The Sun.
London, England, 1855-08-24 00:00:00

wish to put forward gloomy views on any and
•very occasion. Far from it. We never felt
,nore sanguine as to the complete triumph of our
~ rms than at this moment. We never were more
oonfiident that Russia would eventually, and per-
'laps ere long, be thoroughly humbled, and be-
come suitors for peace on much more stringent
terms than those so arrogantly and contumaciously
rejected at Vienna. But even should it be so, our
rejoicings at the happy terminatiou of the War
would not in any degree be lessened because we
had made ample provision for its energetic con-
tinuance, and that the outlay which had in some
degree contributed to that felicitous result had
thereby been rendered unavailing.

England is the land of testimonials. The
gratitude of individuals, in some degree, seeks to
compensate the benefactors, either of the aim-
triunity or of a district, for the apathy and in-
difference of the Government. The zealous and
enthusiastic pastor discovers that his labours have
been appreciated by the presentation of a bible, a
tea service, or possibly a purse of sovereigns.
The persons who take a leading part in promoting
any great object frequently receive a recognition
of their efforts from their collaborateurs, which are
alike honourable to those who give, and to those
who receive. We look on these tributes of affec-
tionate and grateful remembrance with peculiar
favour, whether they be bestowed as a pecuniary
recompence to those who have expended time,
trouble, and money, for the public good, or are
applied to the creation or promotion of some
institution that may at the same time supply a
great public want, and commemorate the name
and services of the meritorious individual.
The latter is, of course, the form most bene-
ficial to the community, inasmuch as an object is
attained—which of itself should command the
sympathy and contributions of every person able
to spare his mite to the good purpose, while it
affords the deepest and purest gratification to the
party whose name is associated therewith.
At present there is a project under considera-
tion which requires only to be named to command
the most enthusiastic support. Every one has
heard of Miss FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE, of the
lady whose active benevolence and untiring and
judicious labours so greatly alleviated the suffer-
ings of our sick and wounded soldiers in the East.
Her name has become a " household word," as
the true heroine of the 19th century. It was
not merely that she, in the possession of youth,
beauty, wealth, position in society, all in fact that
could render life desirable, was willing to undergo
toils and privations from which those bound to
earn their daily bread by the sweat of their brow
might well shrink—such instances of self-devo-
tion are happily not rare amongst the gentle sex,
of whom she is so fitting a representative—it
was not that she had the courage to inaugurate a
movementrequiring such untiring energy, or that
such miraculous success attended her self-imposed
labours, and that in a sphere from whence
many of her amiable sisters might well shrink
—all these are matters deserving of the highest
praise—but Miss NIGHTINGALE possesses still
higher claims to the national gratitude. She
appeared as a reformer, who not merely in-
dicated a mode of remedying a crying grievance,
an evil of immense magnitude, but stood boldly
forward to put her own precepts into practice,
and to prove the efficiency of the remedy she had
devised. In vain did prudence counsel the seve-
rity of the ordeal she was about to encounter—in
vain was the annoyance which she might have to
undergo from the thoughtlessness or intentional
rudeness of uneducated soldiers hinted at—no
selfish care or personal consideration slackened her
noble zeal, or retarded for a moment her acred
mission ; and it is only due to the gallant
sufferers to say that her confidence in their
honour and gratitude was completely justified.
No inconsiderate expression or action gave her
cause to regret that she had followed the dictates
of her benevolent heart, or endeavoured to
assuage the sufferings of her gallant countrymen.
Surely, then, if ever a person could be regarded
as a national benefactor—if we still respect the
memory of HOWARD the philanthropist, who spent
his life in the improvement of prisons, we may
place Miss NIGHTINGALE in the foremost rank of
the friends of humanity of all ages, and should

strive to give expression to the admirati:}n and

gratitude which must be entertained by every
true-hearted Englishman ! aye, and Englishwoman.
She is, indeed, eminently worthy of a testi-
monial ; and one has been suggested that would
be worthy of her. It is known that the long-
cherished " wish of her heart," has been to found
an hospital in London, and to work it on her own
system of unpaid nursing. It is a thought
worthy of the woman, and should it not be grati-
fied to its full extent ? Who is there who could refuse
to aid and assist in such an undertaking, to bestow
from the superfluous means, with which he has
been endowed by Providence, some portion towards
die establishment of the "Nightingale Hospital !'•
The project requires no advocacy—the mere
mention is sufficient to enlist every one in its
favour. We shall, by its means, get rid of the
SAIREY GAMPS and BETSY PRIGS, and replace
those disgraces to womanhood by ornaments to
the gentle sex. It is only necessary say that a sub-
scription list is about to be opened at Messrs.
COUTTS'S, to insure that those who have the ability
will ;dso have the will to send in their contribu-
tions to the "Nightingale Hospital Fund," for
presentation to Miss NIGHTINGALE on her return
to England, so as to enable her fully to carry out
her laudable project.

To dwell on revelations that attach a disgrace-
ful stigma on our character as a commercial na-
tion, exhibiting on the one hand a large propor-
tion of our tradesmen and manufacturers as the
worst of swindlers, and the purchasers of their
commodities as the most egregiously foolish of
dupes, is anything but a gratifying task. Unfor-
tunately, however, it is an incumbent duty ; and
while we would fain have held our peace with
regard to the adulteration of articles of daily
consumption, the frightful extent to which it has
been shown that system has reached, the neces-
sarily deadly nature and vast magnitude of its
results, the encouragement held out to honest
manufacturers and traders, and the certainty of
an effective blow being administered to it by con-
tinued exposure, are irresistible inducements to
call attention once more to the subject.
The reader doubtless entertains a high opinion,
as we do, of Anaericvi smartness—or, to call a
spade a spade—raseality, and has, in all proba-
bility, felt his admiration of the free, citizens of
the United States, with their industry, enterprise,
and various moral virtues sink now and then
towards zero when he has come across some spicy
story of wooden nutmegs. sold for the veritable
kernel from the spice islands---of ingenious and
productive swaps---of lumber " notions " cleverly
got rid of by RogiN's-like descriptions and a
raffle—of clocks, sold at cent. per cent. or more
profit, whose miraculous virtues before sale have
resolved themselves into the power to go after—
of mermaids that were never drawn by net or
caught by hook drawing millions and hooking the