The Sun.
London, England, 1855-01-01 00:00:00

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LONDON, MONDAY, JANUARY 1, 1855.

We live in strange, eventful times ; and the
year which has just terminated will be regarded
by the historical student as one of the most
memorable recorded in British history. After
thirty-nine years of profound peace and tran-
quillity the torch of War has been enkindled—

the Temple of JANUS re-opened. Nor is it a
"little War" in which we are engaged. The
prophetic foreboding of the Great NAPOLEON is in
course of verification. The attempt has been
made to render Europe " Cossack." France—
happily governed by the nephew and legitimate
representative of that NAPOLEON whose dynasty
we wasted so much blood and treasure to over-
throw—is united heart and hand with the British
Empire in a determined opposition to the grasping
cupidity and boundless ambition of the Northern
Despot—united by bonds that, we trust and be-
lieve, will day by day be more closely cemented
until they become indissoluble. They are engaged
in a sacred cause. It is, indeed, a " Holy Alli-
ance," in the true sense of the expression. "Holy,"
because there is no private or personal feel-
ing involved in the quarrel. " Holy," because'
they seek no political aggrandisement ; and that
having shown a profound sense of the blessings of
Peace, they have yet flung away their scabbards
rather than suffer the triumph of injustice—the
victory of " might over right." This is real
" chivalry," not the caricature denominated
" Quixotism," but an earnest feeling of what jus-
tice demands, and an unbending determination to
see that it be enforced. It is the result of an un-
flinching obedience to the Divine precept, " Do
unto others as you would they should do unto
you." France and England have, therefore, in-
terposed their power and authority between the
oppressor and his intended victim. And they
have done so, not hastily or recklessly, but
with a thorough knowledge of the danger, diffi-
culty, expenditure, and bloodshed that must be
encountered. Perhaps we may be wrong in
ascribing this latter knowledge to the entire
nation. When the Government, or rather a portion
of the Government, comprising all those whose
offices gave them any control over the manage-
ment of hostilities, appeared to remain in
total darkness. Lord ABERDEEN, Mr. GLAD-
STONE, and some others, unquestionably exhibited
a blind credulity in hoping even against hope that
peace could be still maintained ; and by their
professions and practices they probably occasioned,
and certainly rendered the War more for-
midable and onerous, for they induced the
CZAR to believe that an exhibition of
haughty duturmivation might on2hla hi m
to escape from the false step he had taken, and
to be allowed to play out his game with impunity.

At the commencement of 1854 we were still
at peace, although the aspect of the politica ho-
rizln was peculiarly lowering, and all, save a few
devoted " ABERDEENITES" and members of the
Peace Society, looked on a speedy collision with
Russia as inevitable. The massacre of Sinope
had taken place. The nation was disgusted, not
merely at the brutality of the Russians, but also
at the apathy and indifference of our own Admi-
ral, who, with an overwhelming force under his
command, suffered the fleet to coma forth from
Sebastopol and to perpetrate the awful and heart-
rending atrocity that horrified the British nation.

It had, however, produced oue result. It had
led to a more resolute demand on the part of the
Western Powers, who were determined no longer
to stand idly by while such atrocities were being
perpetrated. They demanded that the Princi-
palities should be vacated by a fixed period, the
30th of April, offering, at the same time, certain
definite proposals that might possibly have led to
an amicable arrangement had they been received
in a suitable spirit. The CZAR, however, dis-
missed them in the most summary manner, stating
proposals did not require a moment's
that
"he
consideration."t

Meantime, however, Parliament had assembled,
and notwithstanding the gravity of existing circumstances hopes were held out of various mea-
sures of reform which were urgently required.
Some of the less important, or, at least, the less
anxiously looked for, were carried, but the vast
majority were relinquished with more or less de-
monstrations of regret on the part of their puta-
tive Parliamentary sponsors. In some cases the
innocents were surrendered without the appear-
ance of regret, while in others the parent
exhibited strong indications of the painful struggle
lie had endured before consenting to the sacrifice.
If we obtained a small instalment of University
Reform, we were obliged to relinquish the fondly-
cherished expectations of parliamentary Reform,
which seemed within our grasp when it had been
especially announced in the Royal Speech. The
last relics of the obsolete Usury Laws were erased
from the national statute-book ; but the Ecclesi-
astical Courts remained unimproved, the law of
marriage and divorce unaltered ; and if there was
a consolidation of the Mercantile Law, we were
Stith compelled to await patiently the long-pro-
nected with
rui3ed codification of the Criminal Law. Of the
last
Session ""
may say, so far as matters uncon-
nected
that the
th© War were concerned, that it was
one of large prorni3,
those in the fiscal licial'es
chief
eand of scanty performance,
doubling of the IncomePaTttnieut
o be noticed were
of the Malt Duties, namely, the
the. ; the
Spirit •
large increase
the stoppage of the reduction Duties, and
Duties, and the promise of a'lsi of tile Sugar
further reduction of the Tea DutieissPeusi°4 of all
kind in which we are enabled t of the
0 place faith in
the promises of Ministers.

We also had the creation of a War Minister.
But the chosen of the nation was not appointed,
and the Duke of NEWCASTLE, who received the
post to which the voice of public opinion had
nominated Lord PALMERSTON, has not been very
successful in the performance of the onerous and
important duties confided to his charge. Return-
ing, however, to the all-important question
that absorbed the attention of the community.
we may say that War was proclaimed at the close
of the first quarter of the year, or the 28th of
March.

Two expeditious had previously been despatohed,