The Sun.
London, England, 1855-12-28 00:00:00

THE WAR.

The following letter has been addressed to a
contemporary :
Sir,—The fact of your having afforded me space
for remark throughout this disastrous war makes
me still trespass on your valuable columns, in order
that I may pursue my subject matter to an end.
The fall of Kars is accomplished. With the non-
relief of that important fortress, and the miserable
errors which kept assistance back it is not now my
purpose to deal. I have throughout endeavoured
to induce attention to what was the course proper
to be pursued, and, at last, for me to utter vain
regrets would neither suit my temper nor avail the
cause.

From the beginning to the present time I have
raised my voice against the sparing of Russian pri-
vate property, and endeavoured to hold up to uni-
versal condemnation the unsoldier-like culpability
of notifying to the enemy that unfortified towns
and villages, as well as largo buildings, whether
private or not, in towns that wore under fire,
would be respected.
To avoid recurrence, and consequent tediousness,
I content myself with the assertion, that the enemy
throughout have availed themselves of the folly or
dishonesty of our Government, and used private
buildings and unfortified places not only as maga-
zines for the munitions of war, and barracks of se-
curity for their soldiers, but on several occasions when
opportunity offered they have unmasked these houses of
refuge, so sillily assigned them), and fired on our soldiers
and sailors. The various reports from our officers in
command have verified this statement from time to
time, and established the fact as notoriously as the sun
at noonday. _ _

As I have urged I urge again. The strength of
an empire lies in the wealth of its subjects. Private
possessions are the veins which supply the great artery
of the public purse—then cut off the supply ! There is
not a true soldier who does not know the import of those
last four words " cut off the supply," whether it be of
water, foc,i, fuel, or gold, no matter ; they are all im-
portant, and cannot he done without—this difference
alone exists, that if the money fails it strikes a blow on

I have also for ever shown that the Russians them-
selves make it an unvarying paint of their welfare to
destr,iy all houses and places, whether private or not,
the instant
i neither subterfuge nor the sword can main-
tain them n useful possession. Why, then, spare pri-
vate property and unfortified places so long as they can
be useful to the enemy.
Suppose the Czar, to use a common phrase of the
"on information he receives," doubts if he can
maintain possession of Odessa. There are one or two
things apparent on the political horizon which may
render him dubious on that subject.
We are, I believe, on the eve of a general election,
and the upshot of that event must be one of two
things. Either Lord Palmerston must be removed
from his giddy and fluctuating state of chief com-
mls,ionership of an administration, and Lord Derby
placed in his stead, or Lord Palmerston must be so tho•
roughly dictated to by the country, that he will no longer
dare to tamper with Peelite sections, nor send round
whippers-in to feel the pulce of the reluctant or revolu-
tionary, ere he ventures to approach a vote.
A change of ministry, or the collective shout of the
United Kingdom, are enough to decide the fate of
Odes,a, which, as I have perpetually said, ought to have
been taken long ago. It is true that, "on the informa-
tion he receives," the Czar already dreads one or other of
these results looming in the approaching spring, and that
even now the guns which might have been ours, but
which, owing to the acts of the present Govern-
smtreenntg, tarheensttih atilt
le
his,
are beginning to be withdrawn to
more inland positions. I shall not be
surprised to see Odessa, when it has served the Russian
time, and been stripped of all that could have been ser-
viceable to us, destroyed by the Muscovite brand and
mine.

From Moscow to Sebastopol, down to the depths
which whelm our Black Sea fleet, this has been the
Russian plan of defence ; aad by this time, were the
present Ministry in earnest prosecution of the war, it
should have grown into an example on which our attack,
a 3 well as their defence, should hsve alike been based.
The life of every man reft bf the guns which may
he or have been withdrawn ft.om Odessa will lie at
the door of the present administration ; and stained
as the steps of that vacillatirg conclave are with a
prodigality of blood, an event such as a voluntary de-
struction of Odessa by the Rtssians, reduced to ruins
and rifled of all that could be remunerative or useful in
war, would still add a terribe notoriety to the black
catalogue of their administrative errors.
Your most oiedient,
GE►NTLEY F. BERKELEY.

Beacon Lodge, Dec. 26.

ACCOITCHEMENT OF MADASIE GRISI.—This talented
lady was confined with a daighter on Christmas-day, at
her present abode, Regency-louse, King's-road, and we
are happy to learn that both parent and infant are doing
well. Signor Mario is in Lrighton, but we understand
that he leaves England about the 12th of next month, to
complete his engagement at Paris. Grisi and Mario are
both engaged for the Reyal Italian Opera in Paris,
about the middle of Feb, nary, after which it is expected
that the great cantatrice and the unrivalled tenor will
proceed to Irlorouct,::-.BriaMon (4"4'