The Sun.
London, England, 1855-11-30 00:00:00

ITIGEI WA.TER AT LONDON BRIDGE.

T TIR DAY—Morn. 53 min. aft. s—Evening 17 min. aft. 6
T)•\ To it now—Morn. 40 min.aft. 6 —Evening 9 min. aft. 7

THE WEATHER.—SUN OFFICE, Nov. 30.

TLIEB,3IOIIETER, IN THE SHAMES.
47- h!gliest since noon yesterday;
42 --lowest this morning and during the night.
41 -tills day at noon.

BAROMETER, 30.07.
WIND, N.W.—Light, with fine, cold, dry weather.

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Alin.

LONDON, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1855.

We commend to the attention of all our readers
the resolutions passed at the twenty-fifth anniver-
sary of the Polish Insurrection, and the sentiments
expressed in connection with them. The occasion
was a solemn one, the persons present having
previously attended a solemn mass for the repose
Of the souls of such as had fallen in this last
deadly struggle for liberty ; and if, as Protestants,
we overlook the doctrinal mistake of the worship-
pers, we must confess to something appropriate
and touching in imploring repose for martyrs who
shed their blood under those incarnate demons
CONSTANTINE and I•Ticitoras—those revellers in
the groans of murdered patriots ! Holy Russia !
• Holy Russia ! Yes, tilo NICHOLAS of 1830 is the
embodiment of Russian holiness ; holy relentless-
ness,
holy massacres, holy scourging% holy
banish-
, meats, holy conscriptions, holy annihilation, not
' only of a nation's liberties, but, if possible, of its
very language, holy assignments of high-born wives
and maidens to the concubinage of common soldiers
Russian soldiers, too. It is such holiness which
has damned to eternal execration the memory of
NICHOLAS, and has compelled Englishmen to
luourn over the folly or the blindness of men who
could grasp that blood-stained hand, could descant
on the blandness of such a varnished savage (if he
were not a disgrace to the name of savage itself),
and who could return home to din us with cant
about the wickedness of war against so gentlo a
fiend ! If anything disturb the repose of those
patriot souls, it will be the knowledge of what
passes on earth. To know that the vampire who
sucked the life-blood of so many noble hearts .

and once free countries, was, till two years ago,
caressed as the patron of order—the wise and
prudent conservator of nations !—NicKoLA.2 knew
no order but that of the Correlative curses of
slavery and despotism ; of no conservatism but
perpetuating undiminished the reign of the
"Legion" who have possessed themselves of the
Crown's gibbets and dungeons, by which they
suppress all the nobler life of unfortunate Europe.
What could be said at this meeting is, however,
evidence of " the change come o'er the spirit of
the dream." The cant of the men of diplomacy
and the men cf drab is now loathsome to all. It
is useless now to lecture on the goodness of the
CZAR and the wickedness of fighting against him.
The very walls of to-day bear witness that wheat
and even potatoes are become the appeal of those
who once used higher arguments. Time was
when it required a first-rate orator to master the
House of Commons and the country—now it is a
splendid sight to see the triumph of common
sense over all the great gladiators of St. Stephen's.
Two great democratic orators, with the Peelite
and Tory orators on the one side, the People and
Lord PALMERSTON on the other—all the confessed
genius, ability, and tact of the turncoats and the
factions cannot move them. Lord PALMERSTON
knows, and they know, that a dissolution might
not indeed expel them from the house, better it
should not, but would reduce their followers to
most innocuous proportions. This is encouraging
for the friends of liberty, for it is as a war of
liberty that the English people give it their
support.

But we are told again and again that in the
present hands it cannot become so. We deny
this. Were peace made to-day it must be a gain
to liberty. Russia humbled is liberty advanced ;
and Russia is even now bitterly humiliated ;
threshed by every antagonist who has faced her,
her soil occupied, and compelled to turn her back
on the provinces themselves. She will appear
still more humbled in asking peace of the Allies,
and she will have none assuredly till she does ask
it. But more and much more than this—the
Peelites drifted into a War, and the War itself
will drift, if it lasts but a little time longer, to
emancipation for the nations. Every step in that
direction has been tardily, we fear, reluctantly
taken. But steps are taken. It is more than
whispered that the freedom of Finland is
contemplated by the Western Powers. It
is certain that a Polish Legion under the
re-assuring command of ZAMOYSKI is in pro-
gress. Its formation, with every drawback, is a
testimony that the Cabinets begin to appreciate
the popular sentiment, that the Poles are the
appropriate Foreign Legion against Russia.

Further, the great obstruction to a -vigorous
enlistment of Poles, and a final effort for Polish
independence is rapidly destroying itself. Prus-
sia we never cared for ; France on the Rhine,
and we in the Baltic, could in a trice settle
matters with a restive Prussian despot. It is
Austria, the accursed pet of the COBURGS and
Lord JOHN RUSSELL, who has hitherto stood in
the way. The poptilar instinct always loathed the
young hangman of Arad and his Government
fully as much as it did the CZAR himself, and
would have rejoiced to have made war with him
too. The instinct was sound. We have lost
more men and money through our hypocritical
"ally to a certain point" than we should have
done by defying her. She dared not have joined
Russia, and had she done so, so much the better ;
but by defying her, the Crimea, the provinces
and Bessarabia, at least, much more as we believe,
would now have been ours. But this Duessa is
now stripping herself, and even her infatuated
paramours begin to blush for her. The
concordat, the wanton insult to the British
uniform, and the barefaced assertion of a
civil right on Wallachian territory, have ren-
dered it indecent for England and France, too,
any longer to keep terms with her. The pur-
chase of Papal aid by the venal prostitution of
civil independence and Royal supremacy reveals a
depth of despotic helplessness, and an extinction
of all sense of honour and dignity, which must
make even ABERDEEN and Lord JOHN RUSSELL
ashamed of her ; and then, too, Colonel TURR—

why where is there an Englishman, hardly except

„
RICHARD COBDEN himself, who woutu

spend any sum rather than tolerate such a
fi tgrant insult to his country ? Austria dared
not have done it had the Colonel worn the
United States uniform. She would have remem-
bered KOSSTA. The sum of all is, Austria can be
no longer tolerated in obstructing the calling forth
of Poland.

And, finally, nothing can be more satisfactory
than the spirit evinced by the Polish leaders, at
the late meeting, and on many other occasions.
They ask but to be led against Russia as the first

step, and as the next that they should be made
an independent nation,—the eastern bulwark of
civilisation, the barrier against Russian barbarities.

They do not even ask for an unconditional voice
in selecting their own form of Government ; they
say " only give us independence, with a Govern-

ment capable of self-adaptation to the teachings
of experience." Men whose pretensions are so
moderate and conciliatory are entitled to a hear-

ing, and patriots longing merely for their country's
independence to the co-operation of all free na-
tions ; especially when that co-operation, as in
the present War, is the first necessity of the posi-
tion.

We have but one great fear—one which we
have often expressed--that the -very day in which
the Allies openly declare for the Poles, Russia will
beg for peace. She will sacrifice anything for
Warsaw, now that Sebastopol is gone. She will
soon avow readiness to come to terms so that
Poland be left her. She knows that much less
will content the Allies at present, and, conscious
of her real weakness, she will submit to anything
rather than to a Polish campaign. While we
should be as thankful as Jonx BRIGHT himself to
see the taxgatherer less frequently, we should not
be thankful to see what should be the grand aim
of the War unattempted.

We are not 'accustomed to anticipate much in.
formation from Royal Speeches. They are gene-
rally composed of vague generalities and pompous
platitudes, affording but faint indications of the
real policy of the Executive. Something may,
however, be gleaned from the mass of verbiage, on
which, when taken in connection with other mat-
ters, to found guesses as to the tendency of the
Royal or rather the Ministerial mind. Every
expression is therefore carefully weighed, and
made the subject of acute speculations, and mag-
nificent superstructures are erected on very slen-
der and inadequate foundations.
The speech of King FREDERICK WILLIAM OU
the opening
of the New Prussian Chambers does
not materially vary from the ordinary precedents.
Thehe good o(tlha‘t‘ ethi'kei-ru"
t
ut ot congratulates his people on
fa
father-land continues to be the
abode of peace," and expresses an anxious hope
that he "may succeed •
in preserving the honour
and standing of Prussia without
inflicting on the
country the heavy sacrifices of war r

- -If any doubt could have remained after past
experiences of Prussian vacillation it would be
completely removed by this speech. The pal..

' pable insensibility to public opiniun, which enables
him to speak with so much complacency
of " preserving the honour and standing" which
have already been seriously compromised—
which vaunts " the preparations for War and the
readiness for sacrifices" of the people, shows that
he cannot as yet form the slightest conception of
the true position of his country, formerly regarded
as one of the great Powers of Europe, but now
deplorably "fallen from her high estate." He
still apparently fancies that its " greatness" can
be maintained, although all the attributes of
greatness are disregarded, and the duties inse-
parable from an elevated station sot at nought.
A just consideration of past events should teach him
that if by his temporising and vapid policy he has
maintained peace in Prussia, he has thereby
involved Europe in the horrors of war, and
brought the relative for whom he has made such
serious sacrifices to the verge of ruin. Yes,
FREDERICK WILLIAM has proved himself the worst
enemy of Russia. It was his vacillation and
weakness that lured his brother despot to the
fearful doom impending—that induced him to
persevere in his rapacious and iniquitous policy—
supposing that others would be as indifferent
to the cause of justice and honour as the
"angel of peace" had shown himself to be. Had
Austria and Prussia been more cognisant of their
own* responsibilities—had they recognised the
great fact that " nations had their duties as well
as their privileges"—we should have been spared
the grave trials we have encountered, and the
honour and power of Russia might have been
preserved intact. It was their criminal conni-
vance in his schemes of aggrandisement that har-
dened the heart of the AUTOCRAT and induced him
to persevere in his nefarious designs ; and they
will now receive the same description of gratitude
which the thief at the foot of the gallows exhi
bited to the parent who had first encouraged him
in the paths of crime.

One thing at least is distinctly stated. It is
clearly shown that FREDERICK WILLIAM has re-
salved, as firmly as it is in his nature to do, not
to enter into new engagements, " the political and
military liabilities of which are not to be estimated
beforehand." We may then safely disregard all
the hints that have been thrown out respecting
the good offices of Prussia or its intervention in
any shape. She has isolated herself—has abdi-
cated the functions which some time since
she might have justly laid claim to, and
she -cannot feel surprised if Europe should
adopt her own estimate, and suffer her to remain
in the degraded position she has voluntarily
assumed. The Speech of the Sing, FREDERICK
WILLIAM, will certainly not induce the people of
Great Britain to regard with greater favour any
alliance, political or matrimonial, with the dynasty
of which he is the present representative.
In Sweden the enthusiastic reception accorded to
General CANROBERT has proved, beyond the possi-
bility of doubt, that the hearts of that magnani-
mous people are in the right place, and that they
ask or desire nothing more than to be permitted
to reclaim their plundered provinces from their
ancient foe. Sweden, and Norway, and Denmark
are our natural allies in the present struggle,
and whatever doubts or hesitations there
may be on the part of the Courts there are none
on the popular side. We are ourselves, perhaps,
in some degree responsible for the neutrality of
Sweden. Had we proved ourselves more earnest
in the prosecution of the War—had we exhibited
greater vigour and earnestness of purpose—
Sweden might have long since flung aside the
scabbard, and shown that her children had not
degenerated since the days of " The Lion
of the North," or the 12th CHARLES.
Sho has, however, a just right to receive the most
unequivocal assurances of support against hor
gigantic and unscrnpulous neighbour ; and when
these are given, we are convinced that Sweden
will do all that can be expected at her hands, and
prove herself worthy of her ancient fame.

The accounts received in town of the visitation
of pestilence among the German Legion at Scutari,
however melancholy in themselves, are more so
from the evidence they elicit of the little progress
made in the army administration to provide
against the greatest source of slaughter. It affords
a commentary on the proceedings of yesterday at

the meeting for the well-deserved testimonial to
Miss NIGHTINGALE.

We are assured that if a sanitary officer had
been asked, in behalf of tho Russians, for a recipe

to get up a pestilence amongst the troops of the
unfortunate Contingent, he might have said—
" Pack them close in a large trausport-ship, as
usual. Mind and pay the owners on the num-
bers embarked, and not on the numbers landed
alive or in health. There may not be time for
an outbreak of pestilence during the voyage, but
the usual course will predispose them to one when

hey land. Immediately they arrive in port let

them loose upon the shops for the sale of raki,
the pernicious effects of which are so well
known. Let them also indulge themselves with
the Turkish fruits, which are found to agree
so ill with European stomachs. Then crowd
a double number upon an edifice intended
as a hospital.; crowd it even to the corri-
dors. Many of the Germans are by no means
cleanly in their habits ; take no precautions
against filth. By these simple means you will be
very sure to get up a typhus, and if there be any
choleraic condition in the atmosphere you will
develope that special pestilence."
Now we are assured that if the outbreak at
Scutari be inquired into, as it is to be hoped it
yet may (together with the persistence of dysen-
teric affections in the army), it will be found by a
Parliamentary Committee that the conditions
above indicated have been pretty well observed.
Seventy men have been slaughtered immediately,
and the contingent has been at once seriously weak-
ened. Now, when the mischief is done, one or
two sanitary officers of the three provided for the
whole army—without any proper support--will
be allowed to act for the mitigation of the
evil, which their precepts, executed by an ade-
quate and specially organised force, would have
prevented. Now, too, Miss NIGHTINGALE may be
recalled with her supports from Balaklava to at-
tend and perform the dangerous service of alle-
viating the sufferings of the victims of pestilence
and mal-administration.
The hospital at Scutari was found by Dr.
SUTHERLAND, Dr. GAVIN, and Mr. RAWLINSON,
the Sanitary Commissioners, when they first went
out, in a terrible atmosphere of the filth from
the crowded patients themselves, and two-thirds
of the fatal cases were from the disease engen-
dered by the hospital in its then condition, and
Miss NIGHTINGALE and the nurses laboured with
extreme peril to their lives. As the sanitary
measures proceeded, as works of drainage and
cleansing were completed, the deaths from the
hospital dysentery diminished, an the nurses
were enabled to render their services in compara-
tive safety.

It would appear that in the absence of the
sanitary commissioners, or of officers competent
to take preventive measures, the cleansing works
have been allowed to get into disorder, and the
Edifice to be overcrowded, the consequences of