The Sun.
London, England, 1855-02-12 00:00:00

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LONDON, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1855.

In the olden time an unsuccessful Commander
was occasionally sacrificed to save a Ministry.
Now we have completely changed oar tactics, and
a Ministry may be, aye, and hag been sacrificed,
in the vain attempt to avert popular indignation
from an unfortunate Commander. We find the
late Cabinet upset I—Lord ABERDEEN cashiered !
—the Duke of NEWCASTLE superseded ! and Lord
JOHN RUSSELL resigned—but Lord RAGLAN still
retains his command in the Crimea—still issues
his directions to a staff composed of relatives,
connexions, or aristocratic friends, on whom,
though unsoiled by the dust and toil of
the trenches, he confers promotion for "distinguished
services " passing over those who have borne
the bruLt of the encounter which placed a Field-
Marsha' x blton within his grasp, and enabled his
toadies to announce, ex cathedra, that he would
take a Parliamentary grant of 50,0001. in prefe-
rence to the pension, which would unquestion-
ably be conferred on himself and his successors in
the Peerage, assigning as a reason for this extra-
ordinary moderation (! ) that he had only received
a fortune of 10,000/. from his father, the Princely
Duke of BEAUFORT ! It is true that the Duke
had an income of some 80,0001. or 100,0001.
per annum, but, according to the system
that prevailed in " the good old times when
GEORGE the Third was King," that should
be kept without diminution for the fortunate
first-born, while the juniors were left as legacies
to their grateful country, to be provided for out
of the taxes, as a tribute of gratitude to the man
who condescended to accept the highest titles and
to expend some 2,000/. per week on his personal
gratification.
Yes, Lord RAGLAN has hitherto escaped from
official reprimands. He has even been compli-
mented by the Minister who threw up his situa-
tion in the Cabinet rather than sanction the con-
tinueo mismanagement in the Crimea. But there
arelearki-headed personages who are not quite so
il Y saMafied—who look a little more closely
into the, causes of the deplorable losses and
scarcely leas deplorable sufferings of our gallant
troops, and Rho cannot quite exonerato the Noble
Lord. An inquiry hag
been directed by an over-
whelming majority of the
Popular branch of the
then© Legislature. No doubt
Kill be grievous
faults of omission and. , cornra •
en established
against others ; but the shortcemi„3
of Lordt
RaGLA.N" must also be thoroughly investigated,
and the full extent of his responsibility ascer-
tained. lie cannot be screened, albeit he is the
son, the brother, the uncle, and grand-uncle of
successive Dukes, and closely connected by birth
and marriage with a numerous and influential
circle of the highest aristocracy.
It may be said that much of the suffering may
be ascribed to the Quartermaster's and Commissa-
riat Departments. But was not Lord RAGLAN
Commander-in-Chief? Had he no hand in the
appointments of unknown and untried men to
situations for which they were totally unqualified ?
If these persons were really forced on him, he
should have remonstrated in the first instance, I
and subsequently, when their incapacity was so
painfully manifested, resorted to the absolute,
Power necessarily placed in his hands. He,