The Express.
London, England, 1855-10-03 00:00:00

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LONDON, WIEDNZSDAY, OCTOBER 3.

ORR readers will learn from the Gonne of lest
night that her Kum= Lea conferred the rank of
Field-Marshal on General Viscount COMIIIIIIIIIII,
General the Earl of ll?Lamm>, and General Vis-
count HARDING& Lieutenant-General SIIIIVON,

"Commander of hse MAJNOTT'S Meese during the late
sedans and finally enoesesful operations which led
to the fall of Sebastopol," is promoted to the rank of
General; and Colonel WINDHAM becomes Major-
General "for his distinguished °Deduct
in heading the column of attaek whisk insulted the
enemy's defences on the Bth of September, with the
greatest intrepidity and coolness."
The reason for the two latter promotions is implied
in the wording of the General Orders. General
Szuesox commanded "during," and Colonel Wutp-
NAM bore the most distinguished part in, the late
operations before Sebastopol. Bat why have we
three new Field-Marshals?, and what dictated the

selection of the particular individuals on whom
that rank has been conferred? The latter
question we cannot pretend to answer. And
for the former, looking at the matter en-
tirely with the, eyes of civilians, and with-
out referent)e to precedent, it appears to us that
it wee considered impossible. to signalise a great
military triumph without promoting the General
who commanded " during " that triumph, but
that, as he did not contribute towards it, it
seemed advisable to swamp his honours by the more
sounding titles and the higher rank conferred
on others who had nothing whatever to do
with it. The rank of Field-Marshal is in-
deed a name, and nothing else. It is no evi-
dence of military prowess, or even length of ser-
vice. Lately we had three of that rank ; but since
Lard RAGLAN'. death the King of the BELGIAN.
and Nine, ALBERT alone remained. AA to MOW-
General WINDHAM, he has nobly won his honours.
Most Englishmen now know his exploits and his
family history. As to General SimesoN, it was
whispered that he would perhaps be made a
Field-Marshal: it was asserted that he was
to be a 0.C.8. We have avoided bearing hard
upon him, and we have hitherto hoped that some
explanations might be given which would in a mea-
sure relieve him from the charge of utter incapacity
under which be at present lies. No exculpatory
facts, however, have come to light, and the advisers of
the Climax show that they have clearly made up
their minds that he is unfit for the post he holds.
The QUEEN can give the title of General, but even
she cannot give the capacity to lead. General Stitr-,
BON will now, we hope, retire. If he is wise, he will
consider the words of the Gazette of last night as his
recall. Would that it were as easy to say who ought
to hold his present place as to say that he certainly
ought not !

WHAT are oar agriculturists about P It is now
more than two months sine* Parliament was dis-
solved,-and we have not heard so much as a whis-
pered grumble from a single farmer in the land. In
sober truth, we don't feel altogether comfortable
about it. Surely, the glory of England is not de-
parted. Time was when, daring the months of
August, September, and October, our columns were
crowded with reports of festivals and banquets in
honour of British agriculture. Certainly, the general
tens of the speeches delivered at those assemblies was
of a somewhat doleful character. Evil prophets,
whose looks belied their words, gave oat, after the
manner of ancient oracles, that the end of all things
was at hand. A new and mighty power had risen
up amongst us. The nation was descending from its
high estate, was daily becoming vulgarised—of the
earth earthy. Men who scarcely knew wheat from
oats, who could not distinguish between short-horns
and long-horns, who cared little about green fields
and bubbling brooks, bad made colossal fortunes and
seized the helm of State. The former champions of
the British farmer had gone over into the enemy's
camp, and the time was at hand when England would
lose her lofty place among the nations of the world,
and sink into a third-rate power.
It is needless to say that these prediodons have
been falsified by the result. Free trade triumphed,
and the country was not ruined. Mr. Dtsauuu is
condemned to silence. The terrible future which
" loomed " upon the fevered brain of the disap-
pointrd author of " Coningeby is come, and yet
DISRAELI lives and breathes. Well, now, is this si-
lence, this apparent acquiescence in an accomplished
fact, a reality, or a sham ? Is it in very truth a forced
submission to the powers that be, or is it only the
calm that precedes the storm? Of all the political
parties into which the State is now divided, a plain
man would have imagined that the Protectionists
would have been the last to cry for peace. We were
told, indeed, until we were wearied of listening to the
empty bout, that, had Lord DERBY been in power, we
should have found ourselves at war with Russia.
Our PAX INGTONS, MAIM/ETATS, and DISRAELI/
were the men to whom all England looked in
her hour of difficulty and distress. Had Lord
Danny —the bold sad chivalrous STARLET—been

called by his Sovereign, at that juncture, to take the
bead of affairs, no Nicnous or ALLeminnt would
have dared to lay a finger upon an ally of England.
When the war was actually begun, who so forward
SA the partisans of Lord DEBBY in denouncing the
feeble measures of the then Administration! Only
give them thP conduct of the war, and they would
make a demonstration which would cense the
haughty CZAR to withdraw his armies, and give up,
his ambitious designs. Lord DERBY did not come
into power. The war has been carried on not so
much by any party in the State as by the nation
itself. Sebastopol has fallen, and before many days
have passed it is possible that we may hear that the
armies of Russia have abandoned the Crimea. It is
at this moment that the organs of the Protectionist
party lift op their voices for peace. We are told that
the objects for which we mitered upon the war see
accomplished. We have done all that we intended
to do. Russia is humbled, and it is time for Ragland
to show that she can be merciful in the day of
victory. The CZAR hoe yielded all save that whisk
but yesterday was rudely torn from his grasp. He
has surrendered those arrogant claims to perpetual
interference in the affairs of Turkey. He loam the
"sick man" to sink quietly into the arms of death,
or to struggle through a few hours of life, supported
by the Allies who drew the sword in his behalf.
Ramie is not unwilling that Turkey should become
a part of the European system, elm is reedy to open
the Dumb, to the commerce of the world, to ear-.