OUR LONDON LETTER.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5255, 26 January 1878, Page 1 (Supplement)

OUR LONDON LETTER.

(from odr own correspondent.) London, December 13, The fall of Plevna, so long awaited, came at the end a complete surprise to military critics in this country.X am told that at the United , Service Institution, after Mr. Archibald ’ Forbes’ recent lecture there, a discussion ensued between some of the most distinguished of ' our officers, on the prospects of the siege,. - ’ ' and that the general opinion was that the re- !■"■ ■■ sources of the defence were very far from being exhausted, and that Osman might hold his own : | ■ comfortably enough, at the cost of enormous suffering and loss to the more exposed Russian - army, for several months yet. But _m all calculations on the subject the principal factor , .-was wanting 1 . , No one knew what stores of provisions the Turkish commander had been , able to lay in. In a letter published by The Times five or six days ago, the writer stated, that, through his telescope, he had seen several r hundred cattle tranquilly grazing in a meadow well within the works. This, at all events, stowed that the garrison were not yet as bad as reported, reduced to living on boiled Indian ■ -!- ( corn. But it proved no more. It requires a ' g rea t many cattle to give 40,000 men a beefsteak a day each for a month. At the end, ■’ Osman was impelled to make one supreme 1 effort to break through the lines in which Todlehen had enclosed him, by not m-w'” supplies, but the knowledge tiiat no.mm, w .. ■ to be expected from Sulieman’s or Mehemet’s attempts to rescue him. -There is an excellent . ? r sketch map in to-day’s Times, enclosed in their special correspondent’s letter of the 4th, six days before the sortie. It will enable you, • read by' the light of the telegram in the Daily • News, also of to-day, to understand the method 1 ; o£ Osman’s attempt. On the night of the 9th .(,,( he quietly; withdrew his troops from the works in front of Skobeleff, not so quietly, however, -'I- fact, and'at'once occupied them. In- the morning he, directed a feigned attack on ’ ’ n i as if his intention were to break out '•"-''towards Widdih. But the main Turkish force was directed to the bridge across the Vid and on the main road to Sophia. The momentum with which the attack on the Russian lines was delivered must have been tremendous, i • Three regiments of Grenadiers of the Guard are said to have been almost annihilated, Eight Russian cannon were captured. The first line of investment was broken through. But the Russians, who were not unprepared for the attempt, had heavy reinforcements close at ■’ hand ; and it is possible that the force of Os- ' man’s movement may have been checked by ‘7" his determination to carry his artillery and baggage train with him. The Russian Guard coming up, charged the Turks with the bayonet, and after afierce struggle, in which ■ Osman himself was wounded in the foot, bis i armyiwaa driven back into.the valley of the Vid. Meantime, Skobeleff had occupied position after position in his rear, and nothing remained for the gallant soldier except surrender. He had fought a great fight. There is none greater of its kind in all military history. Out of an open utterly unfortified country town, .he made , a stronghold so formidable that by its means he kept the whole armed force of Russia - pinned to the ground in front .-of .him foy.nearly six months. He does not Be em to have ever had more than 40,000 men under bis command ; and. 40,000 is said to be the number now surrendered. With this force, so well handled, and so well saved, he has in- - llicted losses on the Russian army that certainly would be rmder-estimated at 40,000 killed and wounded. In these days of enormous armies and weapons of long range, it is well to see such a proof that valor and genius have not lost their ascendancy in war. If thishveht had happened, as it might have happened, in August, or even two months ago, the Czar might now be taking his ease at Adriahople, instead of returning to St. Petersburg. But in the further issues of the campaign the weather will probably be for some little time a host added to the Turkish side. The state of the - Danube, the condition of the . - : roads across the Balkans, will have to be carem ,■! fully considered in any forward movement. A. ’ storm on the river, or a heavy fall of snow on the bills, might be the cause of unlimited disaster. . So there is the hope that there may be such an - enforced pause in military operations as may give diplomacy an opportunity of intervening. Opinion, even on this point, is ' however, I must Say, very divided, and in consequence irresolute. It is generally supposed that 1 her Majesty’s Ministers'are as much - —:7aivide<ras""her Majesty’s subject 3. Sir .Stafford ’ Nbrthcote and .Mr. Hardy, who have spoken • ’ - on : Several occasions during the last month,' ‘ have been exceedingly cautious. But only ~.. -last night the Postmaster-General, Lord John 1 -/.'Manners, made a speech at Grantham, which ' is probably the first sign of the assumption of ' a bolder front. After referring rather scornfully to those who suppose that “ whatever the '■ 1 ■' 'pretensions of Russia they will only he met ; by - paper protests on the part of the Govern- . ment of England,” he goes on: “Gentle- ■ . men, I trust - that, ns I have said, peace’may be : ' obtained—peace on the conditions which we , . have .laid down , in Lord Derby’s despatch of the 6th of May; but, gentlemen, whether for - the causes to which I have referred, or from ,:i ll!! any other fcause, if these should not be res- •<; pected-T-if, unfortunately, in spite of all the earnest efforts of her Majesty’s Government to ' , -|! keep ; this country out of war, it should he i, mfecessary. in-the vindication of Imperial in- " terests and national honor to unsheath: the ' -‘ Sword; ■ then, gentlemen,' I am expressing not . an individual feeling hut the feeling of a united 'people when I say that, once , unsheathed in-such a cause, that sword must ■ "" never return to its scabbard until it be en- -: •-' twined with the laurel of unquestioned victory r and the lily of lasting peace.” These be brave i . words. l am disposed to think they were not spoken without serious premeditation. Lord John Manners is not one of the greater powers of the Cabinet, but there is no man in it who ■ ■ is so - completely is the Prime Minister’s con- • fidence. The friendship, which arose between them in the early days of Young England, - has .only become closer as., years have . passed,: so that of this Grantham speech it is ' ; quite 'safe to say that it is entirely in accord- , ance with Lord Beaconsfield’s mind. Does R, however, follow that England a diplomatic iri- ■ tervention would inevitably lead,/the country ' into war?' It,is to be very much feared that it would. ; Intervention in a matter of this sort i.s not like ati Alabama arbitration. Lord Beacbnsfield a month ago stated his profound „! belief in the Czar’s word of honor that lie did . .not mean/to-annex any Turkish' territory.' •' But the world at large is disposed to believe - 'that the Caw means, if he possibly can,, to an■V nex Armenia as far as Ezeroum, or if possible > > down!'Sven to Sinope. Annexation in that region concerns England almost as nduch as , i ; .Turkey. If Russia, means it, protocols 'won'tprevent her. It is a serious outlook, for • ’ Europe at large never was in a more dis- : cordant 11 state. ' Germany supports Russia. Italy follows the lead of Germany. Austria ' hesitates* ; France is simply para--1 ' ' lyzdd.’’‘The other States are of no account. •. Republican institutions arc certainly on their ~ .. trial both/in Prance and the United States. In the United States a majority of both the : Houses of Congress are in favor of returning : to a silver standard of .money, and paying the ' " public creditor in coin, of , which the (jommer- ’ cial - value'will he some 15 or 20 per cent, less than its legal value. It is very wrong, 1 it is <■ ”; 1 very' dishonest,. it is a ..great pity that the majority of the representatives of a great nation should, imagine it could derive any real advau- ' ' ,tage'froin a course so’unrighteous. - But from t* " ‘a political point of view it is of course per- ' ‘J' fectly constitutional. It is the peculiar busi--1 ' idess of the House of Representatives to frame —-—Money-Bills, and provide for the payment, of " the' public "debt, nevertheless, the whole English Freds are ahusing Congress in all the. ■ .... moods, andb, tenses, .and praisjng. President r, Hayes for having intimated his intention of - 'vetoing the Bill, without even waiting to have submitted for‘his consideration. ■ InFrance,: - ' on the contrary. President MacMahon, to , whom .'the Constitution confides the Executive, ' 1 power i in terms''copied from, but even more ' ' ample than those of the United States Cpnstitution,isuaanimou4y,andTirulently assailed he-. „ cause he cannot see his way to carry on the: , ... government of Prance with a Ministry made •, - acceptable.to M. .Gwnbetta,./ Most certainly

Marshal MacMahon was .not selected to replace M. Thiers in order to govern France in a manner acceptable to M. Gambetta,/and it may seem that he has at least .as good a right to choose his own Executive as President Hayes has to announce his intention of vetoing Money Bills. The situation of both Presidents and both countries may be studied with advantage, for the illustration they afford of] the greater real liberty and truer self-government that exists under a constitutional monarchy, where there is no hard-and-fast line - between the executive and legislative powers, ) and where the chief of the State not being the nominee of either party, can,'with an equally good grace, accept a Ministry from either side.' That the state of France should he in such a miserable deadlock as it is;'at present is to be profoundly regretted; and not merely for its own sake.: Should England be obliged to intervene actively in the Eastern Question, ■ the days of the alliance before which Sebastopol fell will he often regretted. If Primoe were internally at peace and under'a'firm Government, the alliance of the second treaty of 1856 (that of England, Franco, and Austria) might any day come into force, and by’ its mere existence cause an honorable peace. ; Colonial bonds, rise steadily—New Zealand in particular. The political circumstances of the entire Continent, and the condition 1 of France and the United States, are no doubt among the causes of - this upward tendency. ’ ■ I !!•■• '" f i-he inscription of colonial aw/uit ui uo halt out of account. It is in Its! way a guarantee that you will pay in the proper minted money of Greatjßcitain; or, still better, in your own gold, and not in cheap silver. A paper by Sir Julius Vogel on “Cheap Telegrams,” in the last number of; the Nineteenth Century, has attracted a good deal of attention in official and commercial circles. At the time Mr. Gladstone’s Government took over the telegraphic system, it was contemplated to have a uniform charge of sixpence for. the United Kingdom, but it was .feared that the staff would not be equal to the pres- 1 sure such a rate .might put upon it, and so a shilling was adopted .'instead," even: for London, where the companies previously delivered a message for sixpence. 7 Sir ■ Julius argues that the time has come for a more moderate rate, and he (sustains his argument by an account both of the advances telegraphic science has made of late years, and by illustration derived from the experience of the colonies, and especially of New Zealand.- ■ The literary event of the month is the publication of the third volume of the “ Life of the Prince Consort.” Mr. Theodore Martin expected to have been able to complete the work in three volumes; but the immense quantity of materials placed in his hands by the Queen proved unmanageable, and he is obliged to extend the book to a fourth. The demand for it is unprecedented, and it is the theme of discussion everywhere, which is partly due to the political interest of the volume, and to’its significance at the present time. The Queen’s own letters at the period of .the Crimean war, on the subject of . the, Russian treatment of prisoners and. : wounded, - in fact their “atrocities,” are most emphatic, and their appearance at this juncture has created a profound impression.. From the whole .volume one derives, as from the preceding ones, a very elevated idea of the Prince Consort’s character and of his intellect; and at the;same time a notion of coldness and stiffness outside his immediate relations is conveyed. Thus, in his letters to Baron Stockmar, he dilates upon the domestic circle at Windsor, relates anecdotes of “Vicky,” “Bertie,” and “Affie,” and takes it for granted that all these are of deep interest to the Baron, ns indeed they were, and he waxes quite eloquent, over the illness and death of the Queen’s half brother. But he dismisses the death of the Baron’s own daughter in half a 'dozen trite lines, with an assurance that the • event is a release from suffering. There is much more evidence of feeling and the power of sympathy - iri. the Queen’s letters, and - her anxiety about the troops engaged in the Crimean war comes out in many expressions and suggestions - to her Ministers, both queenly and womanly. | The Prince’s industry and power of plodding are shown in this volume even more remarkably than in the former ones, and a number of memoranda by him proves that his influence in the government of the country was unbounded. On the whole, this is the best history of the Crimean war which ever can he written, and the only one which elucidates the personal proceedings of the Emperor of the French. All that portion of the contents which deals with the relations of the Queen with Napoleon. 111. is most interesting, and the details of the famous, visit to Paris in 1855, related by the Queen, are particularly so. She writes with genuine delight and cox-diality, and her tone contrasts with the chilly l self-com-placency which somewhat disfigures all Prince Albert’s writings. . The domestic pictures are charming, though we think the Queen’s perpetual 'record of ; everybody’s - praises of the Prince rather injudiciously-often quoted, and Mr. Martin’s preface decidedly objectionable. He pays a poor compliment to the; Queen’s common sense when he assures her that he has scrupulously endeavored to find a flaw in. the perfections of the Prince, but has failed, and is therefore obliged to present a picture all lights and no shadows. This is an unlucky illustration, as well as unblushing and servile flattery; for it reminds one of the courtier-artist's homage, a,t the expense at once of truth and art, to the omnivorous vanity of Queen Elizabeth. An important point in this volume - is the refutation of the accusation against ' the Prince, that he had secretly favored and promoted the failure which at first attended the allied armies—a calumny against. /which he could not at the time defend himself; AirMartin’s account of the occurrence and the Prince memorandum upon it. will probably interest your readers ;." they .are : introduced Hpropos of the famous House of Commons committee, of which . Mr. Roebuck was chairman : ■; -

. “The inquiry began on the sth of March, 1855, and was continued from day .to day, with only the intermission of the Easter holidays, until the 18th of June. -Notwithstanding these lengthened sittings, the committee were in the end, as their report, bears, ‘ compelled to., end an inquiry which they had been unable satisfactorily to complete,’ partly from the absence of important witnesses on active service, and partly from restrictions imposed upon the committee itself ‘by considerations of State; policy.’ Very early in their proceedings they seem to have felt misgivings as to the; probability of their inquiry leading to the!results which had been anticipated. But it they started with the idea that the calamities of the campaign were'due to sinister influences at|head-quarters, as it will presently be shown that some of them did, every step in their researches could’ only end in disappointment. That this idea was seriously entertained, and that the Prince Consort was the delinquent to whom the suspicions' of certain members of the committee pointed, will create as much surprise to our readers how as it did! to the Prince himself when ho first learned it in the interview of which he has preserved a record in the following memorandum :—.

‘ “ Buckingham Palace, 6th March; 1855., t f “The Duke of Newcastle told me■ yesterday evening that Mr. Roebuck had been with him, and had asked him whether ho had any objection to being examined ? The Duke replied that ho had the strongest on; public grounds, thinking it most dangerous hud injurious to the public service, but this question seemed to have.beon disposed of between (tho ' Government and the House of -Commons,; on private grounds ho was most anxious to be examined. Mr. Roebuck, after further conversation, told hiin that the conviction upon the minds of the committee was daily gaining strength that they would be able,,to discover very little here - .; that the key to many mysteries could only he found at the head-quarters, arid that in a high quarter there had been; a determination - thaFthe, expedition should not succeed, which had been suggested to the headquarters, ■ The Duke said, ‘Now! must he careful how I talk farther with you, as I see you are laying the ground for an impeachment, at(you;, can only mean mo by a high quarter.’/ • ‘Oh no !’ answered Mr. Roebuck, ‘ I mean a much higher personage than you; X meaii Prince' Albert,’. .• -7 ■ , : , .7 - ' “The Duke was amazed, and did not know whether ho Was to bo more astounded 1 at tho

wickedness or :bhe folly;btLßuch a belief, j He told Mr.' Roebuck that, l(e had a pre3S r full:.C)f letters from me,in, the - very rbom - 'vvhere they met,, and was, almost..tempted,ta, show - him some of them, as they gave conclusive evidence of my intense anxiety for the success of the expedition, im'd ihe/continued; - ' lf' duringf the time of my official duties I have received; any suggestions which were,, more valuable to| mb than others they - 'did'riot cqmo from your friends, the Napiers, hut from Prince Albert.’ “Mr. Roebuck said he'was Very much as-' tonished.at what the Duke said, and that it had not been hia belief only. - - - ' / j W:! '■ “The Duke - proceeded' further to reason with him, and amongst, other grounds, to show him the, stupidity of ..such,a. beliqf,',he referred; ito the , fact ; of the Queen’s- stud my entire upion in public matters, 'of the influence my acjvice naturally had with,-.the: Queen,',of the Queen’s having suffered materially,:, in , 1 health anxiety/ahout her troops; and yet it was to ne supposed that all this time I had been working, behind her hack to produce that misery to myself ! Mr. Roebuck said they, knew about the , Queen’s anxiety, as, when Lord Cardigan'had been at Windsor, he had had the Royal children upon his knees, and they said, ‘}Ypu must .hurry,',back - to., Sebastopol,- and takojit,,. else it will kill mama!’' Gnu such stupidity be credited?' "■ '■■ '' ,i- v; !

“ Mr. Roebuck lamented the appointmeht of Lord Raglan, who was unfit to command in the. field, and whose services at home would have been most valuable, and attributed his appointment to my wish to get rid of him, in order,to keep Lord Hardinge quitelalcno, with whom I , could do as I pleased!! The Duke told him he had selected Lord Raglan, and conferred wi.th. Lord Hardinge • upon it long before eithej tile’ Queen or myself had been made acquainted with the fact; and suggested, how was it forme afterwards to bring about the ruin of. the army through the 'very man who must have considered himself injured by mo ? ; I “ The Duke asked mo whether ho could do ■or say anything that I might wish ? . I replied', that I could not see what could ~fiO said pr. done. We- could not make-people either virtuous or wise, and must only regret the monstrous degree to which their aberration' extended. I must rest mainly upon a 'good conscience, and the belief 'that, during the fifteen, years,,.of.:my,..connection with 1 this; country, I had not given a human soul the means of imputing to ihe the want 'of sincerity or patriotism. -! I myself had'the conviction that the Queen' and myself ‘ were - perhaps the only two persons in (the kingdom who had no other interest, thought, dr 'dcfm'Oi thari'the good, the honor, and the power of, the; country ; and this not unnaturally, as no private interest can he thought of which could interfere with these considerations."" I “I, thought it right to Iceep Shis- record of what the Duke told .me, as-a'“p'roOf,'that the will at .least to, injure me is never wanting in certain circles, and that the - gullibility sof the public,has no-bounds. 1 ,” ,"i ."■iv/.-.'l | “To use the Prince’s own- words, ‘ things must ’ indeed have ygone mad' in England before the'suspicions against Hint expressed by Mr. Roebuck could have found any reasonable men even to repeat,'much [legs to ,entertain them.” . .'.:i i The winter exhibition at the Grosyenor Gallery is attracting many visitors, and is; very successful. It has the great merit of uniqueness. The water-colors which rare exhibited therehave never been seen before; and are so.admiri! ably disposed, that they ,really do furnish a complete illustration of that peculiarly pJnglish branch of art, as well •as a progressive standard of comparison with the inasters of the foreign schools. The gorgeous'decorations'of: the' gallery, which wore very trying to the oil paintings in the"summer exhibition,'are no’less; so to . .the more'delicate (handUng'rof the water-eplors. ~ .('.'Among: .the’ .yvprks of ,the foreign'schools, the splendid collection-lept by the Duke' of Devonshire.is the chief; attrac-d tion. ’, The, drawings (pf Raphael, lilartogua, and* Albert Durer exhibited i .here,;by no means' exhaust - the treasures''of Chatsworth, and the public may look forward, to a.fqrther/ instalment next • year. . The same system as that adopteddn the summer exhibition is car-/ ried' but in this—-a separate spAcb.bn the avails is accorded to each artist.. At the end of one room are the; works of - David Cox, with those,; of Cotman on one side and of Cattermole on the other. Copley, ( Fielding,7 Stanfield, De Wisot, Muller, Holland, William Hunt, and Front, have respectively panels to themselves, and a fine collection of drawings illustrates the artistic career of . Turner. in all, its phases, i Gainsborough is represented'by, ai group r of/ beautiful sketches, -: and the' famous' Norwich - school by fine Specimens of “(Thistle” and “OId ( Crome.” As a pleasant place iii which to pass the hours of -these - dreary winter- days 'the Grosvenor Gallery is not' to'be surpassed in, London. . '( '

Tho pantomime; season' is beginning;, , and the programme is unusually good. The new piece, “The" Sorcerer,” by,Mr-,.Gilbert and. Mr. Sullivan, at the Opera Comique, is very* clover, and very successful; and the revival of ‘i Louis the Eleventh”, ait the Lyceum,: after Christinas, is anticipated .with the interest which always attends a new representation by Mr. Irving. • ' . - 1 i