The Sun.
London, England, 1855-02-16 00:00:00

LONDON, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1855.

This evening—the trance of the last three
weeks being removed—both Houses of Parliament
will resume their deliberations. Lord PALMER-
STON and Mr. SIDNEY HERBERT are again entitled
to resume their positions in the representative
branch of the Legislature, and to put forward
from their places in the House the explanations
and statements that are anxiously looked for, not
merely by the hereditary legislators and popular
representatives, but also by the entire people of
Great Britain.

The new Premier will indicate the policy of
his Government, more especially in all relating to
the conduct of the War. He will, of course, de-
clare his intention to push it on vigorously an I
energetically ; and for the present., although feel-
ing that a trivial amount of performance would
be more beneficial than tenfold promises, the
country must be contented with the pledge. But,
at the same time, it may fairly require that such
proofs of a zealous and unflinching determination
to fulfil the solemn obligation, as may be prac-
ticable, shall not be withheld.

The first point, and one which, like the straw
thrown up to show the quarter from whence the
wind is blowing, will to a certain extent indicate
the future course to be adopted, will be the pro-
ceeding relative to the inquiry into the conduct
of the War, and the state of the British forces in
the East, demanded by the House of Commons.
It will be the duty of the Honourable and Learned
Gentleman the Member for Sheffield to propose
that committee. That he will fulfil the task fairly
and impartially we have no doubt. Mr. ROEBUCK
is not the man to evade any responsibility, or to
suffer discredit to be cast en his own unblemished
reputation, by a simulated zeal, or playing into
the hands of any man, or body of men, however
powerful. The inquiry which he conducts will
be a strict and searching investigation one
that will drag to light the secret causes of the
disasters, the humiliation we have endured. He
is no respecter of persons, but will place any
delinquency that may be discovered on the right
shoulders, and not tolerate the vicarious sacrifice
of some comparatively humble scape-goat in order
to shield more influential offenders.
If the new Government meet the Honourable
Gentleman in a fair and candid spirit, if there
be no attempt either to shirk the investigation,
or to reduce it to a mere farce by the appointment
of a packed Committee, whose report may be pre-
d:cted without any affectation of prescience, well..
It will show that there is an honest determination
to avoid all such errors for the future, and to
carry on matters in a very different manner from
that which hitherto prevailed. The Ministerial
treatment of the intended inquiry may be re-
garded as the touchstone that will test the real
character of the PALMERSTON Cabinet, and teach
the country whether its materials are of sterling
gold or or lip W. 10 lAA A,' nixsialclal a04a1,14 1 _ _

It has, we regret to say, been assumed by some
respectable Ministerial organs that the object of
the House, in demanding the investigation, hav-
ing been effected by the removal of the late Pre-
mier and Secretary for Wit., the investigation
itself should be allowed to fall to the ground.
Now, we totally dissent from this conclusion,
and, moreover, deny the premises en which
it is founded. The leading members of
the ABERDEEN Cabinet, who took part in
the discussion Lord PALMERSTON included
--declared that they considered the motion
not as aimed against one or two members only,
but against the whole Cabinet. If the terms of
the resolution could only be regarded as a Parlia-
mentary fiction—if they are to be qualified by any
other rule than the plain common-sense interpre-
tation—the matter must be carried to the full
extent, as a blow aimed at the entire Cabinet,
or at least the Peelite element therein. The
question then will be—Zave the alterations in
the governing body been so great as to indicate a
complete change of policy ? This question is
easily answered. Three members have retired,
and it is said that three have been added. Lord
ABERDEEN and the Duke of NEWCASTLE, Peelites,
have been replaced by Lord CANNING and Mr.
CARDWELL—not, of course, in the same offices,
but as Cabinet Ministers. Lord PANMUnE, a pure
Whig, has been substituted for Lord JOHN
RUSSELL, the unquestionable leader of that
party. In fact, "the balance of (party)
power," the preponderance of certain classes
of opinion, have been as jealously guarded
against in the present as in the late Coalition.
Especial care must therefore be taken to steer
the vessel of the State clear of the shoals and
quicksands on which it was all but wrecked by
the late pilot.
We shall not, however, so far wrong Lord
PALMERSTON as to attribute, prematurely, such
intentions to him—intentions, which possibly exist
only in the minds of zealous, though indiscreet,
partizans. We shall not censure him until he is
condemned out of his own mouth, and we still
fondly hope that calamity will not fall on the
country. His colleague, Mr. SIDNEY HE.RBERT,
in his address to the electors of South Wilts,
declared that the deplorable evils which caused
such sufferings to our gallant fellows in
the Crimea " may be, and must be, attributed to
causes that require searching investigation, in
order that the proper remedy may be applied, and
that the blame, if blame there be, should fall upon
the right shoulders ;" adding—" This inquiry it
behoves the. Government to lose no time in insti-
tuting." We cannot, after this, see how the
anticipated attempt can be made ; or sup-
pose that Lord E'A.LMERSTON will inaugurate
his Government by so great a mistake. Until
we hear it from himself we shall not lend the
slightest credence to the rumour of the intent to
tlouCommons.
shelve the investigation, or to set at nought the
ciernansecl of of
C 1111 mn.
osrity of 157 members of the

The glory and
Cavalry charge at
that
t the shame, so to speak, of the
aholava are so inseparably
ere'r unenviable,imi:
but be extended to
cannot,
t ohgoewt lei
v the other. The military historian,
it may fall to narrate, rtality of the one
he to -whose lot
for t
admiration
example of future times, the chivalrous rr and
da '
unsurpassed devotion of the band of he g anes
whom the charge was made, would be deemed
wanting in duty if he failed to designate the indi-
vidual whose deplorable error it was to have
occasioned it. Silence on this point would, under
all the circumstances of the case, involve a grave

violation of ;justice ; for, it must be remembered,
that while one only was to blame three indivi-
duals have st3verally been accused. And if it be the
duty of the historian, who may not have to deal
with the professional reputation of the living, to
attribute the blame to the right quarter, still
more imperatively is it the duty of the journalist
who, while -dealing with the professional reputa-
tion of corttemporaries, has primarily to consider
what is due to the imperilled interests of millions.
In the disot:arge of this duty, however, we freely
admit that -the utmost impartiality and discretion
should be exercised. Oi no slight or dubious
grounds should so grave a fault as the reckless
sacrifice of between three and four hundred of our
fellow-coon trymen, and these the bravest of the
brave, be attributed to any man.
With these preliminary observations, we beg

to call the reader's attention to a letter from Sir
J. S. LUXE to the Editor of the United Service
Magazine, which appeared in the February num-
ber of that periodical, and is now published in a
separate form. The gallant Knight, it may be
reinembered, addressed, a while back, a letter to
the Times, in which he endeavoured to exonerate
Lord LUCA.2I from the charge of having ordered
the cavalry charge at Balaklava, and attributed

the blame exclusively to Lord • RAGLAN,
and then proceeded to vindicate the con-
duct of the Turkish troops, who were
driven by overwhelming numbers from their posi-
tions at the outposts on the morning of the
memorable day when the charge was made. On
this letter a writer in the United Zervice Maga-

zinc, after having cast the blame of the charge or;
Lord LIJCAM, to the complete exoneration of Lord
RAGLAN, thought fit to comment in terms of some
severity. Having drawn attention to the state-
ment of the Times correspondent, written on the
spot, that "Lord Raglan was an amazed spectator
of the catastrophe," the writer in question pro-
ceeded to ask whether Sir JOT IN considered this

(his letter to the Times)" a fair onslaught on an
old companion-in-arms, to whom, no doubt, he,
in common with almost every British officer, Lad
been indebted in times past for more than one act
of courtesy, if not of kindness ? "To us and to
every impartial eye," he subsequently remarks,
" it (the alleged onslaught) appears in the light
of a deliberate perversion of facts, nor can we
speak more favoUrably of his observations in re-
ference to the detached outposts manned by the
Turks," &c.

So damaging an imputation as that of deli-
berately perverting facts in order to exculpate
Lord LUCAN and inculpate Lord RAGLAN could
not well be submitted to in silence by an honour-
able man, conscious of nothing but a manly desire

to do justice. So it would appear thought Sir

JOHN ; and the result was the appearance in the
United Service Magazine of the letter we have
already referred to, and now intend still further,

though briefly, to notice.
With little, if any, circumlocution the gallant
Knight sets about the task of defending himself
from the imputations levelled at him, in which
we are of opinion he is thoroughly successful. No
unfairness, no ingratitude, because no obligation,
no perversion of facts on his part are we able to
discover. His appeal is to facts, and they acquit
him. This, however, is not the only nor the
most important result of his defence—certainly
not that which will most interest the public.
Sir JOHN'S simple, unvarnished statement tells
heavily, in our opinion, against Lord RAGLAN,
and in a corresponding degree in favour of Lord
Lucerr. The question of blame seems more readily
' susceptible of a correct solution than w feared.
Lord 1116T.LTI. RPM his friends_ did not give thee
fatal order. So far from having done se, he
" was an amazed specta':-,or of the catastrophe."
Lord RAGLAN did give the order, says Lord Lu--
CAN ; that order is in existence; and here is a
verbatim copy of it :—" Lord RAGLAN wishes the
cavalry to advance rapidly to the front, to follow
the enemy, and try to prevent their carrying off
the guns. Troop of horse artillery may accom-
pany. French artillery is on the left. Imme-
diate. (Signed) R. Arnim." As it appears to
us the sole question to be answered now is—the
order, of which this is a copy—is it a forgery or
not ? If it is, what are Lord RAGLAN'S friends
about $ If it is not, why do they strive to incul-
pate Lord Luceic ? The terms of the order are
precise and peremptory, and such as left his Lord-
ship no alternative but obedience. He did but
his duty. It is not he, but Lord RAGLAN, who
is to blame.

It must be admitted, however, that at the first
blush the statement of the Times correspondent,

that Lord RAGLAN was " an amazed spectator of
the catastrophe," tells in his Lordship's favour.
But further consideration deprives it of all force
in that direction. His Lordship's amazement, as
SirJoHN Liman asserts it was, might be occasioned
by his having discovered, ou arriving at the scene
of action, that the enemy had not been in full re-
treat, as ho had supposed, when ho despatched
the order from a distant point.
Against this supposition what is there in the
events of that memorable day, to say nothing of
the entire campaign, to militate Foresight,
prudence, tact, whatever is included in the word
generalship, what amount of these did his Lordship
exhibit ? Was there any in confiding, and that
to the very last, to a body of undisciplined
Turks, at the unusual distance of a mile and a
half in front of our lines, and wholly unsupported,
the guns, subsequently captured by an over-
whelming force of Russians ? If there was, we
must confess our inability to appreciate it. it
way be all very well, though we don't think so,
to try to smooth the matter over by talking of the
cowardice of the Turks ; but the imprudence of
the General will be uppermost, we should imagine,
in the minds of military men fresh from the re-
collection of " the poor Moslem—lapped by the
Russian cavalry—steel flashing in the air," and
fallin ;, " quivering, on the plain, split through
to the chin." Thinking men will naturally ask why
the poor Moslem were not supported, and how it
could reasonably be expected that, without horses,
and in such inferior numbers, they should carry
off the guns from the grasp of thirty thousand
Russians. The generalship of that day, there can
be no doubt, was of a piece. The neglect that
lost the guns was of kin to the rashness that
strewed the valley of Balaklava with hundreds of
slaughtered heroes of the Light Brigade. It was
not NOLAN—it is not LuesN—that is to blame.
Posterity, at all events, will be more just than to
attribute to dutiful subordinates the blame be-
longing exclusively to their chief. Posterity, did
we say—nay, the time is not far distant, it has
almost arrived already, when the question of
" Who ordered the charge ?" will be as promptly
and confidently answered as that of " Who led
it ?" The reply to the one will as assuredly be
" Lord RAGLAN," as " Lord CARDIGAN" will
be to the other. But this is not the only
affair for which his Lordship will have to an-
swer. The fearful mortality of the troops under
his command during the entire campaign will
have to be accounted for. We wish his Lordship
a good deliverance.

Tn WEATHER. AT ST. PETERSBURG.—The letters from
St. Pe.eraburg describe the weather as very severe, the
temperature being 13 degrees below zere of Fahrenheit.
nom Odessa the dates are to the 3d inst., but they coi-
n
nothing of interest, the business of the Once being,'
considered over,

A NATIONAL GUARD.

TO THE RIGHT HON. SIR GEORGE GREY.

Sir,—At the present critical crisis, when it behoves
every Englishman to demonstrate his views, if such are
conceived to be patriotic, and to make them known in
the proper authorities, I beg to submit to you an idea,
which you are aware had great moral effect on the pro-
ceedings of a certain class of men commonly known
as Chartists. I allude to the movements more par-
ticularly of this body of disturbers, who at that time
supposed their power to he sufficiently great to have mo-
rally disturbed and upset this great metropolis, and ulti-
mately carry confusion through the country. On the 10th
of April their movement was considered by their leaders
to be completed ; and there is no doubt that the
demonstration made by the gentry, and the trades.
people as special constables showing a bold and de-
termined front, put an almost entire extinction upon
either Chartists or any other bodies meeting for such
unlawful purposes. My idea, in unison with several
of my nei„;hbours, that such a system should be again
adopted, a carried out on the 10th of April, would
show to the country at large the full and explicit con-
fidence which is and ought to be placed in the present
or any other Government that may be formed with a
single eye to put an end to that dire calamity, war,
with all possible speed. I feel confident, sir, that
some thousands of persons situated as myself in the
metropolis would join in this matter, which would
give the Governmerq an opportunity of sending the
whole of the police, if required, to meet the enemy,
who in and upon every point has most distinctly made
known to us that it will only be by countless numbers
that the world's disturber shall be ultimately, honour-
ably, and finally put down. I had much to do at the
time of the Chartist meetings, and drew the first twenty-
five men who showed themselves on the 10th of April.
I shall be too happy to render my services, should they
be required, at the present crisis.—l am, sir, your obe-
dient humble servant, GEo. SIMMONS.
Oxford and Cambridge Reading-rooms,
64, Edgeware-road, Feb. 10.