The Sun.
London, England, 1855-03-08 00:00:00

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LONDON, THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 1855.

Each day a more formidable case is established
against the late Government. The evidence of
negligence and incapacity already elicited is over-
whelming. It is not merely the system that was
in fault, but also the men by whom it was admi-
nistered. It. certainly appears to have been in-
geniously devised to do the least quantity of work
with the greatest amount of trouble, to disregard
the substance by a stupid adhesion to forms, and
to consider the comfort, health, and even lives of
her Meausrv's subjects as of less importance than
obtaining the requisite number of signatures and
counter signatures, and having the terms of
each consignment and requisition in strict accord-
ance with ,established precedent.
But, while admitting to the fullest extent
all its evils, we cannot exonerate those in autho-
rity, who, if they possessed any degree of energy,
zeal, or, we are sorry to be compelled to add,
humanity, would speedily have enforced more
judicious regulations. We want men, not ma-
chines, in positions of difficulty ; persons pos-
sessed of a reasoning power, and willing to
exercise it—aye, and if necessary, to assume—the

responsibility •f any violation of the rules, when
it could be shown that it was calculated to prove
beneficial tc. the community. But none dared to
resist the despotic ukases of King Red-Tape,
and hence the fearful losses we have sustained,
and the disgrace and dishonour inflicted on the
British name and the injury to British interests.
Although the investigation may be protracted,
new witnesses produced, and evidence heaped on
evidence, it will be difficult to add to the case
already established. The strong impressions
that prevailed have been converted into cer-
tainties—we now know what we formerly be-
lieved. The Crime has been established. The
Criminals must be sought after—and that not
only among subordinates, but in high quarters.

It is manifest that there is " a screw loose " at

the "Horse Guards. Why, then, has not Lord
HARDIROR been called ? Why has the Comman-
der-in-Chief not been required to make a clean
breast of it, and account for the deficiencies of the
department over -which he presides It may,
and we earnestly hope will, be that Lord HAR-
DINGE Will appear before the Committee. If the
members are determined efficiently to discharge
the important duties confided to their hands, it
must be so. Nay, more, should it appear that
there were any undue influences in operation,
they must not suffer themselves to be deterred by
any considerations from probing the matter to the
bottom, and having the parties implicated, who-
ever they may be, before them.
The clue supplied by Sir DE LACY Eve:,..rs
should be followed up to the utmost extent. The
nation was disgusted at the want of energy dis-
played in the earlier stages of the transaction, the
blind confidence reposed in the professions of the
AUTOCRAT, and the ridiculous expectation
that the matter could be brought to a
atisfactory termination by negotiations, con-
' forences, or protocols. It saw how incapable
were our diplomatists of coping with their wily
and unscrupulous opponents, and beheld with dis-
gust, but without astonishment, the inevitable re-
sults of.such weakness and timidity. But, when
War was proclaimed, when the invasion of the
ellemerritory, and the assault on his strong-
hold was aoterminml on, we had a right to expect
that matters would be conducted vigorously and
energetically—that the lives of eur men should