The Express.
London, England, 1856-01-16 00:00:00

Ctr exvreoo.

TO CORIXRPONDENTB.

• teorloweento loteetted tor "Tbe Erpreoe Fios7les Iteowbag parer,
sew M et the Mee; 10, llosvoriwattoet, by Two o'oloca os the
d.y pubJeldiole.

DION WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE.
This DAT —.4ornieg. 6L Ns ARMCO& 9114
To-moasow —Manama, 94. tea. Anomie% 106. lka.

LONDON, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16.

No ose, we presume, has read oar Correspondent's
account of the condition of our army in the Crimea
without a feeling of lively satiefsction. Surely it is
well for us to know—it is well for the world to know
—that England has not neglected those of her sow
whom she has sent forth to bear her flog in defence
of „iOrtigb'ltA Ohristmas-day in the
Crimea Will spent by the British officer and by the
British soldier with as much festive "joy and uproar'
as by any other Englishouse at his own fireside. The
well-browned turkey and the smoking sirloin, the
sparkling wine and the ennobling mountain dew,
gladdened the heart of the soldier = that barren
promontory, and made him forget his toils and
dangers in the thought that his country still remem-
bered him. Nor indeed is it possible to avoid the
contrast of the condition of the army now from what
it was twelve mouths ago. It would be vain to
elaborate the contrast. The thing is too fresh in the
remembrance of us all. Without convenient stores,
without roads, without means of transport, without
but., without clothing, the troops wanted every.
thing to sustain the bodily frsme. A singularly in-
clement seaport, and duties singularly trying, griev-
ously increased the difficulties of a position is itself
sufficiently difficult. The officers and men, ioexpe-
rienced in war, were exposed in the trenches to the
dangers of shot and shell, and the more fatal in-
Buenos of soaking wet and bitter frost. Throughout
the army sickness and despondency reigned supreme.
The sick could not be conveyed away fast enough.
The young recruits who came oat to replace those
who were lost disappeared almost as soon as they
arrived, and within equal periods the number of
seen who then died in one division was as great as
the number of men who now die throughout the'
whole army. Now, indeed, all is changed—instead
of sickness, health—iestead of despandeeey, cheer-
fulness and expectation. Never was an army in,
finer condition.

The shallow foppery of iocompetent officials would
fain have persuaded us that at that time it was the
maddest of follies to lay bare our misferiee—to publish
our 1200118itiaS to the world. When the Sebas-
topol Committee wee demanded the same cry waxed
even louder. But that Franck philosopher who stood
aniseed at the greatness of a nation which could, as he
expressed it, anatomies its institutions in the face
of mankind, and summon the public to the clinical
lecture, was far wiser than most of us. A great
man is rarely a great man to his valet, and verily it
almost seems as if to most Englishmen and to all
minister", Disbud were only half as greet as she is.
Let men prate as they will, It is to public opinion,
instructed by the press, that the brilliant condition
of oar Eastern army is now doe. The pews had to
submit to all the odium of rebuking men high la
office, and of demanding vigorous measures of reform,
and therefore the press is sow entitled to congratu-
late itself upon the happy changes which have been
wrought. Benighted °pantry geodesics and rela-
tions of men high in office, must now steely acknow-
ledge that the press does not art, sad dare not
act, without regard to truth. It they have been
reluctantly driven to give up their accustomed papers,
we trust that the service* which these papers have
rendered to our army may induce them to resume
that source of enlightenment so foolishly relinquished.
For we venture to ask whether it is possible to name
a single man who now unjustly stands the victim of
newspaper slender? Nor, indeed, can we call to mind
a single individual who, during the whole war, has
unjustly suffered except Captain Csitisnx, the bar-
boar master of &Islam. Mr. LATAits did NI.
doubtedly healed some assertion against that officer,
which turned out to be unfounded. The real perse-
cutor was to anonymous writer, but the Pint Lord
of the Admiralty, Sir JANES GLEAM. He it was
laces single word scald have turned aside the toivent
of public indignation which threatened to overwhelm
that gellantelliwir. He it was whose sacred duty it
Demme to utter that single word, but who, instead
of fulfilling that duty, condescended to practise on
the lions* of Cosmos% in order to mope the
responsibility of having commanded a oeuet•martial.
If any British officer, therefore, has uslastly sof-
feted in this war it is not the press ►e ought to
blame, bet the Minister, whose moral courage to be
honest and straightforward has failed. If a man is
wronged or slandered by the press, only let the head
of the depa►tment under whose orders the ABM
attacked is pissed make known the facts, and the
public will be satisfied, eves although the journal
which made the accusation remains unconvinced.

It has been the fashion indeed for querulous offi-
cials to remind us with solemn moistness of the
wise sayings of the Duke of Wsumioros. They
tell us how bitterly he complained of the information
communicated by the English newspapers, and how
such communications hindered his plans. There are,
of course, 00C1141011/ ea which infatuation may be
injudiciously made public, bet the invasion of the
Crimea was an ocossica of a quits different nature.
What the public journals then revealed was not
plans proposed to be executed, but incompetency
in high places, the want of roads, the want of
tents, the want of clothing, the want of food.
These were wants occasioned not by the necessities
of the position of the army ; not by lack of money ;
bet by the confused system of adagaistratioa both at
home and abroad. These were wants of which the
Cloveroment was ignorant, beanies about them an a&
cial conspiracy would keep them in the dark. Theme
were wants which the people of this Gauntry were met
only willing but able to supply, if they had only
known they ought to supply them. It was thug*
the press that these wants were made !mown, sad it
was through the preen that a partially reformed
administration has been achieved.

It bee been said Indeed that by indiscrimi-
nate denneciations the prestige of England has
suffered ; that go where you will the Govern-
ment and the army of this country have
almost become a byword. It may lie so. But the
wisdom of telling the troth lies already been vindi-
cated. ''his country has only been plunged into the
abyss of contempt to rise more conspicuous than ever
far energy and practical genies. Seeing how little the
English people spared their own shortcomings some
twelve months ago, ao men of intelligence as now
doubt the truth of the statements as to the admirable
modifies of our trove. Where the slate of as army
his been kept a secret from the !utilising, so official
secant of its comfort or prosperity can possibly
command belief. Who would audit a aorrearoadaat'•
letter from the army of Prises Cloarcueuorr P— who
sea be brought to treat ewes Mr. COSDZIES sacioaat
of Ramie ? Bet with the British army tbs ass is

ihlini