The Sun.
London, England, 1855-06-08 00:00:00

The detailed accounts of the successful expedi-
tion to Kertch have just been officially published.
We have despatches from Sir E. LYONS to the
26th inst., from Vice-Admiral BRUAT to the same
date, and also from Lord RAGLAN and General
PELISSIER, in reference to the proceedings of the
Allied Armies before Sebastopol. These important
documents have, to a great extent, been forestalled
by the more rapid tidings conveyed by the sub-
, marine telegraph. They will still, however, be
joyfully received, and the details of these im-
portant operations examined with avidity. We
now know that there is in the Sea of Azoff "
powerful steam flotilla, of light draught of water,
capable of cutting off the enemy's supplies, and
harassing him at all points," and that we have
also at our disposal the means of " sending
in a vast number of gnu-boats of the lighter
lraught, it it should bo found desirable to do so."
The gallant conduct of Lieutenant M'KILLOP,
which has already been rewarded by well-merited
promotion, is also explained. England may well
he proud of an officer whose gallant and dashing
exploits " called forth the admiration of both
fleets," and succeeded in preventing the escape
of three of the enemy's steamers.
There is a matter referred to by Sir E. LYONS
which shows the vast importance of the, prompti-
tilde displayed in carrying out the objects of the
expedition. He tells us that had it " been de-
ferred but a short time longer, there would have
been many and great difficulties to overcome, for the
enemy was entirely engaged in strengthening thi' sea
defences, and in replacing the sunken vessels which
had been carried away by the current during the
winter months." The Russians relying ou the
unfortunate procrastination so frequently dis-
played by the Allies were on this occasion " too
late." It is only surprising that they were so,
for, generally speaking, they never lost time,
and the terrific losses to the besiegers of Sebasto-
pol have bftt too painfully illustrated the deplor-
able consequences of wasting or misapplying the
golden opportunities that may be afforded. Had
the troops dashed at Sebastopol before the panic
occasioned by the brilliant successes of the Alma
had subsided it is more than probable that
a decisive result would have been achieved, that
Sebastopol would have fallen into our hands, and
the chief objects of the campaign been accomplished.
The caution, of our generals, the prudence of Lord
RAGLAN however, interposed an obstacle, and
hence we have sustained far more serious losses
than could have occurred during the most san-
guinary escalade. We were, however, " waiting
for Austria," were relying on the moderation of
Russia. The Peelites, with whose real sentiments
we have at length become acquainted, occupied
the chief places in the Cabinet, monopolised all the
departments connected with the conduct of the
War. With Lord ABERDEEN as Premier, Mr.
GLADSTONE Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir J.
GRAHAM first Lord of the Admiralty, Mr. SIDNEY
HERBERT. Secretary at War, and the Duke of
NEWCASTLE (though we believe him to be far the
best of the lot) Secretary for War; we have rea-
son to bo thankful that matters were not still
worse, and that the nation did not sustain irre-
parable calamities through the vacillation, or
worse than vacillation, of those who ignored the
constitutional control of Parliament, and desired
to retain the entire management of affairs in their
own hands.

We have also the graphic account of General
PELISSIER of the brilliant actions of the nights of
the 22d and 23d May, which inflicted such serious
blows against the defences of the Russian strong-
hold, and occasioned such formidable losses to the
enemy. The new Commander-in-Chief perceived
at a glance the dangerous character of the works
in course of construction by the enemy. He saw
how, by timely action, they might be turned
against themselves, and promptly and vigorously
carried his views into execution. As the gallant
officer truly stated, " the development of the lines
was immense ; two successive phases were to be
expected in the action—one of battle and ono of
labour." The first act in the sanguinary drama
took place on the night of the 22d, the second,
which completed that which had been so vigo-
rously commenced, on the 23d.
The victory was, indeed, decisive. The Rus-
sians, who were thoroughly aware of the impor-
tance of the position, defended it in immense
force. But nothing could resist the impetuosity
of the attack. The enemy, who displayed great
gallantry, were driven back on every point, and
our brave Allies remained masters of the hardly-
contested field. These are,
indeed, glorious re-

cords, of which our people will be as proud as
their faithful friends at the other aide of the
Channel.

The debate has again been adjourned ! For
the reasons already specified we are not disposed
to object to the postponement on a question, or,
rather,- a series of questions, on which it is pecu-
liarly desirable that the House and the country
should be fully informed respecting the views and
feelings of the different parties. The anticipated
Ministerial proposition has not as yet been made !
That is probably reserved as the trump card to be
played at the last moment—to catch doubtful
votes—and bring matters round to the point de-
sired by the Government. It may be produced
this evening, as the division can scarcely be
longer delayed, and in such a form as to afford
Honourable Gentlemen a means of escape from
the unpleasant dilemma of voting either for
Ministers, or of exposing themselves to the anger
of their constituents.

It is to be regretted that Mr. ROEBUCK'S health
prevented him from extending his remarks. His
views were those of the great majority of the people,
such as a true-hearted Englishman might promulgate
without a blush of shame, or feeling that he was
taking part with the greedy and unscrupulous
enemy of his country. He administered a sound
and well-merited castigation to the
.ex-First Lord
of the Admiralty, clearly exposing the gross and
palpable inconsistency of which the Right Hon.
Baronet had been guilty. The celebrated
speeches at the Reform Club and the Mansion
House were indeed strangely at variance with that
more recently delivered by the political " Jar
CRow." While in office, Sir JAMES GRAHAM
thought it essential to the safety of Europe " that
Russia should be crippled and her power of
offence taken away." "It was not Turkey simply
that we were called on to protect, but Europe,
civilisation, and the liberties of mankind." What,
then, has since occurred to change so completely
the views of the Right Honourable Gentleman
and those with whom he was then acting—the
Peelite party—of whom he was an influential
member ? Simply this : he has abandoned office
because he dared not meet the inquiry into the
conduCt of the War—an inquiry which would
bring to light the extraordinary discrepancy be-
tween his " sayings and doings," and prove,
beyond the possibility of doubt, that he had by
no means acted in accordance with his profes-
sions.

The " talismanic" words uttered by the Hon.
and Learned Gentleman, in his brief but excel-
lent address, would, indeed, have speedily brought
Austria to a sense of her real position, and pre-
vented her from playing " fast and loose" with
the Western Powers, from exhibiting such paltry
vacillation, or scandalous duplicity in her deal-
ings with the Allies. " Poland," "Hungary,"
" Italy" are, indeed, words of almost magical
power, which will, before the termination of the
contest, not be merely whispered, but boldly and
loudly proclaimed throughout Europe, and which
will become the watchwords of freedom, the fore-
runners of good government. The seed thus
sown will not, we trust, be choked up by Minis-
terial tares, but will be suffered to produce their
fruit in due season.

The speech of Mr. SIDNEY HERBERT was exactly
in accordance with that which we should have
expected from a semi-Russian, the nephew of
Count WORONZOW, and affords additional grounds
of satisfaction at the split in the PALMERSTON
Cabinet which led to the resignation of the Peelite
Members. He attempted to defend the Right
Hon. Baronet the Member for Carlisle, but sig-
nally failed in the effort. He endeavoured to
vindicate himself and his quondam colleagues, but
was equally unfortunate in that respect also.
There were admitted facts which no amount of
sophistry or special pleading could get rid of or
distort. There was the circumstance that the
seceding Members of the ABERDEEN Govern.
ment bad concurred in the Four Points, which
were plat forward as the bases on which
negotiations could alone be conducted. The third
and most important of these points related to the
"limitation" of the naval power of Russia in the
Euxine. How, then, could heventure to assert that
" limitation was the child of after growth," not
contemplated in the objects for which we origi-
nally entered on hostilities. It is true that
before the-sword was unsheathed, before the public
proclamation of War, we might have been con-
tented with " the abrogation of that network of
treaties by which Russia held Turkey in her
grasp, the abolition of that exclusive claim to a
protectorate of the Christians, which would have
given them a right of interference dangerous to
Turkey, and the establishment of the freedom of
the Danube !" We might have suffered the atro-
cious act of" brigandage"—we thank Mr. HERBERT
for teaching ups the word—of which Russia had
previously been guilty, to remain unpunished.
But when its nefarious designs have been so
clearly revealed, when it is seen that she still
maintains the aggressive policy, so loudly and so
generally complained of, when France and
England have declared the destruction of Sebas-
topol, the standing menace to Europe, or at least
a limitation of the fleet that might be collected
under the shelter of its fortresses, indispensable
to the safety of Constantinople and the peace of
the world, it would, indeed, have been an act
alike unwise and. dishonourable to abandon these
just demands, and to show that we had yielded
to the supreme authority of the universal
AUTOCRAT.

The Right Honourable Gentleman also touched
on a point with which his own name, has been
greatly mixed up. It was hoped that an explicit
answer would have been returned to tho interro-
gatory, so generally asked twelve months ago,
that we should have known why " Odessa was
spared ? " Unfortunately, however, he wholly
ignored the proceedings of the spring, and only
touched on matters commencing in October. The
blame from that period is cast on the Generals—
French and English—who, it is said, were, " for
strategic reasons," unwilling that a bombardment
should then take place. Nothing, however, has
explained the causes of our extraordinary con-
duct in reference thereto at the earlier period ;
and the silence of the party on whom the respon-
sibity has been attached goes far to confirm the
accuracy of, or at least to show that there has been
some foundation for, the sinister rumours in cir-
culation.

The other speeches were of little importance.
Mr. BRIGHT, as might have been anticipated,
made a long speech, better suited to a 'Peace
Society Conference than the British Parliament ;
but such might have been expected from his
pecular views; while Sergeant SHE; who also took
the Peace Society view, thinned the house so con-
siderably that a "count-out" was nearly the result.
We trust that the debate this evening may make
some amends for the inanity of last night, and
that we may hear bold and spirited counsels, be-
coming the chosen representatives of the English
people.

THE CA3n. AT ALDERSHOT.—We hear that her Ma-
jesty will inspect, to-morrow, the four regiments now
stationed at the Aldershot camp.

• -