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1100 T H E Xr E A DE fi. [No. 447, Octob...
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POLITICAL FOJRESHADOWINGS. Mr. Bkuob, M....
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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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Portraitures Of The Royal Family Of Prus...
Prussia was appointed commander-in-chief of an army intended to reconquer the Palatinate and Baden for the King of Bavaria and the Grand-D \ ike . Several corps , amounting in the aggregate to the colossal ( orce of 80 , 000 troops , poured into the insurgent country from the north , west , and east . Desperate struggle * and many pitched battles in the open field took place during that murderous campaign , in which the fortune of war favoured alternately the Royalist and popular side ; but in the long run , as might be expected , the 80 , 000 disciplined troops trampled down all opposition , however gallant and determined . The only place , at last , left for wounded freedom to shelter herself was the fortress of Rastadfc . This also was reduced by the Prince directing General Hirschfeld to offer to its defenders advantageous terms of capitulation . But when its gates were thrown open , the garrison , instead of being allowed to depart , as had been
agreed on , were treacherously made prisoners by the Prince , in true Nana Sahib fashion ; and then began that reign of sanguinary vengeance which the historians must shudder at describing . It is a page of horror in the biography of the Prince ' s life . Under his auspices , grim Death held his court at the drum-head tribunals , and mowed down with relentless hand the best and bravest . In the fosses of Rastadt , or the meadows of Friburg and Mannheim , victims unnumbered were slaughtered in cool blood . Hundreds were killed without even going through the g hastly farce of the court-martial / Others , more distinguished , were allowed that judicial mockery , equally to receive the bullet in their heart as a reward for their love of a free and united fatherland . To give an idea of the wholesale nature of the executions then carried out ,
we need only say that , within the short space of a few weeks , the Prince committed some thirty prisoners to a bloody grave ; among -them M . von Triitzschler , the brave deputy of the National Assembly at Frankfort ; Generals Tiedemann and von Biedenfeld , commanders at Rastadt ; Max Dortu , the young enthusiastic champion of the popular cause ; grey-headed Boening , the colonel of the volunteer legion ; Mniewsky , major of the Polish auxiliaries ; Jacobi , commander of some of the forts at Rastadt ; Heilig > major of artillery ; Professors Neff and Hofer ; Elsenhanns , the secretary in the ministry of war ; Streuber ,
communalcouncillor and president of the neo-Oathohc community at Mannheim : the Adjutants Jansen and Schade ; and others , whose p atriotism or valour had made them hateful to the Prince . Not satisfied with this cruel vengeance , the dungeons of Baden were crammed to overflowing , at the command of the Prince , with the luckless objects of his wrath . In a country whose population does not reach to a million and a half , there were , in the first weeks , upwards of 10 , 000 political captives , and some 30 , 000 people driven fortli into exile ! Hundreds were condemned to ten years' confinement . Women were sentenced to
prison for having attended the wounded of both armies , without distinction of party . Liberals known for , or suspected of , republican sentiments , were subjected to flogging . Men had their beards ignominiously torn oft' , ancl their faces spit upon , by tTio court-martial myrmidons of tho Prince of Prussia . To what lengths the troops of tho Prince went at that time may bo seen from the report of an official Prussian gazette , in which it was calmly recorded that prisoners had been thrown from walls and taken , up Vy the bayonets of their tormentors . No wonder Baden resembled a vast charnel-house .
For yeavs , emigration from this land of blood con tinued , and at this moment—almost ton years after the events wo have described—tho population is actually less than it was in 1849 ! These were some of the exploits of tho Prince during the epoch of popular aspirations . After ho had finished his gory work , ho is said to have exclaimed with savago glee to those around him : — " Now , indeed , we have given Democracy something to hate us for ! " A prince of this promising pattern is a very ohoice material out of whioh to make a perfect constitutional ruler .
1100 T H E Xr E A De Fi. [No. 447, Octob...
1100 T H E Xr E A DE fi . [ No . 447 , October 16 , 1858 .
Political Fojreshadowings. Mr. Bkuob, M....
POLITICAL FOJRESHADOWINGS . Mr . Bkuob , M . P . —Mr . II . A . Bruce , M . P . for Morthyr Tydyil , addreasod the electora of that borough n few evenings ago . Ho entered at great length into a review pf the proceedings of last senaion , and then , alluding to the position of tho present Government at tlio cloao of the aeaaion , anid our position waa not a aat | af » etory one . We proaontod the spectacle of a pooplo under tho form
of a constitutional government governed by a party representing a small minority in the House of Commons . They might say the present Government was as liberal as ' the one that had been displaced . All they wanted were liberal measures , and it mattered little to them whether they were Whigs or Tories who proposed them . He believed Lord Stanley was a statesman belonging to no party ; Disraeli had no Opinion upon any subject , and was quite as capable of being a Liberal as a Tory ; Bulwer was a rebel ; and Sir John Pakington in favour of a reform policy . He ( Mr . Bruce ) was not a man to throw stones at another for changing his opinions when he saw the opinions he had traditionally expressed were opposed to the feelings of the age and to the progress of the cuuntrv . Referring to Mr . Roebuck and Mr . Bright ,
he said they were men of first-rate ability , but they wanted some elements of sound sense and temper , the absence of which made it impossible to give them that power which was given to others their inferiors in genius . They felt that they would never get into power , and also felt , so far as influence went , that they were as much entitled to power as others ; and they were thus encouraged to show their power by overthrowing Governments and bringing others in . Mr . Bruce said he had no objection to the payment of members of Parliament , but he thought the best men would not then be got , as men not qualified for the office of member would endeavour to obtain it for the sake of the money . He was in favour of an extension of the franchise , seeing the great spread of knowledge , but not for universal suffrage . He was not in favour of annual or triennial parliaments .
Mr . Palmer , M . P ., and Mr . P . Bouverip ; , M . P . — AtMaidenhead , last week , on the occasion of the meeting of the Berks Agricultural Association , Mr . Palmer , M . P ,, said he had observed that it had been the custom at several agricultural meetings of late for members of Parliament , or members of Government , to talk about the next session . Now , he must say , that he did not think it advisable to make any pledges as to the future . Let the measures brought forward be what they may , he would give to them his best consideration , and he trusted that his votes upon such might be as satisfactory to them as it would be to his own feelings . He would say nothing as to what might happen in the next Parliament . During the last session , which wasTiot a very lon « - one , but rather shorter than some he had been in
the habit of attending for some years past , there were some measures of great importance carried ., all of which he hoped would be attended with benefit to the country . Whether they agreed in politics or not , he felt that they could not do better than support the interests of those who bad favoured them with their confidence . —Mr . P . P . Bouverie , M . P ., said that since he had been elected one of the members for the county there had been a change of Government , but that had been followed by very little change in measures . The present was a Tory Government , j'et they had brought forward measures of a character similar * to those of the late Premier , Lord Palmerston , and it was from the fact of their adopting more advanced views than the Tories used to do that he ( Mr . Bouverie ) had on soveral occasions been enabled to give them his support .
Conservative Meetino at Norwich . — On Monday the anniversary of the Eldon Constitutional Club was attended by Sir Samuel Bignold , who ant as M . P . for Norwich from 1854 to 1857 , and Sir Henry Stracey , the late and probably the future Conservative candidate for East Norfolk . Sir Samuel Bignold congratulated the party on the accession of Lord Derby to office , and the satisfactory results which had followed the change of Government . Ho observed that a great deal had appeared in the public journals about tho intention of the Government to bring in a Reform Bill . But Lord Derby on the first evening on which ho took his seat on the Treasury bench made no pronusa to that gft ' ect . Ho simply said that the session of 1858 wna not a proper
time for the introduction of a Reform Bill , and that with respect to the future ho would give the subject his most mature and anxious consideration . Ho ( Sir S , Bignold ) was not aware that Lord Derby stood pledged to bring in a Reform Bill during the approaching sossion ; but if tho Government should bo of opinion that tho time had arrived for some changes in tho constitution of the country , ho for one should have much greater confidence in the changes enunciated by tho Karl of Derby thnh those proposed by Lord Pulmerston . — -Sir Henry Stracoy said ho believed tho coming Reform Bill would have a liberal tendency ; that it would tend to lowor tho franchise , and apportion tho representation moro to population . If tho bill at tho same time included tho Ballot ,
ho should be only too glad to support tho measure . The Conservatives had always re ^ ardod tho Ballot with horror , and ho must confess that no one could have had a stronger feeling on tho subject than himself . Considering that tho influence of property ought always to bo felt , and that it ought to be known exactly how property wan represented—that la to say , how puraona voted —ho had been of opinion that proporty would not havo its proper influence if voto by Ballot wna established . But ho had now had a certain amount of oxjiorlonoo in social and political life , and aa fur iia his experience wont ho bollevod tho Conservative cause would not bo injured by tho Ballot . If honesty waa to prevail without that abominable thing called tho " screw , " ho believed that
the Conservatives would in the end be the gainers . Of this he was quite sure that the present laws at any rate did not prevent corruption , which had been very general throughout the country . Could it be worse with the Ballot ? He doubted very much whether it would not be a great deal better , and he thought the Ballot was well worth a trial . Possibly some of the company might not agree with him on the subject , but he might remind them that Lord Stanley , who was a Government hi himself , had voted for the measure .
Mr . Bright , M . P . —A requisition has been presented to the Mayor of Birmingham for a public meeting to be held for the purpose of hearing an address from J . Bright , Esq ., M . P . for the borough . Sir J . Ratcliff fixed the evening of the 27 th instant for the meeting . An invitation to a public banquet has been sent to Mr . Bright , whose visit to Birmingham will be celebrated in an enthusiastic manner . Reform Conference . —The Northern Reform Union held a meeting at Newcastle on Tuesday . Mr . Cowen reported the results of hi 3 interviews with leading Reformers in London , Birmingham , Manchester , and other large towns . Mr . Reed gave the results of his" tour in the northern districts . Both statements were very sanguine . Mr . Cowen hit upon a real weakness in the tactics of the Reformers when he described their want of
organisation . Mkssrs . Hasbury asd Byng . —The members for Middlesex attended a meeting of the Local Agricultural Association on Wednesday , but their speeches touched very slightly on politics . Mr . Ilanbury , M . P ., congratulated the countr } ' that the war in India is happily concluded .- He said : "The treaty with China , which will lie alike great in its results to agriculture and commerce , is now settled , and the financial aspect of the country is most satisfactory . Her Majest 3 '' s Ministers may be
better employed than in making after-dinner speeches at agricultural dinners , and I think next session of Parliament will prove I am not in the wrong in that respect . " The Hon . G . Byng , M . P ., said : " Like many other members of Parliament ,-1 did not go to Cherbourg on our Queen ' s late visit , and therefore I cannot make bad jokes about theFrench people , which , permit me to say , I regret haying read and heard of , and which are not calculated to promote that cordial and generous intercourse that I wish nlways to see exist between two such great nations as England and France . "
Lord Dkrijy and Loud John . —In the Morning Herald we find the following put forth with an air of authority : — " AVe have seen during the last few weeks speculations propounded of new political combinations . Some of our contemporaries , supposed to be well informed , have supplied their readers with incidents to excite their political curiosity . The visit of Mr . Walpole to Jnland , with his lady and family , is fraught witli significance ; and the Earl of Derby " is represented to be in close conclave with Lord John Russell , discussing and arranging the clauses of the new Reform Bill . ^ The real circumstances are , that the hospitality of Knowsley is offered to some of the distinguished personages who are
visiting Liverpool this week in connexion with the Social Science Congress , and Lord and Lady John Russell and the Earl of Carlisle have accepted an invitation to visit the Earl and Countess of Derby . >\ e can state on tho highest anthoritity that no communication whatever , personally or in writing , throughtue Duke of Bedford , or through any other person , has taken place between Lord Derby and Lord John Russell having tho slightest reference to political subjects . U » o visit of the Earl of Carlisle , and Lord and Lady Jolm Russell , is personal and private ; anil the circumstantial dotuil of political conferences ; respcctin « tho Reform mil or any other subject is pure invention . "
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Ari'ROACiiiNG Eductions . — Tho elections for Leigato and Guildford will take place about the 21 st instant , nmi probably on tho same day . Tho only candidates toe t "" firmer borough nre Mr . Wilkinson and Mr . Monson , nnu for Guildford , Mr . Evelyn and Mr . G . Austin , njo whole of tho candidates profess Liberal principle * .. --- " is confidently atntcd in Kidderminster that Mr . Kiunicie » Palmer , Q . C ., will bo a candidate , for the representation of this borough in Parliament at t | io next gonoval oiettion , in opposition to the Right lion , Hubert Lowe , v , «>" now sita in tho House of Commons aa its member , iui . Palmer will bo supported by Lord Ward , who lias giunpolitical influence in tho borough in consequence ot » ' » oxtonsivu proporty there . Tho learned gentlomnn is <» intimate friund nnd associate of . Mr . ( Wwlritono , wi » whoso views , both in religion nnd politics , lie 0 Ilt " / coincides . Ho represented Plymouth in tho last 11 » - liament , but lost his scat at tho general election
1 H 57 . Rajah Drooich . — Tho HIrminghoin Chamber of CurnmoroB has had under consideration tlio proposal oi e »» J nines Brooke to tlio Ilrltlnh Govornniunl . resneciii b Sarawak , nnd havo ngrood to memorialIsu Parliament i inquire into tho ndvantngoa of this country taKing po » session of Sarawak . . Admiral Loitu Lyons ia lying dangerously 111 J « Armulol Castle . Tho lion . Mr . Lyons arrived ni » turday from Floronce , to po in attondunoo on Ills muitm father .
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Oct. 16, 1858, page 20, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_16101858/page/20/
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