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DEcitoER 2, 1854.] TIE LEADER 114,1
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SWEET-LIVED EVANS. " I consider our live...
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«x. O *. *[ (©Ml C[bfltlltn|> V *
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[IN THIS DEPARTMENT, AS AXI. OPINIONS, I...
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There is no Learned man but will confess...
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BABEL
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Transcript
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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.
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The Bess Arabian Campaign. War Grows Wit...
— — ^^^^ - ^^^^^^^^^^^^ m ^^ m ^ mm ^^ m ^^ mmm ^ mm ^^ operate in the field against soldiers whose discipline stands proof against the Minie musketry of the Allies in the Crimea ? Certainly not . A campaign in Bessarabia must be made in one of two ways : either by the allied armies in great force , ia conjunction with the Turks , or by the advance of an adequate number of Austrians to co-operate with the Turks . The last contingency is not likely : and Louis Napoleon's Russian campaign might therefore be as disastrous as that of his uncle—unless he improves upon his uncle ' s policy—by securing friendly nationalities behind him .
Decitoer 2, 1854.] Tie Leader 114,1
DEcitoER 2 , 1854 . ] TIE LEADER 114 , 1
Sweet-Lived Evans. " I Consider Our Live...
SWEET-LIVED EVANS . " I consider our lives are as sweet as the passengers ' , ' said James Evans , one of the crew of the Forerunner ; " it is every one for himself , " he added . The opinions thus expressed are new-fangled , as belonging to sailors ; but they are not limited to James Evans . Mr . Stewart , the chief mate , thought it his duty to save his own life . " As soon as the danger was apparent , Captain Johnstone ran down into the cabin to save some chronometers and gold .
A jury at San Francisco have censured Captain Bandell and the crew of the Yankee Blade for abandoning the wreck , and leaving the passengers at the mercy of weather and plunderers . Nor are these the first instances of this growing disposition amongst sailors to abandon their charge . Hitherto it has been the custom of sailors to give the first chance to women and children ; that principle was strikingly exemplified at the wreck of the Birkenhead , where the women and children
were put into boats , and the soldiers went down , standing 1 in parade order not one man ¦ of the whole body endeavouring to snatch a chance that the others could not share , or that might be filched from some other creature more helpless . Did these men owe no " duty to themselves ? " or , did they not rather fulfil their duty best , when , b y their death , they
confirmed the grand rule , that wherever there a manly man is , the safety of the helpless is sought for before his own . A contemporary has pointed out the fact that , if that rule were abandoned , sailors would lose , even commercially , since there could never be the same confidence for the landsman as a passenger if he believed that the seaman would selfishly seek his own safety and leave the unskilful passenger to his fate .
But what we quarrel with chiefly 19 the philosophy of the principle laid down by Mr . Evans . At that same wreck of the Forerunner there was a Mr . Childs , who exerted himself to save a lady and child , and lost his own life . Now , according to the Evans philosophy , the crew of the Yankee Blade should have received a higher dispensation from Providence than the soldiers on board the Birkenhead : and James
Evans better endowed than Lieutenant Childs , should teach him philosophy . Now we take our stand upon the point blank contradiction of James Evans ' s starting point—that one man ' s life is as sweet to him as another ' s . It is quite the reverse . A grave moral was uttered by the alderman who astounded his guests at a private feast by bursting into tears because he saw a poor relation " wasting that blessed appetite on mutton 1 " There are two essentials to the feast—tho
food and tho palate . Tho siimc thing- is true of life—it is heaven or hell , or nothing 1 in particular , according to tho sense of him that lives . To taste the sweetness of life tho aenao of it must be keen , therefore tho eenso must be healthy ; therefore tho sense is deadened when tho man has the disease of selfishness . There are men who , having exhausted tho grosser enjoyments of earth , become what ia called blase—that is , Ufa to them
has become insi pid—has lost its sweetness . They are men whose sense of existence centres in themselves , and all mere appetite palls . To relish life always , and to the full , its highest enjoyment must be derived from those thing-s which are independent of the grosser senses , though the grosser are not independent of the higher . Are we to suppose that any rone of a Cockney Leander knows what love is , as it was known to the true
Leander of the Hellespont , even in those things which the Cockney would suppose to be common to both ? Byron could not rise above Don Juan , though he did swim where " Leander , Mr . Ekenhead , and he did ; " and he broke down in Childe Harold , because he mistook the " gentish" selfish cunning of Don Juan for a real philosophy . To taste life as Leander tasted it , a man must be so conditioned that its
sweetness is derived more from others . And we need as little mourn that man who perished in the Forerunner while striving to rescue a woman , as Leander . His life was cut short ; but what of it he had would have been worth more in a market of lives than all that James Evans saved , though he live till ninety . Life only realises its full sweetness to him who is prepared to lay it down .
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[In This Department, As Axi. Opinions, I...
[ IN THIS DEPARTMENT , AS AXI . OPINIONS , IIOWEVKK EXTREME , ARBl ALLOWED AN EXPRESSION , THE EDITOft NECESSARILY HOLDS UIMSKLF BESPOJiglBLE FOR NONE . ]
There Is No Learned Man But Will Confess...
There is no Learned man but will confess be hatti much , profited by reading controversies , his senses awakened , and . his judgment sharpened .. If , then , it be profitable for him to read , -why should it not , at least , be tolerable for bus adversary to write . —Milton .
Babel
BABEL . — The editor of the Leader will lie glad to receive subscriptions for obtaining the release of Cowell , the Preston delegate . His imprisonment for a cause ¦ which , right or wrong , was the cause of the -working classes , ' ought not to be permitted by those classes . The sum is under 150 / . — Let us , all trust that Palmerston , while in Paris , saw Mr . Smith O'Brien , and pledged the Government to a general amnesty to the unfortunates of 1848 . The period is appropriate ; there is no longer treason in Ireland ; and England needs the sympathies of Ireland in this war . The Cork Examiner well observes : — The law has its triumph and its vindication—how or by what means it is now unnecessary to say ; but surely the hour for a generous exercise of power has arrived ; and the Government could perform 110 act which would be more gratefully hailed by tho people of Ireland than tho restoration of Smith O'Brien and his companions in exile to their country , their home , and all their rights , privileges , and duties as citizens and freemen . — Tho following astounding circular has been received at the newspaper offices : —" Philosophy . — Sir , —M . Ooyteux has the honour to announce that he intends giving Four Public Lectures , to which the admission will be gratuitous , upon a new System of Philosophy , of which he is the autlior , and which overthrows all tho different systems which have hitherto been brought before the public attention . Theses lectures will be delivered in French , and be translated during their progress into English . M . Coyteux requests the honour of your company during tho delivery of those Lectures , which will bo hold att tho Royal Marionette Theatre , the first on Friday next , Decomber I , 1854 . " — Tho sanctity of the Sabbath is scarcely universal . St . Martin ' s managed a most jovial poal a few Sundays since , because the DucheBS of Northumberland lntvl a birthday . Ringing bella is undoubtedly hard work , for which decrepit paupers get paid—and yet such a demonstration is rather obtrusive on a day on which Jnkorman class of news is arriving . Not worse than some of the nowpapers though . I rend lately that tho Duke of Somerset was ill—wna better . —had a relnpac—and so on , until I hutcd the sound of his uunio . However , it was the first time I over heard it . Our great " organs " should bo above such Jlomirxj-Posty pluahery . — Tho exertions for supplying tho army with " comforts" have taken an organiaed ehape . Noblemen are plentiful on the committee , and Mr . J . IJ . Blandish Holy is Hon . Sec . They propose to forward warm clothing and provisions ( Including tea and
¦¦ M ^ BMHWPMHM qpH ^ B ^^ n ^ HHHMMMnMHHMaHW coffee ) to Balaklava , to be distributed as gifts to non . " commissioned officers and privates , and ' * supply of articles to be sold at cost price , " for- the officers we suppose . Besides this , much is effected ¦ without organisation . Arthur Smith ( brother of Albert ) rashly offered to take charge of books and newspapers . He is deluged . Smith and Son , of the Strand , have given 2500 volumes ; Koutledge and others have sent larg « numbers . Forfcnum and Mason are giving packing-cases . Private yachts are fitting out
two or three of which will be devoted to the carriage of the Christmas dinner of William Russell , Times correspondent : a suit of clothes , full-sized , would be acceptable , I dare say , for the last time I heard of him he was dressed in some regimentals , which were terribly " undress . " He is likely to be a popular man on this 25 th , for his dinner will comprise every inconceivable luxury tliat will keep , with a . good supply of liquids of course . He deserves this kindness , if only on public grounds . His letters are national benefits . —literary miracles .
— There is queer news about town of the only coward that has ever been known , in the British army . He is one of our aristocracy—not one of those thousands "who have got seventeen , commissions among them , and of whom only one , Sergeant Sullivan , has been mentioned in a despatch . We cannot be libellous ; the greater the truth , the greater the libel : let us say , therefore , of the unhappy poltroon , that he is the Lord Knows Who . — " The Princes " are very unfortunate in this warfare . Prince Napoleon has always been going to
Constantinople to recover his health . The Duke of Cambridge has fared worse : his mind has been so affected by the horrors of the campaign that he is said to be retiring from active service . At the same time it should be admitted that both behaved gallantly in the field . At Alma the grand form of Prince Napoleon was as conspicuous as that of Henry at Ivry ; and at Inkerman the Duke of Cambridge displayed the hereditary valour of his race . But both went into the Crimea under protest ; and have had neither the nerve nor patience to suffer with the rest .
The Monarchs have been still more unfortunate . The whole failure of the campaign is fairly attributable to the incomplete intellect of Louis Napoleon . The Russian attack at Inkerman was upon a plan prepared by the Czar himself . These Kaisers ouglit to see the benefit derived by the English sovereigns in having responsible advisers to take all the blame ! -r- Will the copyright law ( as affecting foreigners ) ever be understood ? One interpretation is this —A foreigner has no copyright here unless he resides in this country . It is a doubtful question whether publishers or managers would not profit by inviting their stars over and keeping them whilst they were popular . I am induced to make this observation by the knowledge that Mr . Smith , of Drury Lane , will open his January campaign with .
L'Etoile du JVord , which has been purchased by Gye of Covent Garden . Such a burlesque as it will be will not spoil the Covent Garden market , but the fact is strange . Smith wishes Clara Novello to take the part of Catherine , but it is unlikely slie will accept . She is more suited for oratorios and serious operas than for the comit / ue , which demands intelligent acting , and , above all , esprit . Gye has engaged some celebrities , and ho will require them , without Grisi and Mario . His acquisitions are Madame Gassier , the Spanish soprano of the Italian Opera at Paris , and her husband . Gardoni is secured , also Bettini . IMiulame Bosio , Lablaclie , Honconi , and Tainberiilc are likewise certain . Mitchell is qualified to promise Rachel for next June and July , before she starts for America . She is " terribly shattered in nerves , " I hear—1 wonder why .
— Well might the poet sny " How happy tho soldier , " & c Everything is done for his comfort that humanity enn suggest . Perhaps the Chronicle has made the most benevolent of the recent suggestions . The correspondent in tho Crimea is evidently a married man . Ho touchingly saya— " It is sincerely to bo desired that ill future no soldiers' wives 1 ) 0 allowed to proceed to the scene of war . With very few exceptions the characters of tho women that have accoiri panie . l tho expedition to tho Crimea have been anything but meritorious . On shore they have misconducted themselves ; whilst on board ship they are a perfect nuistuice to tho unfortunate captain of tho transport vessel to whoso charge they are committed . " — What of Perry ? Surely tlio possessors of the Ifund will never hniul it over to him ?
— If anything can console a man for dying , it is tho knowledge that his absurd-looking monument will be placed where nobody will fleo it . Tho crpyt of « t . Paul ' s is not a bad place fox British » tatnusbut there ia a bettor . Tlio London Necropolis Company od ' er to let a horeavvd nation bury ( gratis , her tributes of respect at Woluiif?—whore , from tho size of the ground , its retired tutuutioi ) , its act of Parliament , and ita ghastly character—tho monumental arc not likely to bo disturbed for centuries . Not likely to bo disturbed 1 I should Ray no > t .
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Dec. 2, 1854, page 13, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_02121854/page/13/
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