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Leader (1850-1860), 14th January 1860, Edition 2 of 2, Page 15, LITEEATITRE.

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      Letter Erom Germany. Hanover, January St...

      be . The very name of Austria is an execration among all Russians with whom I corne in contact . This week a conference of the north-western States will be held at Berlin ,. to cpnsicler the best means to provide for the defence of the coasts of the Baltic and North Sea . Some doubts are entertained whether Hanover will take part in this Conference , owing- to the fact that tie question is already under the notice of the Federal Diet , and to which Hanover and other States would rather confine it . It is evident that Hanover regards Prussia with a very jealous eye , and strongly objects to her taking- the initiative in this or any other

      Federal question . It is tolerably clear that the Hohenzollerns have become masters of the " Bund , " arid remain so , in spite of the efforts of Austria , Saxony , Hessia , and Hanover . However deplorable an intestine war would be , it is but natural that these ancient dynasties should struggle fiercely against the overgrown influence of their comparatively modern rival ; Saxony more especially recollecting the narrow escape she had from utter annihilation in 1815 , when Lord CastIiEbeagh declared it to be his aim to annex Saxony to Prussia , however much lie might regret to destroy so ancient and honourable a dynasty as that of Saxony , ~

      , The "Vienna journals are occupied chiefly -withthe discussion of the three Imperial patents lately published upon the subject of the national debt , the regulation of the licences for trades and handicrafts , < fcc . The reforms introduced by these edicts are regarded as an earnest of the more extensive reforms promised to be completed by August of this year . The reforms are to appear at intervals , and bit by bit . The extension of the Protestant agitation in Hungary , which has been joined by nine tenths of the whole population ; the occurrences at Pesth , the military reinforcements which are being despatched from Vienna to Hungary , —these arid many other ciiv cuiristances sufficiently proyp that there is something more than the mere factiousoutbreaks of students : spurred on by discontented Mairvar nobles , as the offieial journals would make the world the official be correct

      believe . Yet , after al ] , press may quite . Perhaps the "Liberals and Protestants have made a mountain of a mole-hill .. Governments that will gag the public press must be prepared to suffer ' more from underhand falsehoods than from open truths . The Austrian press is forbidden to speak the truth , but other journals - are not prevented thereby from reporting the facts , or what mav be mere travellers ' , tales . However , there appears to be sufficient " foundation for the belief that a very dangerous agitation exists in-Hungary ,-which requires all the wisdom-arid-energy of the Austrian rulers to keep from bursting into civil war . The agitation combines three elements , each dangerous- enough in itself , viz ., the ecclesiastical , the political , and the national , but , the lust is the mainspring of the other two . I have already pointed put to vour readers the . real cause of this . ' cry ' for separate nationality .

      The political and religious disputes are mere excrescences , growing out of the desire for independence , in opposition to the Germanizing attempts which have been made against them these many years past by the Cabinet of Vienna . The Government has sought to force-the language of about two millions of Germans upon fourteen millions of Hungarians' and neighbouring Sclavonians—in the schools , in the administration of justice , wherever , in fact , the influence of the ofliciuls extended . For this the German population wex-e not to blame . Hud t . he propagation of the German proceeded from the people , it would have been legitimate and inoffensive to tiie mass of the people , who would have received it for the sake of convenience , as has been the case in other quarters . The Government is beginning now to perceive the decree

      sibauydity of the propaganda , and would retrace its steps , A has . just been publi . shod in the Oravow G-azeHe ordering justice to be administered in tho language of the country , and Calling upon the officials to employ , in all their transactions , tho language of the people among . . whom they reside . . This is now done to . isolate the Hungarians as much as possible , by removing the chief cau ; so of discontent among the surrounding nationalities . Tho movement nv Hungary appears to bo at this moment exclusively eeclosiastica ] . The congregation of Debi-eczin has not only adopted tho petition ag . 'iinst tho imperial Patent ; but further , and of their-own" accord , have resolved upon informing the authorities , by letter , of their determination not to obey its prescriptions , Other congregations have acted hi a similar manner . Tho Dele / in ' of Temesvar gives

      tho following- account of an afl ' air vvhich has been exaggerated considerably . On tho 2 (> th ul ' fc . tho Evangelical . Protestants of Tcmosvur hold , an electoral conyenfc , which was very numerously attended . They had mot to elect according to custom certain ofnecra for tho management of the affairs of their community , Their pastor , however , required them to conduct t ) io election according to the Imperial Putenb . Tliis nil but twenty refused to do , and loft tho church in a body . The remaining twenty eVotors thon declared that they wove us much opposed to tho Imperial Pat out as their brethren ; but as the officer of iuwpeotor ami cashier wore vncanb , and as confusion might cnauo if they long continued so , thoy would elect under tho express declaration that the election ^ did not take place in obedience to the Imperial Mandate , bub from sheer necessity . _

      . . . .... „ Tho Hanoverian Chambers opened on the Srd . inst . Tho Government domandod ono million live hundred thousand thulers for railways , ' ivnd a credit for the military department , ns likowiso a grant ' for the , " purpose of erecting a new arsenal . Tup Kail way whioh in to unite Hanover and Bremen with their ports of Qoosto-Mundo-and . Bromerhafen has boon commenced , but advances at a very alow rate . Tho natives jocularly allow ton years for its completion . Ton years the Governments of Hanover and Broinon took to consider about it . *

      Letter Erom Germany. Hanover, January St...

      CHINA AND JAPAN . * SO many , events , of -startling 1 importance havebeen crowded into the history of British relations with the East since the spring of ISp 7 , that it woxild be hardly safe to assume that the reader will recollect exactly the circumstances of Lord Elgin ' s Mission to China , of which Mr . Laurence OH pliant was destined to be the historiographer . The famous quarrel with Commissioner Yeh arising out of the capture of the " Arrow" lorcha occurred in the previous antumn . War in the Canton river was the consequence ; but the forces on the spot being too weak for an attack on Canton , an English expeditionary corps of five thousand men was despatched . The hour of the Chinese Emperor ' s humiliation being clearly at hand , not only England , but France , Russia , and the United States determined to send

      plenipotentiaries to take , advantage of a time so favourable for extorting treaties . Lord Elgin accordingly started with his " secretary , " Mr . Oliphant , and a numerous train ; but while they were actually upon their route the great rebellion suddenly burst over the heads of the Anglo-Indian Government , and our troops only arrived in China to be sent to Calcutta with all speed . The gentlemen of the Chinese Mission , who had left their countrymen at home talking of little else but Commissioner Yeh and a march to Pekin , suddenly found themselves sur le pdvd , and ' of no importance whatever in the exciting budgets of Oriental news . They accordingly sailed for Calcutta in the hope of being able to lend a hand to their suffering hurricaneLord

      countrymen ; but Calcutta itself escaped the great . Elg in returned to Hong Kong ; troops at length were spared , and in December opei'ations against Canton were recommenced . Mr . Oliphant was an eye-witness , and bad " a splendid view" of the bombardment . He saw ; the . ¦ usual ridiculously feeble resistance of the Chinese , and the customary vigorous assaults of the British and French--the regular amount of slaughter , in picking off " " scampering Chinamen with Minie rifles , shell-dropping in various parts of the city , and burning of whole quarters of the suburbs . " The result was of course the capture of Canton , finally crowned by the capture of the refractory Commissioner Yeh himself .

      Satisfied with this . first step iii the " chastisement " of the Celestials , Lord Elgin now wended his way northward , and , having collected a force of ii . 'teen vessels of war and gunboats at the month of the Peiho river ( since become so . famous ) , xt was determined , in conjunction with oivr allies , to inake a mc ^ veinent-up the-river " of a nvi * ed hostile and diplomatic character . " It is of interest fco read again hi Mr . Oiiphant ' s narrative the story of the bombardment and capture of those very forts which so recently baffled our .. admiral , a ^ nd helped the Chinese to their first victory over British forces . The Chinese had on this occasion attempted to cheek our advance , not by stakes , but by bamboo-cables buoyed across the river . These , however , one of our-steam vessels , the •' Cormorant , " soon broke through , and then concentrating a tremendous fire upon the northern forts , succeeded in silencing them in fifteen minuted . Ihe

      southern forts did better , the Tartars who defended them standing to their guns more stedfaatly than w : \ s anticipated . The storming parties , however , completed tho success of our attack . The Chinese not anticipating them , were taken by surprise , and fled . " Not above two hundred in all , " says Mr . Oliphant , " were killed . " The English as ' usual , attained these results with small cost—one killed and three wounded being the sum total . It seems difficult to beli ' that these were the very forts , defended by Tartar troops in both cases , which since repulsed our vessels with a destructiveness and a carnage so complete . Mr . O ' . iphant accounts for the ditieren , oe by the fact , that our sailors had in the latter instance-to cross a " -reater distance of mud , and that the garrison-this time , expectr iii" - us to hind and storm as wo Jiad done before , were prepared for us on the land side . But it must be obvious to any one who remembers tho facts of the unsuccessful attack , that those reasons are inadequate to account for our disasters . In the first enso , - althouirh the Chinese defences und their guns proved to bo admirable , manned execution

      —and they were certainly not uisumciently — -me done by them was ridiculously small . Nor was tho fire ot their numerous girigaHs upon ouv meu leriS innocuous . But m Ul ° second ease , so well directed was their practice , that pcaro « a vowel of our small licet escaped destruction ; so sharp and murderous was their lire , that our men found it impossible to advance under-it , and tho result was a destruction of life among the attacking party , as compared with their numbers , altogether unparalleled . ' It is-1 impossible to resist tho conohision , that the host troops in the service of tho Emperor have begun to perceive that they must talco some hints in the' military a » t from their invaders . With lie Chinese , improvement in their fighting powers is a matter ot 1 U 0 and death , and there may bo circumstances which will sharpen tlio military wits oven of the most •« nnprogTOssivo " people . A ho excel , lonee of their defences , their bomb-proof chambers , their guns , san < - bag-battevios , canister shot , and " beautifully made roqketH , atwuolc the storming party with surprise on their Uikiiifir possession . It is evident thatalthough we have hitherto beaten tho OhmoHO with an

      , ease which rendered our attacks scarcely any thing but moro bujohory , very little would bo wanted entirely . to change the ace o things . The Chinese havo appeared cowardly because , h \ m all ul-dincipiinca troops , they have boon subject to panicH ^ uulor n roguInr . and » U . lfiil attacje . Observation of tho Mutticft of thoironomios . ahttlo dwoipJmt ,

      Jan. 14, ¦ -18.60.J The Leader Ana Satur...

      Jan . 14 , ¦ -18 . 60 . j The Leader ana Saturday Analyst . 43

      Liteeatitre.

      LITEEATITRE .

      * Nnrrativo Of Tho Marl Of Eluhjs Mlmon ...

      * Nnrrativo of tho Marl of EluhJs Mlmon to Vfihux " » ' / / ' /" '' 7 % ' /'" irriraiw"t f Bytfturonoo Oliphant , Private tfoorotnry to Uwd Wlfflu . jjlaoluvo ' od and Sons .

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Jan. 14, 1860, page 15, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_14011860/page/15/