The Express.
London, England, 1855-01-02 00:00:00

THE STATE OF THE ARMY.

Emmett newspapers are read in the Crimea.
The newspaper is the Englishman's favourite read.
ing t especially when he is at a distance from home,
and engaged in some tedious operation which leaves
him a good deal of unemployed time on his hands.
The newspapers which reach the army before Sebes-
topol are quite as eagerly caught at and devoured as
the letters from private friends. It is right, there-
fore, that the newspapers should express that deep
sympathy with the privations and sufferings of our
soldiers that is felt by the universal nation, and
that they should incessantly urge Government and
thegeneral publio tobe indefatigable in their exertions
for its relief. The great detail in which the newspapers
relate all the perils and adventures of our brave
countrymen in the Crimea, their accounts of the
efforts made here at home to expedite relief and
reinforcements to them, their criticisms of what is
done or left undone—all tend to cheer the soldier
la the camp by making him feel that the eyes of
England are intently fixed upon him, that the hearts
of England beat high for him, that the helping
arms of England are outstretched towards him.
Deeply convinced of the consolation which such
manifestations of native sympathy must impart to
the soldier, and how it must nerve him to endure
privation and brave the perils of battle, we can
tolerate many exaggerated statements and inflated
expressions among writers and speakers about the
army before Sebastopol.
But there are limits to all thing,. There has been
much of suffering and privation in the ranks of our
army that might have been avoided by proper fore-
thought and more prompt action. But there is also
much of this suffering and privation that is impa-
las from active warfare. The mere fighting is the
least arduous part of the soldier's duty. To wait in
patience till hie leaders give the word for action, to
endure without a murmur all the hardships and pri-
vatic= be may have to endure till the moment for
action arrives—these are as indispensable to suc-
cess in warfare as valour in the hour of battle.
The most provident care cannot ensure to the
soldier the same shelter from the inclemency
of the weather—the same regular supplies of
wholesome and nutritious food—the same gentle and
patient &academe in sickness, in the tented field se
is be:lacks or billets at home in limo( peace. The
most difiloult lesson the young soldier has to learn is
patiently to oaths, that which is inevitable, and help
himself es be best may. It is, therefore, at the best,
mistakes kindness to seek to persuade young soldiers
that all the hardships lad privations to which they are
entected could, under any circumetanses, have been
entirely avoided. And to lay the blame of what's
they undergo upon their commanders—unless upon
the most full and irrefrsgable evidence of the neglect
or incapacity of these commaadees—is to premed
direct provocative, to discontent and mutiny in the
army.

Tike, for example, the exaggerated and inflated
ipmesetatione el the dlierganisation and sufferlap

lwo
4 •

of the army in the Crimea des pobrthillift
after day in the 2timmit dims are!
the went of Govern t the aejahMilly
sickness and battle ha resitQ- their nuagais by
one-half. They are told that the continued slothful-
ness of Government' will necessarily cause the other
half to be carried off in the same manner. They ars
told that their Csemsndsr•in-Cbisf has risked

—.-
their lives without neessmity, and makes no effort
to amend what io defective in the administration of
the army; that he looks Wily on, in callous indiffer-
ence, while they are perbhing from the consequences
of his neglect. They are told that he is incapable of
command ; that he bee nurreended himself by an

inefficient staff; that one general of division is no
soldier; that the engineer effioer who conducts the
siege operations is ignorant of his profession. They
are told that this is the opinion of all military men
at home, and of their owe regimental offioers. What
effects us Inch representations—reiterated day after

day, urged with all the vehemence of impassioned
language and imaginative illustration—calculated to
produce upon men smarting under privations, exposed
to the inolemeneies of the weather, impatient under
the slow progress of a protracted siege? The Times
i► now systematically holding up our generals
in the Crimea as objects for mutinous violenos, in the
same manner that it some time ago held up the
bakers as objects for mob viblenoe. It is systemati-
cally goading the army to mutiny. The immediate
object of the Times—to make political capital out of
the army's sufferings--coay safely be laughed to
scorn. To say that its diatribes convey any available
information to the enemy, or contribute to raise his
spirits, is simply absurd. But there is a serious danger
that its incessant depredation of the military talents
of our commanders, and its frequent imputation of a
callous disregard on their part to the sufferings of the
soldier, may some day undermine that spirit of
discipline and subordination which is the pre-
eminent distinction of the British army, and lead to
some disastrous mutinous outbreak.

It is right that the reel condition of the army
should be kept before the eyes of the nation; it is
right that the actions and characters of those to
whom its command has been delegated should be
fearlessly scrutinised. But this is not to be done,
with any prospect of hematite' results, by turgid
appeals to the unreasoning positions of multitudes,
armed or unarmed, upon no better authority than
fragmentary and often inconsistent information
derived from men who see only part,
and write under the excitement of suffer-
ing. The Legislature is the place in which
these inquiries can be instituted and carried
on with most effect. It is to be hoped that by the
time Parliament re-assembles Sir Da LACY Everts
wiU be sufficiently reoffered to take part in its
deliberations. We are not of those who think the
political the brightest side of Sir CIIARLEB Nernit's
character; yet we could wish that some one of the
eonstituencies, which are at present unrepresented,
would send him to participate in these discuisions.
The voices of experienced warriors, who hare been
eye-witnesses of passing events, is much needed to
promote a satisfactory solution of the doubts and
difficulties which prevail. Above all, Ministers, if
they have any regard for their own honour and
usefulness, will be liberal in imparting all information
that can throw light on the knotty questions that
are sure to be raised. Until such complete and re-
liable information as can be obtained from morose
such as we have indicated is in our possession, the
public ought to suspend its judgment of individual
conduct and capacities. Such caution is simple
justice, and is perfectly compatible with the most
strenuous efforts to assuage the sufferings of our
soldiers, and ensure the energetic promotion of the
war.—Doily News.