The Sun.
London, England, 1855-11-05 00:00:00

that Marshal Lord RAGLAN has succumbed under '
;be fatigues of campaigning, and that General Sir
JAMES SIMPSON has fallen quietly into the back-
ground ? Why, actually a soldier who had never
been in action before that great Battle of the
Alma, with which this Crimean War against Russia
was, on the 20th of September of 1854, inaugu-
rated ! After times will scarcely credit such ex-
traordinary precipitation after such amazing pro-
crastination such astonishing rashness after
such astounding timidity. Well may WALTER
SAVAGE LANDOR insist upon the fitness of a tried
Great Captain, like General GuYoN, as contrasted
with the reverse, as exemplified by such men as
General SIMPSON or General CoDRINGTON. "Had
a WILLIAMS or a GUYON commanded our armies,"
iays Mr. LANDOR, " how many thousands had
now filled their ranks who now fill
their graves." General GUYON is, indeed,
well thought of at this imminent juncture.
His glorious feats of arms are still, we believe,
fresh in the popular recollection. Who has for-
gotten his memorable campaign in Transylvania ?
Who does not at once associate his deeds of glory
in that wonderful Hungarian War of Independence,
with those recorded of poor dead BEM, ©f the young
KLAPKA, and of the veteran DEMBINSKI? But, alas,
the names of these heroes are bound up with a thought
ever full to us of the bitterest heart-burning—the
thought that all this while Poland, and Hungary,
and. Italy are shut out from any participation
whatever in this great War against Russian
Despotism—a war waged (as all the world knows
by this time) not in the cause of plunder or of
conquest, but in the sacred interests of liberty and
civilisation. The time may come when Italians,
Poles, and Hungarians may yet be marshalled
under their national banners side by side with
the soldiers of England, and France, and Sar-
dinia—when a GUYON, a KLAPKA, and a DEM-
BINSKI may share the glories of the struggle with
a WINDHAM, a BOSQUET, and a PELLISIER—a
struggle then in earnest for the freedom of the
nations, not as some might venture to call it now-
adays (looking to the German " element" WALTER
LANDOR roots of), as the phrase rums—Querelle

On Saturday we stated that the Philo-Musco-
vites were indefatigable in the cause to which
they have deemed it expedient and justifiable to

devote their exertions ! Each day furnishes ad-
ditional corroboration to the truth and accuracy
()f our assertion. Since that time, a previously

written letter of Mr. COBDEN hag been put pro-

minently forward, and the programme of a Stop-
the-War League has also •been actively circulated

y the press organ of the Peace-at-any-price party,

We are satisfied that these convulsive efforts can.

not exercise any material influence on the national
feeling—that the voice of public opinion, so

clearly and unequivocally expressed, cannot be

silenced by such an extraordinary combination of
pompous platitudes, specious sophistries, and un-
founded misrepresentations—that the medley of un-
blushing falsehood and ridiculous twaddle will be
merely taken at its real value, and that persons
whose names once stood high in the estimation of
the people of England can by such conduct only
succeed in blasting their former reputation, with-
out in the slightest degree advancing the interests
of Russia, or saving from well-merited chastise-
ment the AUTOCRAT on whose behalf they are
willing to make such serious sacrifices.
We shall first deal with Mr. COBDEN, who at
one time laboured energetically and efficiently in
a good cause, and who received a very handsome
testimonial for his really valuable services. A
testimonial not merely for the relief of the sick
or needy—for the education of youth—the sup-
port of old age—or the alleviation of any descrip-
tion of affliction—not in the shape of a service of
plate, which by judicious arrangements between
the managers or the recipient, and the silver-
smith, was worth less than a moiety of its nomir a!
value, but one represented in dirty acres and hard
cash—a handsome estate, and a goodly array of

figures under the attractive heading X. 8. d. We
do not say that Mr. COBDZN did not merit a high
reward—although other earlier labourers in the
same vineyard, who had borne the brunt of battle,
the ridicule, the contempt, and the toil of the agita-

tion, long before Mr. COBDEN had emerged from his
previous obscurity, remained unrequited, having
only their labour for their pains, accompanied by
the approbation of their own consciences and the
esteem and gratitude of their countrymen. The
neglect of the superior claims of Colonel,
now Major-General, PERHONET THOMPSON, and
the Right Hon. CHARLES PELHAM VILLIERS,
the first champions, who lifted the gauntlet of
monopoly, and vigorously and devotedly fought
the battle when others were silent, was disgrace-
ful to the British people. It was, ho wever, but
an additional illustration of the accuracy of the
old proverb— " Unus seminat alter metat."
THOMPSON and VILLIERS sowed the good seed,
COBDEN and BRIGHT gathered in a rich crop. The
former gained empty honours, the latter substan-
tial pudding. We do not wonder that Me.
COBDEN, whose experiences of the value of agita-
tion are of such a very pleasing and satisfactory
description, should be quite willing to re-enter
the arena. A second tribute, which would doubt-
less be enhanced by a magnificent list from St.
Petersburg, would ibe by no means unacceptable
to the Hon. Gentleman.
The object of his verbose and lengthy epistle
to the Editor of the Leeds Mercury is to prove
that the War is unpopular with the English com-
munity, and that " Peace-at-any-Price," or on
any conditions, would be highly acceptable to the
great body of the people. This is a point
susceptible of easy proof. We earnestly hope
that the best test and criterion of the true
state of public epinien—an appeal to the country,
followed by a general election—may be afforded,
and then there could be but little doubt
remaining on the point. Mr. COBDEN himself
might possibly be compelled to restrict his argu-
ments to the columns of journals now so strongly
vituperated, although once lauded usque ad nau-
seam. Bu t is there a single district throughout
the breadth of the land, a solitary
oasis in tthhe
art
desert where the renowned platform
orator would venture to face a fairly-constituted
public meetine:, and to have the question at issue
es of the assembled multi-
decided by the suffrag
tilde ? We believe not. We believe that, with
all his acknowledged pugnacity, even BRIGHT
himself would shrink from such a trial, and a for-
tiori would COBDEN, whose moral courage is
i scarcely of so high a character as that of his
"friendly" coadjutor.
One argument be avails himself of, and pushes
to the utmost extent. It is indeed the main point
on which he relics, for that relating to the mis-
management of the War and the sufferings of the
troops is purloined from his opponents. It is the
difficulty of recruiting the ranks—the unwilling-
ness of men to accept the
QUEEN'S shilling, and
the number of boys that have consequently been
attested as recruits, and who, as he asserts, have
not been able to sustain the honour of the country.
But does it follow that the War must be unpopular
because men are not ready and willing to abandon
their homes and families, to leave wives and
children to starvation, or something worse, for
the dewier inducements held out to a private

soldier ? Give fair pay, any thing like what a
man can earn in any civil occupation, hold out
reasonable prospects of promotion to the meri-
torious, and there will be no lack of candidates.
Never was there a time when there was
greater enthusiasm amongst those seeking
for commissions, when, notwithstanding the
greatly increased demand, the supply is ample,
and the candidates, even for purchase, are nume-
rous and pressing. This is a better test than that
of recruits, although we believe that in that de-
partment there has been no falling off ! The fact is
not, therefore, as Mr. COBDEN asserts, although
were it so, it would furnish no adequate
test. The only surprising matter is that
notwithstanding the sufferings of which he has
made the most, so many are ready still to volun-
teer, and that the honour of Old England is still
nobly maintained without any resort to a con-
scription or compulsory service !

A retired miller, who we sincerely trust did not
enter on his relapse towards a normal state before

he had discovered the wheel of fortune and his
mill-wheel to be identical, or at all events pretty

equally at his command, writes to us judicially
under the signature of " A Norfolk Villager."

In his retirement from the dust and whirr of

busy life, he has, it would appear, found time to
read The SUP. occasionally, and cultivate after a

bungling fashion a corner of his conscience, which

is not much to be wondered at when we find how

politico-economico CHALYBEA.N was th© soil, and

JOHN BRIGIITISU the undergrowth. Glancing
over our impression of Wednesday last, his eye,
in obedience to an old professional instinct,

lighted at once on the article commencing " The
Agriculturists of Leicestershire," which he would

appear to have reai with an avidity which allowed

him no time to disc_iver its precise character,
though quite sufficient, in his opinion, to warrant
him in taking us to task •about it.
The article in question, instead of_ being de-
voted, as ho intimates, to a consideration of " the
farmers, their crops, and the War," had not a syl-
lable about the War in it. The subject with

which it dealt was Mr. PAcKE's most censurable

speech at the Agricultural Society's dinner at
Loughborough, and more especially that part of ii

in which he counselled the agricultural body
to withhold all information as to the num-
ber of acres they might have sown with
wheat or other grain, and the sort of crop they
had. harvested. A. piece of advice, it may be re-
membered, which he clenched by bidding his
hearers " look at present prices, and say whether
it was probable they could do better, or even as
well"—adding, " Why meddle with them (the
agricultural body), and injure their concerns?"
(The information required, by the way, being
sought in order to prevent artificial rises in the
price of grain.) The public delivery of such ad-
vice we pronounced imprudent. In the first place,
because entirely needless—the agricultural body
always, save when facts were too many for them,
when they resort to a Burleigh-like shake of the
head (as at present), doing their utmost to en-
shroud their affairs in a thick fog of grumbling.
Secondly, because the high price of bread had
just been the occasion of riots in Hyde-park, and
of much anxiety on the part of timid house-
keepers for the coming winter ; and the inevi-
table inference from his remarks was that the
increase in price had been obtained through the
system of secrecy which he recommended ; the
farmers, by pursuing it, having contrived "to
entrap the public into giving the present high
prices. Pestilent advice enough," we remarked,
"but more injurious friendship—thatwhich exposes
to destruction the goose that lays the golden egg !
He (Mr. PACKE) could not be content with
their (the farmers') enjoyment of a good thing
Dbtained (on his own showing) at the expense of
the suffering masses, but he must let the cat out
of the bag—must make the public as wise as him-
self, must make it known that the present price
of grain is artificial, and that the extra price
thus fraudulently obtained finds its way into the
farmer's pocket. There's a friend for you,
agriculturists of Leicestershire. It is quite as
well, however (we went on to say), that the truth
has thus come out, for the proof now being
afforded of the impolicy of so huckstering and im-
moral a procedure will be all the more striking.
Already suspicions were being entertained as to
the real state of the case, as the corn-market is
beginning to show. Henceforth it will be more
difficult to gull the public."
On this "A Norfolk Villager" a little sorely,
we suspect, remarks, in effect, "it is quite true
what you say about the grumbling of the farmer.
I haven't been a miller for 50 years without be-
ing able to testify to that ; but I am compelled, in
conscience, to contradict you when you say that
the prices of wheat, flour, and bread are unneces-
sarily kept up this year, and if you'll attend to
me I'll prove you are wrong. In the first place,
I beg to call your attention to the fact that there
was less wheat on hand this year than usual, not-
withstanding it was generally acknowledged
that the wheat crop of 1854 was unusually
productive, Whereas the crop of 1855 proves
to be on an average one-third deficient of
the crop of 1854, and one-fourth short of an
average. Secondly—although with all your talk
about huckstering, fraud, and immorality, you
find it to your own interest (?) to keep up the
war cry, you will surely not go the length of
doubting that our foreign supplies are impeded
by the War ? Here, then, I lay my finger en
the real cause of the famine prices. It is not the
farmer—it is not the miller—it is not the baker,
—it is not the—no—it is the War ! The War
that prevents us from receiving a supply to meet
the above deficiency. Corn, in short, is scarce,
and being also in demand has risen, and you
" may as well try to cheapen it by writing it
down," under such circumstances, " as to turn
the wind out of its course." Speculation may,
possibly, (this from a miller !) run up an article
beyond its legitimate value for a time—but this
must in the end fall on the heads of imprudent
venturers. But speculation has not been at work
here, and you'll find that with the present crop
wheat will reach 1.003. a quarter on the ave-
rage, unless prevented by enormous fereign sup.
plies." Excellent logician, and most cheerful
prophet !
obue rs
o conclusionsnm a inhumane
were
Our fairly
answer
drawn
have we to say in reply ? Refer him to
Mr. PACKS, who made the remarks from which
comments eonfttshe were penned
of dwseos,a;ner
ei
rl
ivsnthis—When ?
will
o not
our
fallible blissful
compelledlainssful authorityigno-
rance
to
as "A. Norfolk Villager," andwere o-
resort only to our mother wit or " common senso,,
and
the way,the authoritywho
hasg the reputation of knowing more
than most men about agricultural matters. 'Meet-
ing with what appeared to us to be equivalent to
a confession that the habitual secrecy of the agri-
cultural body had met its reward this year in the
high price of grain, (the rise in which could
not fail to be obtained "at the expense of
the suffering masses,") we turned to Mr.
did
dinwne forfiud
I_
furtlAienrytheriinligghatepnwmoexnitinating to the, and what
story "A Norfolk Villager" now tells ttz ? B