The Sun.
London, England, 1855-07-12 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

SIR,—Tho " tragedy of errors " represented by the
present war has already gone through too many acts,
which, if the same set of actors be kept on the gage,
are likely to be repeated until the curtain drops. The
great error in this tragedy—the great crime—we have
committed (for intentional political errors of this mag-
nitude assume at last the dark hues of crime) is the ob-
stinate persistence in that system of HALF MEASURES
which has, and ever will be, as long as adhered to, a
stunobling block in our path.
When the Russians crossed the Pruth and cast aside
the mask, we should at once boldly have crossed the
Rubicon, thrown away the scabbard, and resolutely have
declared war even " unto the knife." But what then
was dove 4 Diplomacy took up the pen, negotiations
were cocnnenced, the alliance of a power proverbial for
vacillatimA and duplicity was eagerly sought, and the at-
tempt wag made to "form a coalition of sovereigns
against the Czar, instead of forming a coalition of
peoples against despotism," of forming a permanent
European boundary of civilisation against encroaching
Vandalism a.-id the " Knout!' It were needless to say
that POLAND And HUNGARY are the boundary here im-
plied.
This was " hadf measure" the first.

We negotiated; made believe to arm, and war was de-
clared,
without .on our part any idea of war. The bar-
barians
were te.b e scarred by the mere flutter of our
pennons and the flapping of our sails ! A powerful
fleet was despatchtsd to the North without the indispen-
sable appliances requisite to insure its success, of either
gun-boats or troops. A splendid army was sent to the
East, but without an of the necessaries requisite for a
campaign; and if report speaks true, with a contract
ready signed for the me ems of its return ; so little was it
contemplated even the .0 to strike a blow ! Hence one
of the reasons of its inactivity at Varna, where our
noble army was first deci mated by inaction, mismanage-
', ment, climate, and diseas e.
Half measure No. 2.
Still hesitating, vacillating, negotiating, instead of
not " whispering" into the ears of Austria, but loudly
calling Lombardy, and Hungary, and Poland, and Cir-
ca ssia, aye, and Finland also into the lists, by which a
death-blow would have been struck at the vitals of the
system against which we professed to a age this war—
instoad of acting thus openly and manfully, as became a
free aaad great nation to act, with a paltry deference to
the " Holy-Alliance " system v, to the Metternich, or
some ‘one's else ideas of Gerruan " conservatism " (ty-
ranny i n disguise), influenced try such paltry motives,
interested and "timid councils," in an evil hour we fixed
on a mid, 31ing course, and under took, when "too late,"
an expedition which, had it beta properly carried into
effect, might have struck such a blow as would have
caused the .Northern Colossus to stagger on his pedestal
of ice, hut which has, as yet, only recoiled upon our-
selves. Hatt the Black Sea fleet not been kept for
months anchored in suicidal inactivity by the invisible
cable of diploi nacy—had that noble fleet been allowed
to do then what it has recently done go well—next or
simultaneously to destroy Odessa and secure the isthmus,
of Perekop—tho Crimea, cut off from its supplies, was
ours, without a .curther blow. without the siege of Sebas-
topol and all its "heart-rending and horrible " results,
and without the loss of the finest army that .ever left our
shores.
The crowning resrat of half measure No. 3.
Is any further an tlysis required of half-a-de zen half
measures, more mari'aing with disastrous results every
succeeding step of this wretchedly-conducted war ?
Did your space, Sir, a imit, not halt-a-dozen, but half-a-
hundred instances, mor.l could be adduced, all tending to
England's dishonour, to the destruction of her moral and
physical strength, and to' hurry thousands and tens of
thousands of her gallant sLuirits off this dreary and h ope-
less stage !
And are "half measures" to be still the order of the
day ; or are they, as worthless, at length to be cast
adrift ? It is time that England should decide ere al.l
Europe become "Cossaque."
To prevent this greatest calamity that would befal the
human race, the national barrier must be raised between
the East and the West, betNeen barbarism and civilisa-
sation, between despotic and liberal institutions—that
barrier extending from the Baltic to the Black Sta.
The Dwina and the Dnieper mark its limits on the
map of Europe thus remodelled. Sooner or later re-
modelled it must be, and by means not only of new
and better measures, but also of new and better men.
11th July, 1855. REFORM.

THE EXCESSIVE RATING OF LICENSED
TICTUALLERS 1N ST. PANCRAS.

On Tuesday afternoon an adjourned meeting of
licensed victuallers residing in the parish of St. Pancras
was held at the Somers Arms, Wilsted-street, New-road,
in connection with the appeal made by Mr. Speedy, of
the Boot, Cromenstreet, against the recent assessment
of his house to the parochial rates. Mr. THURSTON, of
the Pindar of Wakefield, occupied the chair.
Mr. SPEEDY reported that his appeal, which was
fixed for Saturday last, at the Middlesex Sessions, had
been postponed till October, when, upon the advice of
his solicitor and surveyor, he anticipated a victory.
A conversation followed upon the system of rating by
profits adopted by the parish.
The CHAIRMAN said it seemed to him that they as-
sessed large houses by their appearance. and small
houses by their business. With regard to Mr. Speedy's
case, the course adopted by the vestry was of an aggra-
vating character, because, instead of proceeding against
him by law, they might, by waiting a little, have
exercised their power of raising his assessment in the
usual way ; and it seemed to him that the trade of the
district ought to combine, and get the question settled
upon this case, as to how they should be rated in future.
In reply to a question,
The CHAIRMAN stated that the system of rating ac-
cording to profits bad been introduced in a parish at the
East-end, but the licensed victuallers combined and suc-
ceeded in defeating it. It had also been defeated in St.
Mary's, Newington, but speedily abandoned by the pa-
rochial authorities.
Mr. HowLAND moved the following resolution :
"That meetings be held in the several localities to call
the attention of the trade to the particular points and
circumstances of the appeal, Speedy v. Poor Rate
St. Pancras,' the decision of the justices in his favour,
and the persistence of the vestry in legal proceedings
tending to crush an individual."
Mr. RUSSELL seconded the motion, which was unani-
mously ageeed to, and the meeting adjourned.

The Royal Mail steamer Great Western has sailed for
Brazil with 8,0601.
The Ocean Monarch, a Liverpool ship, built at Que-
bec, lately arrived at Liverpool from Callao, Peru, is
stated to have completed the quickest voyage, out and
home, on record. Her outward
passage occupied 691
days, and her homeward, heavily laden, 78 days.
GOVERNMENT EMIGRATION.—SOUTHAMPTON, July 11.
—The Warren Hastings, a fine ship of 566 tons, belonging
to Messrs. Smith and Co., of London, and commanded
by Captain Porteous, sailed to-day for Adelaide, with
244 Government emigrants. The Chowrin_c*hee, Capt.
Ferguson, came into dck yesterday, and will leave on
Monday next for Sydney with 2591 statute adults. The
Kate has been again chartered by the Government Emi-
gration Commissioners, and is to be ready at South-
ameton to convey emigrants to Australia on the 9th of
August.