The Sun.
London, England, 1855-05-19 00:00:00

RICE SD.

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOTIRSALS.

(Prom Ow Times of this day.)
The gentlemen of the House_bf Commons who amused their
leisure last night by screaming and shouting against Mr.
Layard as an accessory to the death of Captain-Christie com-
mitted a great error in tactics. Crauted that it was entirely,
right and proper to make a dead set against the member for
Aylesbury, to get rid of him by any means as an obnoxious
man, to keep his mistakes constantly before the public, and
to represent him as a fiery and unsparing calumniator of all
that BaOshmen hold most sacred—we will endeavour, as
naarly as honest men can, to mate the position of his ene-
mies our own, and to consider with them the best means of
effecting their purpose. Mr. Layard bad already been proved
to be in error in a charge which ho had brought—whether
directly or by implication matters not—against Lord Har.
dinge at a public dinner. There- he should have been left
until he had made another blunder of the like, or even of
greater, magnitude. It was not wise to weaken the impres-
sion of the first victory. Indeed, there was much to be re-
gretted in the way in which that victory was won. The whole
process resembled too clos:ly the operation of hunting down
a bag fox, or pelting to death an obnoxious dog who had
been dropped into the lock of a canal. As one gallant gen-
tleman sat down another rose up to contribute his quota
of angry vociferation. The irritated placemen and, mili-
tary members cheerell on their own speakers, and groaned
at their unfortunate • foe, in a manner which was
suggestive of anything rather than calm deliberation or even-
handed justice. That Mr. Layard was wrong in his parti-
cular facts there can be no doubt, but that he was perfectly
-right in his general charges against the system is equally
clear. Be this, however, as it may, in the opinion of most
people his own previous intemperance of speech was sur-
passed by that of his adversaries, and the result was that he
was pitied much more than ho was condemned.- Even so far,
and when hiB Opponents had him at such palpable advantage,
they had by their own violence damaged an excellent case.
This being so, if the object was to cljscredit him in the eyes
of the country, the most delicate manipulation was necessary
until'another equally good chance presented itself. An occa-
sional sneer'-a little jocularity carefully pointed —a pathetic
allusion to the discredit brought upon the house by the
slanderous propensities of one of its members, just enough to
indicate Mr. Layard without calling him up in reply, or, if
he did not reply, to fix upon him the character of a quarrel-
some and turbulent fellow—might, iu the long run, have told
upoit him with seine effect. lago ceuld have given hon. gen-
tlemen a hint or" two which woulehave igen of the highest
service to them in their laudable, endeavour to, muzzle a
troublesome opponent. 'As it is, by singling him out for attack
iu season and out of season, by greeting him with an universal
howl whenever he endeavours to parry that attack, they
are simply enlisting in his fiivour every Englishman's love of
fair play. It is not to be tolerated that a member of Parlia-
ment, who in his general views upon military mismanagement
reprcomts the feelings of nine-tenths of the community, should
be exposed to unmannerly interruption and abuse. After all,
Mr. Layard's chief sin is that he has attacked a system—they
attack a man.

A fresh battery was brought to bear upon him last night.
Mr. Layard, it appears, had spoken of poor Captain Christie,
who is just dead, as of a man unfit to discharge the respon-
sible duties with which he was intrusted at Balaklava; by
reason of his infirmity and his ago. He said that Captain
Christie appeared to be about 70 years old. Since the time
when Mr. Layard spoke of Captain Christie in such. terms
Sir James Graham, or the Board of Admiralty, desired that a
court-martial should be held upon his conduct. The two
points on which be was specially arraigned were the circum-
stances connected with the loss of tho Prince, and the fact that
Captain Cl ristie upon one occasion desired that some Turks
should be landed at Balaklava who should have been con-
veyed to Eupatoria. Captain Christie is since dead, as Sir
James Graham says, " brokenhearted." It seems, in the
.
first place, to •be no great proof of physical strength
sufficient to carry on the duties of an office such at
that with which Captain Christie was ,Charged that
he should sink into tho grave under the prospect of
a court-martial. But the charge against Mr. Layard is, that
this poor gentleman died because ho had been accused of
being 70 years of age and infi.m, whereas the truth is that
ha was a year or so on the favourable side oft 0. His friends
can scarcely, under the lamentable circumstance of his death,
assert that ho was not infirm. But was ever such stuff as
this palmed off on reasonable men ? Does any man, does any
sea captain, die because a few years more arc assigned to him
than he has actually lived? A touchy old lady might feel
vexed and irritated to the last degree by such au accusation,
and she might in consequence lead her humble companion a
cat and dog life of it for a week or two, but even she, though
the testiest and v4inest of her sex, would scarcely take to her
bed upon such provocation—certainly not die. Mr. Layard re-
torts, and with much greater show of reason, upon his adver-
saries, that if indeed Captain Christie's death has been accele-
rate by recent events, it has been so in consequence of the
court-martial—not on account of the misrepresentation about
his age. Now, with reference to the charge brought against
him by the Admiralty, Mr. Layard drelares that he always
thought, and has always said, that Captain Christie
was perfectly free from blame in the affair of the
Prince. • About the landing of the Turks at Balaklava
Mr. Layard's answer is, that he never heard the point
mentioned—never knew that such an occurrence had
taken place, until Sir James Graham spoke of it but the other
day in the Sebastopol committee-room. It certainly does
appear to be the profoundest absurdity under such circum-
stances to charge Mr. Layard as an accessory to Captain
Christie's death. From the time of his acceptance of the
post at Balaklava he was, as all public men are, obnoxious to
remark,—and who shall say that a member of the House of
Commons who visited the spot was to blame for saying that
he appeared to him infirm and past work—in fact, 70 years
of age, if such were the opinion his bearing and appearance
were calculated to excite ? Ttie hon. gentlemen who screamed
and hooted at the member for Aylesbury with so m.ueb. effect
last night have, unconsciously no doubt, rendered him a great
service. One or two more such field nights, and Mr. Layard
is a martyr, with all the immunities of the class.

(From the Tinzes of this day.)
The resignation of the chief command of the French army
by General Canrobert is an event likely to be followed by
considerable advantage in the conduct of the war; but we
hasten t, add that the manner in which this resi,nation has
been tendered by that officer and accepted by the Emperor
is highly honourable to General Canrobert and to the

spirit of the French army. Conscious, as it seems, that
he bad not the_ qualities required for the supreme com-
_

mand of one of the finest armies which ever took the

field, and that the fortune of war had placed a man
of good second•rate abilities in a position which demands
the highest qualities of a General, the French Commander-in-

Chief has not only laid down his command, but designated his
own successor to the EmPeres from among the Generals
serving under his orders. At the same time, with true devo-
tion to his profession, and with unabated zeal for that great
enterprise in which the allied armies aro engaged, Canrobert
has requested to be allowed to retain a divisional command
in the Crimea, and, in short, to change places with one of his
own subordinates. This circumstance shows that the plea
of ill-health is a mere pretext ; but so singular an instance
of disinterested gallantry and genuine modesty does General
Canrobert as much honour as a victory over the Russians, and
he has set a noble eiamp'e t both armies of that temper and
self-command which enables an officer to overlook all private
considerations for the sake of the public service. The late
General-in-Chief of the French army has many honourable
and meritorious qualities; he was, always attentive to the
welfare and preservation of his troops, ho was amiable and
honest in his relations with the staff of the allied armies,
and he is brave mid resolute in battle. But, although we
never presumed to discuss his character as a General while
he held that high position at the head of the French army,
hid retirement is an admission of the fact, which was already
well known, that his abilities and power of enterprise
were not always equal , to the task imposed upon
him. At the present moment everything depends
on the skilful and energetic use of the numerous
and magnificent armies assembled in the Crimea. All
the last accounts assure us that the condition of these troops
is everything that can to desired. General Bosquet's army of
observation consists of 30,000 infantry, 3,000 cavalry, and 06
field guns ; General Pelissier's corps, which will now be trans-
ferred to General Canrobert, Consists of 20,000 picked troops,
also ready for field service ; the reserves of the French army,
on their way from Constantinople to the Crimea, amount to
at least 20,000 more men, and the available force of our allies
cannot be much below 100,000 men. Our own army. is stated
by all the latest accounts, which have been confirmed by Lord
Paumure in his place in Parliament, to be fully equal in num-
ber and efficiency to what it was on its arrival in the East.
The Sardinian contingent has arrived to the number of 10,000
or 12,003 men; and • a powerful Turkish army under Omar
Pasha occupies Eupatoria. There is every reason to believe
that these force,. are amply sufficient to accomplish all we re-
quire or expect of them; and that, without abandoning thg
siege operations against Sebastopol, which necessarily absorb
a large portion of the troops and resources of the enemy, the
allies can take the field either on the western or the eastern
cotes-, of the Crimea. That country doeS, in feet, afford the
Russians but one line of positions north of the mountains,
along the roads passing from K.aille to Karasu Bazaar,
Simpheropol, and Bakshi-serai, and thence to Eupa-
toria, the,whole extent of this line being inconsiderable, and
at no great distance from the true bese of operations, the
sea. The allied Governments have provided very ample
forces for a campaign in this region, and even the complete
means of transport which may still be deficient will speedily
be supplied. This vast expenditure, these large resources,
this fierier of the armies of Western Europe, needs nothing
more, we firmly believe, to insure success but a General
capable of handling and using with effect the weapons at his
disposal. If it has ever been supposed that the-most perfect
machinery of armies, the best troops, and the most ample
stores of war, can supply the place of that guiding impulse. of
ouf gthhte to animatethe
commander,
wholeour
present
as w s
porstiht
itohne sieat
Crimea is a proof that to success in war the authority of a
commanding intellect is above all things necessary. With
such a commander more would be accomplished, even under
to
circumstances less favourable to our enterprise; without him
a all our sacrifices and exertions, not being directed
com-
mon object by a competent authority, are profitless and dis-
appointing.
of
fort_.6chief
As far as the French army is considered the choice of the
Emperor Napoleon, agreeing with the recommendation
Gen. Canrobert, has fallen upon Gen.,Pehssier I
Gen.
officer of greater energy or of higher militarwyas to Gen•
command, and we believe that the Frcneh army
ability.po sse
as
ell
Pelissier is senior to Gen. Canrobert,
ers commanding
corps or divisions in the Crimea.
tformed under
Dosque , and we believe to all the other o
He is a soldier
possesses no
tribes. His
t the Arab t •
with more than ordinary crueltyagNa'lis_ie
vehement,
but among the
Marshal Bugeaud in the wars of Africa, which he carried on
character is said to be stern and
in warfare General Pe-
lissier is considered one of the,
Franco.
Er
e did not form part of
officers trained in that school of A
niaining in the service of Fran
the original army
and has been in se of the winter,
he joined in the course of the East under Marshal St. Arnaud, but
com-
mandWe are, of course, unable to
for the last tLrse months of one of the principal French
Corps engaged in the siege.
form any opinion—probably none can he
e wine( even by
those acquainted with this officer—of the talents he may dis-
play in
O command of a great army and in the operations of
what the French call " great war." No man knows with
certainty till he hasjeled whether be possesses the astonish-
ing combination of faculties which a high command calls forth
and demands; but there its no doubt that General Peliesier is
appointed solely on the ground of military merit and for the
high qualities he is believed to possess. It will, of course,
be the duty of the new Commander-in-Chief to frame, in con-
junction with Lord Raglan, a plan of operations ada to
the altered state of affairs and to the enlarged
me au s opted feach both
armies. We hope that this arrangement may
enable
army to OZeCutc a distinct operation, conducing to the same