The Sun.
London, England, 1855-08-17 00:00:00

the enemy are depressed and panic stricken
by - their easy conquest, and more will be
achieved than even the most sanguine
can venture to anticipate. But there must be no
delay nor procrastination. The time for nego-
tiation has gone by, that for action—incessant,
indefatigable action—has arrived. The success
must be not only steadily but rapidly followed
up ; and the Governments of England and
France must show their unflinching determina-
tion to spare no efforts to support the operations
of the Fleet, and to render their achievements corn-
pletely decisive as to the War. It may not be
pleasing to' Prussia that we should do so. Austria
may, be astonished at our proceeding so rapidly
while she is willing to mediate. But it is the
course that will induce them really to strive to
bring about a permanent and honourable settle-
ment of the disputed questions, however distaste-
ful to Russia, and diametrically opposed by the,
traditional policy inaugurated by PETER, and fol-
lowed by CATHERINE, and Amara ER, and
NICHOLAS

From the situation of Sweaborg it was manifest
that it could only be attacked from the sea-6--that
no land forces could possibly co-operate in the on-
slaught. It consisted of a number of small rocky
islands, strongly fortified, and communicating
by bridges or galleries the one with the other.
The Russian Fleet lay in the heart of this series
of forts protected on every side. That fleet was,
however, transferred to Cronstadt, where it re-
mains as a portion, of the prize for the additional
work of the fleet. Sweaborg was also the defence
of Helsingfors. The only channel by which the
capital of Finland, the emporium of the trade of
Northern Russia, could be approached, lay
directly within the range of its 800 guns of heavy
calibre. So that, in fact, until Sweaborg was dis-
mantled, and its fire silenced, nothing could be
even attempted against Helsingfors. The protec-
tion, however, is withdrawn. It now lies at the
mercy of our Fleet. It is for the Admiral to de-
cide whether' to strike sr to spare, and we cannot
for a- moment doubt his determination. The
policy that spared Odessa to be the scourge of our
troops in the Crimea, to endanger their existence
and the whole objects of the War, cannot be so
perversely pursued, as to act as a protection to
Helsingfors, now that Sweaborg has been demo-
lished. The course adopted towards Helsingfors
will probably decide the policy of the Scandi-
navian Powers, and render- the Swedes, Norwe-
gians, and Danes either firm friends and faithful
allies, or worse than doubtful neutrals. It is an
important element in the calculation that must
decide our course of action in the Gulf of Finland.

It is more than probable that Helsingfors has al-
ready been bombarded ; and if so, that it has been
demolished. Day by day we may look for this
cheering and satisfactory intelligence, which will
prove the earnestness of our Government. But
when that has been accomplished—what next ?
There is still more to be done. The Russian fleet
still skulks securely under Cronstadt. It must
be destroyed in its fancied shelter. And it can
be so. Sweaborg and Helsingfors will then no
longer exist to threaten the Allied Fleets, in the
event of any unanticipated reverse. They will
be completely our own, to act as places for refit-
ting any casualties—a source of strength instead
of weakness, a cause for confidence instead of
terror. The mortar-vessels and gun-boats may,
as we have already said, run down the coast of
Finland, and take Cronstadt in the rear. That
is the vulnerable point—the heel of the Northern
ACHILLES. Thence can the fleet be destroyed,
while the men-of-war watch in front to deal with
any sortie on which they may venture. Nor need
the bombardment be, restricted to a single point.
The iron shower may be hurled from every side
and on every position, perplexing and terrifying
the panic-stricken foe. It is there that the co-
operation of land troops would be peculiarly valu-
able. They could land in the rear, at the "vul-
nerable spot," where an onslaught has never been
thought of. We have seen the vast importance of
such aid at Bomarsund, but it would lead to even
more astonishing results at Cronstadt—the proper
point of attack being selected. A land force, with
every facility for transit from place to place,
would be of immense value. Twenty or thirty
thousand men, who could be landed at any point,
would create work for five times their number of
Russians, who could not tell where the impend-
ing blow might fall. The men could easily be
found. If England could not spare them they
could be obtained from France. Our faithful
ally would rejoice to participate in that which
would, indeed, be a " heavy blow and
great discouragement to Russia." A single
word to the Emperor NAPOLEON, and any num-
ber of trained soldiers will be forthcoming. Let
that word be spoken. A golden opportunity is at
hand. Our dearly-beloved SOVEREIGN will soon
be accepting his hospitalities ; she will be at-
tended by many of her Ministers ; and the deci-
sion may be arrived at within a few hours which
will crush the aggressive propensities of Russia,
and produce a glorious and permanent peace,
which it will be beyond the power of the auto-
cratic brigand to disturb or endanger.

Whatever may be thought of the leadership of
such individuals as Messrs. COLLETT, HART,
GEORGE THOMPSON, late of Tower Hamlets, Davin
URQUHART, PA SSMORE EDWARDS, WASHINGTON
Wildcs, and others, most of whose names are un-
known beyond the precincts of the Peace Society's
committee room, their tactics are worthy of atten-
tion. In one point they are agreed—" Down with
Lord PALMERSTON ;" in another the men who chiefly
pull the wires are also agreed, to put a wet blanket
over the War, and to extinguish it as soon as they
can. The truth, which gives plausibility to their
language, is that which Mr. PUNCH has pictured
for us this week ; and if these gentlemen want a
flag to hang from Their committee-room window,
the best device will be the "Ministerial White-
bait Dinner," and the best motto that which
appears beneath it, " I shay, ole Fellah—
what a jolly lot of humbugs we are."
We have ourselves never concealed our belief
that Lord PALRSIESTON is too much of an
aristocrat himself, and too much at the mercy of
secret,failed to
but overbearing German influence, to carry
coat,
twentyen the War with real vigour. We have never
demand definition in the place of that
wearisome e
antph
ra3e ; but catch Lord PALMER-
STON in a definition ! He sold Poland, to our pre-
sent
in the Russi years ago; he quietly acquiesced
afntereo having
gst
teasedof
Hungary, only a
onllyitttlhee
other day, a
without meaning the least harm to the sacred,
cause of despotism; to both of which delinquencies
,we owe the burdens and losses of this War. This
inconvenient truth is now brought to the surface.
It was whispered when PALMERSTON first came
•
in, but pdpular hopes made it useless to
attempt working it then. Now, however, after
osladfecoaunrdsehoofnospuarraiii:lge
time has shrill that his Lordship can talk of
acnadn
Russia, vigour,
now laugh at—the
which even Ivrinisterial papers
;dm, c cl
aoinmt nabout ea
peace, and xo t accept as its basis the Four Points
ELSTOY,.I.
time is comb some think, covertly to attack the
War througi.the;sides of F:.1:
• is difficult indeed,. eren-for u; to- impugn •
-