The Press.
London, England, 1855-01-06 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

TO THE OLD AND

To 1854.
Away to the dark limbo of the race
Of unregretted and disastrous years!
Without one kindly parting word to grace
Thy dissolution. Thou but leav'st us tears
And widow'd hearts and childless homes, and shame
That they who hold our empire iu their hands
Have blotted thee from out the book of Fame
Whereon our brothers perished in strange lands
To blazon thee. Alas ! their deeds of glory
Have not sufficed to crown thee with the hays ;
And, though their names shall ever live in story
And in the nation's loftiest songs of praise,
Thou brought'st no succour to those heroes' pain,
But left'st them there to die and conquer all in vain!

A DAY AT THE WAR-OFFICE.

(From a Ministerial Paper.)

Ws are happy to be able, from personal knowledge, to give the fullest
refutation to the unfounded charges of incompetency which have been
brought against his Grace the Secretary-of-War. We have reason to
know that the utmost vigour and intelligence characterise the whole
of his proceedings, and that the war is really being conducted by him
in the most superior manner.
We had occasion, yesterday, to pass several hours at his Grace's
office, and we are guilty of no breach of confidence in declaring the
pleasure with which we witnessed his unremitting efforts for the
benefit of the expedition to the Crimea. Scarcely had the Duke taken
his seat when his labours commenced, and a brief detail of what we
witnessed is at once an act of justice to himself and a convincing
answer to the assaults of his prejudiced enemies. The Duke, having
himself hung up his hat upon a peg, observing that at this busy time
he would not needlessly avail himself of the services of a single
servant of the public, proceeded to open the despatches which had
just arrived. He did not, certainly, tear off the envelopes in the reck-
less manner peculiar to a certain Viscount, but before reading the in-
closures he folded and laid away the covers, quietly remarking that
they would do to write memoranda upon, and he added some 'observa-
tions upon the dearness of paper, and its reason, namely, the difficulty
of procuring an adequate supply of rags, which showed that his
Grace's mind is capable of embracing other subjects than the imme-
diate duties he discharges so well. Having looked through the
despatches, he called in a clerk, and desired him to copy them, re-
marking (and this proves the earnest attention with which he had
perused them), " I see, Gulkington, that in one of these letters
Inkermann is spelt with one ' n,' in the other with two. Now, both
cannot be correct, and you will much oblige me by examining the
best maps, and rectifying whichever despatch may be inaccurate."
Various subordinates then presented themselves one after the
other for instructions, and to all his Grace gave the most affable yet
dignified audience. One desired to know which should first be sent
out to the army—a consignment of shirts, or one of coats. " Surely,`,
said his Grace, " your own observation might be your guide, Mr.
Balderpop. Does not a man put on his shirt before his coat? Clearly,
let the vessel with the shirts be first despatched." Another came for
directions about certain victuals that were going out, and the Duke
dictated one of the most spirited and graceful state papers which we
have ever read, and which was composed at the spur of the moment.
It was, a suggestion to the official charged with the cutting the
sandwiches (sent by the Duke's order for the officers' lunches), that, in
honour of the alliance between France and England, he should for the
future use French mustard instead of Durham. His Grace then went
down into the yard behind the office, and, for nearly two hours,
watched the process of fastening strips of iron around the packages for
greater security, his eye not unfrequently detecting a nail without a
head, or a crack insufficiently guarded, and in every case he promptly
interfered, and insisted upon the defect being made good.
Later in the day, Mr. Sidney Herbert came to visit his colleague.
and it was most interesting to hear the two statesmen in animated yet
friendly discussion for the benefit of their country. Among the
points of argument was a difficulty which had occurred in Mr. Her-
bert's department. A number of pots of marmalade had
.been. pre-
pared for the Crimea, when it was pointed out by an intelligent
Catholic clerk that they were all labelled " Orange Marmalade," and
this, it was feared, might give pain to the soldiery
.of the Roman
Catholic persuasion. After about an hour's discussion it was arranged
that the labels should he cancelled, and the words " Marinalade from
Oranges " substituted. Another debate arose upon the
question in
what form tobacco ought to be sent out. Mr. Herbert, as might be
expected from his elegant nature, contended for cigarettes, but his
somewhat rougher-cast colleague declared that these would not be ac-
ceptable to the private soldier, and urged Cubes. But we ought to