The Sun.
London, England, 1855-02-23 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 23, 1855.

ABERDEENISTS would conduct it, must issue in
making our Asiatic neighbour Persia a depen-
dency of Russia ; that, on the contrary, we might
now have some 30,000 Persian troops officered
by the British, and of the best quality as soldiers;
that we could easily send them first-rate artil-
lery, to the number of 48 guns, from India ; and
that Georgia and Circassia would be our imme-
diate allies, and would shake off completely the
Russian yoke. Thus far, in avowed concurrence
with Mr. LAYARD, the Lord who could speak
best on India and Asia. Lord HARROWBY fol-
lowed, and asserted, in like manner, the neces-
sity of enlisting in the same cause the national
feeling of Poland—we should, rather say of giving
it vent, for it is ready to burst forth could
it but find a safe vent. Earl GREY made us
thankful that he kept out of the Cabinet by
"scouting imaginary plans for the regeneration
of Poland," and actually exhibited, we must
call it such perversity and ignorance, as to talk
of the impossibility of any regeneration which
did not begin from within. Better tell the vic-
tim of a false verdict in Newgate not to beg the
removal of his fetters, but to emancipate him-
self by his internal longings for liberty. To tell
a country—dis-educated by a savage CZAR, over-
ridden by his soldiers, and lying within the gun-
shot of mighty fortresses erected by its wasted
resources—to tell it to begin its own regeneration
is the most cruel of insults.

LATEST NEWS.

will not fail to make the necessary arrangements for
carrying the above into execution.
"St. Petersburg, Jan. 29, 1855." " NICOLAS.
A ukase of the same date commands them to call
out forthwith the militia enmasse in the governhaen ts
of St. Petersburg, Olonetz, Novgorod, Tver, Simo-
len sk, and Kursk; and in the govern ra en ts ofMosco
iv,
Vologda, Kostrome, Nischegorod,Yarofsla, Kaluga,
Osel, Tula, Ryayan, Vladimir, Tamboy, and Pensa,
in consideration that the partial levy of recruits is
close at hand, from the 15th of February to the
15th of March, to effect the equipment of the
militia from the Ist of April to the Ist of May.
In all the governments so designated the comba
tants are to be forthcoming in th© number required
by the regulation.
A letter in the Post Ampt Gmette says :
" Every ono now knows what is to be thought of the
retirement of the Russians from the Austrian frontier. The
Czar has resolved, in consequence of the military conven-
tion concluded between Austria and France, to organise
sot only in the Cri:nea, but on every other point where the
war may be carried, the most complete system of de-
fence, as the basis of his tactics. It is for that reason
that he will, by degrees, evacuate the left bank of the
Vistula, and burn every place which might be useful to
an advancing army. The Russians, who retire, march
some on Kalisch and Warsaw, and others on Praga, and
Lublin. These last named fortresses, a 3 well as that of
Jomok, are so full of troops that it may be supposed
that the right bank of the Vistula would be energeti-
cally defended if an Austrian army should seek to enter
Poland from Leniba. All these military measures do
not indicate very pacific intentions. It is, however, to
be remarked that the Austrian embassy at St. Peters-
burg is about to be increased by another diplomatic
agent."

The reply of Lord HARZOWBT sums up, ix
one felicitous sentence, the view of the country
at large. This War, he remarked, is "an act of
far-sighted self-defence." That is just the idea
which began the War on the part of England. We
certainly did not propose merely to defend Turkey.
Much less did we think of immediate self-defence ;
it might have been a half or a whole generation
before Russia would have made Constantinople
another Sebastopol, or we have had much to fear
from her. "It was a war of policy, of which the
main object was to prevent Russia attaining a
preponderance in the affairs of Europe. Could
this object be attained by merely expelling her
from the Principalities, himiliated, but not weak-
ened f What substantial guarantee could we
have against Russia except in a substantial alter-
ation of her territorial alteration ? " Let Lord
JOIN RUSSELL and his chief, Lord PALMERSTON,
ponder these questions. If Russia thinks the
Allies are really intending to hoist the Polish
flag, she will, we verily believe, conclude peace,
even if she have to sacrifice the Black Sea, with-
out further struggle ; and we are confident Lords
PALMERSTON and RUSSILL would clutch at the
bargain. Russia, however, knows that Lord
Joarr wishes to leave her all her territories ; she
knows that he will refuse the aid, as Lord HAR-
ROWBY stated, "of seventeen millions of men, the
most warlike in Europe," she will not, therefore,
make peace, and events may drift us ti Polish
and European emancipation just as they drifted
the poor PRELIM into the War itself.

There is surely hope fur merit now. The hon.
member for Printing-house-square tells us that
he has served his official apprenticeship, that for
that reason only he quits the Ministry, and that
he is now qualified for higher offioe. At the same
time, in language very similar to some sf the
best leaders in the great six-ounce journal, he
denounces the system of selling commissions
and making Government appointments by favour,
insisting, in the most unqualified terms, on
adopting merit as the only rule of promo-
tion.. Let merit, therefore, be up and eager.
Ministers have too plainly seen what came
of withholding rations from " Our own Cor-
respondent," to venture on withholding higher
office from our own member. The member who can
speak to a full House of Commons in the evening,
and to all the kingdom in the morning, must be
promoted for his merit. Woe to the Administra-
tion which neglects him.
We heartily welcome Mr. Lows's open advo-
cacy of the great question adverted to. The very
time is come to settle it. The nation is quite
prepared, if need be, to refund to all who have
purchased commissions ►hat is fairly due to them ;
but it demands the instant application of the oppo-
site principle as the sine qua non of military sal-
vation. Most justly did Mr. LOWE affirm that
"the cankerworm which has caused the failure of
this campaign, and which pervades every depart-
ment of the civil and military service, is the vice
of public patronage. Merit is not promoted ; the
only thing considered is personal connexion and
favour." The Emperor of RETMSIs looks only to
the fitness of his servants, and cashiers and
punishes the highest servants, without mercy.
Our statesmen " look rather to their own profits,
or to that of their friends, or to Parliamentary
influence, than to the interests of the people. It
is of no use talking of any kind of reform till you
get this altered." We believe this Kidderminster
oration, in so much of which we heartily concur,
will do great service. It is the testimony of one
of our ablest men, who ha's just come from behind
official scenes, who has had more practical oppor-
tunities of knowing than most of us--who can
forcibly tell by pen and speech what he knows—
and his voice must be heard. May he prove as
independent as he professes himself to he.
The present War will be a saving worth all it
has cost us if we only achieve the domestic victory
of expelling mere aristocracy and wealth from the
public service, and throwing it open to the able
and deserving. The failure of the present plan
has been complete and ruinous. The nation is
exasperated ; the cause cannot be concealed. The
accursed pride of birth and wealth combined has
shut out from military rank not only the plebeian
talent which could have saved our army, but even
the proved capacity and the experience of the offi-
cers of our Indian army ! The public indigna-
tion kindled by the fatal consequences is intense ;
and our Ministers must sacrifice „to it the whole
array of proved incapables, or they themselves will
be sacrificed. Let them not fancy that a Lord
DERBY or Lord Anybody can save the system.
The people and the Crimea have doomed it. They
will tolerate no Ministry which procrastinates this
first duty.

THE MINISTERIAL CRISIS.

Nothing has 'yet been definitively settled with
respect to supplying the vacancies created by the
secession of Sir J. Graham, Mr. Gladitone, and
Mr. Sidney Herbert from the Ministry.
The names mostly spoken of this morning at
the clubs were the Earl of Elgin and the Earl of
Carlisle for the Colonial-office, Mr. Cardwell for
the Exchequer, and Sir F. T. Baring for the Ad-
miral ty.

The names of Lord Seymour and Sir C. Wood,
were also mentioned, but the first three appear to

be the favourites.

If anything definite should transpire during the
fatter part of the day ,we shall publish it in our

[ate edition.

ARRIVAL OF THE PACIFIC.

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The steamer Pacific is just telegraphed as
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