The Sun.
London, England, 1855-03-06 00:00:00

they make allowance for the difficulties in which
ALEXANDER is now placed ; or, on the con-
trary, should they still insist on every
condition which an attentive consideration
of the present aspect of the politcal horizon may
render advisable ? These are questions of grave
interest at the present crisis, from which we
should not suffer ourselves to be diverted by any
sentimental notions or fits of spurious generosity.
We must recollect the well-known adage of the
necessity of being "just before we are generous."
We must be just to our Allies—to France,
which has so nobly joined us in the struggle,
and so honourably fulfilled her part of the con-
tract—to Turkey, so grievously and unwar-
rantably assailed—to England, dragged into the
contest with so heavy an expenditure of blood
and treasure. For all these we must obtain
" indemnity for the past, and security for the
future." We may not be enabled to obtain a
suitable recompense for those of our friends, kin-
dred, or countrymen who have perished in the
Crimea ; but the millions that have been ex-
pended must be recouped to the national treasury.
The claims that enabled Russia perpetually to
menace other countries, and the naval power that
gave vitality to these claims, the strongholds from
whence the Russian eagle might at any moment
stoop on its quarry, must be surrendered, and
stringent terms arranged against any attempt to
resume the status quo. These are indispensable,
but there are other points that must also be
noticed. The sword cannot be replaced in its
scabbard until the relations of Russia with other
countries, not only in the ♦icinity of the Euxine
and the Baltic—with Circassia, the Danubian
Principalities, and Bessarabia—bit also with
Poland, long-suffering and deeply-injured Poland,
be regulated and disposed of. Should Lord JOHN
RUSSELL attend to these points, and bring the
matters connected therewith to a satisfactory con-
clusion, he will entitle himself to the thanks and
gratitukle of the country. Should it unfortunately
be otherwise—should he neglect the golden oppor-
tunity, he will indeed be deemed " too small for
his place," and irretrievably sacrifice the scanty
remnant of political reputation that still remains
to the ex-Leader of the ABERDEEN Administration
in the popular branch of the Legislature.

An important question was last night sub-
mitted to the consideration of the House of Com-
mons respecting the efficiency of our Military
Academies, and the suitable education of those
who aspire to become the leaders of our armies.
Heretofore money has been " the one thing need-
ful"—the sine qua non, without which no man,
however meritorious, could hope for rapid promo-
tion. Interest would unquestionably be a valu-
able auxiliary ; but money was the ALADDIN'S
lamp that could remove every obstacle and insure
speedy advancement. It would provide oven the
"interest" itself, and act as an adequate substitute
for either the aristocracy of birth or of merit.
There is, however, a general repugnance to this
system of venality. It is at length decided that
money is not to be omnipotent. If those who
choose to work, to engage fairly in the
honourable field of emulation, and to meet the
competition of the untitled and unendowed
classes, chance also to possess rank or wealth, let
them do so. We would not object to their pre-
sence, although it might operate injuriously on
their less fortunate fellows ; and a well-known
and very powerful naval author—Captain MAR-
ExArr—has declared that s. midshipman with

6,000/. per annum waa "an anomaly that could

not be tolerated." But these accidents should
only be of secondary importance; should, if prac-
ticable, be totally disregarded.
What, then, are the substitutes that should be
provided ? How are enthusiastic young men to
find admission b the service without passing
through the minor grades ? The answer is simple
—the problem, important as it is, is of easy solu-
tion. The only portals to promotion should be
service and education. Indeed we might limit
the matter still further, and make education the
single road—for however urgent the claims of a
man who has conducted himself well in an inferior
station ho must be qualified for the situation to
which he aspires, or his appointment cannot be
beneficial either to himself or to the country.
The Ensign NORTHINGTONS of the olden time
will no longer be tolerated. The Gentleman (!)
who would enunciate that
"Your Kovids, and Ornery, and Plutarchs are stuff,"
would fins himself strangely out of place in a
regiment where a high standard of education was
required, and estimated at even loss than " the
pinch of snuff" which he considered the value of
classical attainments.

It does not follow, because we stipulate
fer a high educational standard that
we are to transform our young officers
into mere pedants er book-worms, that they should
be like University students, capable of throwing
off a given quantity of Greek hexameters, or Latin
verses within a given time. No—the edu-
cation required is emphatically that of a
gentleman a general acquaintance with
modern languages and the other branches
of information usually looked for in
society; and the standard should be higher when
service was wanting. The rough school of ser-
vice as a private soldier should be peculiarly
favoured, inasmuch as it would afford the best
opportunity for testing the military capacity of
the neophyte. Next to that the public schools
and universities, but those educated at private
seminaries should not be rejected. We have known
an instance where not a single pupil of a private
master has failed, and officers now in the Guards,
and some of our crack regiments, could testify
to the efficiency of the system pursued at Coblentz,
where the students have the daily opportunity of
inspecting the, fortifications and studying the
tactics pursued in the Continental armies. Th e
great point is to obtain a suitable education.
When that principle is conceded the details will
easily be determined.

Perhaps in no instance is the wisdom of a rea
sonable regard on the part of employers for the
moral and intellectual welfare of those in their
employ more apparent than in connection with
railways. We are become a travelling people.

Thousands on thousands of us are hourly to be

found speeding along the numerous lines with
which this country is intersected, in the wake of
locomotive,. Thousands on thousands of us are
hourly at tk,e mercy of a railway employee. A single
aPprehe, asion or neglect of orders by the lowest
official and.
of the land bow many of the best arid noblest
may not be cruelly crushed to death,
maimed, o c otherwis©
blunder b:fr -a stupid employee,
seriously injured? A single
and beside under-
going t oclium of such a catastrophe, his em-
ployers Are a couple or more thousands out of
pocket. Bo much the reader will perceive de-
pends on t• lie fidelity and intelligence of railway
emplogees.
A.t the I irst blush, therefore, the attiOuncement
that any r a.,qa,ray company has taken steps indica-
tive, of s uch, regard is not calculated to excite much
swcprise, uoz •to call for any particular commenda-
tion. But •I vhen it is remembered how impatient
shareboldera too often are for a good dividend—