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

( From the Morning Herald of this day).

It appears by the despatches which Mr. Sidney Her-
bert read to the house that Admiral Dundas was ordered
by the public instructions'eent to him by the Admiralty
to "obtain an entrance by the Gulf of Kertch into the
Sea of Azoff with a view to intercept the communica-
tions of the enemy with the eastern shores of the Cri-
mea—to whicli (the despatch says) their lordships have
always attached the greatest importance."
"Their lordships" certainly show their sense in "at-
taching to this operation the greatest importance," and
they likewise showed their foresight in proving, as the
ex-First Lord Rated to Mr. Roebuck's committee,
"vessels of light draught," in order "to pass" the
Gulf. "My lords," then, it appears, not only gave
their orders to the admiral that this operation
should be executed, but very providently provided
the means for its execution. The recent events
in the Gulf of Kertch and the Sea of Azoff prove
that the orders given were not difficult of execu- '
tion ; and the bodies of our brave countrymen, who now
lie under the soil, on the heights of Sebastopol and Ba-
laklava, too painfully attest that "my lords" did not
over-estimate the enormous "importance" of the opera-
tions which they directed their admiral to execute.
We know, nevertheless, that this operation was not
carried out by the admiral. The public, therefore, have
a right to know the reason why he neglected to carry
out his instructions ; and moreover, we are convinced
that the public are determined to have their right. It is
painful to dwell on the proceedings of the public men of
the day. The Roebuck committee was ostensibly ap-
pointed to ascertain the causes of the dire calamities
which befell our brave army before Sebastopol. They
wearied the public with their minute and desultory
questions. They endeavoured to fasten blame upon
all the subordinates, who, doubtless, in many cases,
perhaps, richly deserved it ; but the moment the
real authors of the calamities ran the risk of being
exposed the committee shrank from their duty ; they
debated with " closed doors," and nipped in the bud
that course of examination hich must inevitably have
led to the exposure of that treason which, we fear, lurks
at the bottom of the whole. That committee contrived
to conceal; not to probe or to elucidate ; and its pro-
ceedings have only served to increase the mystification.
Mr. Sidney Herbert's incautious revelations have,
however, thrown a wondrous light on the matter at issue,
and brought it into a very narrow compass. It is now
certain that Admiral Dundas has neglected to obey his
public instructions ; and it is not less certain that the
consequences of that neglect have been the greater por-
tion of the deaths and the miseries white befell our
Crimean expedition.
Why, then, was Admiral Dundas guilty of this ne-
glect, which has entailed on this nation such fearful
calamities ? That is the question. If the admiral be
guilty, let it be known, and let him Lear the full
weight of the odium ; but if (as we hesitate not to affirm
that we believe) he was guilty of no neglect, but simply
obeyed the secret orders of the First Lord, contained in
his private letters, this also must he ascertained, and the
ex-First Lord must be called up-n, if he can, to explain
and justify those letters. If they contain, as we believe
they do, a positive prohibition to the admiral not to un-