The Sun.
London, England, 1855-10-17 00:00:00

LONDON, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1855.

Odessa has again been spared ! At least for
the present ! The celebrated performance of the
French MONARCH, who

" With all his men,
Marched up the hill, and down again,"
has been paralleled by the great exploit of the
Allied Fleets, which remained at anchor in sight
of the Emporium of the trade of Southern Russia
for some days, and then quietly sailed or steamed
away, as if terrified by the magnitude of the pre
parations made for their reception. It is indeed
difficult to understand the nature of the move
ment. It would have been far better if the
Allied squadrons had not shown their teeth unless
resolved to bite. Trifling as it was, somethin,(2,
was done on the former visit to Odessa. Admiral
DUNDAS, no doubt influenced by secret instruc-
tions from the then First Lord, permitted a few
steamers to try a little ball practice against the
fortifications, while the rest of the fleet remained
idle spectators of the performance. The avowed
object of the bombardment was to inflict punish-
ment for the infamous violation of the law of
nations in firing on a flag of truce. It was not
looked on or regarded as an operation of the War,
and in that point of view, perhaps, due retribu-
tion was visited on the offenders for that specific
crime

A speedy illustration was afforded of Musco-
vite gratitude in the treatment of poor Captain
GIFFARD and the crew of the stranded Tiger.
The constant supplies of men, provisions, and
ammunition—in fact of all the personnel and ma-
teriel of war—forwarded through Odessa to the
Crimea, and Sebastopol itself, afforded au equally
powerful illustration of the policy of the course
then adopted ! Had greater determination been
displayed on that memorable occasion many
valuable French and English lives might have
been spared. The CZAR would have learned that
the Western Powers were really in earnest, and
that it was of the utmost importance that
he should close with the best terms that could be
obtained, and that he should for the time being
at least have relinquished the traditional policy
of his house. But the culpable weakness of our
conduct induced him to harden his heart, and to
reject the too lenient terms offered. It rendered
the Vienna Conference a ridiculous abortion, and
irreparably damaged the political reputation of
the AberdeeniteS and of Lord J. RUSSELL.
We had therefore hoped that such folly would
not again be displayed ; that the pertinent inter-
rogatory, "Why spare Odessa ?" need no longer
be exhibited. The sailing of the British Fleet
from before Sebastopol, where it had so long in-
dulged in inglorious ease., would have been the
signal fur some real and important service
against the enemy, and that Odessa would
have expiated the misconduct of its Governor and
of its autocratic master. But once more we have
been mistaken ; although no less than eighty yes-
eels of war of all classes were in sight of the har-
bour, and the inhabitants were momentarily ex.
pecting a descent, or at least a bombardment,
the squadron kindly relieved the panic by weigh-
ing anchor and starting for Kinburn, on `the
estuary of the Dniester, where they are now, or
at least were at the time of transmitting the in-
telligence, quietly anchored.
It is difficult to understand the nature
or causes of these very eccentric move-
ments. It is possible that all may yet be right,
and that the object i 3 to strike a heavy blow
against Kherson or Nicolaieff, or both. The po-
sition taken is equally menacing to either ? And
it is by no means improbable that the expediency
of disposing of the new Sebastopol, which, ac-
cording to Russian accounts, is to become the real
standing menace against Constantinople, and the
Ottoman dominions may have been demonstrated
the controllers and directors of the naval operations.
In this case all may yet be right. The punish-
ment of Odessa may only be postponed, not aban-
doned. It would, unquestionably,
be well to
dispose of Nicolaieff before the magnitude of the
preparations said to be going forward had greatly I

enr ,anted the difficulty of the task, and time
en( nigh would still remain for dealing with
0(. lessa. But, if so, why' make the abortive de-
r lonstration ? Why seem to hesitate, or give
time to the enemy to make their arrangements ?
' All these are matters that must hereafter
be strictly investigated. They, no doubt,
emanate from my Lords in Whitehall ;
and, considering who is the responsible person at
the head of the department, we must entertain
considerable misgivings until we see unequivocal
indications of going in earnest against the enemy,
and giving full scope to our gallant sailors to
deal as they think proper with their opponent.
We have no fears of any deficiency on their part.
Our apprehensions are limited to the instructions
and orders under which they are bound to act.

The address of Mr. SIDNEY HERBERT at the
" Triennial Commemoration " of the opening of
the Wilton Parochial Library and Reading-Room,
though of no great political interest, is sufficiently
suggestive to warrant some degree of attention.
To the presence of the Rev. S. G. OSBORNE and
Mrs. BRACEBRIDGE much of its tone must doubt-
less be attributed. Still, making every allowance
for the warmth of feeling induced by the exhibition
of personages so well known in connection with
the War, it may fairly be inferred that the Right
Honourable Gentleman has not kept pace with
the recalcitration of some of his late colleagues,
Ind is not yet to be numbered among the converts
of Mr. BRIGHT. Whatever satisfaction this may
produce—however much or little gratified the
public may feel to learn that in Mr. SIDNEY HER-
BERT'S present opinion " there never was a more
justifiable War than the present one," there is
some degree of pleasure derivable from the fact
that, slow as Wilton would appear to be in the
march of improvement, the people have enlightened
ideas about the War, and count it a boon to be
informed on every particular illustrative of the
prowess and devotion of their lion-hearted de-
fenders in the East.
This is so far creditable to them that we are
disposed to take up the cudgels in their behalf,
and to resent the slight offered them by the Chair-
man. A population who have not only enlisted
their sympathies in the War, but cultivate their
understandings uninterruptedly amid its tur-
moils, to say nothing of their leap in three
solar revolutions from the enterprise involved
in the purchase of a municipal water-cart, to that
involved in the manufacture and distribution of
gas and the laying down of drainage, really had
a right, if lectured at all, to more perfect infor-
mation than Mr. SIDNEY HERBERT thought pro-
per to offer them. It was all well enough in its
way to be told of the Chairman's approval of the
War, of his high admiration of that noble band
who have ministered to the necessities of our
wounded soldiers, and of his disapproval of those
" who were disposed to find fault or to depreciate
the efforts made by the English army in the late
siege." But that was not enough. They had a
right to expect something more personal to them-
selves. It is quite evident they read the news-
papers, and consequently they must already have
been as well acquainted as most people with the
unanswerable logic in favour of the War, with the
thrilling records of British bravery and endurance
from the commencement of the siege to its con-
clusion, and of that holy zeal that ministered forti-
tude to physical suffering, consolation to moral an-
guish, and a tranquil light to the passage to the
grave. And equally certain was it that the fine

traits in the character of the British soldier re-
vealed during the War--the "tenderest affection"
for the dear ones left behind him, to fight, it may
be ere lung, in their helplessness, the battle of
life alone ; and " the deepest and most earnest

piety" so strikingly evinced on the eve of battle,

as at its successful termination—must have been
perfectly familiar to them. Why, then, did the
Right Hon. Chairman repeat the ever-welcome
story, and omit to reveal to them a secret they
have a right to know ?—a secret in respect to
which the newspapers have made shrewd
guesses, it is true, but have been unable to
communicate to the public on authority—
the reason, viz., why Odessa, was spared ?
As a mere supplementary bit of history the reason
ought to be forthcoming ; and, if all tales be
true, the Chairman could tell it as well as any
one. The nephew of Prince WORONZOFF might,
indeed, be supposed to know better than most
people how it came to pass so much forbearance
was shown the great depot of provisions for the
Russian armies. The tale was not complete.
The narrative lacked an incident whose al-Jsenee
darkens and deepens the profound interest felt in
the Crimean War and everything belonging to it.
It should not have been a trivial reason that led
our rulers to spare a place from which our enemy
derived his food and an army in support. For see what
that involves ! no less, in fact, than the protrac-
tion of the siege—blows not stricken that might
have been elsewhere--thousands needlessly slain
—millions of taxation wasted, and an amount of
physical suffering it is distressing to contemplate.
Did it never occur to the Right Hon. Gentleman,
while parading the above modern apostles of huma-

nity, how far they may be indebted to him for their

exhausting labour and martyr-like devotion, and
how many of those letters that have touched a
people's heart might nct have been written but
for him, while the men that dictated them would
still have existed ? The reason, Mr. SIDNEY
HERBERT—the reason why Odessa has been spared !
If it be a valid one, it can do you no harm, but
much gdod, to tell it ; if not, don't do the senti-
mental, no not even to the people of Wilton.
Your Ministerial antecedents in relation to the
War, apart from the sparing of Odessa, should
deter you !