The Sun.
London, England, 1854-09-05 00:00:00

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LONDON, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 1854.

" Quos Deus volt perdere, Arius dementat." The
AUTOCRAT forms no exception to the general rule.
He offers, indeed, in his conduct an additional
illustration of the truth and accuracy of the old
adage. Like the Israelites of old, he has har-
dened his heart and defied the impending doom,
rather than in any degree abate his arrogant pre-
tensions. He cannot, in fact, yet realise the
earnestness or the sincerity of the opposition
which has been offered to his wishes ; and, buoyed
up by the inactivity hitherto prevailing amongst
the allied forces, and the clearly avowed advo-
cacy of Prussia, he has still taken counsel of his
pride, and refused to listen to the too favourable
terms offered—the loop-hole afforded for his
escape from the predicament in which he has been
involved by his arrogance and cupidity—the over-
weening vanity that led him to imagine that other
powers would succumb to his ukases, what-
ever they might Le—the avarice that grasped
at any addition to his previously over-grown
territories—and the inordinate ambition that
induced him to aim at universal empire, and
the predominance of barbarian Russia over the
more civilised nations of Europe.
We are now told that the Russian diplomatic
note delivered by Prince GORTSCHAKOFF (the
Minister, not the General) to Count Buol. on
Saturday morning at Vienna, contained an abso-
lute rejection of each and every one of the four
conditions of peace tendered for his acceptance by
the Allied Powers, and supported by Austria and
(more feebly) by Prussia—declaring that " he
would rather sacrifice his last soldier than accept
such propositions."

Be it so ! We freely and willingly accept the
battle, a l'outrance, tendered by the Northern
Despot. We rejoice that, under any terms, the
humbug of diplomacy is to be brought to a con-
clusion, and that henceforth there shall be no
specious protests available to prevent us from
putting forth our full force. Russia has at length
spoken without disguise. She has abandoned
the subterfuges of which she so freely availed her-
self in the earlier stages of the contest, and we
now know what to think of " the EMPEROR'S
moderation." Prussia has also nearly cast aside
her disguise, and, if Ministers act in a mariner
befitting their high position, should be regarded
as the open foe of this country. The personal
predilections of the KING have proved more power-
ful than the interests of his people ; and if the
views of FREDERICK WILLIAM be suffered to pre-
vail, we may find ourselves opposed to a nation
with whom we have hitherto co-operated in many
a gallant undertaking. " Clicquot" is, however,
predominant at present, and we must, although
with poignant sorrow, express our deep regret at
being opposed to the gallant people, and profound
indignation at the vacillation :and temporising
conduct of the Monarch who has produced a
result in every respect so deplorable.
But now that Russia has cast aside disguise')
that Prussia is also partially unmasked, it is in-
dispensable that Austria should
select the banner
with which she will act.
lieretoforveeryprofit-
able she has
been allowed to maintain a neutrality
to herself, and, without proclaiming
war
against the aggressor, been allowed to take
pos-
session of the Principalities, to gain by niplomacy
that which, when taken by violence, led to
the
proclamation of war against Russia. she
must
now learn that such conduct can no longer be
tolerated, and that England and France, aye, and
Turkey, will consider those who are not with
them as against them, and that she must act
either as a decided friend or an avowed enemy.

But there is a more imperative obligation on
the Western Powers. They have too long im-
peded the efforts of those whom they professed to
assist. They rendered no actual aid to the
Moslem forces in the gallant defence by which
they resisted all the attacks of the invader,
and finally expelled him shamefully from the soil
he had polluted by his barbarian hordes. But they
acted as a clog and diary chain on the "pro-
tected" (!) prevented what they might have
done if unencumbered by such doubtful help, and
induced them to submit to Austrian occupation
of the provinces from which the Russians had
lied. For all this mischief we owe them some

reparation. We trust that it will be adequate to '
the occasion, and befitting the honour and dig-
nity of the great nations concerned. Their re-
presentatives, civil as well as military, must now
see that the time for temporising has passed—that
" action" is now the only course that remains.
By the apathy and indifference hitherto displayed
they have not only seriously prejudiced the
cause of the SULTAN, but suffered their own
gallant soldiers and seamen to perish inglo-
riously in the pestilential districts to which they
were consigned. Many glorious victories might
have been achieved with less loss. The Crimea
might have been won back to its ancient alle-
giance, the arsenals and fortifications at Sebas-
topol dismantled, and the Black Sea Fleet de-
stroyed or reduced to a peace complement. The
Caucasian districts might have been freed from
the Muscovite hordes, and Asia pacified. It is
difficult to speak patiently of the numerous crimes
of omission ascribable to those who bad the
power to adopt a more decisive course. Let us
hope that the reproach may henceforth be re-
moved from the national escutcheon of England
and France, and that we may be as much dis-
tinguished for zeal and energy as hitherto for sloth
and apathy. The winter is rapidly approaching.
Shame to our Generals and Admirals, our Minis-
ters and diplomatists, if it shall be suffered to
arrive without some decisive step being taken in
the Euxine as well as in the Baltic—some dis-
tinguished success achieved by the combined
armies cf France and England.

Everything in this world must be brought to a
conclusion. We should, therefore, scarcely feel
surprised at having to announce the termination
of the proceedings of tho Windsor Courts-martial
Nos. 2 and 3, and the findings and sentences of
these model tribunals. But if not astonished at
the speedy promulgation of these verdicts—for,
in one case, not quite six weeks ! and, in the other,
scarcely two months had elapsed ! I—we must
express our unmitigated disgust at the decisions
of these model tribunals—decisions which, ap-
proved and confirmed as they have been by the
Commander-in-Chief, occasion a mingled feeling
of shame and indignation in our minds—shame
for the officers—we shall not desecrate the other
term usually annexed—who appeared as witnesses
—shame for those who sat as Judges both of law
and fact, and who evinced the most profound
contempt for both—and still deeper shame for
the functionary who prosecuted, and the still
more distinguished officer who approved the
sentence. We blush for the laud service.
That it contains many distinguished men, ac-
tuated by a high sense of honour and integ-
rity we are well aware ; and we deeply regret
that these gallant " officers," who are also
"gentlemen"—for we blush to say that the
terms can no longer be considered " synonymes,"
must to a certain extent participate in the reproach
which the misconduct of some of their number
has cast on the British army.
Yes, Lieutenant PERRY has been found guilty
of three of the four charges preferred against him.
Of the first—that which declared that the state-
ment that Lieut.-Colonel GARRETT " had re-
proached him, and called him a fool for his pains,
was false"—he was acquitted. The members of
the Court thus found, either that his commanding
officer had used these ignominious and improper
appellations, or that Lieut. PERRY had sufficient
reasons to believe that such was the case, and that
therefore his assertions were not wilfully and de-
liberately untrue. This was the plain and com-
mon-sense view of the case, where the commanding
officer did not venture to deny the language, and
where there was the strongly corroborative testi-
mony of Paymaster CORCORAN that the prisoner
had come to him, with tears in his eyes, to com-
plain of the harsh and uncivil, aye; and we will
add " ungentlemanly," treatment ho had received.
This evidence the Court received and acted on,
declaring the prisoner "not guilty" of the charge
—notwithstanding the ridiculous argument of
Major-General WETIIERALL that " it was merely
hearsay evidence, and of the most objectionable
character, being hearsay from the prisoner him-
self."

Having come to this rational decision, in which
they discredited the non, mi ricordo assertion of
Colonel GARRETT, their subsequent findings are
the more unaccountable. When a witness is
found to have sworn incorrectly "on one point"
before a civil tribunal—it is not necessary to use
a harsher term—his statements on other matters
are received with wholesome distrust ; and we ven-
ture to assert, that not even a previously con-
victed pickpocket would be found guilty on his
uncorroborated evidence. Colonel GARRETT was
not credited with respect to his denial of having
called Lieutenant PERRY a " fool for his pains,"
at the time he put forward his complaint. Why,
I then, should greater confidence be reposed in his
assertion that Lieutenant PERRY had " not threat-
ened to appeal to the General of the district I"
A similar corroboration was afforded by Paymas-
ter CORCORAN, who distinctly and unequivocally
proved that the prisoner " had come to his office
and said that several of the officers were endea-
vouring to prevail on him to withdraw the letter,"
and even mentioned the names of some of those
who had attempted to influence him. To be con-
sistent, the Court should have found him
" guilty," or acquitted him of both charges relat-
ing to Colonel GARRETT. But, as if for the pur-
pose of bringing the deepest disgrace on themselves
—of incitating the Jury referred to by poor
THEODORE HOOK, in GILBERT GURNEY, who, with-
out reference to the evidence, decided on the

" zig-zag system"—alternately acquitting and
convicting, they proved their own incompetence
by these contradictions and inconsistent deci-
sions.

The third and fourth charges were, like the
former ones, inseparable. They related not to
the Colonel, but to a Captain NICHOLAS, who was
asserted by the prisoner to have been "in the
habit of ill-treating young officers." The evi-
dence in support of these charges was purely nega-
tive. The mouth of Lieutenant PERRY, the ac-
cuser, was hermetically sealed by the nature of
the proceedings. He was not allowed to sub-
stantiate his assertions on oath, and, by an " in-
genious device," the other witnesses, who could
have spoken clearly and explicitly, were sent, out
of their turn, to the East. One person, however,
in his zeal to purify the character of " the gal-
lant Captain," declared that there had " never
been any ill-treatment"—that he could not have
said or written that Captain NICHOLAS had used
opprobrious language to a junior officer, because
he had never done so ; and yet the letter of this
very Lieutenant W. F. WALDY was produced, in-
forming the prisoner that Captain NICHOLAS had
designated a young officer as " 1
of a of an' Ensiem d son
laf there was a
calumny it came from W. 'WALD;
fnot Pb ERRY.
He had it under the hand.writiTnteo
arrowa other
shot t
officer that such was the fact.
by his legal adviser came not from his
yet he is quiver,dismissed the setri-
that of WALDY—and
vice, while WALDY, who has added, we will not
4c perjury," for that is an ugly word, but
say
most extraordinary inaccuracy in his evidence on
oath, is only " severely reprimanded."
The Court-martial (No. 2) nominally on Lieut.;
GREER, but really on Lieut. PERRY, goes even
further. Notwithstanding the clear and unequivo-
cal evidence of the misconduct of that " model
u he r.
olillnace of r ofh the 46th," his merciful judges acquit
h
find that he did not strike or
te charges,

offer personal violence to Lieutenant PERRY—
that he did not even use provoking, insulting, or
disgusting language to him. Notwithstanding
this acquittal, the innocent young man is ordered

" to sell out," while his victim is allowed " to
sell." This, however, as .we have shown, is palp-
ably wrong, and Lieutenant PERRY requires not
" mercy," but " justice." We trust that he will
be so far supported as to be enabled to reject the
price of the commission of which he has been so
wrongfully deprived, and to cast it back with
contempt on his persecutors. The public
Can, and we believe will, enable him to
do so. We should only add that the Court
aimed a blow at Mr. DARVILL, in stating
that it recommended the prisoner to mercy
on the ground that "he had acted under
the ill-advice of his legal adviser." The learned
gentleman can, however, despise that censure,
when conscious that by that advice he has gained
golden opinions from all disinterested and unpre-
judiced persons, and that he has passed through
the ordeal under which the judges failed perfectly
uninjured and unscathed.

COURT CIRCULAR.

OSBORNE, S. 4.

The Queen and Prince, the Prince of Wales, Prince
Alfred, the Princess Royal, Princess Alice, and the
Duchess of Kent, attended divine service at Osborne
yesterday morning, which was performed by the Rev.
G. Prothero.
The Earl of Aberdeen has arrived on a visit to her
Majesty.
Prince Albert will embark this evening for Boulogne.
The Duke of Newcastle, Lord Seaton, and Major-
General Wetherall are expected to-day, and will have
the honour of accompanying his Royal Highness.

The Duke of Newcastle left town yesterday morning
for Osborne.
Despatches were received at the Colonial-office yester•
day from the Governor-General of Canada.

Lord Gough's family and friends are making frequent
visits to Loughcooter. His lordship has been suddenly
summoned to London, it is supposed to induce him to
take a command in the Eastern army. Addresses are
in preparation from the Dean of Kilmacduagh, the ma-
gistrates and inhabitants of Gort, to be presented to
Lord Gough, on fixing his residence at Loughcooter
Castle.—Limerick Chronicle.
The Right Hon. the Chancellor of the Exchequer left
his official residence in Downing-street, on Saturday
afternoon, to join Mrs. Gladstone and family at Broad-
stairs.
Mr. Joseph Hume, M.P., and his daughter, Miss
Mary Hume, reached Scrabster-roads on Tuesday night,
and immediately proceeded to Thurso Castle, where they
propose to remain for some time, on a visit to Sir George
Sinclair. .

The Duke of Cleveland is entertaining a small party
at his shooting-box in the county of Durham.