The Sun.
London, England, 1855-05-01 00:00:00

penditure of men and money, Russia becomes a
suitor for peace, much more onerous terms will
be demanded and enforced than those which were
tendered by the Allies before her hardness of
heart and obduracy of purpose placed her
completely beyond the pale of indulgence.
It is not in the Euxine only that she will be at-
tacked. It is only her means of defence that
must be crippled. The Baltic provinces must be
restored to their rightful owners, and regenerated
Poland interposed as a barrier between the un-
scrupulous aggressor and other nations with which
she has been brought into dangerous proximity.
We have already suffered enough for the mistaken
leniency which spared Odessa. Henceforward we
must not attempt to wage a " rose-water war,"
or heap courtesies on those who do not appreciate
our kindness or forbearance.

If Lord PALMERSTON manifested one-half the
concern for the feelings of the public he has dis-
played for the vindication of the aristocracy we
would not at this moment be unable to give any
positive intelligence as to the real state of the
siege of Sebastopol.
Here is an event in the development of which
the entire community is more or less directly in-
terested—an event respecting which the most
painful rumours are everywhere current, and the
deepest anxiety is generally entertained, and yet
no trustworthy information about it is forthcoming,
though, by means of the electric telegraph, de-
spatches are transmitted from Balaklava to the
War-office in twenty-four hours ! Really such a
lordly indifference to public opinion, such disre-
gard for the feelings of the middle and lower
classes more especially, is unpardonable.
Were anything to be gained by concealment

the reticence of which we complain might be ex-
cusable ; but whatever be the nature of the in-
telligence received we can discover no valid reason
for withholding it. If the bombardment has en-
tirely failed, if the guns are used up, and nothing
has been effected, what harm can be done by
saying so ? If, on the other hand, the prospects
of the siege are in any degree encouraging, why
maintain a silence that conveys a different impres-
sion ? The people of England are not children to
start at their own shadow, or fall prostrate and
enervated before the breath of misfortune. If
the news be bad, the sooner it is communicated
the sooner the public will rally from the shock,
and rise responsive to the magnitude of the emer-
gency. _ _ .

Not that we would have it inferred that we
give credit to the rumour adverted to. On the
contrary, from Lord RAGLAN'S inquiry respecting
the sailing of the Sardinian contingent, and the
contents of the despatch from St. Petersburg,
published in another part of our impression, we
are inclined to hope all is going on more or less
satisfactorily. What we have off-handedly at-
tempted to show is, that no colourable excuse
exists for a concealment we cannot but attribute

to a culpable indifference deserving of severe re-
probation.

LIEUTENANT-COLONEL CROMBIE.

The following letter has been addressed to the editor
of the Times:—

Sir,—ln the report of my speech in the House of Com-
mons o❑ Friday there is a misprint. I did not state that
Lieutenant-Colonel Crombie had told me the circum-
stances of his case, but, on the contrary, that he had
not told me.

You will much oblige me by inserting this explana.
ion.—Your obedient servant, A. H. LAYARD.

9, Little Ryder-street, April 30.

DRURY-LANE THEATRE.

TEe last three representations of Les Cosaques by the
alented artistes from the Theatre de la Gaite will posi•

lively take place this week—viz., to-night, Thursday,
and Saturday. It is much to be regretted that the conge
granted was for so limited a period ; but we can well
imagine the void created in the Parisian capital by the
absence of these clever artistes. To those who have not
yet visited Drury-lane Theatre an opportunity still exists
to witness one of the most extraordinary performances
ever placed before the public.