The Sun.
London, England, 1855-05-09 00:00:00

GOTHA, and thus the Minister of Austria. If this
be indeed the case, our readers will see that he
has now full opportunity to consult personally I
with his principal, "his Royal Highness the
Duke of Saxe-Coburg having arrived at Bucking-
ham Palace from the Continent last night."
We do not for one moment Imagine that our be-
loved SOVEREIGN has one wish, so far as she under-
stands the case, but for the honour and dignity of the
great country she governs; neither can we believe
that she would consciously sacrifice a fraction of
England's interest to the ties of affinity. It is
impossible, however, to see one Premier after
another humiliated to the base level of German
policy, without fearing that her advisers are under
some un-English influence. SAXE- COBURG-GOTHA
has a Belgian uncle of no ordinary ability, selfish-
ness, and craft—is married through that uncle to
the detested dynasty of Austria—while that so
sagacious a senior should subordinate to his ser-
vice the whole mind of his nephew seems but too
natural. Who can tell what English Premiers
may thus have to encounter ? They may have
to struggle with Austrian influence as secret ad-
visers of the Crown, while they are professing to
defend the policy which they reluctantly, and
with shame, adopt. They cannot, however,
be excused at a. crisis like the present
for yielding to any influence whatever. Adminis-
tration after Administration will be bowled out
contemptuously by popular indignation till one is
farmed of materials strong enough to kick all
Gerinany out of the scales in the present dispute.
She ought to weigh for nothing, and she must
weigh for nothing. Let her throw her whole
strength into the cause of Russia if she please;

and we believe that France and England, aided
as they would be by Hungary, Italy, Poland,
and the German peoples, could more easily flog
the three despots united than Russia alone, with
Prussia and Austria as neutral breastworks which
may not be touched.
Is there no Member of Parliament who can
take up our Austrian and German policy, and
inove for a vote of censure on it? The country
is heart-sick of it. Vigorous support would be

certain, especially if Poland were made prominent
at the same time, and Prussia, also received her
due ; from the latter, however, we have not re-
ceived so much positive disgrace. It is the Im-
perial relative of the Coburgs which has so un-
blushingly dragged us through the mire. Is Lord
PALMERSTON now paying the penalty of Bankside ?

The excellent resume which appeared in our
columns yesterday of the operations of the
Balaklava railway, and the description of the
country, taken from a report addressed to Messrs.
PETO and BRASSEY, must have been perused with
deep interest, and considerable, though certainly
not unmingled, satisfaction by our readers. The
triumph of engineering skill and perseverance,
shown to have been achieved in the formation of
the line, together with the vast benefits conferred
by it, in extricating our gallant army from a con-
dition of almost unparalleled helplessness and hope-
lessness, and in facilitating the siege operations,
could not but be contemplated with pleasure, a I
feeling that would by no means be diminished by
the reflection, that to the existence of the. rail-
way the present high and hopeful tone of our
troops and whatever comforts they enjoy were
largely owing.
On the other hand, it was impossible for
them to read without indignation of the conduct
of Commissary-General FILDER. While every
other official has given proof of being more or
less penetrated with shame for the late general
mismanagement and neglect, and has striven to
redeem the past by active and intelligent exertion,
this officer, apparently superior to so human a
' weakness, and incapable of being taught by ex-
perience or stimulated by philanthropy, has main-
tained as far as he dare the status quo. -

b, A, ,s.A,,fO. ~,,,

~~J

LONDON, WEDNESDAY, MAY 9, 1855.

Like all our fellow-countrymen we desire some-
thing practical, yet interested men are not to
frighten us from an important principle by sneer-
ing at it as " too abstract for them." The real
meaning of that expression is that they dread
the true statement of their misdoings, stript
of all circumstantial dressing up. Two of these
abstractions have just now become most irritat-
ing realities. The War has made them unbear-
able facts to us all. However vague and shadowy
some may affect to call them, loans, taxes, and a
half-destroyed army are very plain matter-of-fact
results. Administrative inefficienoy, and a hate-
ful subserviency to German despots, are the two
" abstractions " which have unquestionably placed
us where we are.

Though some 112 tons of provisions are re
quired to be sent up every day to the front, and
the roads, as every one knows, are none of the
best, this self-willed and incorrigible official will
not, we are told, condescend to use the railway
save to a limited extent. The consequence is the
arrangements for issuing provisions and groceries
at head-quarters are notcompleted, and this occurs
despite the repeated entreaties p 1 the writer of the
report and the strong recommendation of Lord
RAGLAN. What matters it to Commissary-
General FILDER, that the army is deprived of
needful comforts, and the wishes of an entire DE,
tion are thereby subjected to disappointment ?
Of far more importance to this worthy would ap-
pear to be his own ease and that of his men. To
send off the waggons twice a-day instead of once
would involve too much trouble, and possibly lead
to the exhaustion of the corps ; so the men con-
tinue drowsily to set to work at eight, and cheer-
fully to go home to bed at half-past five as before.
FILDER wills it, and FILDER. is omnipotent. How
long is this to last ? How long is such a spectacle
as that of a Commissary-General who " will not
put himself out of the way one step to forward
the comfort of the army to which he is attached"
to continue to be presented ?—that army, too, one
that cannot march out of camp save over the
bones of their famine and disease stricken com-
rades ! If Lord PANMURE cares one jot for his
order —if his political career has not left
him devoid of humanity and shame, he will
speedily withdraw an officer like this.

The former we will for the moment leave in the
hands of Lord ELLENBOROUGH, Mr. LAYARD, and
the merchants of London. Supported by the
vigorous aid of the last, the Peer and the great
Commoner will surely know how to do their part.
They shall, have our heartiest co-operation. Mean-
time the latter "abstraction" must be kept fully in
sight. We should but half remedy the mischief were
we to succeed in banishing favouritism and routine
from the public service, and in substituting merit
and living inventiveness. It would be little worth
our while to wield the most efficient administra-
tive implements we could fashion, in the service or
interests of the odious Governments of Germany.
We do nob want our Administrative Reformers to
turn aside from their work for a moment, but it
is well for them to be fully awake to the equal
indispensableness of a reform of our foreign policy.
Many individuals in both Houses have hinted
at the unaccountable imbecility of our course with
Austria and- Prussia. This subject, however,
presses just now most urgently. It has became
Quite clear that we have but just escaped from a
most effeminate and make-shift peace—one which
Russia must have been as mad to refuse, as we
were weak in offering. Indeed the probability
is, that she was emboldened to refuse by the very
cowardice of the offers. She saw that the West-
ern delegates at Vienna would sacrifice almost
anything to coax Austria, and Austria, she knew,
dare not refuse to ask what her instructions from
St. Petersburg required of her. We are clear
of the Four Points however ; and we may The snug family party in Downing-street
now begin afresh. Is there no one in should lose no time in setting their house in
either House to denounce the past as it order. The dominant caste, the administrative
deserves, to trace the evil to its fountain, and to Brahmins, who have hitherto monopolised the
rouse the country ere another summer's cam- chief places of trust, emolument, and power, can
paigns are thrown away through base truckling
as yet scarcely conceive the possibility of an in-
to the mean policy of the German despots ?
vasion by the Pariahs of legislation of what they
What can be the reason that the Allies consent have hitherto been accustomed to regard as their
to the degradation of being repeatedly paraded at t own exclusive privileges. That any man uncon-
nected by birth, or marriage, with that respectable
Vienna before the whole civilised world as the
hangers-on of Austria ? Louls NAPOLEON owes , old lady Sarah, Duchess of BEDFORD, should
her nothing ; unless, indeed, for compelling him aspire to a seat in the Cabinet appears to these
t° give up a burdensome German princess for a I votaries of nepotism to be an act of sacrilege,
Ir"lan fitted in heart and person for the wife of which can only be expiated by the most strin-
an Emperor.
with G„maa And here in England, infatuated gent penalties. Some stirring men may be allowed
and Russian despotism as too many occasionally to partake of the crumbs that fall
of our aristocracy ss
are,
walk, it is hardly conceivable i• from the Ministerial table ; but, save under very
that they
gly submit to be dragged at the peculiar circumstances, they cannot be per-
tail of Austria as they have now been for this nutted to participate in the banquet. An inter-
two years. The position
olfour Government in I
p,
10 er must it is true, occasionally be tolerated.
its dealings SurelywithAustriai the most ieno- T here is, for instance, no macadamised road to
minions conceivable. llumorinc, her •
in every- the woolsack. The
greatest influence cannot in-
thing, tolerating her assumption of
thority in the provinces, even to im
Imperial au- . sure a place on the judicial bench to one of the
prisoning i favoured race. They must therefore, perforce, be
the Turkish authorities, and co •
Dan-lauding the in_ 1
at their peril to obey their orders a'l4 contented to accept the services of one who has
habitants • beck the architect of his own fortunes as
even now
we are waiting for this selfish and as- k
to get us terms of peace from
it of the Royal conscience. Sometimes also
suming media,or
is advisable to muzzle a soi-disant patriot, or to
exclusively for Austrianßussia—terms, bolster u
of course,
dirty work can hardly be tin aristocratic stupidity with plebeian
advantage. Such talent,
en. However ruth- so, • may help the duller members of the
relished by English noblem enllng 6/iv But exceptio probat regulam.
lessly Lord JOHN, and subsequently Lord PAL- The var•l •atien •
s few
to the HAPS- in a stronger light and establish the
general ruleand
rare, only exhibit the
aszasross have sacrificed Hungary
BultGs, and the noble KOSSUTIT to the contemp- "clannish"
principle acted
tible FRANCI ISt inwardly members of the Cabinet bon in the selection of
s ?JOSEPH, they yet nu
leathe the ; dispute or difficulty,
beyond the possibility of
position which in words they defend-
W• can but think there must be a secret Caine The question has at length been fairly mooted
at work. Lord PALMERSTON cannot well be " the whether this state of affairs •
13 to continue__
Minister of Russia or the Minister of Austria ;" whether talent, efficiency, and •
lntegrity
but he may be the Minister of Baxs-Coaustos may not prove the passport to high