Current:

Leader (1850-1860), 17th December 1859, Edition 1 of 2, Page 1365, INDIA, AND rroiAN progress.

Page 1365
Page 9
9 of 24

On this page

  • Departments (1)
    • INDIA, AND rroiAN progress.
  • Text (4)
  • 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

      specimen of a style of writing very common iu this country , and which would go far to prove that ihe question of Pater Bonhours might , with all deference to Lord Macaulay , be asked now -with considerable show , of reason . I wonder what impression it "will leave- on the minds of your naval readers to hear from the organ of the Hanstown shipowners , that "it is not very probable that Belgian , Dutch , G erman , and Scandinavian ships will add to the number of sailors on board of her Majesty ' s ships ; but that it is by no means unlikely that France miixht obtain the services of the mariners of the seafaring nations of Northern Europe to an extent that would prove very inconvenient to Great Britain . "

      To enable your readers to comprehend this , it is necessary to inform them that it is the general belief among the schoolmasters and the middle class , that the army and navy of England are composed almost entirely of Germans , and other foreigners , but chiefly of Germans . How this idea came to take root among our neighbours can only be explained by the circumstances of a German legion having served under the British flag in Spain during the war against old Napoleon , and the employment of the foreign legion during the war in the Crimea . Every one who has resided any time ih Germany will , " I think , readily bear me out that this is a wi leiv rooted belief ; whether it proves in

      the tnvl useful or injurious to English interests , I have no mean * of knowing for certain , but I think tlie history of X » poleon 1 . will lead to the conclusion that his conquests were greatly facilitated by the fear which the reputation of the French for military courage and conduct inspired . I have often felt inclined to put the question whether it would not be advantageous to the interests of 'Enylan . 1 if tlie Euglishpress would lay aside their apparently I ' m ugh ty indifference as to the opinion of foreigners , a ; vd devote regularly some space to combat the errors , respecting England and the Enitlisli , wliicli are as rank and rampant as they were during the despotism of tlie first Napoleon ,

      during which , ' as was well said by a French minister , the people under the sceptre of the conqueror , were enclose . ! like so inany sheep in a fold , entire strangers to every event beyond their own immediate neighbourhood , amused by romantic tales of French superiority in all quarters of the . globe , as duly reported in the columns of the Monitcur . The system was carried so far that events of the very highest importance , sntrh a * the battle of Trafalgar , and the English ' victories over the French in Spain were never mentioned in the public -paper ' s . Error , the child of darkness , becomes in turn the mother of errors still greater . If now despotism finds it profitable to propagate falsehood , why should not

      freedom condescend to derive an advantage by propagating the truth ? At this moment , England is being represented as the bully of the ocean- —the sole opponent to the abolition of" privileged piracy "—as the German journals' term reprisals , while the Americans are described as the innocent traders , the promoters of civilisation , the champions of peace and merchant rights . My excuse for venturing to make these remarks , must be that the articles in the English journals against the Bremen , or rather American proposals , are the sole subject of discussion , and will probably continue to fur in the staple of public gossip till the meeting of the Prussian Parliam . cn . t , which is last number

      . announced f » r tlie 12 th of January . The of the Prussian annuls contains the following revelation respecting the opening of the late Italian campaign . The poliuy of tho Austrian Cabinet , from the moment when it was perceived that tho-quarrcl could no longer be avoided , took such a direction that Austria could in justice be no more rogurdoJ as the party aggrieved , seeking merely to' obtain her territorial possessions . Austria was the aggressor ^ rot only in form , but in reality , and intentionally . 11 thegonurulrolutioiisof Europe remained unchanged , a frcah attack was to bo expected after tttulapse of a few years ; and even during tho interval it would be needful , according to all appearances , to maintain an armament fur beyond tho capabilities ot tho nation ,- —Hero was no escape—it was absolutely

      necessary to adopt tho aggressive . To uphold that system within her own territories , which she conceived to bo necessary for the salvation of tho world , that is to say , hor world , Austria resolved to make it the victorious and ruling ' system ot Europo ; tho principled which stood opposed to it ¦ were to bo overthrown and trampled under foot . This was the mainspring of her action . Thus , tho alms and plans of Austria took so wiilo a rangefur beyond tlie most enthusiastic droums of tho Southern Germans , hor supporters . And tho ohiol object was , to entangle Germany , and fir . st and foremost Prussia , in the war 5 to transfer tho theatre of tho war to tho Rhino , to burst with an overwhelming force into Franco , to dasli tho llonapurlistH to the ground , and place Henry tho Fifth » I > on tho throne of his fathers . When Count Itccliborg bocuinu JMmo Minister —( In May )—ho

      most undisguisedly declared that the overthrow of Napoleon the Third , and the Restoration of the Bourbons in the person of Henry the Fifth , was the sole object of the war . The statesmen to whom Count Rechberg nxade this important revelation , showing by then : looks that they did not exactly trust their senses , Count Rechberg added , with a decided and measured emphasis , " Oui , e ' esfc ce que nous voulons ! ni plus ni moins . " ' ¦ Yes , that is what we intend , neither more nor less . " From the Palatinate we have the report of a fight which lately occurred at Deutseh Schibenhard between Bavarian and French soldiers . Three French soldiers in a tavern , it appears , amused themselves e " 3

      with twitting and otherwise Annoying a Bavarian corporal , till he lost patience , and aided by some comrades attacked the French , and finally ejected them from the tavern . Enraged at this , the French returned next day with about thirty or forty comrades , and proceeded to the Bavarian barracks in search of tlie corporal and his party . Here they were met by the lieutenant of tlie Bavarians , who requested them to retire , which they refused . The lieutenant thereupon ordered his men to load , and took up a position . This had the effect of inducing the French to withdraw from the barracks ; but , beginning to commit excesses in the place , it became necessary to dispatch a force from Laiiterburg against them , and drive them across the borders . 1 ^ * > ' 1 " " > J

      The Belgian Government has notified to the Hanoverian Cabinet its intention to annul the treaty upon the Stadt dues . This treaty , which was concluded before the Dresden Convention of 1844 , was the first treaty which Hanover concluded respecting the Stadt dues , with a foreign power . Hanover strove to conclude this treaty because the Belgian Government , after having in vain demanded to be placed on an equal footing with Hamburg , refused to return the tonnage money levied at the mouth of the Scheldt by the Butch upon Hanoverian ships . The Belgians have , however , since discovered that the return tonnage which they have conceded iipon this treaty is too great a sacrifice for the concessions granted by Hanover . Hence the notification . . .

      Untitled Article

      . THE WAGHER EXPEDITIONIt is said that during the recent campaign-in Ital . the French troops suffered only from one want There were hot sufficient surgeons or ambulance for the wounded . Tlie emperor had calculate ! everything else , from the number of cannon to tlu quantity of vinegar required , : md had omitted onli t o reckon the deadly result of his own preparations That faculty of minute organization , that attentior to every deLail which , and not generalship , is . perhaps the Emperor ' s forte , seems always wanting to English troops . The terrible lesson in the Crimea taught us much , yet still the great truth that organization is as much the secret of success as valour , has still to be learned . The Chinese beat us in th « Peiho because tlie scaling bidders were too short . They always are too short , but experience is lost upon the British Staff . On the other side of India we have been in imminent danger of defeat from a gang of pirates , simply from neglect of the most ordinary foresight . The "Waghers , the tribe it became necessary to crush , occupy two fort ? , due , Beyr , on the is-! land of that name opposite Kattywar , and the other , Dwarka , on the mainland .. The tribe consisting of about 2 , 500 arm-bearing men . is rich enough with plunder anl offerings to entertain large bands of Mekranees , TVila-yutees and other mercenary ruffians of Central and Western India . The strength of their fort , too , was well known , and as they were expected to die sword in ' hand , it was deemed necessary to make the expedition sent to subdue them unusually strong . It numbered 2 , 500 men , on board six vessels . The , expedition arrived opposite the island on the 3 rd ' instant , and on the 5 tli the vessels took up a position opposite , the fort . Fire opened at 9-30 a . m .- and continued throughout the day , the enemy scarcely returning a shot . Next da } % the Gth , the bombardment ' was resumed , and under cover of the fire , tlie land force , consisting of detachments from the-RovaT Artillery , Sappers and Miners , If . M . ' s 28 th Foot , tlie Gth N . I . and the Marine Battalion , landed . The fort wall is lined below with houses , from which the enemy kept up a galling fire . The British soon chased them out of this cover , but fire was renewed from the fort itself with the most deadly effect . . Tlie breach was found impracticable , the scaling ladders being fifteen feet too short . Tlie attempt , according to one account , was renewed three times , but this is rendered questionable by other narratives . At all events , the men continued under fire till nightfall four hours , and the loss was very severe , amounting to ten per cent , of the men engaged . The force must , to all appearance , have retired on the following morning to await the effect of further bombardment , when about midnight the "Waghers evacuated tho fort . They escaped without loss , and quitted the island , apparently , to take refuge in Dwarka . The Zenobia was seivt ' back to Bombay to carry the intelligence and obtain more ammunition , which , like the ladders , seems to have fallen short . Tho causes of the loss and possible humiliation thus encountered seem sufficiently clear . Nobody seems to have troubled himself to ascertain precisely how wide a breach the bombardment had created ; nobody looked after the scaling ladders , and nobody seems to have been much concerned about ammunition . Of course it will be said tho resistance was greater than was expected . Do wo send armed frigates and whole detachments to conquer unresistinn strongholds ? If not , somo one of the dozens ol ofUoors emploved might bo told oil" to see that tho stores were adequate to nny probablo contingency . Bringing back the residue , whmi ships are employed , is choapor than human lifo . Wq iu-o groatly afraid this inattention to details will intorf ' oro with tho succor of tho coming campaign in Central . India . Seven corps , it is said , are to be put in motion at once , and hunt down tho oiioiny . bnttuo fashion . Tho rioalgn isexoollont , as was proved in tho campaign against Tniitm Xopop . ic was tho incessant appearance of new columns from tho south of tho Norbuddii , which kopt that chief in headlong movement , and impede I all efforts at organised resistance . But , unless sonno plan is devised to incroaso the spooil of thuau columns , unless , to sneak plaiiilv . offloors ami moiiciin hocompelladtoQMdoiiho with all nrlvato baggngo , to rely on tho comiiilsdurlnt nlono , and on thi > t only for munitions and baro food , tho 30 arrangements may atlU mil . Stripped , to the akin , tho native would still outmarch us But when pursued by men with light baggage , tho proportionate speed of his flight i » so reduced ,

      India, And Rroian Progress.

      INDIA , AND rroiAN progress .

      Untitled Article

      2 Mb . 508 . Dec . 17 , 1859 J T H E LE A DE R . 3 . 365-

      Untitled Article

      thought , perhaps , thai ; her Imperial son make the stray composition of her leisure hours the national air of France . It was thus that M . Mocquarcl first established himself as a valued friend of the family . Nor did he surrender that position j he claimed all the privileges of misfortune . For a long time he kept the cause alive in the Commerce newspaper , and in other ways . He did so at a later date , when the Prince was an exile in England ; and again iu Paris he stood as firm as a rock by the side of his illustrious friend all through tho perilous coup d ' . etat . This was the crowning point for tho faithful follower ; . ho was chosen to be private secretary , a post which he has ever since is to tete

      would ' Lii Skcuet . v ' ikb de j / Empereur . "—The Spectator says : —" His acquaintance with the third Napoleon was of long standing . In 1817 M . Mocquard found himself at Arenetnberg , where the Queen Mortense was residing with her brother and her son . Be won their esteem by a literary service . A biographical notice of Queen Hortense had appeared in the ' Jiiographie des Contemporains ;' but , holding it to be unworthy of its subject , M . Mocquard published , without his name , another account which did fuller justice to the Queen—that most original and animated musician , who little

      held , and to gain his ear equivalent a -atete with his Majesty . Such is the man from whom tho Liverpool merchants received their answer—and people said it was only the Secretary . ' Only the Secretary . ' The post is no sinecure ; indeed it needs a mind congenial to that of a Napoleon . Deliberate in reflection , yet prompt n »™ positive in judgment— sharp and clear in expression , vet moro than courteous , conciliatory and kind—versatile , yet faithful ; able to view iimiirs in their simple abstraction , yet to hunclle them in their complicated concrete , Mocquard is tho very man whom tho poetry of ronninoo might have imagined for what destiny has maUo him .

      Tjuo Poi'ia ' s NiswLa . w roil Ladies . —It must be supposed that thu lioinnns arc getting lukowivnn and indifferent in religious matters , as tho CimUnal-Vicar has considered It necessary to publish an edict ftgainst laxity of faith and desecration of * hu houao of God . Tho inhabitants of the Ktornai City aro ordered not to make the churchoa places ot rondo- /; , vous , and warned against profaning them cithor by word or dood . Thu ladies aro told not to nmwnr at church with unoovorod heads and ovouing drossoss . His eminence is so ehoolcod at , tho unbocoimny toilet of the Koman ladies , that ho directs their oonjusaors . nottoglvo them absolution if thoy porsist in ana lit , . ttiitrwuifitn nnrtlcs tno 01 \ ** —¦

      ---Hearing n jiuuso prayvr » n « unw . « .., and ilXulduM . Thu ecfiot is to bo read from tho pulpit in all tho ltoninn churches on threo dliluient last-dayu .

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Dec. 17, 1859, page 1365, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2325/page/9/