The Sun.
London, England, 1855-03-01 00:00:00

Another statement, made with the conviction
that he should "hold it to his dying day," was
that a bold front at first would have saved us
from war altogether, but that the Peelites in the
Cabinet were quite opposed to Lord PALMERSTON
and Lord JOHN RUSSELL regarding Russian do-
mination ; and that, therefore, to Lord ABER-
DERN, and the clique who have now left office,
we owe all the sufferings at home and in the
Crimea incident to the War. Let Messrs.
COBDEN and BRIGHT know now whom they
are to attack, and let them remember that
even now it is the poltroonery which cla-
mours for peace, and the least possible demands
which will prolong the War, the bloodshed, and
the waste of money.
Another statement is that Mr. LAYARD was
only last Friday offered by Lord PALMERSTON the
Under-Secretaryship of War—that he accepted
it, but that it was withdrawn for important
reasons, and he was offered the same post in re-
gard to the Colonies. Mr. LAYARD most properly
declined that as he had done the Ordnance, be-
cause he was not particularly acquainted with
those matters. For the other post Mr. LAYARD
was the one man whom the nation wanted. What
could bo the important reasons? Was Mr. F.
PEEL of such importance, a man utterly unac-
quainted with the department, and without a
single gift of nature to qualify him for it ? We
cannot comprehend the infatuation which leaves
out of his proper place the man who assuredly
would have seen the nation's business done.

The present system of promotion in the Army
will this evening bo brought under the considera-
tion of the House of Commons. It has long since
baen decisively and unequivocally condemned by
the people ; it only requires that the popular
branch of the Legislature should adopt a similar
view to lead to a speedy and vast amelioration.
The question, and none will deny its vital im-
portance, lies in a nutshell. It is—" By what
means can we render our troops most efficient
and obtain the highest qualifications, not only in
officers, but also in soldiers I" This is the impor-
tant problem to be answered ; and, although 53:130
differences of opinion may exist as to the most
eligible mode of attaining the object, there can
be but litae, if any, doubt that the prevailing prac-
tice is, in every respect, the worst that could pos-
sibly be adapted—that any alteration must be an
improvement.

Far be it from us to assert that we have no
many highly meritorious and distinguished officers,
who have paid heavily for every step ; who, per-
haps, could not be surpassed by any men in the
performance of their arduous duties. It is not,
however,,in consequence, but rather in spite, of
these. baneful regulations that such men have
proved their worth. They would have suet eeded
under any system. The true military spirit—the
chivalric disposition that induces a man to relin-
(Dish the enjoyment cf inglorious case, and "to
seek the bubble reputation even at the cannon's
mouth," would still exist, and prompt the aspi-
rant to enter on a course of honourable competi-
tion, and meet the
without excep-
tion—not merely those who
possess the accidents
of b;rth or money. Really useful men, whose
a baifi
teyr ,
of wouldbeing
not be
services were worth seekingpoii
jostled
deterred because of the
on the course by plebeian opponents. Oa the
contrary, it would only stimulate them to more
active exertion,
rendering them even more com-
petent to meet any emergency.
There is, perhaps, no other service in the world
where "venality" i 3 openly tolerated—where a
situation,- carrying with it the discharge of ardu-
ous and responsible duties, can be openly bought
or sold. It would be laughed to scorn in