The Sun.
London, England, 1855-09-04 00:00:00

At last the necessity for their construction seems to be
felt, and we perceive that a few boats specially fitted for
this service are being built at Kertch or Yenikale.
The Russians, we may be quite sure, well knew the value
of the highway by which they have heretofore drawn,
uninterruptedly, large supplies of men and provisions,
and they are deterrai;led to defend it and its approaches
to the last.

Now surely it must strike any intelligent person who
watches the progress of events in the Black Sea and
exercises his judgment upon the conduct of this war,
that the highways to the Crimea should not have been
left all this time in the hands of the enemy. Surely the
nature of the navigation, both in the Azoff and the
Sivash, ought to have been duly taken into account,
with a view to providing the only effective means of
occupation. It is now nearly four months since the
attack upon Kertch and Yenikale. Why was not the
blow then struck followed up at once ? Simply because
the means were not provided—boats of the proper de-
scription were not ready. In a very few weeks the win-
ter will set in, and render operations impossible, either
in the Putrid Sea or the Sea of Azoff. Yet we find
the boats are not ready even now, they are only in pre-
paraion, while the Russians are industriously strengthen.
ing all the approaches, and prepared no doubt to defend
them vigorously for the short interval during which they
can now be exposed to our attacks this season. It is
clear that a most important opportunity for crippling
the enemy has been lost - a consideration for the em-
barrassed condition of the Russian army that will no
doubt be appreciated and turned to excellent account.
We lately directed attention to the report that a line-of-
battle ship of 131 guns had been actually laid down in
the dockyard of Nicolaieff, almost before the eyes of our
cruisers. This report was disbelieved, but it now re-
ceives confirmation in a letter from Odessa ; and not only
so, but we learn that this projected liner is but one of a
fleet to be built forthwith. A large supply of timber
from the Imperial forests of Minsk and Vollivnia has
been ordered for delivery, not only at Nicolaieff, but at
Sebastopol—" by preference," so the letter states, " at
Sebastopol ; but if that should be impossible, at Nico-
laieff." So much for the dread inspired by our fleet, its
activity, and its vigilance. So much, also, for the san-
guine anticipations of the immediate surrender of the
stronghold of the Crimea.
An evening contemporary is innocently sarcastic upon
the "sympathy with the arduous exertions of respon-
sible statesmanship" manifested by certain journalists
who " volunteer advice as to the manner in which the
war ought to be conducted "—the misfortune being that
the advice is tendered after the necessity for it has
ceased to exist. It is to be regretted that the Adminis-
tration to which our contemporary is so humbly de-
voted did not avail itself of advice from a quarter so
solicitous for its honour, and so influential an in-
terpreter of its views. Lord Palmerston's Govern-
ment needs an adviser, and is less embarrassed, we
apprehend, by the sympathy of journalists—except per-
haps by that of our contemporary—than the Globe thinks
it necessary to assume. For our own part, we have
never hesitated as to the course we should adopt.
Such advice as we have thoright it our duty to give has
been intended, not for a Cabinet in which it was impos-
sible to place reliance, but for the country at large, in
order that loss and disaster might, if possible, be averted.
We have the melancholy satisfaction of finding all our
anticipations realised. If our solemn and repeated
warnings have been slighted we are avenged. We
pointed out, from the commencement of the campaign,
the certain consequences of a defective commissariat, of
the absence of proper means of transport, of the want
of an efficient service. Months ego we drew attention
to the state of the Ottoman army in Asia, and suggested
the imperative necessity of proper reinforcements and
an experienced command : we pointed out the use to
which the Government of St. Petersburg turned the
Asiatic successes of the Russian arms. All this and
much more we have done, in the honest belief that we
could not do otherwise, and with the sincerest desire to
see the successful progress of the war—the right we have
called upon the God of battles to defend, vindicated,
and the honour and glory of the Western alliance stea-
dily advancing. These were—these are our sentiments
and opinions—advocated irrespective of any Govern-
ment, and superior to the influences of any party. We
recognise in the conduct of this eventful war the same
vices, ignorance, apathy, or treachery, by which it has
been from the first distinguished. With magnificent
resources we have done almost nothing, and our Go-
vernment at this moment are without a defined object
in the prosecution of the war.