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" T ;.V,« *„,,,. so. T85O-! THE LEADER. ...
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SATURDAY, APRIL 30, 1859.
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, There is nothing" so revolutionary, be...
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thousand men have already crossed Mont C...
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ford(City), Liverpool, Halifax, Canterbu...
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COST OF WAR. Our lato rapid progress in ...
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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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" T ;.V,« *„,,,. So. T85o-! The Leader. ...
" T ; . V , « *„ ,,,. so . T 85 O- ! THE LEADER . 561
Ad01708
SUBSCRIPTION TO " THE LEADER . " ONE GUINEA PER YEAR , UNSTAMPED , PREPAID . ( Delivered Gratis ) . ¦ NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS , xr ^ nnfice can be taken of anonymous correspondence . ^ Whatever ^ i ?" iutcnded for insertion roust be authenticated - SWSfmc and address of the writer , ™ t neoesiianly for publication , but as a guarantee of his good iaith . r * » a tmnnmtiblc'to acknowledge the mass of letters we rc"J &^^ Sclr insertion - is often delayed , owing to a press £ f matter- ' and when omitted , it is frequently from reason ^ quite independent of the merits of the comniumcawSnndt undertake to return rejected communications . OFFICE , NO . , CATHERINE-STREET , STRAND , W . C .,
Ar01706
Saturday, April 30, 1859.
SATURDAY , APRIL 30 , 1859 .
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, There Is Nothing" So Revolutionary, Be...
, There is nothing" so revolutionary , because there is nothing so'unnatural and convulsive , as the strain to keep things fixed when all tho world is by the very law of its creation in eternal progress . —Dr . AitNOtD .
Thousand Men Have Already Crossed Mont C...
thousand men have already crossed Mont Cenis ; and still lar «; er bodies of troops have arrived at Genoa from Toulon . The road over the Alps is still , liable to partial interruption by snow , but the splendid steam licet of Prance enables her to transport in fourteen hours battalion after battalion from the shores of Provence to those of Piedmont . The line of railway from Genoa to Allessfindria- and JSTovi , though passing near the Austrian frontier ,, is protected by the Po , on the westward bank of which Durando ' s corps is stationed . Fifty thousand French bayonets Avill be available . to support him , . Un necessary , by the
be-WAR IN ITALY . The die is cast . Austria , having rashly , thrown down the glove , would fain withdraw it again , under the admonition of England and Prussia . But it is now too late . Summarily menaced to disarm within three days , or abide the dernier ressort , Piedmont has appealed to France for succour , and the appeal has been answered in the manner which might have been expected . J ^ ouis jN " apoleon declares his intention of raising a" loan of . £ 20 , 000 , 000 , to meet the exigencies of the occasion ; and two divisions of the army of the Alps are already on their way to Ital } % Several
ginning of next week ; and in the lace of such a force the passage of the great river may be regarded as impossible . Alfcssandrin has , during the last live years , been greatly strengthened ; and it is now in a state fully equal to sustain a pi'Otractod siege . The southern frontier of Piedmont may therefore bo regarded as safo , while upon the other side of the territorial demarcation lies 1 ' nrma , with a population thoroughly disaffected to its deputy Austrian ruler . -. Northward , however along the line of the Ticino , tho little constitutional kingdom is more exposed ; and had the Austrian ® on Tuesday last crossed
on Thursday , that the Austrians had crossed the Ticino , was , to say the least of it , premature . We learn , indeed , that the Cabinet of Vienna , awakeninor from its dream of precipitation , is now anxious to set itself right with the Governments of Prussia and Great Britain , by accepting the offers of mediation on the' basis of an armistice made by the latter . Louis Napoleon , however , will not now forego his advantage . His day dream , Since he has been UDon the throne , is to lpad a great army
in the field . " Whatever we may think of the sincerity of his professed motives , it must be owned that the occasion is a tempting one for the gratification of personal ambition . On the day he crosses the Alps he will be received by a nation of 24 , 000 , 000 as a deliverer . He will appear surrounded by the most brilliant staff in Europe , at the head of an admirably-appointed and highlydisciplined army of 120 , 000 men . He may disclaim all desire of propagandism Or of revolution , but the effect of his presence , from the Vale of Aosta to the Gulf of Salerno , will be electrical . To rid a noble country of a hated oppressor is a to
work worthy of a chivalrous prince ; ana aefeat and humiliate the old hereditary enemy of France , is an object to which no French ruler can be indifferent . We need not say how thoroughly we ourselves distrust all this splendid show of generosity and heroism . We have never had a doubt , and we have no doubt now , that beside the immediate desire of personal distinction , Napoleon III . cherishes designs of political aggrandizement which will ere long become apparent . Even without the fact of a military convention having
been concluded by him with the Czar with the express view of paralysing the action of Germany , we should believe in the existence of very serious danger to the equilibrium of Europe were French arms to gain a rapid : and complete ascendancy in the Lombard plains . Considering , however , the enormous strength of the fortresses held by Austria , and the number and discipline of her armies in Italy , we venture to think it far from probable that the issue will be speedily or . easily decided . Therein lies the safety of Europe ; and hence the manifest policy for us of biding our time .
No little misconception has , we believe , been caused by the hasty promulgation of an erroneous version of the alleged treaty between France and Russia . The Court of St . Petersburg would , doubtless , like to punish that-of Austria for its conduct during the Russian war ; and it would probably relish extremely the spectacle of its old rival engaged in deadly conflict with . France , because it would be left free to pursue unchecked its own designs in the Principalities , Greece , and Turkey . But the Russians are too accomplished diplomatists to drive England into active cooperation with Austria ; and we shall never believe the existence of an offensive and defensive alliance ,
as has been erroneously asserted to have been made with France , unless this country shall madly provoke such an act by openly siding with Austria . Russia has everything to gain by aiding and abettin g Piedmont , and by stimulating insiduously Louis Napoleon ' s ambition . He has also much to gain b y the debilitation of Austria ; and if , out of an Italian campaign between the two great military powers of central Europe , opportunities shall arise for Russia to recover somewhat of her lost prestige , it will be for England well to look after her . Hut , at present , no such opportunity is nppairent ; and Russia has everything to lose and little to gain by a rupture with England . We cling to tho belief that she will not risk it ; and tho convention she is said to have agreed to has
only boon intended to hold Prussia in check , and thus practically to limit the impending war to Italy . How rapidly such an understancling with Franco might and would in all probability ripen into more intimate and more dangerous relations , if England were betrayed into tho lolly of rashly interposing by arms in tho present stage of tho quarrel , wo need hardly say .
the river , as they threatened to do , at BufTalora , they wight , by forced marches , have reached Turin , before it might have boon possible to nutter any force sufficient to oppose them . But if such a stroke was ovor roully contemplated , which thorp arc strategics reasons for considering doubtful , it seems certain that the opportunity has now boon lost . It would be littjo short . of insanity for tho Austrian general to risk such a movement , now that he has in front' a French army whoso advanced corps already lies between Susa and tho capital , and on his ilank another Mmy advancing northward from Genoa . The announcement made by telegram from the Borue ,
Ford(City), Liverpool, Halifax, Canterbu...
ford ( City ) , Liverpool , Halifax , Canterbury , Exeter , Shrewsbury , Rochdale , and Stockport , besides the ordinary numberof nomination boroughs ; have reelected in almost every case their former members without a contest : but these , after all , are but a minority of the whole list ; and in the majority of towns sending members to Parliament , sharp and generally costly stru"o-les have taken place . The affair at Marylebone hardly deserves any serious notice . It is evident that Lord Stanley ' s name was put forward without his sanction , and that the Conservative portion of hi £ constituency would noit obey _ unauthorised admirer
random whistle of a rash and of the noble lord . The conflicts in Firisbury and Southwark , at Greenwich aud Manchester , have been between Liberals of various shades of opinion not always nicely distinguishable . The electoral controversies raised at Bristol , Nottingham , Hull , Yarmouth , Norwich , Cambridge , Brighton , Portsmouth , Weymouth , and Bath , partake essentially of the old party character , which so long signalised similar disputes in these places . The balance of gains over losses in , the larger towns is decidedly in favour of the Liberals . In the smaller boroughs the case will be noto
found to be different . Great efforts have - riously been made by the managers on the Ministerial side ,-and it must not be forgotten that the overhanging threat of disfranchisement has exercised a powerful influence over constituencies limited in number- Putting aside the returns for counties , which will come next week , and those for Ireland and Scotland , we are disposed to regard the Conservative gain as amountino- to somewhat about twenty seats , which would make a difference of forty in a division . How far this will enable Lord Derby and his colleagues to withstand the future attacks of the Opposition , must be left to fortn the subject of IHidsummer night ' s dream .
From the tone of the . proceedings at the nomination for the City of London , it may be inferred that the prevailing opinion in the City , among leading mercantile men , is , that a change of Ministers , should it occur during the next three months , would place the conduct of affairs m the hands of Lord John . Russell , provided he can obtain the co-operation of men like Loi ; d Palmereston and Mr . Gladstone . We very much doubt , how- , ever , the probability of such a result . The Court naturally clings to those advisers in whose foreign policy it is disposed to place more confidence at a juncture like the present than in that of Cambridge House or Chesham-place .
Unless Lord John is prepared to go in to win upon Reform , wo do not believe that he can snatch the prize from his antagonists this year . His utmost he can bid in foreign policy , after ins recent speeches in the City , will be the observance of an impartial and even cold neutrality . This maybe right , as a dictate of prudence and duty ; but it is not the flag under which a great party can be rallied to fight for victory , and it is not that under which victory is likely to be won .
THE BO ROUGH ELECTIONS . Many of the borough elections are now over , and by the time those linos moot tho reader ' s oyo , nearly all of thorn , as far as England and Wales are concerned , will bo so . Thoro have boon a greater number of contests than usual . London , Westminster , Laniboth , Hertford , Kendal , King ' s Lynn , Sheffield , Worcester , Wolverhamptoii , Ox-
Cost Of War. Our Lato Rapid Progress In ...
COST OF WAR . Our lato rapid progress in peace , -and under free trade , has revealed to us , far better than we knew before , the enormous cost of war . Unless we form some idea of tho probable and magnificent progress of society , when unrestrained by cruel fiscal regulations , and undestroyed by still more cruel sword slaughterings , wo cannot have even a faint coneeptidn of the mischief caused by war . On the one hand , figures of finance merely indicate what a Government expends in armaments ; and in modern times a groat part of this sum goet * to pay , with a profit , agriculturists and manufacturers and merchants who supply provisions , ammunition , and arms ; and thoso classes ol men , with their servants and dependants , may bo enriched by war . So far society may soom partially , and even financially , benefited . On the other hand , in modern times all warn are ournod on by loans , which impose a lasting burden on industry , and while it endures they injuro tho common wealth . Loans tax and dognvcle tho multitude , and enrich a few . Making these preliminary remarks in order to guard our readers against expecting too precise a view , wo shall state briefly the apparent financial cost of war , as exemplified by the expenditure of Government . At present our National Debt , funded and un
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), April 30, 1859, page 17, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_30041859/page/17/
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