The Press.
London, England, 1855-01-20 00:00:00

what but to the grossest mismanagement can
we attribute their disastrous failure? Respon-
sible government must sink into deserved
contempt if the direction of affairs is longer
left in the hands of Ministers whose incompe-
tency receives each day some new and glaring
illustration. In ordinal", tithes their squabbling
might properly be punished with ridicule ; but,
contemptible in itself, it is serious iti its con=
sequences. They profess to hare done their
best, and we see what that best Is. But their
capacity for mischief is not exhausted. It
is not enough that we have to deplore the ruin
of our noble army through their presumption
and carelessness; they are now, by the account
of their organs, plotting to Involve the country
in faithless negotiation, and add disgrace to
the disaster with which they have over-
whelmed it.

FRENCH AND ENGLISH RIVALRY.
Iv the remarkable prophecy of Mr. DISRAELI,
that " every Minister of the Coalition Cabinet
"would be damaged eventually by his connec-
"tion with it," terminated in mischief only to
Lord ABERDEEN'S colleagues, many persons
would regard such a result with the compo-
sure of contempt. But it appears plain that
the national credit is now seriously involved
in the consequences resulting from the culpa-
ble adoption by the Ministry of the inefficient
(if not imbecile) Ministers of the War Depart-
ment. The fact can no longer be concealed
that, while our soldiers are second to none in
courage and endurance, the campaign of the
English in the Crimea has been decidedly
eclipsed by our French allies. Although
proud of the union with our illustrious neigh-
bours, we cannot forget that between nations
there is rivalry in the flank as well as in the
front, and the history of human nature shows
that emulation on the same side is often
attended with keener feelings than when
the antagonists are avowedly opposed.
Barristers employed by one client in a great
cause, physicians in consulting for a serious
ease, divines in unfolding the intricacies of a
knotty subject, are evidently as anxious to
excel each other for the sake of their personal
reputation as if they stood upon opposite
Issues, and contended for different objects.
So, also, in the history of Parliament we can
see that the competition between rivals is just
at spirited as between antagonists.
To apply these considerations to a practical
purpose we must remind our readers that
rivalry between nations partakes of the indi-
vidual law that we have here indicated.
National competition in war, manufactures,
commerce, science, and literature is just as
zealous and as stimulating as if single persons
and not whole communities were the compe-
titors. How stands the case at present be-
tween ourselves and our gallant associates the
French? In science and letters and civilisa-
tion we have both run a long and glorious race
of competition. In more deadly rivalry we
have shown heretofore that we were foemen
worthy of combatting with each other. In
our famous wars the fiery impetuosity of the
French chivalry, and the terrible steadiness of
the English resolution, have been recounted
with honourable impartiality by both French
and English historians.
Unhappily, however, it would seem that in
the present contest the French have decidedly
surpassed us in the art of carrying on war
without grievous losses. The miseries en-
dured by the French have been trifling com-
pared with what our troops have had to un-
dergo. Our brave allies have, like our own
glorious heroes, encountered the swarming
numbers of the Russians. They have dis
played prodigies of personal courage in the
bottle-field ; but they had not to endure being
served with green coffee, without means to
roast or grind it; nor were they put upon half,
and even quarter, rations of raw, fat pork,
without any fuel to cook it ; nor were their
wounded allowed to lie in the sludge without
beds of any kind ; nor had they to endure
such horrors of the middle passage as were re-
vealed for our wounded champions ; nor had
they but we cannot go through the list of