The Express.
London, England, 1855-02-07 00:00:00

SIR CHARLES NAPIER AND THE EARL OF
CARDIGAN AT THE MANSION-HOUSE.

dinner both* both* Aldermen of the City of London. The interest
of the occasion was much enhanced by the eirenMstaitnt
stated,thwBirlairlit the
Cela
Itelet
the Napier,ong t
he: uniform,hetvgevening
i:"thre s former
weßoselr doe
ohfoffMo eaen:mhodourfi gnaguadPaari dhi
adia
spared'na anneal
smAdmiral
nbibeasil
in
the Rumen sabres, in which he led the famous cavalry
ri
wot°poseithutl"nTunhenn
of
diracndhatrhkes Service
er
oefilltAa:lll!7e.Bl4faaltthaptißecil,";'ue:olin:lp"Lilepda
ansdirCacp.taitiAnpLmyanebro.e.
The toast having received an eathusiastmhictoevreheaspTub:,la.dzies
to racial', and as nearly as could be
liked valour,
sy. gathered,
audibility,of eyfeels
nabdhusib
been
0 himselfd
feekr ries
n reasome
ad7eji
follows
he
i se
in vantages as to position and
and gentenien—lf an officer returned from foreign service,
the Earl of Cardiganp,laafmtedr
ihnsaviponc:i
the
hi
1 eld allow
nly
arnedfro on performed
eddifficulty,prodigies
much more difficulty must I feel who have returned from
my command after having hardly performed any service at
all, and also having been censured by the government and
dismissed from my command. (Cries of " No, no.") I re-
peat, dismissed from my command. I have no doubt it
will be expected by the present company that some
account should be given of the very small services
performed in the Baltic b' that magnificent fleet
which was sent out from this country. (Hear, hear.)
That fleet was magnificent certainly to a degree. It
was very badly manned and worse disciplined; but, never-
theless, we managed to take it to the Baltic without pilots,
without charts ; and, all the officers being perfectly unac-
quainted with the Baltic, and with the difficulties of the
navigation, we yet succeeded in getting there in perfect
safety. Now, the first object which I had in view was to
endeavour, if possible , to satisfy the wishes of the people of
this country. I was quite aware when I went there,
that one-tenth part of what was expected could not be per-
formed, but nevertheless I was determined to do the best
I possibly could. When we first went, my view was to give
Russia every chance of putting to sea. I divided my fleet
into two squadrons. I left one in the Gulf of Finland, and
the other not very tax off the Island of Gothiand. However,
the Russians did not think proper to come out. Our next
object was to go to Cronstadt, and see what was to be done
there. We went there to do, with the assistance of a French
squadron, all we possibly could. We found the thing totally
impracticable. In the first place, there was not water for
the ships ; and, in the next p ace, the batteries were of such
strength that it was impossible to attack the place without
the almost certainty of destruction to the fleet. I therefore
think I acted a prudent part in the course which I pursued.
The French admiral entirely concurred in my opinion,
and we returned thence to our former anchorage near
Semifluid. I bad written before to the English
government proposing to attack Bomarsund. I wanted
no troops to go there,-1 had troops enough ; but
the French admiral thought it more peeper to
have some. The French government sent out ten
thousand soldiers. I did net want them : they bad much
better have been employed at Sebastopol. (Hear, hear )
I asked, indeed, for one or ,two thousand, to make the
thing more sure, but I could have done the thing without
them—(hear, hear)—and I wrote home to that effect.
However, ten thousand were sent eat. It is needless for
me to say how quickly the thing was done. (Laughter.)
Bomanund was taken in no time—(laughter), and with
little lose. That great fortification was destroyed : a forti-
fication „which extended a considerable distance over the
Baltic. I now come to a subject of greater consequence,
and I think it my duty to make the facts knows, as much as
I possibly can do, here,because I am not in parliament. I have
been very much censured by the government. Great clamour
has been raised against me, and the government, instead of
discountenancing that clamour, have actually supported it.
The moment it was known in England and France that the
French army intended to return home, seeing that it was
perfectly impossible at that Beason of the year to perform
any further envies without risking her Majesty's fleet, the
government became dissatisfied, and ordered a council of
war to be held. 1 dare say nobody ever yet heard of a
council of war fighting. (Laughter.) However, we did
not want that to drive us on. The whole subject was care-
fully and thoroughly considered by a marshal of France,
by a French admiral, by a general of French Engineers,
and by no less than three British admirals. We unani-
mously decided that it was perfectly impossible to proceed
further; and had we done so we should have encountered
the aimest certainty of defeat and loss. The British Ad-
miralty, not satisfied with that decision, listened to the ad-
vice el an officer of engineers, and I was ordered to hold
another council of war, to see whether French admirals and
English generals would abandon their own opinion, and
adopt that of the Admiralty. The English generals felt
insulted at that proposal. Had I been desirous to commit
the opinion of a brigadier-general of English Engineers,
and willing to give up my own opinion, of course when
the other members had pronounced their opinion, they
would have thought it unnecessary to hold another conned
of war. The French admiral very properly refused to join.
He said, " I have already given my opinion, end it is not for
any general of eagineers,whether English, Frencb,(i erman,
or anything else, to make me change my view with regard
to an attack purely naval in its character." The govern-
ment at home were not satisfied with that. The French
General of Engineers sent another report home still more
bare than the lint; and it is unnecessary for me to say that
we all concurred is condemning that opinion also. The
French army returned home I believe,and I have no hesita-
tion in saying, that had we gone up the Gulf of Finland
again instead of returning home our fleet would have been
totally lost. Not satisfied with this state of affairs, I was
determined to have another survey of a fortification which
is one of the strongest in Europe. This was in the
month of September, a month which, let me observe, in
the Baltic corresponds in severity to November amongst
the Channel Islands. I sent home a report of a survey which I
had taken with great care and deliberation, and with a de-
termination to do all that man could do to satisfy, if pos-
sible, the expectations of the people of England. The
moment it was said that Sebastopol was taken, it was
asked, "Why don not Admiral Napier take Bt. Peter,-
burg and Cronstadt?" In fact, it was said, " Why don't
you take Moscow ?" (Laughter.) Now I did not expect
that the Admiralty would join in that clamour. I say I
certainly expected that they would be so mean and
despicable as to join in that clamour, in order to bring odium
upon a naval officer who hod done the best in his power
to bring honour and credit to his country. (Hear, bear.)
What did Ido ? I sent home a clear and detailed account
to the Admiralty, stating to them my opinion as to what
appliances were necessary in order to take Sweaborg. Yon
will not expect me to state what these opinions were.
(Hear, hear.) Suffice it to say, that two opinions were
given, one of which I thought certain to lead to success,
the other certain to issue in destruction. What did the
Admiralty do? Now, I mention this particularly and
plainly, in order that there may be no mistake whatever,
because if the government have the least spirit about them
they will immediately discharge me and turn me out
of the service. (Hear, hear.) The Admiralty perverted my
most goaling letters that they could possibly send. They
language. Not only did they do that, but they wrowntayezolmiustose
asked see why I did not take Sweaborg, and de this, that,
and the other. They received my letter giving an account
of how Sweaborg might be taken on the 4th of October—
the very day on which the report of the captors of Sebas-
topol reached this country. On the 9th of October news
came that Sebastopol was not taken; bat the Admiralty
had not the plain, straightforward dealing, or the honesty,
to write and apologise to me; but they pe d what I
had written, giving them a plan for the taking of Sweaborg.
I was not going to stand that. (A laugh.) lam not the man
toputup with an insult. (Cheers.) I remonstrated most
strongly; but after all my remonstrances they still
persisted in saying that I had led them astray.
What could I do ? I• was not going to be
driven into all this, particularly am Sir James Graham,
during the whole time I was in the Baltic, had written to
commander-in-chief." After that came the most issulting
want of
seahladiseracnestrt:litint°degetialigrgaydu,tbtru?Fttwo:sersoyat.l3bnotee:lerviesylgedop:otroht.revatatehesinfemtebdsystetooac't;;insaeWsewtloo(datitisseeaemoeion:
most
mmeante_
men-
tion this particularly, and I hope that it will go forth to
the world, and that it will prevent Sir James Graham from
ever sitting in the Administration as First Lord of the
eft evo
ilt
al iotz tye odhttahhveee
advicepublic,
the
of
iandiseie
Beet
Jams
ambe wish
huithembehind
r ma Graham,
rani
0.,
know,Aja
mdme
James
r Admiralty.
ht.
I should m.oeharintatiketadsinl
the Baltic. I will prove it before all the world ; and if Sir
▪ n
is
cleared
up am;
.nh asd one single sTiongnloe bit of heovneolartoinbehim,emhpelowrilal
the
his
tco"h
onlyb eat
et r
sae scratched ith
siteCelhAhme dad
vamyseiffrthaalaant:hyOuisni Jo it ,i
thel thismaking
fank
iI t a r namogpa p
ottntheori
art.
tellingaa °thuds tiruotugh.
answer for my conduct before they House of Commons when-
ever they may choose to all upon me to do se. (Cheers.)
oppor-
tunity—perhaps
r•
phuarliely as I do, and I am perfectly ready to
The LORD MAYOR then proposed " The British Army,"
coupling with it the names of the Earl of Cr.rdigan and his
aide-de camp Captain Massey.
The toast having been drunk with three times three,
The Earl of CARDIGAN, who, for Vas reason before
&nulled to, was heard throughout rather indistinctly, in re-
turning thanks,spokenearlyas follows :---My Lord Maynand
ladies and gentlemen, I assure you I fv.l considerably em-
barrassed, inasmuch as there are serieral conflicting con•
siderationa weighing vary heavily epic my mind. Besides
thanking you for the reception which you have
given to the tout, I ''have to direct your atten-
tion to events which have lately unlined in the Crimea,
and I feel certain that a re Jut engagement in that
Para of the would ill ih...e. ,ch;.o.f cause of the friendly and
G To officers ao diet, me VIII
to'
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olondnag: thamwtelsocaletfeewliiiiinotgol
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of those subjects whieb now i.ao much
pieuide mind, and which are esgweg OP fan •
' tin Of both HOUNG of ratliantent,Aad 1 Wilk
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