The Sun.
London, England, 1855-03-16 00:00:00

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LONDON, FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 1855.

Whatever may be thought of Lord LUCAN'S
capacity as a general, there can be no doubt that
ho makes an admirable witness. His testimony
is clear, distinct, and unequivocal, bearing the
impress of truth in every sentence, and perfectly
conclusive to every disinterested and unpreju-
diced mind. Ho has not in any degree alluded
to the points at issue between himself and Lord
RAGLAN ! These must form the subject of another
investigation, which, although refused by the
Horse Guards, cannot be denied to the Noble
Earl when the fitting time has arrived, and Lord
RAGLAN is in attendance in this country to sup-
port the grave accusations he has preferred—a
circumstance which, for the sake of our suffering
army is the Crimea, cannot long be postponed.
The conduct of Lord RAGLAN during action was
also carefully avoided. But on other matters,
scarcely less important in a commander, a degree
of careless indifference 'and apathy was displayed,
which proved the noble Field-Marshal utterly un-
fitted for the position into which he was pitch-
forked, and which oceasions the utmost astonish-
ment as to the grounds on which he was originally
appointed ; or why, having been appointed, he
has been allowed to retain a situation for which
he is clearly incompetent.
We long since declared that the triumphs of
the Noble Lord had been with the pen, not with
the sword. His services bad been in the bureau
rather than in the field. He generally acted as
" secretary" wherever he chanced to be engaged;
and, although he lost an arm at Waterloo, it could
scarcely be asserted that he had experience suffi-
cient to qualify him for the supreme command of
an army so circumstanced as that in the Crimea.
He showed himself thoroughly versed in the
principles of " red-tapism." He was always
ready with an assurance that any matter which
could not be "pooh-poohed," and thus got rid of,
was "under consideration.," That was all the
satisfaction which Lord LUCAS or any other gene-
ral could obtain, however urgent the subject of
complaint. The cavalry General pointed out the
inconvenience and impalicy of imposing harass-
ing duties on the cavalry, which occasioned the
loss of many horses (ea.ch worth 751. sterling), in
av merely pecuniary pi)itut of view, but under the
lar circumstanev3 of the case perfectly in-
valuable.
These
might have been saved by the purchase
of baggagq
ponies, which would have cost 6/. or
71, each, and one of. .
which would have done the
work of four cavalr- horses, But, in accordance
wit7a the penny-wise-and-Pound-foolish policy
Mat prevailed froi n the beginning, the obvious
precaution
was Deeected, and behold the deplo-
rable result—the loss of no less than seven or
eight hundred trained and valuable florae„
This matter was strongly represented to Lord
RAGLAN. Lord la (WAN, who found it advisable
to put his communication in writing, addressed a
letter to the Adjutiant-General on the subject, in
which ho complairted of the cavalry being employed
on business so f4oreign to their proper duties, and
pointed out the serious mortality that had already
occurred among the horses of the division in con-
sequence the-reel. To this letter no answer was
returned ! Indeed, a tolotably thick folio book
was produced full of similar complaints, which
seldom produced redress. He proposed to Lord
RAGLAN to form a transports corps entirely

separate from the commissariat. He was
thanked for this suggestion, which was
." under the eonsideration of the English Govern-
raent." A similar suggestion as to the formation
• of a►n ambulance corps like to that of the French
was also "under the consideration of the Govern-
ment !" The medicine for the horses and other