The Express.
London, England, 1855-06-25 00:00:00

stood that what led to General CANZOBERVi
station of the chief oommaad turas-
.1. bhp immot

conviction that the Russians meet fintibe beat, int
the field before Sebastopol cool& vaptureC 'vibe
matter stands to common grease. Sebastopol is not
etas fortress, but a number of feeteesess extending
over a valley of considerable magnitude, and mi.
procally enfilading each other. The fall of any one
of them leaves the rest almost as strong
as ever. Thousands of lives have already
been sacrificed is attempts to take the
outworks of one of these fortresses by assault—bow
many will it wet before all of them are thus captured?
We know that the Russian soldiers are remarkable
for their unflinching obstinacy in defensive warfare.
The garrisons of the strongholds, which fill and
crown the valley of Sebastopol have uninterrupted in-
tercourse with a numerous army in the field; and
that army has its communication with Odessa by
way of Perekop uninterrupted. But it is in the
power of the Allies to coop up the Russian forces
in the Crimes, and by encircling to beat them in
detail, and finally invest and blockade the fortresses.
By such strategy the enemy might be compelled Oa
surrender with comparatively little loss of life on the
part of their 'assaults. Why is this less dazzling, bet
more certain, coarse of action relinquished, for bed.
Haat assaults which lead to the loss of valuable
lives without any adequate return, and fill the land
with mourning? The views we entertain may be
erroneoua—the strategy adopted by our armies may
be susceptible of a triumphant vindication—but
assuredly it is the duty of the public to insist upon
full explanations oo the part of Government.
The English people haws been lectured from high
places on the impropriety of evincing any distrust of
Government. To all such monitions they may reply
that

__ confidence is not a matter of volition. We all
remember what boasting our rulers indulged in after
the successful landing at Old Fort, and the Brit
brilliant advantage gaioed over the Russians at
Alma. It is now apparent, from evidence tendered
to the Sebsatopol Committee, that the Crimean expe-
dition was urged on in the vain expectation that
Sebastopol could be taken by a coup-deonain, and with
tbs intention, after accomplishing such an action
el eclat, to evacuate the Crimea as Bomarsund
was evacuated. The speeches recently made by the

Aberdeenite section of the Cabinet, by whose com-
mand the Crimean expedition was undertaken, prove
that they were never in earnest about the war. They
only sought to dazzle the public with brilliant fruit-
less exploits, in order to soothe it into acquiescence in
a precarious and inglorious peace. The colleagues of
these men are still in office, and we and them persist-
ing in a plan of campaign which has the appearance
of being more fruitful in striking displays of valour
than in useful results. How, then, can we avoid
entertaining apprehensions that as they connived at
the delusive policy of their ex-oolleagnes, so they
may still be acting upon it ? And entertaining such
fears, where would be the prudence of abstaining
from giving them utterance ? The secret of the
strength of popular Governments is the freedom with
which all affairs of State are canvassed. Bat for that
freedom the treacherous tactics of the Aberdeeoites
would have been successful. But that the pressure
of public opinion was brought to bear upon a timid
sad incompetent Government, England would
have been obliged to retire from the war,
baffled, and exposed to attacks which its
seeming weakness would have invited from
all quarters. Matters have been somewhat
amended, but not to an extent that can warrant any

intermission in public surveillance and censure. The
factitious unanimity, which is the result of abstaining
from the exercise of the right of a free people to can-
vass the acts of their rulers, is deoeptive and a source
of weeklies& It leads to the toleration of weaknees
or treachery in high places, and ends in defeat, in
humiliation. The only unanimity that begets strength
is that which is the result of free and fearless discus-
sion. When debate has had the effect of disabusing
the national mind of misconceptions, and of driving
the incompetent from offices of high trust, in which
accident or their own presumption has placed them,
then a free nation can act as one mut& and then it is
irresistible.—Daily News.