The Press.
London, England, 1855-01-27 00:00:00

GENERAL SIR DE LACY EVANS.

A CONGRATULATORY address, accompanied by a
sword valued at 150 guineas, was presented to Sir
De Lacy Evans on Monday, at Folkestone, in recog-
nition of his gallant services in the Crimea. Mr.
Brockman, M.P. for liytha, headed the deputation
who waited upon the gallant general on the occa-
sion, and after the address had been read and the
sword presented, Sir 1)o Lacy Evans duly expressed
his sense of the compliment paid him. He then
proceeded :
He knew that the compliment was not intended for him-
self alone, but that it was also an exemplification of feeling
for the gallant army with which he had the honour of
serving. He had observed that great complaints were
daily made of the management of the war, and it was as-
serted that the war had made but slow progress. Now, be
begged to differ with many on that point. He did not
consider, under the circumstances, that the progress of the
war had been slow, and he was sure that the result would
show the correctness of his opinion. No such war as that
in which they were now engaged could possibly be finished
in so short a time as some were unreasonable enough to
expect, particularly where such a country as England,
with its small military strength, was nut the aggressor.
England was not a military power ; and the aggressor in
the present war was a very important military power,
possessed of vast resources—(Hear)--oue who always
maintained a very large army, and was always prepared for
war, if not, indeed, for aggression. Hence, at the sudden
outbreak of the present hostilities, England had not been
prepared with a large standing army. It was impossible
we could always have a perfect war establishment on a
military scale. We had happily enjoyed forty years of
peace, and public opinion would not admit of the .iontantied
maintenance of a large standing army. He would recal to
their minds the many military wars in which this country
had been engaged, and it would be found that the British
forces seldom attained decisive success until at least a
third campaign had set in. England was great and power-
ful as a commercial nation, and he had no doubt that the
present contest would be brought to a termination as de-
cisive in its results as it would he glorious to British arms.
The army sent to the Crimea, though young, had vindi-
cated the honour of its country. There was no other army
to send. It was young, but it had done its duty. Many
mistakes in details had certainly occurred, but they had
been the result of inexperience. No want of judgment, in
his mind, had been evinced by any officer of that staff in
which he had had the honour of holding an humble post.
Some battles had been fought in which our army had
gathered glory in alliance with the arms of France—an
alliance ho would pronounce the Most devoted and loyal,
and which the spirit of this country fully appreciated.
Mr. 11. HART, one of the deputation, asked permission
to call his attention to the present oondition of our army
in the East. He was not desirous of drawing forth any
expression of opinion which Sir De Lacy Evans, as an
officer, might feel desirous of withholding ; but the fact
could not be disguised, that the army at present in the
Crimea was in a most wretched condition. Much anxiety
existed in the public mind on this subject, and he trusted
he was not out of order in alluding to it in the presence of
a gallant officer who would, no doubt, at the proper time,
take care that the truth was elucidated.

Sir I)s LACY EVANS observed that he had of late read
many statements on the condition of the troops. It was
not his province, on that occasion, to enter into this ques-
tion ; but he had no objection to say one thing, and that
was, that when he left head-quarters the army was not in
the condition described in some reports. More he could not
say. He would again remind them that at the commence-
ment of a war many mistakes generally took place, and
after forty years' peace such mistakes ought sot to occasion
much surprise. Ile would take this opportunity of saying
that he fully appreciated the kind sympathy now so gene-
rously evinced by all classes for the army, and he had no
doubt the course of conduct pursued by the people would
be the forerunner of great results.

The deputation then retired.
Sir De Lacy Evans, though much improved since
his arrival at Folkestone, is still in very imperfect
health.

The sword presented to Sir De Lacy bears the
following inscription :

Presented to Lieutenant• General Sir De Lacy Evans
K.C.13., M.P., by the inhabitants of the united borough of,
Hy-the, Folkestone, Sandgate, and adjacent parishes, in com-
memoration of the courage, devotion, and generosity exhibited
by him in the memorable actions of Alma, the heights of Trcher•
nays, and Inkermann.

LIEITT.-COLONEL J. H. ELPHINSTONE DALRYMPLE,
of the Scots Fusilier Guards, who was ill on board
ship in the harbour of Balaklava, on the sth of No-
vember, no sooner heard of the attack on the British
lines, than he rose from his sick bed, and, though suf-
fering from fever and the effects of a wound in the
knee, received at the battle of the Alma, made his
way to the scene of action, and, the senior officers
being at the time killed or wounded, took the command
of the battalion from about one o'clock till the shat-
tered remnant of the brave band was marched off the
ground at four p.m. This energetic action nearly
cost the gallant officer his life ; a violent relapse of
the fever ensued, sad a medical board decided on
sending him instantly to England for the restoration
of his health, which, we are happy to hear, is now
improving,