On this page
-
Text (2)
-
972 THE LEADER [Saturday ,
-
SECRET DIPLOMACY. Tub folly of secret di...
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.
-
-
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.
The Common Health. Thk Sanatory Contest ...
were the camp of a new enemy , ' -has . long "been-a deadly place for all living near it , and the public and tile authorities have long been aware of the fact . In the ashpits of North Shields and Tynemd . uth refuse matter has been stored for years : and now seventy cart-loads a day have to be removed , because the common enemy has been reinforced by anew ally . And yet even to this day on which we write , our best fight is made , as we have seen , by individuals . We see energetic exposures , but hear move slowly of remedial action . An inspector rapidly reports a house in a most filth v condition ;
but the guardians " do not meet till Friday , ' ' and nothing can be done till then . In other cases we find nuisances noted without the slightest intimation of the manner in which they may be removed . In most districts there seem to be confused notions as to tbe proper persons who should take the lead in abating nuisances . Mr . Ingham , the magistrate , said on . Saturday , that " his hands were tied up by the A t of Parliament ; " therefore he could not direct-the proper means for the abatement of the evil . In another case on the same day , Mr . Combe ,
said that the law gave him no powgr to suppress a notorious nuisance from bone-boiling in Southwaik . If these be samples of the result of an appeal to magistrates , if Commissioners of Sewers are unable to interfere with " anything but drainage , " as Colonel Jebb said last week ; if Sanitary Committees cannot meet daily , thereby checking promptitude of action—the resources of the people from governmental organizations are very small indeed . The energy of volunteers and the vigilance" of individuals must do what Boards and
" bodies " are powerless to effect . We . like to see Englishmen practised in this hand-to-hand exertion . It will give them a good habit of taking counsel together , and of meeting for local purposes . The centralized dictation of the press , may enlighten , but we wish to see spirit and action aroused in every parish and in every street . Kacli man must be marie to clear dirt from around his own house : and the coercion to this
end conies with best grace from the man ' s neighbours .. The Government should play its part with such skill that all local action should arise , or seem to arise , from local spirit .. They should recognise and stimulate rather than construct or compel local organization .. For instance , if a committee of householders 13 formed to carry out a house to house visitation , the . Government should get their names and addresses , send them plentiful supplies of instructive papers , supply them with rooms for meetings , pay their casual expenses of . stationery , and in some cases of travelling ,
and in general recognise them as workers in a good cause . This is better than sending down a Medical Inspector at live guineas a-day to make a survey of the district , write an independent report , and interfere , with local officials . It is also right that the police should summon the person permitting' or causing a nuisance , and should make him clear it away . But this principle is now put into practice too slowly . The policeman , or the medical officer , sees a nuisance ; ho reports it to the clerk to the guardians , or other officer ; and after some
necessary delay a summons is issued . If issued in the evening , the case cannot be heard until the next day , and if convicted , the magistrate must give the man at least a day to clear it away . A more summary method might be adopted . * A body of sanitary police should patrol u district with summonses ready-made in their pockets . On seeing a nuisance , tUey should at once serve a summons , pointing- it , out , and calling the man to account before the magistrate that , very day . And 011 full evidence , the magistrate should " direct , that , if the man did not begin the removal of the nuisance within an hour , some moro flunnnrry method of compulsion should bo applied . Of course , if the man had reasonable grounds for
refusal , the nuisance . should be removed at the public ¦ expense , and the offender kept in jail till the expense were repaid . We want , also , in London , and in all our towns , a . summary power of ejecting families who are living in unwholesome Ijou . se . While- the people live in . such places di . sea . so will l ) e bred ... and while the houses aland , the neighbourhood will Hiifl ' cr . For tin $ rents paid for . such dirty dens the ( Jlovornment could give the people airy lodgings in tents , or in many unused store-: houses . In Newcastle , a local act enables tho . Hoard of ( uiardiaus to clone houses unlit for human habitation ; and such a power in much . wanted in all our great town » . Tho inoasurcH avp atlviae may savour
ofdcupotsm , but in reality they are but the organization of methods , by which the people themselves may put down a fierce foe : a foe to their liberties and common health * Centralization of popular power is not the array of despotism . The public health is a treasure that must be guarded by a centralization of sentinels—a circle of fortifications . We love the indigenous energy of individual exertion —the personal patriotism which stirs each man to work well in his own sphere ; but in the matter of public health , we cannot entirely trust to this kind of personal bravery in detail . The danger does not attack us singly . The foul ditch behind our bouses is as bad for a man ' s iieisbbour
as for himself , and both have an equal right , and an equal duty , to have it taken away . The dweller in Belgravia has an interest in the health of Bermondsey . Cholera , once in a city , does not respect police boundaries . Besides , the nature of this task of providing for the public health is such , that it requires an army of men , working together with one will . It requires a prying into private places , to be done not now and again , Avhen alarms are rife , but day by day , and under a regular system of reporting . It requires greatforethoughtto " detect the real foundations of disease , and the preparations for epidemic in apparently innocent proceedings . We pointed out before , the frequently dangerous materialsb which underlie the best houses . In-such
cases , early and keen inspection is needed . In all our towns there are a thousand evils which nothing but a system of scientific observance and paid poliec can meet . Look at the surface drainage of London , as now generally managed . The half liquid matter is carried down through a hole bedecked with so manyiron bars , into ; the sewer , without any trap or eject to prevent , when water is not poured down , the exit of sewerage emanations at ' all hours . These are , in fact , every day manufactories of cholera . A like evil are the necessaries attached to every house , mostly hit uncovered ,
most frequently unflushed with ' water , and reeking with poisonous gases , which if carried into the higher regions of the air by some influence settle down in a verv mantle of death during the hours of the night . Think of the impurity thus derived to our-rain water , which must pass ' through th «» m before it roaches the earth . And . still in this water we cook our vegetables , and infuse our teas , cocoas , and coffees ; and in it we are wont to wash our mouths and nostrils , night and morning- at least . An ewer full of the impure fluid , taints our bedroom
all through those hours of darkness when disease most easily attacks us . These things show that there is required a regular organization of intelligent , and active persons as a regiment of life-guards for the people . It is the vice of popular institutions , that the people are often misled by foolish persons who , under our liberal constitution , are free to print nonsense , or to act unwisel y . We see many cases noted in the daily papers of diseases , caused by the removal of nuisances . Some masses of bad matter arc more harmless when hardened over and partially closed up
than when stirred up for removal ; and the action ' of change is most dangerous . In all cases the police should see that a proper disinfecting fluid should be used : and it i « in the prescription of such agent that a central authority i . smuch wanted . We have , ourselves , carefull y looked into the matter , and knowing that these columns are read by persons anxious for useful information , we notify that according to the very highest . scientific and other authorities the very best dLsin / octant in that patented by Sir William Burnett , namely chloride of sine ; though it . should be used with
caution , as it is an irritant to the respiratory organs , it has been tested in an extensive use , and has done a great deal of good . While 011 tins point , Ave advise our contemporaries to be careiul what prescriptions they publish from persons not medical men . Some may foolishly take up the proscriptions and 11 . se tho wor . se , or improperly usu oven Hiiitahlo remedies ; or others may as rashly reject all . Ji ' or instance , we refused to repnnt the prescription of a mustard-emetic and a miiHl
y-Htiuniliint . , suggested by Mr . Lane . We nave . Winee hoard on good authority of a most striking ca ' . e of recovery effected by its application , while lh . Mackintosh reports a total failure SUH we incline to tho belief that the regular doctor in the best man to apply to at first and meanwhile the practitioners should hold t loinselvos froo to try prescriptions , oven though they do roinu from tho city where Nouruddiu made Ins famous pastry , <„• nro pUt forward by one well read in tho Arabian Nights ,
972 The Leader [Saturday ,
972 THE LEADER [ Saturday ,
Secret Diplomacy. Tub Folly Of Secret Di...
SECRET DIPLOMACY . Tub folly of secret diplomacy Avas admirabl y exposed in Mr . Cobden ' s immortal illustration , when he said that no mercantile ^ rm would permit its clerks to keep their own management secret , on the plea that they' could , manage so much better if they did . No doubt the clerks often think so but every trader knows that sometimes conuner cial travellers make rash bargains , sometimes they forget commissions , and sometimes they embezzle ; hence an invincible commercial prejudice in favour of supervision . Noav , if the Ministry exists for the country , and not the country for the Ministry , the same principle applies to diplomacy . We must have diplomatists the commercial travellers of statesmanship- ; : but they work best under supervision .
Tin ? pretext that diplomacy succeeds best when kept secret , we deny point blank . It does not always succeed at all ; and , -when there is a certain success , it is not always for the country . Take recent instances . Not long since British Ministers were committed to negotiations , in which they were playing the tool of Spain , who Avas afraid of losing Cuba ,-and who begged England either to cajole the United States into a pledge against the separation of Cuba from Spain , or to guarantee the
Spanish possession in spite of the United States . " Official Spain" has -shoAvn her faith to this country in her performance of treaties , her ho-] iesty in payment of her bonds , her friendship in the conditions annexed to the burial-ground at Madrid , 3 ier power in asking us to be the instrument of Iceeping Cuba . Nevertheless , in the idea of serving this grand , honest , and generous ally , English -Ministers committed themselves to a correspondence Avith-American Ministers in such a tone as , but for considerable forbearance in the American
Government , might have plunged the English people in war Avith that Republic , Avhieh is really our most important ally . . But we knew nothing of all this until it Avas over ; and then , in a tardy Blue Book , Ave discover the risk Ave have run . That risk could not have been incurred save with secret diplomacy . Not very long since the people of
Schlesw-ig-IIolKtcin tried to establish their independence of the Danish Crown , and their alliance witli Germany ; to which , by blood and predilection , they belong . Tho King of Denmark roused a national pride , used the Liberals of Copenhagen to subdue the provincials ; and then turned round upon the Liberals by . submerging the Danish succession in that of SchlesAvIg-Holstein , and so favouring the reversion of Denmark to the liussian Czar . That
project was ratified by secret diplomacy in a conference Avhieh sat in London , and Avas assisted by our Minister . If diplomacy had not been secret , the experience of the Menschikoff intrigues would not have been needed to make the English people protest against such a prostitution of English power . Not many years ago this country was startled and disgusted , beyond need avo thought , sit the spiritual and titular " aggression" of a hierarchy ,
organized by the Pope , to convert us all to Koinanisnv ; Dr . Wiseman came d latere , with Hat and crozier , to hook us all into tho fold . Miss MargaretCunninghaine has gone into Tuscany n »< l given away a Bible and Pilgrim ' s Progress . VVo passed an angry bill to prohibit the bishops from styling themselves by local titles : tho Grand Duke has thrown Miss Margaret into prison ; and Protestant England is aflame . But if Englishmen avIio now call out for the rescue of M »« s
Cunninghame , vi cf , armis , will look into a certain blue book , they Avill discover that when tho Pope , our . spiritual aggressor , and instigator of M «« s Margaret ' s imprisonment , was assisted off his throne on tho Seven llilks , ho Avas restored by tho French , Avilh th « express concurrence of tho English government . This grand feat , too , belongs to Secret Diplomacy , ] Sow for a cane-of . success . Kvcr fiinco tho
insulting In-haviour of M . llulaeinjum in WhhJiihKton , the Americans have been very ungry w } 1 . Austria ;' and al , all even fa they are resolved Unit no arrogant pretensions of Auntrm shall violate the dignity of the star-spangled banner . Kossln , who claims American citizenship , was fiem- « W Smyrna l > v Austrian bravoH , -and rescued I > J " American ofliccr ; and ho it * now on his w * y t <> America . Not long wince , an American diplomatic ngunt in , tho 'EaWti Appeared disposed to niHKt coiicewionH . to . tho , AW olutififc powers ; the lac became known : and he was obliged to conform
-
-
Citation
-
Leader (1850-1860), Oct. 8, 1853, page 12, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_08101853/page/12/
-