The Sun.
London, England, 1855-12-22 00:00:00

LONDON, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1855.

All operations appear to be suspended for the
time being in the Crimea. The men are chiefly
engaged in the laudable and agreeable occupation
of making themselves as comfortable as possible
under the circumstances of the case, and recover-
ing the health and strength that had been in some
degree impaired from the labours of the siege.
Their attempts, we rejoice to say, may be considered
as very successful. Although what they have
attained, or may attain, must still fall very short
of our notions of the peculiarly English term
" comfort," it is still very satisfactory during a
campaign where they are within sight of au ad-
verse army, and of strongly-fortified positions held
by the enemy, and when the utmost vigilance must
be incessantly observed. It would not do for the
Allies to be made the victims of any surprise, and

we may easily believe how greatly the Riissians

would rejoice to retrieve any of the laurels that
have been so unceremoniously plucked from their
brows during the past year. The freezing over
of the Tchernaya may afford a chance—it will only
be a chance, and a very remote one—and for that
the Allies must always be prepared, although de-
termined not to make any decisive attempt until
the routing of " General Winter" by the forth-
coming spring may give the signal that the time
has arrived for the resumption of active opera-
tions by land and by water.
The contrast of the last winter materially en-
hances the enjoyment felt by those who have bit-
terly experienced the privations and toils of that
trying period, and who had sufficient stamina to
pass through the fearful ordeal. The men are
not now tantalised by starving in the sight of
abundance. They are exempted from the dan-
gerous and laborious duties in the trenches, to
which so many casualties were attributable, those
indirectly arising from over-fatigue being perh
ips
even more formidable than the losses from the
active operations of the enemy. The authorities
at home have greatly profited by past experience,
but the local improvements are no less remarkable.
The roads, although not of the smooth "bowling-
green" character looked for by those who " live
at home at ease," are still as good as can be anti-
cipated under the circumstances ; and, as they
are only required for the purpose of bringing up
supplies of provisions and not of siege requisites,
every reasonable demand can be readily answered.
There are, of course, many unpleasant collisions,
and a considerable use of what our brethren at
the other side of St. George's Channel designate
as " ornamental language" amongst the hybrid
employees, who resort to polyglot terms of objur-
gation ; but the work is done notwithstanding
these minor difficulties and impediments, and the
soldiers find themselves very fairly off, all things
being taken into consideration.
Nor is it only with respect to the condition of
the troops that greater vigilance is exercised. The
characters and objects of the various " camp fol-
lowers," whether visiting as amateurs or in pur-
suit of profits, are more carefully scrutinised.
There are many " tickets of leave"—not in the
sense in which it is used in this country, but
merely for permission to reside in the vicinity
of the °amp—which have been granted, and
any impropriety of conduct is visited with
immediate expulsion. Many of the temptations
to which the soldiers have been exposed, and
which have extracted the " PANNIIIRE sixpences"
from their pockets, have been thus removed.
Many Russian spies have thus been got rid of,
and several of the surreptitious drinking-shops
have also been closed. It is in contemplation,
also, to open regimental canteens, under the care
of meritorious non-commissioned officers, by means
whereof, while every reasonable facility is afforded
to the soldiers, abuses can be completely got rid
of. The illicit dealers who have occasioned such
serious mischief, if not summarily expelled, will
thus find " their occupation gone," and improved
discipline and " comfort" will be the result Of
these judicious regulations.

The great matter will be, however, to watch
the enemy. As we have stated, the freezing over
of the Tchernaya, which may occur at any mo•
meat, may be seized ou to attempt some desperate