The Sun.
London, England, 1855-02-17 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONE , SATUSATURDAYEVENING, PERRITARY 17, 1855.
OiV

additional "patchwork" must be composed of a

1 sup Prior fabric. Tho people will no longer be, satis-
fied with profosion,-, only. The best-rounded men-
tences relating to the future conduct of the War
will not atone for its past mismanagement, or recall
to life our gallant countrymen who have perished,
not by steel or lead—not by the swords or mis-
siles of the adversary, but from gross and pal-
pable neglect—from the undue regard for forms,
to the total neglect of the substance.
We shall not now enter on the vexata qucestio
of the dealings of the present Prime Minister with
Lord DERBY, when the Noble Earl required his
assistance for the formation of a strong and effi-
cient Government. Whether Lord PALMERSTON
exhibited an " encouraging tenderness," in the
first instance, which, after due deliberation with
the Peelite " Coryphees," be exchanged for a deci-
sive negative, is of little consequence. We care
not for the men who may be in the office, pro-
vided the measures be for the national benefit,
ABERDEEN, RUSSELL, DERBY, PALMERSTON are
nothing to us. It is only the public welfare we
look to, and those who show the greatest zeal,
and support the British character, will be the best
men for the time being. The country must know
what have been the causes of the failure of those
who undertook the management of public affairs
with peculiar advantages—with, as the right
Honourable Gentleman the member for Bucks
remarked, "an unanimous Parliament, an
overflowing Treasury, valiant troops, magnificent
fleets, and cordial and powerful Allies.' What
has been the result ? We have seen it in the
waste of our resources, the sacrifice of our (troops,
the shame of our country. We shall not still
rely on the used-up machinery. We must see
that something be adopted likely to produce the
indispensable ameliorations ; and for that a search-
ing investigation by an independent and unbiassed
Committee is essential. That is demanded by
the nation—that must be conceded by the Legis-
lature.

We may hope in the good time coming that
Military merit of every kind will receive both its
due honours and more substantial rewards also.
Meantime, while Whigs and Peelites aro prolong-
ing the reign of aristocracy and wealth, let the
Press of England do its utmost to make up for the
deficiencies of the Gazette. Of all the affecting inci
dents of the same kind none touched us more than
one in which Mr. FREDIRIOK SKEA.D, second master
of the Caradoc, acting under the orders of Com-
mander MERRIMAN, is the chief hero of the story,
We outsiders cannot, of course, be supposed to un-
derstand the proper rules of promotion, but we do
know that if the transit service between the camp
and Balaklava were under the command of Mr.
LINDSAY, M.P., or of Mr. PETO, late M.P., or
any gentleman of like thoroughly busineses habits,
their eyes would be at once fixed upon Kr. FRE-
DERICK SKEAD, and his speedy advancement would
be certain. He would enter soon upon more ex-
tensive duties, with the inspiring convictiont that his
kindness, diligence, and skill had not only earned
him the reward, dearest to every noble heart—
the gratitude of relieved sufferers—but that his
personal position was correspondingly improved.
Nor would Mr. SKnAD be the only person bene-
fited. All employed in similar duties would in a
moment feel that their superiors wanted that kind
of service, and would reward it. Every promo-
tion for real service multiplies indefinitely those
who can perform them. The principal in any
business, the heads of civil departments, and the
commanders of armies, who act rigidly on this
principle, who hold out no hope through any
other, are invariably well served.
We recorded the facts now adverted to in our
columns of correspondence on Monday, but it may
be well to recal them, lest they should have
escaped the attention of any. It appears that
our sick and wounded suffer most painfully while
being conveyed by mules from the camp to Bala-
klava. Several of the party always die on the
way-.-on that miserable seven miles' journey which
has been the ruin of our army, which no
skill of the General Commanding-in-Chief,
nor that of any of his subordinates, could better.
Arrived at the water's edge, the travelling miseries
of the invalids were not over. They had long to
wait there before they could be got from the fatal
shore to the luxurious comforts of berths and
hammocks on board ship, and the almost Para-
disaical blessing of shelter from the weather, and
dry clothing. Perceiving this, the commander
and his second master seem to have taken the
shore as wall as ship matters into their own hand.
The huts could not be got over the impracticable
seven miles ; they appropriate, therefore, the
timber, the crew ereet a hut, land a ship's copper,
boil water, and get ready for the poor freezing,
languid invalids who may have lived through the
seven miles' jcurney a pint of tvarm, tea and a bis-
cuit each. The poor fellows are delighted beyond
measure by such tender and considerate fore-
thought. Compassion and foresight had become
novelties to them. "It is impossible," says the
writer, " to describe the gratitude which the men
express for the comfort which they derive from
this slight sustenance ; . . . and painful to
the last degree to see the miserable, broken-down
frames of our men clamouring and struggling with
all their little strength for a cup of the steaming
drink." Poor dear fellows ! probably the last
approach to anything of the kind which they had
seen was the green coffee-berries. After such a
journey—jolted in their weakness through the
mud and cold of the seven miles, to find at the
end of it the beverage which more than anything
else cheers even us in our health at the end of a
few hours' railway trip—they must almost have
fancied themselves once more iu the cottages of
their wives or mothers.

For the carrying out of all this they were in-
debted to Mr. FREDERICK SKEAD. " The whole
management of this little store is vested in him,
and the unremitting kindness, patience, and atten-
tion with tvhich he arranges all for the comfort of
the sick men deserve the highest praise. Morning,
noon, and night, whenever the sick come in, he is
busy at this truly charitable work;" which, at a
merely nominal outlay, relieves more misery and
suffering than some of the richest charities in
London."

We have no doubt that such female readers as
honour us with their attention, when they learn
what comfort their daily manufacture could pro-
duce amongst the poor sufferers, are somewhat as-
tonished that so easy a matter should be found any
difficulty anywhere. It would seem to them that
wherever a kettle could be made to boil, half a
pound of tea, or of roasted and ground cqffec, could
mcst easily be carried. Their thoughts revert to
gipsy parties, where they have carried the whole
outfit with them in their own hands. But let
them remember that all that was unofficial work.
They had not to go to one authority for their )
biscuit, to another for their tea, to another for
their kettle, and were not sent by the said autho-
rities to others whose " department" it was to
provide the kettle, or the tea, or the biscuit re-
py, perhaps these second authorities hay_
isnge tt
them
hwaiteelnto judge for ordersde
what from
h c theirancein such asuperiors.
leave ccase,
they would have had of an impromptu cup of tea.