The Sun.
London, England, 1855-08-21 00:00:00

LONDON, TUESDAY, AUGUST 21, 1855.

The Despatches from Admiral DUNDAS, con-
taining what may be received as the authentic
detail of the attack on Sweaborg, have at length
come to hand. It seems difficult to understand
the causes of the tardy publication of "the cor-
roct card" respecting this important and interest-
ing transaction. The Gallant Admiral certainly
seems to have taken it rather easily, and all per-
sons in any degree connected with the transmis-
sion of the intelligence appear to have followed
his example. The bombardment commenced early
on the 9th and concludld at half-past 4 a.m. on
the 11th. There was certainly ample time to
have prepared and forwarded a tolerably accurate
account of the great event during the same day.
The Gallant Admiral, however, rested on his oars
for nearly GO hours before he set pen to paper,
or adopted any means to satisfy the very natural
anxiety that prevailed in every quarter, respecting
the nature and extent of our success. We can
conceive that there might be circumstances to jus-
tify such apathy. If there had been very serious
damage to the ships, or loss of life among the
crews, it might in some degree explain the delay.

But, fortunately, there was no such excuse ; and
• an accurate version might easily have been trans-
mitted before noon on Saturday, the 11th. The
French Admiral lost no time. Ile wrote the
same day, and his accounts were published in
Paris on Saturday morning ; while the full Rus-
sian account of the affair was contained in The
Sun of Saturday ! Nothing, however, is heard

from Admiral DUNDAg until Tuesday—eleven days
after the event !—and this although the chief
features might without any extraordinary exertion
have been known a week since. This will be
readily perceived from the fact, that communica-
tions despatched from the fleet might have been
received at Dantzic on Monday, and almost in-
stantaneously transmitted by telegraph on Mon-
day, so that a full abstract of the despatches
might have been given on Tuesday, in place of
the ridiculously meagre statements that were
suffered to appear. Without wishing to cast un-
necessary blame on Admiral DUNDAS, we must
complain of this very serious fault, and seriously
ask—What is the use of the electric telegraph if
it is not to be resorted to largely under such
exciting circumstances ? The same apathy was
long perceptible respecting intelligence from
Sebastopol and the Crimea. There are, however,
plaint in that
no longer any just grounds of corn
quarter, and surely Admiral Dumasmight re-
ceive a salutary lesson from the improvements
there effected.

We regret to say that the success has bean by
no means so complete or decisive as, in the ab-
sence of authentic official intelligence, we were led
to believe. That much damage has been inflicted
on the enemy, and with comparatively trivial in-
jury to ourselves, is certain. But, although a
vast quantity of buildings and stores of various
descriptions connected with the arsenal were de-
stroyed, we are told by the English Admiral
self that " the sea defences, in general, were little
injured." Indeed it "formed no part of his
plan to attempt a general attack by the ships on
the defences, and the operations contemplated by
the (French) Rear-Admiral and himself were
limited to such destruction of the fortress. And
arsenal as could be accomplished by means Oif
mortars." This moderate conception was so
thoroughly kept in view that the " three-decked
ship,•which had been moored by the enemy to
block and defend the ohannel between Gustafsvard
and Bak-Holmen," was suffered to be "withdrawn
during the night to a more secure position r
There was no attempt to diminish by so much
the Baltic fleet of the AUTOCRAT. This may be,
and doubtless .is, in direct accordance with the
instructions from the Admiralty ; but we do not
think that a NELSON, if we were so fortunate as
to have such an officer now in command, would
be quite contented where there had been such an
escape. But it is scarcely probable that even
NELSON himself, if now living, would, under the
eiisting system, be placed at the head of the
Baltic fleet. So good a thing would not be given
-to the son of a country clergyman.
But, although we must acknowledge ourselves
greatly disappointed, there has been something
'-accomplished. The Russians have had the results
of the War brought home to their very thres-

holds, They have seen the immense store of
irmaterials collected at such considerable expense
completely destroyed under the very guns of the
" Gibraltar of the North," which proved utterly
unavailing for their protection, or even to inflict
I.ny injury worth mentioning on the assailants.
That they were thoroughly astonished at our suc-
°Gas is certain. It never entered into their cal-
culation that we could have done so much, and it
is highly desirable, even if no great effort is
to be made, that they should receive a
few similar lessons as to the practical con-
sequences of an aggressive policy, and
should be made to feel the stern realities of
war, which they have been so willing to inflict
on their neighbours. It is said that Riga has
also been bombarded, but of that we have no
official intelligence. Revel still remains un-
touched, and even Cronstadt itself may receive
considerable damage, although the larger vessels
remain at a safe distance waiting for the foe that
will not come forth to meet them. We shall
await the next accounts from the Baltic with con-
siderable anxiety, in order to know the character
of the hostilities for the remainder of the season,
and whether anything is to be attempted during
the few remaining weeks to redeem the inactivity
and apathy of its commencement.

" The Traveller in Italy"—to whom even the
Times concedes almost three columns of its larger
type, and to whose elevated political morality it
replies with red-tape arguments well worthy of
Mr. FREDERICK PEEL—observes that " English
Statesmen are a century behind the English
people." The remark, 'indeed, is not new. Every
enlightened measure of modern times has, as ho
adds with truth, been forced upon them by the
pressure of public opinion ; and hence the obser-
vation also has been forced from thousands of the
most intelligent and active men in the nation,
while struggling with the stolidity of the families
born, as JEFFERSON used to say, booted and
spurred to ride us. We of the present generation,
however, have witnessed this dullness or obsti-
nacy of statesmen only as the delaying cause of
domestic improvements. The stupidity of Lords
in office was provoking ; still it was not ruinous.
We could wait awhile till the tide rose sufficiently
high for the Dame PARTINGTONS of Downing-
street to throw down their mops in despair ; and
some will have it that Catholic Emancipation,
Parliamentary and Municipal Reform, the Repeal
of the Corn Laws and Free Trade, were all the
better relished and digested because of the long
chase we had had to catch them. It is even
asserted, in defiance of TH9stas CARLYLE, that
statesmen must always lag behind their people, it
being their business to introduce and carry out
the measures for which public opinion is ripe.
Whether Mr. CARLYLE be right for times of
peace or not, we will leave him and the Repub-
licans to settle ; but for the time of war no ques-
tion but his CROMWELL is the model man. The
present moment shows the correctness of Prince
ALBERT'S and Mr. Har.,Lam's judgment, and their
delicate and exquisite taste in excluding his statue
from those which were to commemorate, in the
Senate House, the- governors of England. What
blushes, if statesmen can blush, has the exclusion
spared. When any of our Cabineteers, or their
underlings, were flourishing away about carrying
on the War " with vigour," what a speech would
it have been for Mr. ROEBUCK only to have
I pointed to the statue of CROMWELL. The mere
imagination of such an administrator in charge of
the Russian war,—with our mechanical means,
our ships, and our soldiers and sailors of the same
stuff as when he smote with them the despots of
'his age, as with " The sword of the LORD and
GIDEON "--verily it must have forced their little-
ness, littleness both of mind and heart, upon
their own sight. We must have Ministers ade-
quate to the occasion in war, however we may
make shift with waiters on public opinion in
peace. Money is flowing out like a river, and
disease and the rifle destroying valuable lives by
thousands, while one Minister prates of peace like
the first JAMES, and another tries to be as witty
as the Second CHARLES. Timidity and humour,
however, will not purpose to bring Russia to her
knees, to convert her stolen territories into an
eternal bulwark against her barbarous ambition,
and make our soldiers and sailors feel that they
are sent out by the enemy's hearty enemy, and
superintended by a mind alert to everything which
could harass the foe.
All our Ministers in this War have been miser-
ably behind their work, because they have been
behind the people. Their paltry policy has para-
lysed what ability they had. Had they shared
the people's wishes they would have been other
men. Think of Lord
,PA.LMERSTON, the Prince's
German connexions not obstructing him, scouting
an Austrian alliance with the same contempt as
his countrymen—think of him resolved to omit
not a march or a cruise which could harass the
aggressor—think of him seeking every honest,
ally, Poles, Swedes, Circassians, all who had
smarted under the butcheries, conscriptions, or
oppressions of Russia—think of him determined
that not a naval or military force should be
wanted adapted to each locality attacked—ima-
gine such a purpose in the man, and can we
vioubt that by this time not only Sweaborg, but
Cronstadt itself, would have been shattered by
our gun-boats and mortars ; Sweden would have
joined Inc, seeing us determined to resuscitate
Poland ; and in the Black Sea our unopposed
navy would have laid in ruins every town and
fortress within reach of shot and shell.
Generals and admirals always catch the spirit of
the Minister they serve. CROMWELL'S command-
ers The fan. his
imbibed his "spirit Lord la
-r-- -1. ; ALMERSTON'S have
,caught his.
they take their orders. We. are confident we
have BLAKES and IRETONS now,
but they want a
CROMWELL at this end of the electric telegraph.
Only imagine a •flow of
spirited sugges-
tions, of encouragements, of
co ngrsaotnul-lasttiirorningg
for
hearty success, thrilling
along the mysterious wires ;
why, under
such inspiration, there is nothing which our
brave tars and their comrades ashore Would not
accomplish.

England is hearty, but England's Ministers
are heartless. This is the account of the
whole position. It explains money and men,
ships and guns, superabundantly offered and pro-
vided ; it also explains—everything too late—
routine commanders—Lords and striplings pro-
moted and rewarded with good-service pensions—
merit dying unhonoured, and living unused—
Indian troops and officers thrown aside for the
silliest etiquette—Austria in the Principalities—
Russia each year unhurt in the Baltic till too late
to follow it up, and spared in the Black Sea till
our soldiers have felt it twice in LIPRANDI'S
cavalry, guns, and rifles—Poland despised while
eager_ to fight for us, and Austria caressed while
befouling us.
A heartless Government explains
it all.

We appeal then again, as we have done before,
to an honest-hearted people. Be not cajoled
either by the, to us, disgusting Ministerial profes-
sions of vigour, or by the cunning of the Cubden-
ites, Aberdeenites, and Russian emissaries, who