The Sun.
London, England, 1855-01-04 00:00:00

THE STATE OF THE ARMY IN TIIE

CRIMEA.

As we have lately dealt so much on the disor-
ganization of our army in the East and the appae
rently needless less of life immediately arising from
it, we are glad of an opportunity of presenting the
other side of the picture, terrible as it may be.
The other side—that compensation for this suffer-
ing
and mortality—is, that on the testimony of a
perfectly competent and impartial authority? the -
siege at the last departure of the post, that is the
13th, was so far advanced as to leave hardly a
doubt that something decisive would soon be •
done. We have repeatedly been informed that an
assault was to take place about Christmas, but the
information was coupled with the request that we
would say nothing is indicate the quarter or the .
day of attack. Wo believe that we may now say
that en the 13th it was the general belief that on
or about Christmas-day the Allies would open fire •
from 300 pieces, with such a supply of ammunition
as would enable them to continue without stop-
ping fer forty-eight hours after which they would.
assault from both Frenchl and British positions
with great prospect of success. Thus the assault
would probably be made on the 28th. There was
some chance, indeed, of a Russian attack in antici-
pation of ours, but from Russian sources wo learn
that nothing had occurred up to the 26th. On the
same authority we learn that on the 13th the
men who had got their warm clothing were in good
spirits, and, though no reliance could be placed on
a transient gleam of fine weather, the health of the
army was expected to improve. It is net without
some compunction that we congratulate our readers
on the prospect of Christmas-day being celebrated •
in this horrid fashion, by a shower of death and
destruction hurled on a Christian city. We can•
not, however, help what we are about. The re-
sponsibility must rest on the head of him who
wantonly invaded the territory of his neighbour in
a time of profound peace, and who has built the
city now assailed by our armies, not for commerce,
nor yet for defence, but for the annoyance, con-
quest; and dominion of nations now enjoying their
• own government, religion, and laws. If these ex-
' pectations were well founded, we may expect in
two or three days to hear that this question has
come to its last issue, and that the four nations
have crowed 'their bayonets over the shattprn4
walls of Sebastopol. Even if the .first tat:BMA—
should be unsuccessful, we are confident the Briti: h
pc osle would rather have this proof of activity and
decision than see a noble army dying literally in a
ditch, without glory, without result.
It cannot, however, be concealed for a moment
that, on the most favourable supposition, the cap-
ture of the city, the dockyard, arsenal, and the
Quarantine Fort would only commence another
phase of the diffisulty. We should still have to
take the northern forts, to hold Balaklava, or effect,
without loss, our retreat from it, and to be besieged
in our turn. We may be sure that no effort will
be spared on the part of the enemy to make Sebas-
topol as hard to hold as to get, and in the situation
that would arise out of this new state of affairs
there would be quite as great demands for good
generalship as there have been in the operations of
the siege. Yet the change of relations in the event
of a successfol•assault will not be simply that the
Allies and the Russians have exchanged positions.
We shall not be the besieged, and they the be-
siegers, in precisely the same sense as besiegers and
besieged stand at present. We shall have the entire
command of the sea, and the Russians be entirely
excluded from it. The heavy material of the siege,
which we have carried by the easiest, cheapest,
and quickest of all conveyances—in ships, they
will have to drag through the mud many hundred
miles, by means of transport that will continually
p3rish in the using, even more than our ships—that
is, the rude arabas and oxen of the country. With
the city in our possession, and with our fleet hover-
ing along the whole coast of the Euxine, it certainly
will not be easy for the Russians to keep an army
in the field near Sebastopol. Yet such a position
is one of the boldest ever attempted in the history
of war. The occupation of the Russian capital
itself, the conversion of its palaces into barracks,
and the retribution upon Russia of the numerous
insults it has heaped in its day on all the cities that
that have fallen within its power, could not bo a
more irritating E, peetaelo than the occupation or
destruction by the allies of these gigantic batteries
raised with such labour and cost for the conquest
of the East. The whole military population of,
Russia would be turned southward in one vast`
current, to overflow and swallow up our compa-
ratively small armies. New levies would be ex-
torted, so long as there remained a man who could
stand under arms. No expense would be spared
so long as there remained a noble who possessed
the wherewithal for a forced contribution. There
is nothing the Emperor would not do to exter-
minate from the soil the invaders who insulted-
even more than they damaged his power. To
be the sultject of an aggression, to feel the
pangs of lost territory, and the shame of dis-
comfiture, certainly would be new to Russia,
and we may be sure she would resent it to the
uttermost of her power. In spite, therefore, of
the palpable advantage we should derive at
once from the possession of Sebastopol, and the
exchange from misery to comfort, and from con-
stant jeopardy to something like security, the new
theywofuoludn
found
hardly
the
Russianshav have time holders of the city would find their berth a warm
bone,eforeandmeont4ce tmuronrerouup:nd
them.

On the most favourable supposition, therefore,
we see no reason to qualify the opinion we have
ventured to express, that the conduct of the war
requires certain military qualities which have not
been hitherto shown in it. The allies will have to
act on the defensive with more energy than they
have shown in the offensive, and they will have to
secure themselves against a foe whom they have
hitherto despised rather more than he deserved.
When, too, it is considered that Sebastopol will
never be secure without the occupation of the
Crimea, and that to occupy the Crimea it may
be necessary to hold and to fortify Perekop, we
think we have said enough to show that the
very highest military ability in the Commander-
in-Chief and iu his staff yvill be required.
The whole aspect of the war will be liable to
continual changes, and with sonic twenty miles
of enceinte to watch, with a country in the posses-
sion of the foe, with a Greek population in his in-
terest, and wit!i reinforcements perpetually arriv-
ing cf indefinite quantity and strength, it will
require either an overpowering and costly army,
very difficult to be maintained in such a position,
or some of that alacrity and übiquity which, in
great generals, makes up for the want of battalions.
Should we therefore continue our present Generals
and staff, we may expect to hear the cry of "More
men, more men," repeated with the same fearful
importunity as now, and the reinforcement as fast
as they arrive merely absorbed in replacing► the
victims of unnecessary hardship, wanton precipita-
tion, or causeless delay. We must, then, adhere
to our opinion, that even if the city should now be
won, and the successful generals, so far, deserving
of almost any honour their country can bestow,
yet for the occupation and defence of Sebastopol,
without the most hideous and. constant drain of
life, other qualities will be required than those we
have yet seen in our commanders, and that no
time should be lost in giving the benefit of such
qualities to the remains of our army.—Tones.

THE LONDON MISSIONARY SOCIETY.-

LIBEL.

TRH REV. EBENEZER DAVIES V. DANIEL PRATT, PUBLIBRIR

OT THE " BRITISH BANNER."

Mr. Whateley, Q.C., proceededdwith this arbitration
yesterday, when the court was more densely crowded
than on the previous day, it having been understood that
the plaintiff would be subjected to a cross-examination
by Mr. Serjeant Wilkins.
Mr. Ballantine and Mr. Barnard again appeared for
the plaintiff, and Mr. Serjeant Wilkins and Mr. Evans
represented the defendant.
Mr. Davies's examination was proceeded with at great
length, at the conclusion of which the case was again
adjourned.