MR. COBDEN ON THE WAR.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VI, Issue 372, 28 May 1856, Page 9

MR. COBDEN ON THE WAR.

(From London Correspondent of ' Sydney M.. Herald.' Mv Cobden has published another pamphlet on the wur, which under the title of " What next? and Next?" "fives sundry reasons why we should immediately make peace. Mr. Cobden, as a iprophel, is notoriously without c-redit, and Mr. Cobden, as a politician, has, in this instance, not more distinguished himself. Without entering into the merits of the quarrel between us and Russia, Mr. Cobden insists that the moment has arrived when " the most strenous supporters of tlie war, and the most ardent advocates of peace" will agree as to the desirability of a cessation of hostilities, I cannot pretend to give you even an outline of Mr Cobden's argument, which is us plausible, onesided, and disingenuous as is the want of Mr. FCobden ; but the gist of his reasoning is, that, inasmuch as Russia is too strong for the Allies, they should make peace ; and inasmuch as we c mnot conquer, we must yield. Tlie expedition t'> the Crimea he calls "a leap in the dark.'' In two years we have lost more men than Napoleon in his Russian campaign, and yet Sebastapol "is not wholly in our power." We have clearly undertaken a task too great for us-, therefore, xve should yield. Secondly, assuming that we drive the Russians out of the Crimea, we must either keep it or abandon it. If we keep it, we shall require an army ot occupation —therefore let m make, peace. Thirdly, if we wiihilraw our armies and oe content with a

ii;uai blockade, Russia will resume ber aggressions by land on Turkey, and rccomju'iise

herself for the loss of the Crimea by fresh conquests. To avert such a result — lei us make peace. Fourthly, let the allies be ever so successful—let every Russian fortress within fifty miles of the sea be in our power, let Georgia and the Caucasus be recovered, we cannot seize Moscow " the capital of the Czars, with its seven miles of suburb and city, interspersed with gardens and trees ; its green roofs of sheet iron gleaming to the sun ; the hundreds of cupolas, flashing with gold, deep blue or green, spangled with stars, and surmounted with the Greek cross, from which ban}? heavy gilt chains, looped gracefully to the circumference of the cupola ; and crowning all, that picturesque cluster of palaces, churches, and monuments, the Kremtin."v For this reason and because of the beauty of Moscow, its green roofs, Greek crosses, spangles, and cupolas—the allies must yield, and leave Turkey to her fate. Fifthly, Russia being a protectionist country, can feed herself and carry on her trade, even though the whole world be in arms against her—therefore, we must give in. Therefore, for all these, and a great many more equally exquisite reasons, it is Mr. Cobtlen's opinion, that we should seek " above all things, to withdraw every British soldier from Russian territory." Only one thing is necessary to the success of this notable proposal, and to the attainment of peace, which is, simply, that all Russian soldiers should likewise be withdrawn, from foreign territory, and that the Russian Emperor should be trusted to keep them withdrawn.

I am happy to say I do not believe there is any party in England, so wicked, or so foolish, as to desire peace upon the conditions that Mr. Cobdeu recommends, nor upon any terms that would leave Russia mistress of the field, and arbiter of the future of Turkey. Heavy as is the burden of the war upon all classes, they are borne with the utmost cheerfulness, and there is no sign whatever of weariness, nor any prospect of" giving in.''