of neither 1812 nor 183 U seams comparable with that of 1800 . And what is the pretext put forward for this foorful trilling with the lives of tens of thousands of our brave troops , confessedly without tho chance of winning' even the barren recompense of martial funieP Tlic Premier professes to repudiate all thoughts of territorial acquisition . Keniemberinjr , as wo do , how the same phrases have been invariably used whenever - \ vo wore beginniug any of our wars in . India , and remembering how all the 30 wars have ended , we own wo havo but little faith in self-denying promises pf this kind . Just now « nnnuvntlnn " linWflVflV . Stillks SO strOliSrlV 111 tllB HOStl'llS OI wi wi -- ^ --- — -x .

      lift * fcftV'All * AW **} ^» . — " - I ** if , it Europe , that we arc not surprised at Lord Pawikkston 3 disclaimer . Tho Jforoigu Secretary is equally anxious to ropiu iato the notion of our going buccaneering for £ yoeq ailvor . \ V Imt-

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), March 24, 1860, page 4, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_24031860/page/4/