The Sun.
London, England, 1855-02-13 00:00:00

ZETE CONDUCT OF THE TVAR.

(From the Times of this day.)
A. noble Roman once received the thanks of the
Senate because, at a disastrous crisis, he had not des-
paired of his country. Neither do we despair of our
country. Yet we confess that our faith in the star of
Old England Is just now very much tried. It is very
true that when England is thoroughly convinced that
au opinion, or a party, or a Government, is false, or
rotten, or unserviceable, it rises and shakes itself with

considerable energy ; but, that done, the sluggish na-
ture of the animal returns, and it acquiesces without a
murmur in some new infliction. So little ha 3 it wended
itself so.netimes by its most frantic efforts of self-vindi-
cation that its last stite seems worse than its first. In
all seriousness are we bound to be particularly hopeful,

sanguine, exulting, and so forth, at our new ministerial
prospects ? Certainly there is a change ; the firm has re-
appeared with a new head, and the faulty department has
been simplified and invigorated. What dias passed, too,
may operate as a caution for the future. Butdismissing all
comparisons with the past, and leaving Lord Aberdeen and
the Duke of Newcastle in that retirement which we doubt
not they aro ready to enjoy, let us count and con over
our men. The real difficulty, as stated by Lord Grey,
and as solved by all the Governments of Europe except
our own, is the position of the War Minister in the
Cabinet. Shall we ever put all our strength into the
war till the Premier and the War Minister are one ?
'Will any War Minister ever throw himself fairly into
the contest so long as he feels that he may be snubbed
and checked, for little or for much,—in fact, so long as
he feels his hands tied, and his arms without their full
swing ?
But now for the War Department itself. Lord Pan-
mure has always shown administrative power, in a cer-
tain routine, under the iron age of the Duke. Some-
thing more is wanted, for we have to make reforms and
administer them at once. If any Minister starts with
the feeling that there has been a great deal of nonsense
talked about reform, about the faulty organisation of
the army, about aristocratic influence, and that it
is safer just now to resist than to give way to such cries
—in fact, that the British public is the enemy we have
most to fear, and not the Czar& then we confidently pre.
diet, and most earnestly desire, a speedy and unpleasant
termination to his reign, for every day of it will be so
much loss to the honour and influx of his country. This
may or may not be Lord Panmure'e feeling, but unfor-
tunately nobody can assure us that it is not. We must
add, with a feeling of anxiety almost approaching to
consternation as we think of it, that his lordship is
liable to fits of the gout that entirely disable him front
business for weeks together. As this disorder is well
known to be brought on by hard work or anxiety, it is
too possible that at the very time when a War Minister
is most wanted we shall find ourselves practically with-
out one altogether—nay, worse than without one, as
the War Minister and his office may be in bed together,
leaving the whole world, that is the whole British
world, but unfortunately not the Russians, to wait till
he is about again. With this casualty always in pros-
pee', it becomes a very important question who is to be
Under-Secretary of War ? Mr. Layard had been desig.
nated by report for this office, but we believe he
is thought rather too good a man for it—that is, too
much of a reformer, and with too strong impressions of
what ought to be done. It is with something like dis-
may that we find it stated by two respectable and gene-
rally well-informed contemporaries that Mr. Frederick
Peel is to hold this most responsible office. With an
illustrious name, and with every advantage, this gentle.
man has not yet shown a capacity for anything but the
merest desk-work. Possibly an office which gave more
scope for his powers would elicit hidden virtue ; but
England cannot afford experiments that cost thousands
of men and millions of money to ascertain whether a
man is more of a man than he has hitherto shown him-
self. At all events, "a war to the knife " with Russia
is not the proper occasion for risking our all on the pos.
Bible inspirations of a known mediocrity.
With this future before us, let us look to the present.
We are told " it is confidently hoped the First Lord
of the Admiralty will be well enough to resume his
Parliamentary duties by the end of the week." If we
remember right, this paragraph is periodical, and may
be stereotyped for use. With two immense fleets sail-
ing about in the presence of the enemy, and not in the
best passible concert with the other arm of the service,
besides smaller squadrons and odd frigates scattered
about nobody knows where all over the world, and with,
the evident necessity of an entirely new 'class of ships,
batteries, and gun-boats, it is far from re-assuring to
find that Sir James Graham may, perhaps, be out of
bed sometime before sprint. But, proceeding to another
appointment, we presume that the office of Commander-
in-Chief in Ireland is not an absolute sinecure. It is
true that the army in Ireland is left very low, but on
that account it may require the better handling, and the
man selected to succeed Sir Edward Blakeney is Lord
Seaton, now in his 80th year. The example, at least, of
octogenarian appointments is bad. We proceed. One
of the most serious disasters of this war has been
officially ascribed to the " misconception " of ast
order, and nothing is so necessary to war a
the full possession of the senses. Yet Lord
Rokeby, lately sent out to command a division, is sail
t be "as deaf as a post." Admiral Boxer, having been
found incompetent at Constantinople, has been ap-
pointed to command at Balaklava—that is to say, at
the very port in the whole world where it is now of moat
importance for us to have a man of first-rate ability.
Ile made chaos out of order in the Bosphorus,—he is
appointed to make order out of chaos at Balaklava.
For our part, we frankly confess ourselves rather
alarmed at the perpetuation of this class of appoint.
ments. We are engaged in a death struggle with a
Titan whose growth exceeds anything in history, and
which, indeed, has sprung into a gigantic empire within
the memory of living men. It is all youth and spirit,
miles ahead of us, tied by no precedents, bound to no class,
hampered by no constitution,scarcely even softened by the
sentiment of nationality. Itis amero conspiracy on the
largest possible scale for the conquest of the world, with a
real autocrat at its head. Its discipline, its tactics, its
artillery, its devices, are all of the newest, and hitherto
it seems to have got the advantage over us, and to have
won even the substantial fruits of our very victories.
Against this formidable Power, that threatens and im-
pends over modern civilisation and the liberty of the
Old World, we summon to office octogenarians with one
foot in the grave, valetudinarians, " martyrs to thegout,"
and various other terrible disorders—the blind, the deaf,
and the lame ; the sons of great men ; and, in a word,
everybody except men of undoubted ability, with no ro•
commendation but ther talents and services. There is no
doubt that there exists exactly the same variety of
materials in the British and Russian services, but, un-
fortunately, there is as little doubt that we select what
the Russian Government rejects, and reject what they
select. They put aside the officer who shows the smal-
lest unfitness, and degrade for what we should consider
a very venial error. Everybody serves with the full
knowledge that the Emperor's eye is upon him, aea
neither merit nor delinquency, achievemest nor failure,
will pass unnoticed or unremembered. With such a sys-
tem we must not pretend to cope, so long as we refuse
to employ the very best men we can find in the whole
of the British empire, in whatever service, under what-
ever name, and in whatever; field of action they have woo
their reputation ; and, we will add, whatever their ori-
gin, their politics, or their friends. Perhaps there are
inconveniences in such a course. Be it so. But let U.
choose either one thing or another. Let us not expect
to be conquerors in the field, and mere partisans, jobbers,
or tuft-hunters at home.

MAJ NEWS-(THIS DAY.)

HAY MARKETS.

ditto. m nrII3I For: Lt o
51 1315631d0w andhay straw,2l 1151 s4tgo t
.4111151
00sdp;erclolovader.
supply limited and trade firm.
CUMBERLAND.—Meadow hay, 2/ ISs to 41175; clover
ditto, 3/ Os to 5/ 12s ; and straw, 1/ 4s to 1/ lls per load.
Both hay and straw sold steadily, at full quotations.
WHITKCHAPEL.—Meadow hay, 2/ 15s to 4/ 14s; clover
ditto, 31 Os to 5/ lfis ; and straw, 1/ 3s to 11 103 per load.
A fair average supply and a sluggish demand.