The Sun.
London, England, 1855-07-19 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS,

( Front the Times of this clay. )
The general view of the war at home and abroad is
not encouraging. What we are doing in the Baltic is
so far a repetition of last year, with a few mistakes which
suggest that even this is only a rehearsal, and that per-
haps next year we may venture on a public performance.
By the simple expedient of slinging a 32-pounder at an
angle of 45 degrees we seem to have discovered the long
range, but whether the discovery will be followed up in
oit lifetime is another question. In the Crimea there is
an ominous suspense, which, as it inspires no fresh
hopes in that quarter, sends us elsewhere. The only
bright epot in that horizon is the expected arrival of
officers who have seen a real siege less than 40 years ago.
On the side of France we see great zeal and vast prepa-
rations, but have little means of knowing what fresh
enterprise and intelligence is brought to bear on the
war. In this state of things we are compelled to
look at home, and consider, as a wise man will
often do in his private affairs, what he has in himself to
set against the adversity or the deadness of fortune.
Looking, then, at home, the last effort of the nation, the
last throbbing of the pulse, the last convulsive move-
ment, wi the debate of Tuesday night on Mr. Roe-
buck's motion. If that gentleman did no more than
the flappers who wake the rulers of Laputa from their
reveries, or the mad prophets who stalk the streets in
sieges and plagues—if his cries were ever so frantic, irra-
tional, and vindictive, still we should respect him as the
man to rouse the nation from self confidence, and, pos.
,ibly, some day wake it from despair. The debate of
Tuesday, then, is the last sign of national life ; it is
not yet overlaid with the contents of yesterday's tele-
graph ; it is nor eclipsed by the bright promises
of Aldershott, successful experiments at Woolwich, or
news from the dockyards. We have already given
our own opinion that, unless some member hits on a
truer or happier amendment than has yet been moved,
there is no choice but to pass " the previous question."
In fact, we are now in the hands of the Executive. The
:goner these poor creatures are released from the war of
words to attend to the war of blows—the sooner they
ire allowed to forget the dark front of the Opposition
bench, and think of the granite walls of Cronstadt and
the earthern ramparts of the Malakhoff, the better, we
are persuaded, for the prospects of the war and the
honour of our common country.
But while, in the present state of things, it seems little
else than madness to press the report of the Sebastopol
Committee, either for any political or any judicial pur-
pose, that is all the more reason why all parties should
vie to use it far the improitement of our naval and mili-
tary admiuistration. The year has brought us back to
the time when we were daily. expecting to hear of the
landing in the Crimea, and when, so to speak, all the
world was before us. All the errors of'the ensuing au-
tumn, winter, and summer were then in being. Though
they did not bear their baleful fruit till long after, they
were already rooted and germinating. Every oversight,
every false and presumptions estimate, dates really fi eel
that period. The delays of that time were afterwards
fatal. So we cannot help looking at our Treasury
bench, and our public offices, and asking whether now,
is twelve months ago, there may not be another crop
of blunders, presumptions, neglects, indifferences, delays,
stupidities, insolences, destined to yield another hideous '
crop of disaster, and, may be, foul disgrace. Is it all
safe under the broad forehead of Panmure, all real vigi-
lance in the sleepless eye of Palmerston, or all wisdom
in Wood ? Is the immense laboratory of British science
in free and full operation ? Are the great inecha-
ideal intellects which have covered the earth and
the sea with the glory and the wealth of England,
and which for all the purposes of peace and under the
impulse of private enterprise know no limit to their
power, at this moment employed for an object in-
comparably more important than railways and Crystal
Palaces ? Are we enlarging our mortars, reducing the
draught of our gun-boats, multiplying our small craft, in-
viting all the sources of chemistry, applying every!inven-
tion for the better housing, feeding, and clothing soldiers
during the possible summer marches and the now certain
winter siege ? The stereotyped excuse for what we have
already suffered is, that nobody expected a winter cam-
paign—that we were to take Sebastopol by a coup de
main—that we underratted the power of Russia and the
strength of her great stronghold. The excuse is a very
had one, for no statesman—nobody, indeed, has a right
to assume facilities and chances out of his knowledge or
calculation. It is the excuse of the man who speculates
for a rise in the funds because he cannot think
they 'will fall. It is the invariable apology of
fools, and very often the defence of rogues. But
let it pass. We only wish we could be sure that
at this moment our War Minister and his colleagues are
not taking for granted what they have no right to do,
and expecting from Heaven, from accident, from the
obstinate courage of the British soldier, from the
clemency of the elements, from the cowardice or
stupidity of the Russians, what they ought to place be-
yond the reach of doubt by the use of our resources at
home. We do not mean that we can secure success ;
but we can secure that, when Heaven gives us immense
successes, as Heaven did last year, we do not throw
them away, as we did last year.
We could wish, then, that some independent mem-
ber of the house would endeavour to condense in a
speech the experience of the war and the lessons of the
Sebastopol report, and press them home to Government,
with the question whether they are with all diligence
using all the resources at their command, and preparing
for all emergencies? Let this be done with the most spe-
cific recapitulation, so as to obtain from Government
a distinct assurance that it is doing its best on every
possible head. Of course, we are not preesing for dis-
closures which may be useful to the foe, but we have a
right to know that every engine is at work, every proved
invention honestly adopted, every man of mechanical or
other scientific attainments invited and encouraged to
assist, every art and skill employed that British gene-
rosity can reward, and official jealousy or stupidity can
drive away. There are other questions, too, that it no
longer avails to omit. Mr. Cobden has correctly and
publicly assured Government that the Emperor of Rus-
sia knows as well the condition of our militia, the slow
rate of the enlistment into the line, and the quality of
our new recruits, as any roan in this kingdom ; and
Sir John Pakington on Tuesday evening made no un-
necessary scruple at mentioning these facts. They
are patent and undeniable, as all other facts
of public importance in this country will always
be. Let Ministers, then, be asked whether they
are taking steps satisfactory to themselves, for keeping
up an army in the Crimea. There always has been, and
always must be, a peculiar difficulty in keeping up armies
in the field in proportion to our rank, our pretensions,
our wealth, and even cur numbers ; for no other coun-
try in the world has so many separate drains on its male
population. The navy and the mercantile marine, the
colonies, manufactures, mines, and India, together with
the army on foreign stations, make a difference of three-
quarters of a million between the males and females in
this island. We have before suggested the use of native
troops from the northern parts of india to replace the
50,000 British troops drawn from the European wants of
this country. If the objections to this expedient be insu-
perable, or at least be thought so for the present, what
other source has Government ? The matter admits of
no delay, for, as we lost the advantage of the Alma for
want of 20,000 more men, we may lose the next winter
for the want of 50,000, at the cost of more than
50,000 afterwards. We are not asking for disclosures
that may be thought inexpedient, but for assurances to
satisfy the nation that Ministers are fully alive to the
greatness of the necessity, and, as we confidently believe,
the not less colossal character of our many and multi-
farious opportunities. It is our full belief that we can,
if we please, take up Sebastopol by handfuls and throw
it into the sea. It is also our belief that England and
France will do this, rather than retire from the struggle
and leave Russia to pursue her unhallowed schemes of
conquest. But we desire to see the work done expedi-
tiously, and with all the aid that valour, skill, and wealth
ought to give us ; and we wish to feel some confidence
,hat this is being done.