The Express.
London, England, 1855-01-18 00:00:00

HEREDITARY ADMINISTRATORS.

Haat was;

IN expectation of Ministers being called, uwe
yesterday stated they would be, to account for the
manner in which the war has hitherto been con-
ducted, a defence for them is prepared beforehand.
They lacked power, it is insinuated, and failed be-
cause they were not despots. On discussion, on
freedom of speech, on newspaper reports and criti-
cisms, is thrown the blame of their want of success.
In this literary age, the description of a deed is consi-
dered by literary men of more importance than the
deed itself; and those who point out an evil are
accused of causing it. Publicity, discussion, remarks
of travellers, manly, honest letters from soldiers, are
described as great inconveniences to be acquiesced in
for the sake of some great advantages. "The principle
of war,"saysthe Edinburgh Review, adoptingthesesen-
timents, "is authority direct, rapid, uncompromising
and we had almost said, uncontrolled ; it is therefore
the reverse of that principle of parliamentary govern-
ment, under which all authority is limited by a
thousand conflicting forces and interests. Nor is it
in the ranks of the army alone that rigid discipline
is essential to success ; every department of military
administration ought to be equally absolute, for the
fate of an army may turn on one single act of neglect.
Above all, the conflict between different branches of
the public service is destructive of all good adminis-
tration, and unity of command is one of the most
important conditions of success." All this is meant
to imply that the want of uncontrolled authority
by the Ministers is the cause of the disasters
in the Crimea. Freedom, the very soul of good-
ness, is to be condemned, because certain lords
and gentlemen have wanted foresight and vigour.
Why should there be, the public will require to
know, a conflict between different branches of the
public service while we have a Prime Minister?
He controls, or ought to control, the whole; he
appoints or recommends all the subordinate members
of the Cabinet, and if there be a want of unity
among them he is to blame. The First Lord of the
Admiralty, the Secretary of War, are to do his
bidding or the resolves of the Cabinet, of which he
is the head, and if they do not it is his business tol

dismiss theta.

may be absolute'

and if Lord

maid exist
eked" k is .
!ben the wiakness
is It not a feet, t
'mat Is absolute P Dare any man in the army—
wisibersCieneral, a Commissary, a Cink, ore Soldier,
Sieerii.d.kohey the orders Cl the Comasander-in-
wref his commanding rear P Dares the Com-
abte' disobey the orders of the Secretary
cl State for War, or of the Prints Minister, peremp-
torily given ? The military administration may be
distributed through too many hands in order to
multiply places for dependents, but the rule of our
whole military system is absolute power in every
superior, and passive obedience in every inferior.
Nor is the rule different in the naval administration.
The First Lord of the Admiralty is, or may be,
absolute over his department. To secure unifce-
nifty of action, the present First Lord, when
formerly in office, abolished the sometimes con-
flicting Navy Board, brought all the offices of
command to the Admiralty, and united them all
under one head and at one place. Since then no
Commissioners of the Navy, no practical shipwrights,

_
no practical captains, have had to give an opinion
on the First lard's orders on certain points before
carrying them into execution; and they might have
been executed with as much celerity, if he were a

man of capacity who understood his business, as the
orders of the most absolute Monarch. In fact, the
rule of military life in our country, as in every
country, from the Commander-in-Chief to the Lance
Corporal, from the Lord High Admiral to the Middy,
as established by the Mutiny Act, passed for the
very purpose of excepting the military from common
law control, is Absolute Power; and it might as well
be pretended that a man is not, if he please,
absolute muter in his own house, or a manu-
facturer in his own mill, as that our military
rulers within their spheres are not absolute
because there is for; Ministers a parliamentary ac-
countability. Over the military chiefs the Crown,
or the Prime Minister wielding its authority, is in
fact absolute, though the Crown or the Ministers be
accountable for the exercise of power to the Parlia-
ment and the country. . .

Despotism in the-most extreme case is not irre-
sponsible; but its accountability is to a less enlight-
ened tribunal than Parliament. All men acting
together are accountable to one another. No man
can possibly prevent his conduct from making
impressions on others, or prevent those impressions
from being reflected back to himself. Tyranny
tries in vain to stop this. It shrouds itself
in the mystery of temples, it hides itself in palaces,
and surrounds itself with guards and servants; but
the guards and servants are then the other men it
acts with, and from whose impressions it cannot
escape. The tyrant is accountable to them—to other
tyrants—to Muftis, or Ulemas, or Boyards, or Gene-
rals, or Ministers, or aspiring relatives, or whoever
else he may act and live with; and his accountability
generally leads to his being smothered in a bath, or
strangled, or shot, or knocked on the head with clubs,
according to the manners of those with whom he
lives and acts. Parliamentary and national account-
ability, accompanied by public discussion—in which
one violent or ambitious man is always kept in check
by some other violent or ambitions man—leads, as its
ultimate result, to a mere forfeiture of office, or to
public censure—an acute punishment to a sensitive
mind, and has the effect of improving the agent it I
alive. This is much superior to the accountability of
tyranny. Ministers ask for an impossibility—power
without responsibility; and, if their wishes were
granted, instead of responsibility to an inquiring, moral,
reflecting people, amongst whom discussion corrects
mutual errors and establishes the tribunal of reason,
they would become responsible to an infuriated sol-
diery or • mob, and would suffer the penalty of the
bowstring or the dagger.
Bat the responsibility of the rulers of free men
supposes talent, energy, and capacity—supposes in
them a superiority very different from that of birth
or the power to pen a diplomatic note, or deliver a
speech in Parliament. The knowledge of affairs and
a capacity to command are not the heritage of a class.
When a person, whatever may be his birth, without
knowledge and capacity to command, will undertake
to dispose of armies, distribute fleets, and carry on
war, he is obliged to trust, or rather to obey, others,
who have the knowledge and capacity to command.
BONAPARTE understood the machine he directed.
But some of our Ministers, it would appear, find it
necessary to put themselves under the tutelage of
others. Like other ignorant men, they more often
follow the counsels of the most presumptuous or the

greatest pretenders, than those of the most skilful.
From their incapacity arise conflicting jurisdiction,
contradictory orders, and neglected duties. They
shove aside those who have the capacity to command
and usurp their functions. A vast multiplication of
unnecessary offices, complex arrangements, and into-
lerable confusion, are the consequences. A hereditary
Legislature is au moistly in the eye of abstract reason,
but when hereditary legislators also become hereditary
administrators—uniting in themselves more than the
powers of the Levites and the Brahmins—they grasp
inch a monopoly of functions that only some great
disgrace or calamity can enable the public reason to
prevail against them. The nation, considering its
rank, civic achievements, the increase of its popula-
tion and wealth, the single warlike object on which
its great power ought now to be concentrated, was
not unwarranted in anticipating a splendid success;
and its disappointment is due to thou who, having
misapplied and misdirected its resources, exult at
having deepatched an army abroad about equal to
that which, while contending in almost every quarter
of the world, their feeble predecessors sent against
Walcheren.
, The vice which begins with incapable Ministers
descends through every rank of the service. Men
are appointed to command from their relation-
ship to those who want capacity. Very often
the nominal general is not the real com-
mander. Happy is he if his adjutant-general,
or some other person, be capable of performing
his duties. Often it is the captain of the fleet,
rather than the admiral, who is the efficient com-
manding officer. Only now and then, on some great
emergency, does a WELLINGTON or a NELSON Mrs
up, who is both nominally and really a commands,
As with generals and admirals so with colonels and
captains, the major, the adjutant, the first lieutenant,
or the muter, as it ma be, is really the commanding
head of the regiment or the ship. Occasionally the
capacity is united with the nominal command, but only
by chance ; and the rule in both the military and naval
services—the oonmequenes of the aristocraey's usurping
runtime for which they have no special capacity, and
trying for ever to wield power and to shirk responsi-
bility-‘-is the appointment of incapable men to corn-
mend. This, and not the want of absolute power,
with which Ministers, so far as the military is coa-
-1 cerned, are endowed, is the root of our deficiencies
and we shall increase the evil now, and continue it
hereafter, if we suffer ourselves to be diverted into
censuring the publicity which makes the evil nuudfaat.

the law haa 'poly been by Witter'
of the prey, u the press has become free and
phwerful. Bo it is with the military sdraisisteMies,
Which has only fallen so much behind the rest
or society because for years the press hashed widest
interest nor otos/lon- to look after it. To supptes
that any branch of the public service can be benefited
by being removed from vigilant public inspection, is
to set up a few individuals as superior to the whole
society. A great principle is brought into question,
and the press will be false to itself if it do not Rio,
the reproeolt of failure from publicity back on the
brattiest monopolists of power.—Daily News.

oomplete the
week samisseesd before Bebastopol, irrespective of
the general profewdcms, more at iso sincere, mad*
'ioi the name of the Czar. The Berlin cabinet is
inking with pincher earnestness the necessity of
utspendiag hostilities until the belligerents shall
have punned further the recent endeavour to arrive
at an understanding. It is believed that the recent
irruption of Russian troops into the Dobrudsoha was
mainly intended to demonstrate to the Allies that the
advantages offered by an armistios were not mono-
polised by Russ* It is not certain that the Aus-
trian government was not a party to; the macceuvre.
—Daily Naas.

great efforts
obtain the cow.
artnisties. '1"

concluded *lib
lilt.Peterr

The Bavarian Minister, Harr von der Pfordten,
when moving, in the Bavarian Chamber, on the
12th, a bill for granting a credit to the Minister of
' War, said that the hopes of a restoration of peace had
been gaining ground for some days, but that it was
just as probable that war would continue and even
sesame vaster proportions ; it was, therefore, neces-
sary to be prepared for every eventuality.

By way of Hamburg we have advice* from War-
saw of the 10th inst., giving further amounts of Rus-
sian military movements. Two divisions of the corps
lames under General Paniutin are advancing by
forced marches on Odessa, taking the road through
Beasarabia: These troops are to reinforce the Rus-
sians in the Crimea. The second brigade of the
Cuirassiers of the Guards, under General Tumanski,

are quartered at Warsaw and in the neighbourhood
of that city. General Essen, with the picked regi-

ment of the so-called Chevaliers Gerdes, is at Siad-
lit. General Blowers, who commanded the first corps
d'armee, had arrived at Warsaw from his head-quar-
ters at Radom, and left again on the Bth for Mitten.
General !Rowers is charged by the Emperor to or-
ganise a new army, called the " Baltic army," the
troops which were formerly posted between Rip and
Cronstradt having been ordered to the Polish fron-
tier. The head-quarters of the Baltic army will be
at Mittau. General Mnriavieff, recently appointed

commander-in-chief of the Russian force. in Asia,
paned through idoecow on the 7th, to assume his
command.

La Patric gives the following details of the mea-

surer taken by the Russian government to keep open
the communication between St. Petersburg, Cron-
etadt, and the principal points of the neighbouring
cout:

"The Russian government has this year had con-
structed in the Gulf of Finland between St. Peters-
burg and Cronstadt a wide causeway, bordered on
each side at every 20 paces with young firs cat in
the neighbouring forests, and fixed in the ice and
snow so as to form an avenue. Every 1,100 yards
are also fixed posts, roughly squared and painted in
the national colours, with little flags on their tops.
About every mile and a quarter there are huts made
of wood planking where good fires are kept up for
the use of travellers. To light up the road at night
above these huts are powerful reflectors which project
the light a considerable distance, and a bell which
in foggy weather is rung without ceasing, to indi-
cate the route to such as have strayed. Half-way
along the road there is also an enormous barrack of
wood planking, which serves as an inn, and where
there is tea, coffee, brandy, bread, meat, beer, and
fires—in fact, everything necessary for warming and
refreshing the body. Immense stables, well fur-
nished with forage and corn, are attached to this
establishment, where there are horses for hire to

supply the plane of such u the frost may have killed.
A similar road has been established between Peter-
hat Orienbaum, and Cronstadt. The government
has thought it necessary to open these two roads at
once, in corder to facilitate the means of transport
between the capital and the gate that opens on the
Neva."

The Journal de St Petersbourg records that Marshal
Prince Paskiewitch arrived in that capital on the 4th
inst.

The Hamburg correspondent of the Independance
Beige says that for the last few days very heavy sums
in Auatrian paper have been sent by Walachian
merchants to their correspondents at that place in
payment of goods received. It is asserted that in
Wallachia the people in general, and particularly
those connected with trade, show themselves very
backward in accepting Austrian paper money, the
value of which is so very low. Their refusal to ac-
cept it causes very disagreeable scenes between the
military authorities and the inhabitants of the coun-
try. All this paper money will return hence to its
source in Austria, which will not exactly contribute
to raise its value.

Prince Mentchikoff (nye the correspondenoe of
the Allgentietw Zeiherig) can with difficulty feed the troops
around hiss, end yet he inceesaatly demands reinforcements,

(From the Al!gamine Zeittini).

ODESSA, J.X. 2.

more especially since he has ascertained with certitude that
a Turkish corps of 30,000 or 40,000 men strong will be
lauded at Kalov (Bupatoria). The Turks will play there
the role performed a short time ago by Liprandi, in his
position to the rear of Balaklava. As the operations of the
allies were "bellied and hemmed in by Liprandi, se will the
movernents of Sientchikoff be restricted and hampered.
Every vulnerable point is there're being looked to, and the
works of defence around Perekop and Simpheropol are
being recommenced with vigour.
. .

_
The forces which are being despatched to Prince Mantchis
koff are anything but choice troops; all those that could be
spared hers and in Bessarabia are already in Sebastopol. If
the troops already at the ouset of their march have no im-
posing upset, what a scene of misery mut they present on
arriving at their destination ! It is impossible to describe
the extreme hardships over which these poor fellows must
triumph. Hitherto wsggons were employed in transporting
them but that is now utterly impossible, u the frost ha-
not even improved the condition of the roads. I am as-
sured that above ten per cont. of the expeditions sink on
the road frem hunger sad exhaustion, never again to rise ;
and that of those who are happy enough to anin a large
portion are received into the hospitals.

I, v S

WARLIKE SPEECH OF THE AUSTRIAN
MINISTER AT CONSTANTINOPLE.

The Morning Post publishes the foLowing under
date of Constantinople, Jan.. 4:
u At a great diplomatic dinner given by M. Brack,
Austrian Internuneio, M. Bruck gave, as a toast,
, The Sultan and his brave army, who are the ad-
miration of all Europe.'

' There the Internuncio exclaimed, ' they have,
in every action, defeated the Russians; they have
taught the Russian Court that they were able glori-
ously to defend the rights of Turkey against Musco-
vite ambition. Like the Western Powers, Austria
was willing to fight for the rights of Turkey and of
justice, whatever m;ght be the result.' And he stated
in conclusion, with remarkable energy, that Russia
was no longer to be feared--she must yield.

'' ms emotion of the guests was extreme; and the
Grand Vizier warmly thanked the Internuncio."

THE EXPRESS, THURSDAY EVENING, lANIJARY 18,
es. over them the Priam Minister In making these remarks, we do not begin an
elate ; Übe be not ths Mt is his. Clef- attack an the taidowitig., we only defend the in- . AR.
PIT? was 1 Wit LING . ' hen' ' of ..2 IPIt ,pir
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Hussiesos, Omer, •. P" ' • i •i 'W. Pink' the. eri It We Victim and Berlin that grist
4 Aswan be
not 1. . ,
as he ought •. a , 9,- •. ..,f-ric . i . 0„,„,,, „,,,,„. a mat lie Wells* Power, to an armisties.
ist between diff •• • • -•••• • k • . '.• - • • • oat wit is is address to the Imperial 0
to
not front n &deism ni, authority, bat was feined.to any it,.. „worm, the uistraton madmietuals sent by England, and the
riakeess of the heed which holds it. of the law were wont to complain If' of the whisk Paw seek Es. gland have conclude
a fact, too, that the head of erery depart- intimilirenei of ,th• press, but the administration of iktrialCraviTlPlll7l"ad at limlin sad Bt-]
heolute P Dare any man in the army— the law hoe ' only been Improved by ihe itrieteres blirg " "Ideal" •as intention to somPb
_ . . lark deiramsesel-here &begone'. irresued