Current:

Leader (1850-1860), 16th October 1858, Edition 1 of 2, Page 1100, Untitled Article

Page 1100
Page 20
20 of 32

On this page

  • Text (4)
  • 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.

      Untitled Article

      Prussia was appointed eommander-m-cluef of an army intended to reconquer the Palatinate and Baden for the King of Bavaria and the Grand-Duke . Several ' . corps , amounting in the aggregate to the colossal force of 80 , 000 troops , poured into the insurgent country from the north , west , and east Desperate struggles 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 Rastadt . 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 pi'isoners 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 .

      Inthe fosses of Jlnstadt , or the meadows of Friburg and Mannheim , victims unnumbered were slaughtered in . cool blood . Hundreds were killed without even going through the ghastly 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 aii 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 jM . von Trutzschler , the brave deputy-of the National

      Assembly at Frankfort ; Generals Tiedemauii and von Eiedenfeld , commanders at Itastadt ; Max Dprtu , the young enthusiastic champion of the popular cause j grey-headed Boening , the colonel of the volunteer legipn ; Mniewsky , major of the Polish auxiliaries ; Jacobi , commander , of some of the forts at Rastadt ; Heilig , major of artillery ; Professors Neff and Hofer ; Elsenhauns , the secretary in the ministry of war ; Streuber , communalcouncillor and president of the neo-Catholic community at Mannheim ; the Adjutants Janscn and Schade ; and others , whose patriotism 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 docs 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 forth into exile ! Hundreds were condemned to ten years' confinement . Women were sentenced to prison for having attended the wounded of both Liberals

      armies , without distinction of party , known for , or suspected of , republican sentiments , were subjected to flogging . Men had their benrds ignominiously torn off , and their faces spit upon , by tlie court-m ' artial myrmidons of the Prince of Prussia . To what lengths the' troops of the Prince went at that time may be 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 by the bayonets of their tormentors . No wonder Baden resembled a vast chai'ncl-housc .

      3 ? or years , emigration from this land of blood continued , and ' at this moment—almost ton years after the events we have described—the population is actually loss than it was in 1849 ! These were some of the exploits of tho Princo during the epoch of popular aspirations . After he had finished his gory work , ho is said to have exclaimed with savage glee to those around him : <—" Now , indeed , we nave given . Democracy something to batons for ! " A prince of this promising pattern is a , very choice material out of which to make a pcrfeot constitutional ruler .

      Untitled Article

      POLITICAL FOBESHAJDQWI ^ as . Mp . Bkuoe , M . P . — 'Mr . II . A . Bruce , M . P . for Merthyr Tydvll , addressed tho electors of that , borough a fow evenings ago . Ho entered at great length Into a rovlow of tho proceedings of last session , and then , alluding to tho position of the present Govern men t ftt tho closo of the session , fluid our position woa not n satisfactory one . Wo presented the spectacle of a people 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 measure ? , 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 op inions he had t raditionally expressed were opposed to the feelings of the age and to the progress of the country . 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 1 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 favuur 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 .

      Mit . Palmkk , M . r ., and Mr . P . Bouveijik , M . P . — At Maidenhead , 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 G overnment , 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 , an I he trusted that his votes upon such might bo as satisfactory to them as it would be to his own feeling * , lie wr > uld say nothing as to what might happen in the next Parliament . 'During the List session , which was not a very long ' one , but . rather shorter than some he had been in

      tiie haMt of attending for some years past , there were some measures of great importance carried , nil of which he hoped would " be . attended with benefit to the country . " Whether they agreed in politics or not , he IVlt that they could' not - do better than support the interests of tho .-. ' who had'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 u change of Government , but that had been followed by very little change in measures . The present was a Tory Government , yet they had brought forward measures of a character similar " to those of the late Premier , Lord Palmorston , and it was * from ' the fact of their adopting more advanced views than the Tories used to do that he ( Mr . Bouverie ) had on several occasions been enabled to give them his support .

      Conseuvativb Mkkting at Nonwicii . —On Monday the anniversary of the Kldon Constitutional Club was attended by Sir Samuel Bignold , who sat as M . P . for Norwich from 1851 to 1 S '> 7 , and Sir llonry Straeey , the late and probably the future Conservative candidate for Enst Norfolk . Sir Samuel BignoUl congratulated the party on tho accession of Lord Derby to oflicn , and the satisfactory results which had followed tho change of Government . Ho observed that a great deal had appeared in tho public journals about the intention of the Government to bring in a Reform Bill . But Lord Derby on t | io first evening on which ho took his sent on the Treasury bench mnde no promise to that effect . Hu simply said * that tho Hussion of 185 H was not a proper

      time for the introduction of a Reform " 13 ill , aji . l that with respect to tlio future ho would give tho subject his most mature and anxious consideration , lie ( Sir S . Bi ^ noM ) was not aware that Lord Durby stood pledged to bring in a Itefurni Bill during tho approaching session ; but if thu Government should bo of opinion that the time had arrived for soiho changes in the constitution of tho country , lie for ono should lwivo much greater conlUlonce in tho changes enunciated by tho Karl ( if Derby than those proposed by Lord Palmerston . —Sir Henry Strawy said lie believed tlio coming Reform Bill would have a liberal tendency ; that it would tend to lower tho franchise , mul apportion the representation more to population . Jftho bill at tho sumo time included the Ballot ,

      ho should be only too glad to support tho measure . The Consurvutivoa had always regarded tho Ballot , with horror , and ho must confess that no ono could have had a Stronger fueling on tho subject than himsuir . Considering that tho influence of property ought always to bo felt , and that it ought to bo known exactly how property was represented- —that In , to « a » lunv portions voted —ho had been of opinion that property would not have its proper influonco if vote by Ballot was established . But ho hnd now had a certain amount of experience in aoolul and political Ufo , and as fur aa Ills oxporionoo wont ho believed tho Conservative cause would not bo injured by tho Ballot . If honesty was to prevail without that abominable thing called tho screw , " ho b 0 llovod that

      •1?N-Ni7«Atta-Nr\I)Trttvt/. Pojjitioaij Fobesirladowljsos

      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 ? lie doubted very much whether it would not be a great deal better , and ho thought the' Ballot was well worth a trial . Possibly some of the company mHit not agree with him . on the subject , but he mi ght remind them that Lord Stanley , who was a Government in himself , had voted for the measure .

      Mr . Bkight , 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 . I * , for the borough . Sir J . Rateliff 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 . Rekoksi Conficisknck . —The Northern Reform Union held a meeting at Newcastle on Tuesday . Mr . Cowen reported the results of his interviews with leading Reformers in London , Birmingham , Manchester , and other large towns . Mr . Keed gave the results of liis 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 . Mkssks . HaniiuuV a : ; d Byxg . —The members fur Middlesex attended a meeting of the Local Agricultural Association on "Wednesday , but their speeches touched very slightly on politics . Mr . llanbury , M . l \ . congratulated the country that the . war in India -is happily concluded . He said : '' The treaty with China , which will be alike groat in its results to agriculture- and commerce , is now settled , and the financial aspect .- of- the- country is most satisfactory . Her Majesty ' s . Ministers may-lie

      better employed , than in making after-dinner speeches at agricultural dinners , and I think next se ^ ion of l ' arliament will prove I-ain ' not in the wrong in that respect . " The Hon . O . Iiyng , M . I ' ., said : " Like many other members of Parliament , 1 did not ir * ' i to ( 'herVuirir on our Queoii \ s lute . visit , ami thi'ivfore I cannot mako bad jokes about the French people , which , p . ; rrnit me to say ; I regret having read ami heard of . and which aiv not calculated to promote that corili . il and gcrsi- ' nius inter * course that I wish alwavs to m'c exist between two-such ifrpat . nations-as Knijhrml and l- ' nmce . "

      Loud Dkuhy and Loi : i > John . — In the -Murmur / IlvruUi we -find the following ' put forth -with an air of authority : — ' ¦ Wu have peon during the last few weeks speculations propounded of new political combinations . Some of our contemporaries , . supposed to be well infornied , have supplied their readers with inciilents to excite their political curiosity . The vi . Mt of Mr . AValpole to Ireland , with his lady and family , is fraught with . significance : and tho Karl of . Per . bv is represented to be in close

      conclave with Lord John Russell , discu ^ sins ami arranging t | ic el ' nuscs of the new Reform Bill . The real circumstances are , that the hospitality of Knowsley is offered to some . of the distinguished pcrsoiinfjes who are visiting Liverpool this week in connexion . with the Social Science Congress , and Lord , ami Lady John Russell and tho Karl of Carlisle have accepted ian invitation to visit tho Karl and Countess of Derby . »«

      can state on tho highest nuthoritity that no communication whatever , personally or in writing , throug h tlic Unite of IScdfor . l , or through any other person , lms taken place between Lord Derby and Lord John Kinsell having tho slightest reference to political subject * . llie visit of the Karl of Carlisle , and Lord and Lady . Join Russell , is personal and private ; and tho ciifiim-itinUlij detail of political conferences respecting thi « licl ' onn mn or nnv other subject is pure invention . "

      Untitled Article

      1100 ^_ _ THE LEADER . [ No . 447 , October 16 ,. 1858 ^

      Untitled Article

      An iii ) A < ihn < j Ki-kctions . — Tlio elections for Koi a ' ; ite and ( Sulldfonl will taku place about tho - . MM . inMant , nmi probably on tho . Mime day . Tho only candidates lor uw flrmer l . orou-h aro Mr . Wilkinson and Mr . -Monsoii , nn . i fur ( iullilforcl , Mr . Kvelyu and Mr . tJ . Au-tm . * " » wliolo of tho candidates prolWs Liberal priiieipl ' ' - . -- 'J is conluloi . lly stated in Kidderminster that Mr . 1 ;""" 7 Palmer , Q . C ., will bo a candidate for llio ivpru » i'iiU « uon of this borough in Parliament at tho no . st pnu ' i " UL tion , in opposition to tho l ! i h'ht Hon . Itoboit \ - " ** i "" now sits in tho llounu of ( . ' oinmoiirf as iti niuiiib .: ! . Palmur will be supported by Lord Ward , wh o hai "? . ,, political influonco in tho . borough in ouiisc . iiiencv o i ^ oxtciiMivo i > ro | iorty thon-. Tlio iuarno . l KenthMnan i « intininfo friend and associate ( if Mr . ( ihulstom , | whoso views , both in tvUixhm and politic , he v \ n » J coincide , * , lie ropio ^ utcl J'lynioutli In " '" . ' of liamont , but lo « L his boat at tho general clei -iwu Ib 57 . Rajah Buooki :. —The Blrminghnni Cham ber ol U > " " morco lias had und ' or conikluratloii tho l" " M l () H | 11 '' . , Jiiuup liroofco to thu Uriti .-h Govornmcnt r ^ ' «"' » Saruwak , and have agiW to mom orlnllMo I n | 1 " " " oa-Imiuiro into Hip adyantngos of fhlu emmtry tuunib i hc . iuIuji of Siiruwiik . til nt AmmiM . Loud Lyo . nh is lying dangoro ^ ly "' Arundol Ca » tlo . Tho Hon .. Mr . Lyoi . H « irr Ivw " J | a tuniny from l'loroiiee , to be In attcmhinco on »•» = »»"" father .

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Oct. 16, 1858, page 1100, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2264/page/20/