The Express.
London, England, 1855-09-24 00:00:00

LONDON, MONDAY, B.EPTEMBBR 24.

We are assured—on a kind of quasi-official autho-
rity—that at the Privy Council, to be held at Bal-
moral, on the receipt of the despatches brought from
the Crimea by Major Cuezote, an order will be issued
for a General Thanksgiving. Better late than never.
Seeing that no doubt was for a moment entertained
as to the reality and importance of the advantage
gained over the enemy at Sebastopol, perhaps an
earlier recognition of the debt of gratitude we owe
to PEOVID6NCE might have been more becoming.
The Court etiquette of waiting until the
victory had been duly and officially announced
imparts a chilliness and formality to the act of
thanksgiving. We feel convinced, however, that the
appeal of the Sovereign to her subjects--calling upon
them to prostrate themselves along with her, with
glad and thankful hearts, before the Source whence
all blessings flow —will be cordially and unanimously
responded to. And we trust that we shall be spared
certain unnecessary protests and polemical discus-
sions, which have on former occasions rather marred
the seemly spectacle of a whole people simultaneously
engaged in devotior. It is well understood that, as an
order," the proclamation for a day of thanksgiving
is cnly addressed to the members of that Church
which delegates such authority to the Chief Magis-

, .
trate. All that is expected from nonconformists is that,
animated by a sympathetic spirit, they should resolve
to engage in this public expression of gratitude
at the same time with their brethren and fellow-
Christians of the Establishment. No encroachment

is attempted on their religious liberty ; an appeal is
merely made to their sense of what is right and be-,
coming. We know that in this matter the hearts of
the great mus of Nonconformists are with us, and
hope that the more polemically disposed among them
may reserve protests which there is nothing to pro-
voke, for seuons when they will not disturb the
universal sense of national thankfulness, or the uni-
versality of its expression.

given to them only who, by an earnest exertion of the
natural intelligence that hue been confined upon
them, reek to deserve it. If incapacity yet lingers is
high places, a prompt and strenuous effort ought to
be made to eliminate it.

We do nor believe there has ever been as occasion
on which a national expression of gratitude has
been more called for; for there never has been an
occasion on which it was more apparent that
we have been indebted for victory to a wisdom
greater than our own. The national feeling compelled
our rulers to undertake and persevere in the war.
This feeling was of a nature to do honour
to the people, and entirely in accordance with
that religious expression of gratitude for victory
which we have urged upon our countrymen since the
first telegraphic intimation of the fall of South Se-
bastopol was received. It was no vain glorious desire
for national distinction in arms, but a deliberate,
reluctant conviction that a recourse to hostilities was
necessary, in order to repel unjust aggression, and
lay the basis of a lasting European peace, compatible
with the liberties of nations. But it was long ere our
rulers comprehended the grandeur and justice of
the popular sentiment. They undertook the conduct
of the war with less than half a heart, and after they
had exhausted every means of evasion. Even thou
of them who have evinced most sympathy with the
national will, and have remained at their posts to
work its behests, have failed to show that they are
completely masters of the great question at issue.
And not only have the counsels of Government been
characterised by lukewarmness, they have betrayed
much of inoompetency likewise. The victory is ours
in spite of the irresolution and incapacity of those
human instruments to whom the people have
had to entrust its management. A higher
Wisdom—a mightier Arm than that of mere
man has wrought out our deliverance. We do
not say that our victory proves that we have been in
the right ; for the inscrutable counsels of PROVI-
DENCE often try the just with reverses. But we say
that dispassionate reflection convinces us we have
been right, and that we cannot express too fervently
or too unanimously our gratitude for having been
spared those trials of our faith and of our powers of
endurance in a good cause, to which many nations
have in all ages been subjected. Our task is yet far
from being accomplished ; many and perplexing difli-
culties may yet be in store for us; and there can be
no better preparation for worthily meeting them than
the united prayers of the people, acknowledging the
favour already shown us, and imploring its conti-
nuance with grateful hearts.
The despatches received from the Crimea add
little to the curt intelligence previously supplied by
the electric telegraph. It would have been unreason-
able to expect they should, for our commanders have
other work in hand at present than to write history.
In justice, however, to the brave men who are fight-
ing our battles—in justice to that high and holy
cause for which the national treasure has been freely
given, and the people's blood poured out like water—
we dare not refrain from pointing out that there are
some things in General Six PSON'S despatch that call for
explanation. It sppears that the number of men
engaged in storming the Redao was 1,000; that they
were covered by a party of 200 men, and assisted by
a ladder party of 320. This " forlorn hops "—for
it can scarcely be called by any other name—pene-
trated into the Reda°, and made gond its ground
there for nearly Fn hour against an overwhelming
superiority of numbers. How gallantly they strug-
gled to maintain the ground they had won is appa-
rent from the loog list of casualties among the officers
—for as yet the loss of the rank and file has not
been even approximatively made known. Now the
question irresistibly suggests itself, Was no support
sent to these brave men ? Was this handful left
unassisted, for a stricken hour, to wage the
coequal contest? Nothing is said upon this head is
General SIMPSON'S despatch, but there is • passage
in that document which would lead us to fear that
they were :—" The trenches were subsequently to this
attack, so crowded with troops, that I was unable
to organise a second one, which I intended to make
with the Highlanders ender Lieutenant-General Sir
COLIN CAMPBELL, who had hitherto formed the
reserve, to be supported by the Third Division, under
Major G al Sir WILLL4II EYRE." This lame
apology appears to betray an inadequate enforcement
of order ►nd discipline. It seems to imply that a con-
fusion prevailed in the trenches, each as could only be
attributable to remissness or incapacity on the part
of those in command ; and that this confusion not
only prevented a second attack being made, bat pre-
vented the first being properly supported. We are
not going to express a decided and premature opinion
on this painful subject, bat we repeat that an ex-
planation is iMperatively called for. Hitherto our
arms have been wirwlerfully supported, but all hie-I
tory proves that the aid 1.1 Jitiven 4 permaneudy

THE EXPRESS, MONDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 24, 1855.