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ott> THE LEADEK, [No. 491. Aug. 2Q, 1859...
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THE NATIONAL WANTS
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BUMBLE ON THE BENCH
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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 Napoleon Triumph. Up To The Date Of ...
of Napoleon I . on its return from Marengo , Austerlitz , and Wagram . 'V The same journal adds , " The Emperor lias awakened in France the sentiment of great things , as he-has reopened the era of great military victories and of noble moral conquests . " The Emperor ' s own speech made no such allusions . It was a modest , self-denying utterance , as innocent as the address to the people when seeking their . suffrages for the Presidential election , and telling them , " I am not an ambitious man , dreaming of the Empire and of war . " In a spirit of good taste he confessed , " It was flattering to me , who had never commanded an army , to find so much obedience on the part of men who had great experience in warfare . " The generals got their fair asked
share of the credit of success , and all were not to forget what they had done together . " Leff the remembrance of obstacles overcome , of dangers eluded , of imperfections discovered , be ever present to your mind , for to the warrior past experience is science . " This was good advice , and should another French armybe sent forth to battle there is no reason to doubt that improvements of various kinds will show that the Emperor has not forgotten to act upon it . To our ¦ " warriors " . " past experience" may be '' science , " but our rulers turn much of their experience into folly ; and while no rational means of manning the navy have yet been devised , Parliament is _ gadding after grouse without providing or requiring from the Cabinet any comprehensive plan for enabling the people to assist in their own defence .
The -greatest admirers of the Empire have hitherto failed to see in it any signs of moral or intellectual progress , and unless the amnesty to all political opponents and the repeal of the warnings to the press should be the commencement of a change of character , history will not know it as a time when France brought any fresh energies of mind to bear upon the civilisation of Europe . To us it stands as an epoch of mental repression and material force ; and if it makes no
movement towards domestic liberty it must gratify national pride and occupy national feeling by the extent of its influence and interference with external concerns . A despotism as stupid and inert as that of Austria could not exist in France- —the Empire must be always doing and astonishing . For our parts we neither wish to bo done nor astonished ; but it is easy to see the Italian war has operated as a ferment , and in common with other countries we shall keep a look out for the new products which will be evolved .
Ott> The Leadek, [No. 491. Aug. 2q, 1859...
ott > THE LEADEK , [ No . 491 . Aug . 2 Q , 1859 .
The National Wants
once banish from their minds the absurd notion that they must coerce and fight seamen as the seamen are required to coerce and fig ht the national enemies . The nationalwant of willing-hearted men-of-war's seamen will not be remedied by the measure which closed the generally-worthless session of 1859 . It will undoubtedly increase the patronage of the Admiralty , ft will make registrars of seanien and paymasters at different ports necessary , it will increase clerks and officers of _ all kinds , in short it will add largely to the increasing bureaucracy , the dependants on "My Lords , " and not to the seamen of the empire . It will ho another faihire added to scores of failures made by Parliament every year . It and they suggest to us that there is a still more ^ important national want than even that of willinghearted seamen . The nation wants skilful , honest , vigorous-minded statesmen . The system existing in France is not the invention of Louis Napoleon . It dates from the first Empire , but wielded by his vigorous hand it is now alarming to us . Our Lords of the Admiralty , our Ministers generally , are terrified because they are not skilful adurinisrtrators and visrorousr-minded men like him .
Theyare not up-. to . their work , and the public is terrified not because the nation is _ powerlessi of defenceless , but because the Ministers , in relation to Louis Napoleon , are imbeciles . They only try htunbly to imitate what he does . He imparts life to every part of his administration , they only strangle the life they are appointed to nourish . He studies how to do a thing , they continually stufly how not to do the right thing . They are wonderful talkers , great intriguers , wasteful spendthrifts , but bad . administrators . The nation is : magnificently powerful * especially at sea , but its power is paralysed by its inefficient statesmen .
They themselves recognise the weakness , but they attribute it to the wrong cause . They get sulky beeatise they are not allowed , like Louis Napoleon , to have their own way . They suppose that he is energetic because he is despotic , while he is a despot because he is energetic . They , accordingly , like him , are enemies of the press , which gathers strength from the multitude , and would impart it to an energetic Government . They are the opponents of a wider franchise ; they are , in a manner , at war with the people ; they fancy it is their mission to keep them subordinate , to control and thwart -them , and they weaken the national power . They misunderstand its sources , and misuse it . They maintain the corrupt boroughs and the restricted franchise ,
through which the national power is diverted into the hands of worthless men . Parliament is not the representative of the national energies and the national wisdom , but of fblly , weakness , and corruption . They still believe that freedom is weakness , and that the French system would make them as skilful and strong as the Emperor . So they continually try , particularly as to maritime affairs , to make us as like the French as possible . They utterly disregard the principles of our national life , and imitate those of a backward and unsuccessful naval power . The great and real national want is of statesmen who understand the sources of our greatness , and will honestly and fearlessl y use them . The men who pretend to be the national leaders are decrcpid , old intriguers , who stand in the way .
THE NATIONAL WANTS . The nation wants a great naval reserve , and one of the last acts of thp Parliament was to sanction the expendittu-e of 600 , 000 ? ., nominally , to procure one . Caught by a sound , the press and the Parliament were almost unanimous in approving the measure . Yet the slightest examination must satisfy every man , that it is what the late Sir Robert Peel was wont to call a more vulgar expedient— -a vote , of money as a cure for a moral evil . The national want is of more willing-hearted seamen , and this 600 , 000 / . is to be devoted to giving retaining fees to coast guardsmen and seamen
already in existence . . Nothing is better known than the fact that tho number or men of every olass and condition will bo in proportion to the funds appropriated to maintain them . Thus the number or admirals and generals and ex-ohancellors is exceedingl y gi'eat , in consequence of the money voted for such people by Parliament . But to have those classes , retaining fees are not given to captains of morohant ships , rough-riding country squires , or London solicitors . Tho men supposed to bo wanted are highly rowarded . Tho same rulo holds good
for willing-hearted mon-of * wars seamen , and to have their services a greater number of them must bo well paid ; they will not bo got by giving retaining foes to other classes . For 600 , 0001 . per annum , atj 40 ; . per head , pay and provision—15 , 000 seamen , without costing one farthing more for officers or marine barracks , or oxta clerks and new registrars , or any other thing but tho one really wanted , may be had and always be at command . To lie sure , this implies that tho service cr ™? 0 made ivgreeablo to the people , that oven pw Charles Napier must go much further than ho lB W present willing to go , and must give up flogging t and tho Lords of tho Admiralty must give up au lands of arbitrary punishments , and must at
Bumble On The Bench
virtue are not one and the same . We strongly object to seeing a clergyman administering justice from the magisterial bench . Our objection is equally strong to seeing a judge delivering , sermons in a court of law . In addition ,-moreover , to our general prejudice against this system of legal sermonising , we have a peculiar objection to this attempt of Baron Braniwell to personate the double character of Solon and of Solomon . The part has been so well played before that we look with dissatisfaction on the efforts of an inferior performer . Lord Campbell was the heavy artillery of the moral-judicial force . The late Mr . Serjeant Adams was the light infantry . Both in their way were inimitable . Lord Campbell may hove been prosy , pompous , and not pellucid ; but still-in his prosinesis there was reason , and his want of logic was atoned for by common sense . Mr . Adams was eccentric , unreasonable—absurd if you likebut still he was at once original and amusing . Baron Bramwell , like all servile copyists , catches the faults of his models without their virtues . He is at once a feeble Campbell and a dull Adams . As long as Baron Bramwell confined himself to inculcating-moral advice on juvenile offenders , and dilating , to them on the i aesthetic and subjective aspects of the whipping , which infliction lie was about to decree for their especial benefit , we were content to leave him to the plaudits of his own satisfied moral sense . There is a limit , .-however , to human endurance , and Baron Bramwell lias ovorstept it . We eapect that before long some of our comic lecturers will announce a series of " Mornings with Baron Bramwell . " The scheme will be a sueetfssiul one if they can only obtain a succession or" such ' scenes as have distinguished the Baron ' s recent assize tour on the Western Circuit .
The brightest genius needs an opportunity tor its exhibition . The most inflammable of matches will not explode without friction , and Baron Bramwell only soar ' s , to the heights of absurdity when irritated by opposition . On Tuesday Just the Baron was in his glory . In the first , j'hiee , ; m attorney made-an application that his clioni ' s case might be postponed till the arrival . of the counsel engaged for his defence . There was an opportunity for the display of judicial impartiality— --an opportunity not unimproved . The refusal of the learned judge was decisive and unanswerable . He had stated peremptorily that he would . take all cases in their order , and ho was bound to keep hjo word . It is true that the promise was made to
himself . What of that ? A man who does not respect himself will never respect others . If you have promised yourself to dine at six , what base considerations of other people ' s interests will induce an honourable man to break his p lighted word ? The . law of the " Medcd and Persians ' " ttltereth not—neither do the resolutions of Bramwell . To this argument of the judge there avhs no reply , and the attorney felt that there was none ; so hq humbly suggested that , in the absence * of his counsel , he , who was the only person who knew anything of the matter , might state his client ' s ensc . Great was the indignation of the judge at such an iniquitous proposal . " Noht . tuun Irgcs Anglice mutare . " Lot a thousand clients perish before the fundamental principles of the English constitution arc * subverted and an attorney is
allowed to trespass on tho sacred privileged oi the bar . Upon this the attorney and his client disappeared into insignificance , and tho arena was lefb open for a new competitor . Bnron BramweU ' s appetite was onl y whetted , not satiatud : a new victim was ready for immolation . An unhappy juror had a scruple about taking tho oaths . This scruple , though Baron Br . unwell sooinu unaware of tho fact , is not quite novel or unparalleled . There have been oro now won worthy of all honour who have l ' ult like scruples , and yot objected to like oaths . No consideration of such an abstract kind had ' any weight m tliu scales of Bramwellian justice . Tlio ' scrupulous juryman was an ass , and must bo kicked nf ' tor the fashion of nssos . A man , according to tho Bnron a oi
BUMBLE ON THE BENCH . Baron Bramweix is tho living Bumble . Ho not only'awards punishment but lie also dispenses instruction . His advice , like that of" advertising apothecaries , is delivered gratis . Luckless is the wight who falls beneath the lash of the law in any case . Most pitiable of all is tho plight of those who arc not . only punished but lectured into the bargain . Tho judgment-sent of Baron Bramwoll is also a parochial ptilpit . Under his hands every oeoasion is improved . His sununing-ups savour of the tabernacle , and his sentences nro hxrdod with serious sentiments . A legal mosquito , ho not only stings but buzzes while ho stings . For our part wo like a man to stick to his trade . Wo should close dealings with a grocer who sent in our soap wrapt up in trabts . YVo should disinisa a washerwoman who mado out our washing bills in sonnets , or even in Tupporiaa hexameters . Now the trade of a judge is to enforce xnorality by punishment , not by precept . Law is good in its place . Preaching is good also , but the place and season for laying down the law and inouloating
opinions , who differs from the majority mankind on any point is wrong ; graeo lino nothing to do with oarthly matters ; and if anybody disttonts from this swooping statement , Bavon 13 ramwull hns no intention of arguing tho point , and ho mny keep his opinion to himself . All tho roousnrit juryman has said or oan say is said to Uo downright nonsense ; so ho is told that lie is unfit to servo on a jury , is ordered to get out of Iho , box as quick as ho oan , and in one and tho sanm
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Aug. 20, 1859, page 14, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_20081859/page/14/
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