The Express.
London, England, 1855-05-12 00:00:00

THE ADMIRAL AND THE

Tun evidence given by Admiral DUNDAS before
the Sebastopol Committee conflicts in many particu-
lars with that of the Deice of NEWCASTLE. The
impression left upon the minds of those who heard
the testimony of his Grace was, undoubtedly, that
proper means of obtaining information regarding
the state of the Crimea were not taken by the naval
sad military commanders previous to the expedition
thither. The gallant Admiral admits the fact of the
tY but total ignorance in which the perilous venture
Ines planned and executed ; but he denies altogether
that any portion of the blame rests with him. Be-
fore hostilities had commenced between Ramie and
thn Western Powers, the need of obtaining informa-
tion, more especially with regard to the state of
Sebastopol, had impressed itself upon the atten-
tion of the Admiral ; and he appears to have
urged the British Ambassador at Constantinople
to allow him to send persons possessing his confidence
to make observations on the condition of the place,
and its defences. These suggestions were either
wholly disregarded by Lord STEAMED, or put aside
upon some plea of difficulties regarding pampeets;
and the Admiral being under the direction of the
Ambassador, he seems to have thought it incumbent
upon him to acquiesce in the unfortunate decision of
the diplomatist. Whether Lord Srwronn con-
ceived that any real difficulty existed with respect to
passports--owing, we presume, to the anomalous state
of the consular arrangements existing in the Black
Sea—or whether this was only assigned as a conve-
nient pretext for not assenting to a course so plainly
dictated by common sense, his lordship alone can tell.
With many excellent qualities, and a rare amount of
specific Stases for the post he has so long occupied,
Lord Mart= is, we fear, chargeable with the
weakness which often besets ambitious minds—
that of petulance and irritability, when asked to
adopt the suggestions of commonplace prudence.
Statesmanship, like other elevated qualities, has its
vanity and egotism. lied Admiral DUNDAB been on
terms of greater personal intimal with the Ambee-
sador, or had he been at the pains to frame
his recommendation in a form that did not savour of
point-blank admonition or advice, it is not improbable
that what he wished for would have been done, and
that great good would have been thereby accomplished.
But the truth is sufficiently obvious now, although
for a keg time people were slow in comprehending
it, that Lord SISATIORD'S position under the cir-
cumstances had become impossible. Charged
with an
,amount of reepoasibility as to the general
direction 'of fleets and armies, not unlike that of
the Governor-General of India, he was at the

awe time hammed we only by the inosesant
dudes of diplomacy with easeeptible allies and dia.
traded rive* but what ems' far more didloult and
trying to the tempet...nf
.an earnest_ but impetuous
man, by the absolute- need-or initorintending and
controlling the feeble and corrupt councils of the
Ottoman empire. A Governor-Ohara hes frequently
exercised, it is true, more arbitrary control over the
effete dynuties of th• Bast, but he has never been
oompelled to do so in the tedious form of deferential
expostulation,or under thelynx-eyedoriticiessofjealotes
equals. To the purpose which Lord 817.8170aD
had sincerely at heart—namely, that of guiding the
Porte safely and permaneetly through its dangers,
and placing the power of the SULTAN On a firm and
truly independent footing as one of the states of
Europe—any resort to summary or humiliating
authority in the name of Great Britain would have
been fatal. The Turkish Government was too weak
at home and too little thought of abroad to be able to
bear aught that savoured of want of respect from its
protecting friends; and yet we know that in a thou-
sand things it stood deplorably in need of the hourly
vigilance and prompt admonition of one who could
speak to the Ministers of the Seraglio with a voice of
puenionnt authority. Is a word, Lord Eirmrstonn
had tel perform at one and the same time all the deli-
mit* end laborious ditties of Prime Minister in
Turkey, of British Ambassador at Constantinople,
sr erleounter-diplomatist on the part of England at
the • iced Court of Vienna. In the main, we
are disposed to think lightly of the services he
Ei
bee ; but undoubtedly too many opposite
Gni duties were laid upon him. Perhaps he.
hi net man capable of being helped in his work :
ills
diem many such. Bet it must be owned that
never' lam silkiest help offered to any man
'placed in so difficult a position.
On many points the Committee, is the est:rein
of a wise discretion, forbore questioning Admiral
DLINDAL We are consequently left as much in
the dark as ever on several matters of the highest