Current:

Leader (1850-1860), 28th May 1859, Edition 1 of 2, Page 673, Untitled Article

Page 673
Page 17
17 of 28

On this page

  • Departments (2)
    • -, . y ^dT* \ VriIvC^"N Mllw ¦ ¦^4 <£ j-*'ft flP<FJC^i\ ex!% ^ Y rft- AV —\/ j£±. IL'IlI'MM 1L/ TO * *""* j£& 7|)v ' W *^r ^r ^* ? V*_>^ \w<* ¦ »
    • ¦ aai*M?,t qmfw ?^ PUttU^ ^fJttrS. "
  • Text (11)
  • Transcript

    • Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.

      Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.

      Untitled Article

      SUBSCRIPTION TO " THE LEADER . ONE GUINEA PER YEAR , UNSTAMPED , PBEPAID . CPetiVered Gratia . )

      Untitled Article

      ADMIRALTY DILATORINUSS . As an instance of the backwardness of our Govern" ment , we referred last week to its continuing to mishandle the seaman long after the folly of doing so had been known and exposed . Since then a circular from the Admiralty to captains of the Navy has been published , requiring them to bo very careful and very gentle in treating the [ new men which her Majesty ' ships are now likely to obtain . It is otherwise remarkable for acknowledging that amongst seamen there exists an unfortunate repugnance for the Navy . X he Ad-, miralty might have gone a httlo further , and have troubled itself to find out the cause of tins unfortunate repugnance . Having ascertained the cause , regarding tlte eflcct as injurious to the nation , the Admiralty could have done no less than remove it . The Admiralty , however , stopped at the acknowledg . nent . On the day following , the publioataon , tho Times , while it oould not avoid admitting that there was a time when tyranny was not unknown m tho Navy , and that its efleotB might yet produce the unfortunate repugnance , argued that the " Queen ' s service was wilfully mabgned , and that

      Untitled Article

      subdivision of Germany , woud be a ludicrous as well as a disastrous game . . We should bitterly regret any misfortune to the Germans , but it is too much to ask us to encourage them to act foolishly , by promising to share the penalty they may incur . Probable domination of France in Italy- — for a time—is a logical consequence of Austrian misrule , and the penury and cruelty of Francis Joseph towards Hungary has rendered exceedingly likely a Russian intervention , which would be welcomed by the inhabitants , just as the Italians have welcomed the advent of the French . No one can wish to see two military despotisms- ^ -France and Russia—thus gain upon Europe ; but we should only make matters worse by siding with the still have —

      more abominable despotism * whose iniquities been the proximate cause of these disastrous contingencies . " When Francis Joseph ascended the tnrone , in 1848 , he issued a proclamation , declaring , " We are convinced of the necessity and the value of Free Institutions , and enter with confidence on the path of a prosperous reformation of the monarchy . On the basis of true liberty , on the basis of the equality of the rights of all our people * and the equality of all citizens before the law , and on the basis of their equally partaking in representation and legislation , the country will rise to its ancient grandeur , it will acquire new strength to resist the storms of time ; it will be a hall to shelter the tribes of many tongues under the sceptre of our fathers . "

      By what falsehood and crime these promises were redeemed , all Europe knows . The Austrian Empire has been no " hall" for " shelter , " but a dungeon for suffering ; and the " sceptre of our fathers " has been a hangman ' s whip . It bodes no good for Europe that the 17 , 000 , 000 of Sclavonic subjects of Austria should be taught to look to Russia for protection against the grinding tyranny of the Hapsburgs , but no fear Of future events could for a moment justify England in aidin g Francis Joseph to continue his career of crime Ital

      perjurious and sanguinary . From y , from Bohemia , from Hungary comes a cry of agony that the British people will hear more loudfy than any self-regarding clamour from German princes , or the most learned ^ expositions of the balance of power . England will , if it be possible , keep the peace—not because she is too stmgy to pay for war—not because she is indifferent to the fate of her neighbours , or desires to shirk the obligations of international duty , but because the best interests of humanity and progress demand her neutrality in a contest in which to take a side is to go wrong . ,

      ENGLAND'S NEUTRALITY . ENGLAND'S neutrality will not be safe unless -M the people really study foreign questions , and base their determination to keep the peace upon a positive perception of the greater mischief that would probably flovr from adopting arty other course . At present no British interest is directly threatened , and eveiy honest heart rejoices at the retribution which is meted out to the Austrian , although unable to sympathise with the personal triumph afforded to the Emperor of the French . While this state of tilings lasts it is easy for the country to be unanimous in favour of the policy of standing aloof and looking on ; but there is a

      powerful party which , despite all professions of innocence , craftily reckons upon embroiling us with France , and waits the arrival of ciroumstances that will provoke our alarrn , arouse our anger , and excite our pride . If Prussia should foe implicaed , they calculate that the loyalty shown by the people of England to Queen Victoria will make them willing to draw the sword in defence of the personal and dynastic interests of her child . Upon this there should be no mistake . We should be glad to see the Princess become the Queen of Prussia , or , still better , of Germany ; but not one farthing of English money , nor one drop of English blood should be imperilled in furtherance of

      objects with which , while we keep within our own line of duty , we have nothing at all to do . If Prussia chooses to side with the infamous house of ; Hapsburg , and degrade herself to become the prop of a throne that rests upon the murdered bodies of Hungarian and Italian patriots ,. let her take the reward of her own guilt . It will be vain to say the interests of Germany demand such a course . An honest national Germany would have no interests in common with tUe most perfidious and cruel despotism that disgraces the earth 5 and a Germany of selfish dynasties and pettifogging princes is not entitled to demand the sacrifice of the day ' s wages

      of any British artisan . Wo should deplore an irruption of French and Russian troops into the land of Goothe and Huunboldt , but if the 34 , 000 , 000 of Gorman people ( exclusive of tho Germans in Austria ) net with reasonable prudence , they will bo able either to escape the danger altogether , or to meet it successfully wnen it comes . If the Germans get into a sompe , and wo are asked to help them , our aid would not be demanded for a pooplo or a nation , but for thirty-one sovereign princes and four free cities , who make up the Germanic Confederation and cut the country into such little bits as to weaken its power of defence . For England to fight for these thirty-one princes , that is , for tho

      Untitled Article

      the soldiers in the camp , and it will only be by great exposure , and consequent loss of officers that Francis Joseph ' s army will be again induced to hurl itself against the foe . Politically , the victory of Moiitebello may produce important results . As the volcanic news passes from town to town , through the plains and villages of Tuscany , it will give the . inhabitants confidence to rally round the standard that Prince Napoleon has unfurled , and facilitate the military operations by which the hated Austrian may be driven out of the open country and compelled to take refuse in his famous fortresses on the . . - »•¦•• . -il _ . 3 5 . 1 . . 5 . 11 „ ¦ ! H _ \ 2 '

      Mincio . The glad tidings will also aid the work of the gallant Garibaldi , who has undertaken the perilous task of leading a small force far away from support , in order to raise the inhabitants of the north of Lombardy . The first efforts of this brave leader of the volunteers have been crowned with good fortune , and if he succeeds in exciting a general movement of the people , the difficulties of the Austrians will be considerabl y increased . A glance at _ map will shew that a happy issue of Garibaldi ' s operations in the north , coupled with success on the whosmovements

      part of Prince Napoleon , e may take a direction to the south-west , would render it extremely dangerous for the Austrians to remain south of the Po , and would probably induce a speedy withdrawal towards Mantua and Yerona . Some fighting appears to have occurred on the Sesia , between the Austrians and the division commanded by the King of Sardinia , in which the former had the worst of it . The object of the Austrians in continuing to act so far to the west , is evidently to compel the allies tff occupy as long a line as possible ; but all the news leads to the belief that they will speedily limit their operations

      to a narrower area . The wretched King of Naples has at length gone to his account , and his son Francis XI ascends the throne without immediate resistance ; but arrangements for a ' re volution ary movement are reported to be in progress . Paris has been disquieted by rumours of remonstrances from the < n-eat Powers against the French occupation of Tuscany . If there be any truth in the story , it would lead to the idea that the strange conduct of the British Cabinet in refusing to recognise the national Tuscan Government , is a portion of a scheme intended to annoy and embarrass the French . We trust nothing of the kind has taken place with the concurrence of a British Ministry , and for the settlement of this and other questions , wait with anxiety for the assembling of

      Parlia-NOTES OF VICTORY . Fighting upon the ground of previous victory , the French and their allies have gained a triumph , which , af ter all deductions , must be si gnalized as important . The statements are so conflicting that only guesses can be hazarded as to the real number of combatants engaged . The French may have understated their losses as well as the quantity of troops they brought into action , and they may have exaggerated the number of the combatants opposed to them ; but when the good "Viennese are told by their paternal Government that Stadion and his forces encountered 40 , 000

      Frenchmen and Sardinians , we see a ridiculous effort to compensate by a superiority in fiction for an inferiority in arms . It is clear that the fight was a desperate one , and that the Austrians , although decidedly beaten , struggled with intrepidity , and retired in goodrorder . On both sides the commanders were wounded 5 General Beuret , and tho brave Colonel Morelli , of the Piedmontese cavalry , were among the killed on the winning side , while tho Austrians are reported to have had ton officers killed and sixteen wounded . Altoerether it was a sanguinary affair , and if

      looked at as a question of strategy only , without adequate results , it may facilitate the advance of the allies , but it has not opened the way , and the importance of the victory must be estimated upon moral rather than upon military grounds , Had the Auatriana won the first battle they could have assured their troops that tho Frenchmen , under Napoleon HI ., wore inferior to the conquering legions of Napoleon I ., and the sucoess of a new Montebello might have inspired the hope that a second Marongo would restore tho fcrodit of Austrian arms . As it is , a sense of defeat oppresses tho Emperor in his palace , and

      ment . French papers have been discussing the necessity for invadingthe Tyrol , which forms . part of the Germanic Confederation ; and Kossuth , at Manchester , expressed his belief that he should soon be summoned to lead another struggle for the independence of Hungary . Any further complication of the war may , however , be distant by some weeks or months , and a rising in Hungary would probably produce so powerful a diversion as to prevent Austria continuing to send reinforcements to hor Italian army , and thus render a French attack on the Tyrol unnecessary to the success of the war .

      Untitled Article

      NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS . ' . No notice can be taken of anonymous corresMn ^ ence . Whatever Is intended for tasertionmust be authenticated by the name and address of the writer ; not jaecesaarily for publication , but as a guarantee of his good faith . It is impossible to acknowledge the mass oflefcters we receive . Their insertion is often delayed , owing to a press Of matter ; andwhenofnitted . it * J ^ $ . »« y from ^ reasons quite independent of the merits of the communication . : We cannot undertake to return rejected communications .

      Untitled Article

      0 l Poblic Affair THE LEADER . 673 M ^ MW ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^ ¦ ' ¦ ¦ —mi ^^^ ¦ ¦¦ , *¦«' ¦ « ¦«• ' I ¦ __ ¦

      Untitled Article

      OFFICE , NO . 18 , CATHERINE-STREET , STB AND , W . C .

      -, . Y ^Dt* \ Vriivc^"N Mllw ¦ ¦^4 &Lt;£ J-*'Ft Flp&Lt;Fjc^I\ Ex!% ^ Y Rft- Av —\/ J£±. Il'ili'mm 1l/ To * *""* J£& 7|)V ' W *^R ^R ^* ? V*_&Gt;^ \W&Lt;* ¦ »

      Qfjfp ^ j * r c ^^ S yfr *?'

      Untitled Article

      SATURDAY , MAY 28 , 1859 .

      ¦ Aai*M?,T Qmfw ?^ Puttu^ ^Fjttrs. "

      —

      Untitled Article

      ^ ¦ There is nothing so-revolutionary , because there is nothing so unnatural and convulsive , as the strain to keep things fixed when all the world is by the very law of its creation in eternal progress . —Da . Arnold . . ¦ ¦ + ¦ " '•'¦ ¦ ¦

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), May 28, 1859, page 673, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2296/page/17/