The Sun.
London, England, 1855-06-11 00:00:00

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Idertake an operation—which in a public despatch he was
ordered to do-.-an operation to undertake. which "my
lords attached the greatest importance," Sir James must
be compelled to explain how he ventured to. issue these
counter-or:18m Did be acquaint "my lords," his col-
leagues at the board, that he had done so ? if net, what
appearsho weretreachery,to us)
his tootreason
c themeo ! He must be coMpelleil to reveal
rlices and his advisers in this (what
to his Sovereign an'd his Country.
Did he stand alone, or was he backed by that dark cabal
which we have always belieied, and alway said, delibe-
rately and with malice aforethought paralysed the efforts
of this country against
.our gigantic foe ? If this simple
inquiry be honestly pursued we shall at la,t find out
who are the Teal delinquents. These private letters of
Sir James are evidently the clue which, if followed up,
will unravel the whole mystery. We shall then, most pro-
bably, find out ,why Mr. Gladstone starved the war by his
financial operations—why Mr. Sidney Herbert under-
took to take a prominent part in conducting hostile ope-
rations against his maternal country, and why Lord.
Aberdeen, by. "clinging to the hope of peace with des-
perate tenacity," contrived ‘to neutralise all adequate
preparations for the war. Let Sir James Graham be
subjected for one hour to the examination of any clever
and really honest man, and we are certain that all these
things would be brought to the light of d'iy. Skilful as
he may bo at fence, quite as much might be ascertained
from what he did not say as from what he did say.
.....

Here, then, we point out to this hitherto befooled
nation the way in which they may escape from their
befoolment. It is simple, clear, and straightforward.
We ask, will the House of Commons dara to neglect or
to refuse this inquiry? Is there no independent patriot
amongst them who will insist upon its being entered
into ? Its necessity is so obvious, that much as many
members may desire to suppress it, they dare not openly
to do so, if only they are compelled to pronounce pub-
licly,aye or nay on the question.
- The inquiry is a very narrow one---no lone examina-
tions are required—it is simply this :—Whjidid Admiral
Dundas disobey his public instructions ? .If, in conse-
quence of a secret private cancelling of those instfue-
tions, who is responsible for those secret instructions ?

M. KOSSUT.Ef ON THE SUCCESS IN THE
SEA OF AZOFF.

(From the Atlas.)

It is already more than six months ago (at the Polish
anniversary meeting, Nov. 29, 1854), that, commenting
on the strategico-tactical blunders connected with the
Crimea expedition, I pointed to the occupation of the
Straits of Kertch as one of the most indispensable ele-
mentary conditions of success ; and declared its omis-
sion to be a first-rate blunder amongst the numerous
blunders of this unreasonable campaign.

•
The Times, of course, only taunted and sneered at my
suggestion. Even a professional authority from the Army
and Navy Club was called in to prove that I was wrong,
and that to take possession of the Straits of liertch was
neither necessary nor would be worth while, and, being
besides a, hazardous enterprise to engage in would be
neither prudent nor advisable.
However, it has been done at last, and after it is done
the light bursts on a sudden upon Israel ; they are struck
with the necessity, the advantage, the prudence, and the
facility of the operation ; they confess it to be astonish-
ing that the project was not thought of long since, and,
ringing a merry peal of exultation, they acknowledge it
is only now the siege of Sebastopol begins.
Thus far I have nothing to gainsay. • A conversion,
though late, is better than none. Since the disgraceful
subserviency to Austria left you no better battle-field,
and though that subserviency turns out to be—what I
for one have warned England a hundred times that it
will and must be— " useless and ruinous," it is still al-.
lowed to clog your resolution and to fetter your arms, it
is certainly advisable to make the best of the ill-advised
Crimean adventure; and for making the best of it, the
occupation of Kertch is as important as it was necessary ;
but if it be true that it is only now the siege of Sebastopol
in reality begins, look to the gloomy churchyard around
that fatal town, where the bones of the bravest of your
braves are bleaching without any profit to their country;
revolve in your minds the history of the last eight
months, and then say what responsibility weighs on the
heads of those who but in the eighth month of the siege
did think of this elementary measure with which the
siev,e in reality only now begins, and the indispensable
necessity of which I for one pointed out more than six
months ace.
However, spent is spent, and dead is dead—the siege
begins at last ; and as matters just stand, it is very likely
something at last may be done there in the Crimea. Eng-
land and Fr ince are owing many a fine torch to the Men-
schikoffs, and Gortschakoffs, and Luderses, and what their
name may be. First I was at a loss to understand how it
came to pass that the,Russians did not even try to oppose
the landirg of the allies, and did not fall upon them on
that first dreadful night of their landing, when, those who
had landed were in the most helpless condition, perfectly
at the mercy of any enemy that would have taken the

trouble of riding them do;?n and driving the rest into
the surf. But that the Invalide Russe explained. They
could not Viink that any Government or General in his
senses could be so mad as to forsake the pursuit of a
beaten enemy on the Danube, for going to the Crimea,
where no permanent advantage, nothing, in fact, is possi-
ble to be gained, except, at the best, vain military glory.
They thought their adversaries wiser than they proved to
be. Hence the Russians, not believing in the possi-
bility of the Crimea folly, alloWed themselves to be sur-
prised ; unprepared as they were, they did not oppose
the landing, and did not fortify Sebastopol ; it was left
an open town—from the old fort to the military harbour,'
not a ditch, not a wall • and hence, to where now the
tower of Malakhoff proudly stands, not one redoubt was
finished, not one battery was mounted. Well ; there
the Allies were, and—they looked in. What did the
Russians ? They looked out in return. The Allies com-
menced digging ; the Russians did the same. The Allies
gave them time during the siege to make Sebastopol im-
pregnable (except at ICertch and Perekop, by cutting off
the supplies) ; the Russians,, in return, gave the Allies
an equal tune for making their camp impregnable. The
Allies put themselves on the defensive, the Russians re-
mained on the defensive, and both stood on the defensive
foi months and months, in fact, since the day of Inker-
man. Most wonderful campaign ! After that battle of
Inkerman, being asked what my opinions were about
the issue, I answered that really I could not tell ; where
nobody acts logically, there logical reasoning is at an
end. So much I know, that if logic would bear the
sway, the Anglo-French army, such as it was in Decem-
ber, would have to lie down, and swear that they are dead
to the last man ; because, logically speaking, they can-
not be alive,not one of them. If the Russians were logical,
they would have renewed the battle day by day for
a week after the action of Inkerman, and had they done
this, superior in numbers they as were then, they might
have lost thirty or forty thousand men more in the first
six days ; but as sure as that two and two make four,
the remaining twenty or thirty thousand would not have
seen on the seventh day one single French or English
man on the Crimean ground, except the gory corpses of
their fallen heroes. But the Russians did not attack.
The Allies stood, and froze, and hungered, and dug, and
looked in ; and the Russians stood, and finze, and hun-
gered, and dug, and looked out, for nearly six months.
Oh, campaign of immortal renown for instruction of what
is not to b 3 done in a war on either side

A. VILLAGE BEREAVED.—On Tuesday 13 yot.ths left
East Clyth in a haddock-boat to proceed to Skerriemore
for the purpose of collecting bait. After the party had
accomplished their object, and when off Mabray-head,
a sudden squall caught the sails of the boat, and she in-
stantly filled and sank in deep water, every one of the
fated 13 going down with her. Let our readers imagine
a community of some 16 or 20 scattered houses, and the
members of which are all more or less nearly related to
each other; let them picture the grief of one family be-
reaved at one blow of three promising sons, others who
have lost two, and the ties of relationship which bound
the whole village together,land they may be able to form
an idea of the woful spectacle. —John o' Groat Journal.
ARTISTS* BENEVOLENT FUND.—The annual festival of
this incorporated association was held on Saturday, at
the Freemasons' Tavern, the Earl of Harrowby (in the
absence of Earl Granville) presiding. The company,
although not very numerous, comprised many of our
principal artists and patrons of art, including among
otheraSir C. Eastlake, Mr. C. Stanfield, Mr. D. Roberts,
Mr. J. Absolon, Mr. G. Godwin, Mr. G. Clark, &e. The
noble chairman, in proposing the chief toast of the evening,
" Success to the Artists' Benevolent Fund," dwelt upon
the advantage of the institution, which, while it prac-
tised benevolence, at the Flame time inculcated prudence.
During the past year the fund had paid annuities of 15/.
each to 52 widows, and granted assistance to 29 orphans
of artists to the extent of 1371. 10s. In former ages in:-
providence had been 'regarded as the necessary accom-
paniment and distinguishing featnre'of great talent; but
that mistake had paksed away and professional men were
far from improvident. Still the advantages might be
greatly increased, and it was therefore desirable now tha,
such great endeavours were being made to foster art
among all classes in this country, that the professors of
art, as well as its nations, should give their assistance to
an institution which had such peculiar claims upon them.
Mr. G. Godwin, in replying to a toast 'with which his
name was connected, said he considered the Art Union
of London as of the greatest benefit to artists. It had
encouraged a taste for art, and many commercial men
who commenced their career in art by gaining a prize in
the Art Union had been led on to become &ssiduous
collectors of pictnres. The Art Union, 20 years ago,
raised with difficulty 4001.; it now had a steady annual
income of 12,0001. or 13,0001., which was all diffused
among artists. A list of subscriptions, exceeding in
the aggregate 3501., was read, including 100 guineas
from her Majesty. Sir J. E. Swinburne, president
of the institution, subscribed 101.; the Chairoroln,.lo/.;
BE.a rBl Granville,
ablloo/.
u; the Duke
s;
Al r fcSutherland,
arksiiranuis, assisted
by ussitcaatil
fiaerl.rd,
nllsgller...
r
Mr. D. Roberts, 5g guinea., &c. The
musical
ments were under the directionn aofdMr. Smith,ee. vo
it
Messwrsi.nLesawwelerre,
excellent,D
.lZ ig, nm
and didtoTthhee newdin-
ner
proprietors
and
of the tavern Messrs. Elkington and Co.;
and Mr. Banks, jun,, filed the imp. ortant post of toast-
master very satisfactorily.