The Sun.
London, England, 1854-02-10 00:00:00

cherish with affectionate regard every timber.
Look to the esprit du corps, the pride which every
one of the crews of the old " Agamemnon,"
the " Victory," the "Bellerophon"—and, indeed,
of all the well-known fighting men-of-war—
took in their vessels and their officers, and we can
judge of the kind of spirit which it is desirable to
infuse into the breasts of our sailors. But they
detest a martinet—one who delights in the cat,
who is unduly querulous, finding fault without
adequate, or frequently without any, cause, and
interfering with the liberty of the men on every
tangible opportunity. Such persons they avoid
with a holy horror. No temptations will induce
them voluntarily to take service under an unpopu-
lar captain. Let them know the commander-in-
chief, whose character will materially influence
that of his inferior officers, and also the
vessels in which they are to be employed,
and a great point will be achieved. In such case
(if other matters be satisfactory) it will not be
difficult to find plenty of volunteers for the ser-

vice. We can venture to prophesy, without laying
claim to any extraordinary powers of vaticination,
that there will be no necessity for impressment.
Among these, other matters, pay and bounty,
assume prominent positions. We have already

pointed out the advantages of a bounty, varying
according to circumstances, and the state of the
market (say from 51. to 101., we may assume
71. 10s. as an average). Jack likes a little money
in hand to leave with the dear ones at home,
pay debts, obtain an outfit, aye, or expend in a
spree. A bounty of 101. in hand would be more

efficacious in procuring volunteers than an addi-
tion of 1/. per month to the regular pay, and, we
need not add, far less expensive to the country.
One hundred and fifty thousand pounds thus
applied would procure twenty thousand good men
in a month ; and Bluely there never was a more

judicious expenditure of money, or one more in
accordance with due economy. Why, double the
amount might without difficulty be lopped off the
dockyard expenditure.

That terrible circle of fire is every moment be-
coming narrower, which our diplomatic experi-
' mentalists have been so long foolishly Attempting
to square by a protracted series of negotiations:
the necessity of War ! Scarcely any uncertainty
now remains as to the close of this pacific corres-
pondence, carried on for eleven months, between
the Russian AUTOCRAT and the mediators in be-
half of Turkey, the four allied European Govern-
ments. • Wherefore, discussjon having proved
fruitless of any of those good results which were
expectedfrom thefirst, by the more sanguine among
thelookers-on—action has become inevitable. That
diplomacy has actually exhausted its last ener-
gies in thus vainly endeavouring to ward off the
dangers of a general war—must be at length suf-
ficiently obvious, now that M. DE BRUNOW has
at last quitted London, and that M. DE KISSELEFF
has at length taken his departure from Paris, and
that Count ORLOFF is really, in spite of every
counterstatement, at this moment on his road
back from Vienna to St. Petersburg. So that of
the close of these pacific efforts to patch up a
reconciliation, we have literally a threefold
testimony. It is whispered, however, that Count
ORLOFF returns to his Imperial Master not so
entirely dissatisfied with the result of his mission
as might be conjectured—elated, in fact, with
having secured something like a tangible pledge,
or a substantial guarantee, that a strict course of
neutrality will be pursued in the event of a
struggle on the part of Russia against the formi-
dable armaments of France and England—a strict
course of neutrality on the part of the two
principal Powers of the Germanic Confederation.
However this may be, we all know that " playing
fast and loose" is about the aptest phrase to be
employed in allusion to the hereditary policy of
the Hapsburg Dynasty, while the present genera-
tion at least cannot easily forget the reasons given
for suspicion as to his future conduct by the past
career of the reigning Prince of the House
of Brandenburgh. Nothing but duplicity has
hitherto marked the proceedings of Russia
throughout the whole of these recent transactions
in regard to the contest for and against Turkish
independence. Little else can be looked for from
either Austria or Prussia—so long as FREDERICK
WILLIAM continues to hold the sceptre of the
Great FREDERICK, and so long as FRANCIS JOSEPH
preserves in his councils the remembrance of those
evil influences which were the strings of his pup-
pet-predecessor FERDINAND. Whatever may have
been the amount of the success or failure which
has followed the temporary appearance of Coun

I ORLOFF at Vienna—there cannot at least be any
doubt whatever now as to the direction of the
path lying plainly open at this moment to the
French and English Governments.
_The path of honour ! implying in that term
the absolute and imperative necessity of the two
great Powers of Western Europe employing no
half measures, after their prolonged hesitation,
in vindicating the rights of the Turkish Sove-
reignty, and in maintaining the integrity of the
Turkish dominions. How ? The means are
manifest—as manifest, indeed, as the duty itself
is apparent. There is the powerful naval arma-
ment already despatched to the vicinity of the
seat of war beyond the waters of Constantinople.
There is the augury of a formidable fleet to be
sent out early in the approaching spring from this
country to the Baltic--there to second the
blow dealt against the arch-enemy in a to-
tally opposite quarter by the combined fleets
in the Black Sea. By means of a Baltic fleet

We might effectually deprive the Russian
AUTOCRAT of one of the principal advantages ac-
cruing to him from the neutrality of the two great
Powers of Germany. As yet, however, attention
should be almost exclusively paid to the capabili-
ties for instant action presented to France and
England by the presence at this juncture in the
Black Sea of
a combined maritime force, against
which it would
be preposterous for the CZAR to
oppose all the men-of-war he could bring toge-
ther. Already the 'combined fleets in that sea
ham done good eervice to Turkey by enabling

speedily qualify two .linclsmen to act efficiently
by his side. But, unfortunately, it -5-as not for
such men that half-pay was provided. They had
not Parliamentary influence sufficient. A great
improvement in this respect has unquestionably
been effected by the recent regulations as to
" continuous service," where the parties enter
for ten years. But that, although a move in the
right direction, does not proceed far enough to
achieve the great desideratum—the speedy and
effective manning of our fleets.
There is a great demand for seamen, and com-
petent men are too well acquainted with their real
value to be easily bamboozled. It is no use for
"my Lords" to think that they can get at the
blind side of Jack, or persuade an A. B. (or able
seaman) that 21. is. 4(1. per calendar month is
better than 41. or 51. in the merchant service.
That may serve as an interesting narrative for the
marines ; but, unfortunately, the blue jackets are
unduly sceptical. They must be satisfied as to
the advantages they are about to receive before
we shall find them voluntarily flocking to
enrol themselves in our vessels ; and we may
be well assured that it is not to one
only that they look, or on which full information
must be afforded to those whom we desire to be-
come volunteers.
The first question a genuine blue-jacket asks,
and to which he justly attaches paramount im-
portance, is, " Under whom am I to serve ?" The
characters of the different captains are closely
canvassed and well known at the different out-
ports. Nay, more, the tempers and dispositions
of the different officers--of all, in fact, who can
exercise a material influence over the comforts of
the crew. Sailors like a strict disciplinarian, one
who is himself a thoroughgoing seaman, who knows
every matter connected with the manage-
ment of the ship, and does not require a dry-
nurse (in the shape of a veteran officer of superior
standing and knowledge, but inferior in rank) at
his elbow. Such a person will appreciate good
men, and a word of approbation is eagerly sought
for. With such a person, too, they know that
they have every possible guarantee for the safety,
and, what they think of at least equal importance,
the honovr of the vessel ; for every true-hear
sailor speedily comes to love " the old shi