The Sun.
London, England, 1855-05-04 00:00:00

have been offered, NVO 110 not wholly break off futile and dis-
creditable negotiations, and prove to Russia that we rely, as
with much justice we may rely, on the united energies and
resources of England and France to bring her pretensions
within reason and moderation ? It is mere self-delusion to
talk of peace now. We must make up our minds to fight it
out with a stout heart and a strong hand. The people have
been disgusted, and with reason, with the mismanagement of
the army; but, though these things have roused their indtg-
nation against our Ministers, they have, so far as we are
aware, done nothing towards lowering their spirit or their
well merited confidence in the courage and resources of the
nation. When we look at their 'mismanagement we may in-
deed feel shame, but when we regard our own conduct we have
nothing to blush for. The people of this country undertook
the war on a clear and 'well-defined principle, from Which
they, at least, have never shrunk or wavered. They have
undertaken the burdens of fresh taxation without a murmur,
and relieved the wants of our neglected army with princely
munificence. All that we have lost has been from causes
clearly preventible. Our men were sent to Derno in
despite of warnings of its deadly malaria. Starvation, over-
work, exposure, want of medicine, want of medical comforts
—nay the very shipwrecks themselves —were all occasioned
by causes within our own ecntrol, and which, if we could only
rescue ourselves from the deadly incubus which oppresses us,
need never return again. We have never met the enemy but
to conquer them, and inflicted upon them losses and die.
graces such as broke the proud sprit of one Emperor and
already throw a dark shadow far into the reign of his sue.
eessor. We have shut up the Russian fleets, demolished at a
blow the commerce of the country, and are at this moment
spreading terror on the coasts of provinces which hundreds of
thousands of men are deemed barely sufficient to protect. • Our
ariby is in high discipline and full -f ardour—our navy desires
nothing so much as an opportunity of arttinrtion. Weritave
maintained ourse yes by our own strength and that of our
ally for six months, under every possible disadvantage, in a
position from which all the efforts of so many Generals and
armies have been unable to dislodge us. Add to this the
necessary derangement of the finances of a vast and poor
country, called on for enormous pecuniary sacrifices and
drained of its very heart's blood by the ever-increasing
draughts of the conscription. Why should we despair with
such a prospect ? Why tarnish our honour and lower our
prestige by attempts to wheedle from our en my that peace
which we must eventually be able to dictate on our own
terms, and conciliate that support from timid and vacillating
Courts, without which we are well able, by courage and per-
severance, to reduce our enemy to submission ? Let us have
uo Ministers but those whose hearts are in the cause, no
Generals, no Admirals, but those who really mean to win by
the utmost exertions of courage and enterprise, and we need
no shabby compromises, no discreditable and colourable con-
cessions. But, if we are determined to carry on war in a
lukewarm way—if we are to think more of conciliating sup-
port than of winning battles—if we are to have Ministers who
represent their own timidity and feebleness, instead of the
manly and earnest spirit which animates the country,—theu,
with or wi hunt Austria, with or without Prussia, with or
without nego iatious and protocols, there is nothing for us
but to descend from our high position among the nation.,
and confess that we are unable to fight for our rights, because
we have not patriotism to form an honest, or courage to sup-
port a vigorous, Government.

tVAti.AL AND MILITARY INTELLIGENCE.

The Pyla4es, 20, screw steam corvette, left Sheerness
yesterday at 10.45 a.m., with the gun-boats Redwing, Thistle,
and Starling iu tow, for the Baltic.
The Volcano, 3, p ddle-wheel steam-vessel, left at 10. SO
a.m. yesterday, with the gun-boats Dapper and Badger in
tow, for the Ba tic. _ _ .

The Porcupine, 3, paddle-wheel steam-vessel, Lieutenant-
Commander G. M. Jackson, remains i❑ harbour, waiting Ad-
miralty orders to proceed to the Baltic with gun-boats in tow.
The Odin, 16, paddle-frigate, Captain Willcox, is expected
to touch at Pertain° th on her way to the Black Sea, with
the new mortar vessels, to take in supernumeraries and par-
cels for the Black S. ,:t fleet. The new steam gun-boat Leander
was taken out of Portsmouth yesterday, to test her machin-
ery, her first trial since fitted out. T.e new mortar vessel
Magnet was docked y. sterday at Portsmouth, to be fitted
for.hwith for service. The Jasper new steam gun-boat was
taken out of the basin at Portsmouth yesterday, after being
fitted with the iron bulwark plates, &c. The Malacca, 17,
screw corvette, Captain Farquhar, will join the fleet at Spit-
head to-day. The Dee steam transport returned to Wool-
wich, from Portsmouth, yesterday.