The Sun.
London, England, 1854-04-29 00:00:00

CONDUCT OF TB A 3 WA R.

("Prone the Pius of thig . (lay.) A tliArgn ADlytt
Tie temper of the public mind at tt .is inomps S , -'-44-4, --s xl.
liar. The silence of expectation is jsust yisrldpirttithe -.p.,..:.;7
mutterings saf discontent. Men are b gin .ts.) openly c,.
wonder how it is that after months of elitAien 'for Vic , ..s
war we still hear nothing of actual hos Cl', ef;:44tl _that-:x9i'.l
itpjt,
our Euxine fleet in particular has rema inekdei4r4;Viiiiti h ::In.; i-s
opportunities of attack did not seem wan tin nt • .',_,!-67;27
Icisk
commander. There has been a disposithm etstbltii -*tar- .7,774.:1''' - -"""
ters tublasne Admiral Dundas for this in: ietio.n. KWe am `'`'
R
sure the reproach is unjust. We are perfefitly satisltd that' '
he has acted throughout in strict obedience to his
orderS, and that the Government alone is -to blame for
that delay which has proven so serviceable to .Russia.
It could not be the Admiral's fault that he was. detained
at Constantinople for want of coals, though it might
very well be the fault of that particular officer of the
Admiralty whose place it was to soe that the supply
was amply sufficient for the requirements of the fleet.
The insinuations against this distinguished commander
wcould, indeed, be unworthy notice if they did not indi-
cate the dissatisfaction with which the country is be-
ginning to regard the conduct of the war. The Ministers
can be no strangers to this feeling, and we believe there
are some among them so unscrupulous as to be anxious
to shift from themselves the responsibility of their acts
and to care little on whose head the storm of popular
rage may break, so that they escape its effects.
While the country is impatiently expecting some de-
cisive results from the delaration of war, each depart-
ment of administration, obedient to its presiding influ-
ence, exercises its ingenuity in devising hindrances to a
real and vigorous prosecution of hostilities. At the
moment for action it is discovered that in each there is
something wanting. Our troops are delayed for want
of transports, and reach a foreign shore at last wanting
common necessaries ; and our naval commanders, when
bent on some dashing exploit, look into their instructions
and find they want power to act. It is even doubtful
whether the prizes which have been taken will be con-
strued under the Ministerial orders to be prizes at all,
and whether they will not be set free with abundant
apologies for the " mistake" committed in their capture.,
We are, in fact, talking as if we were' at war, and
acting as if we were at peace. Instead of a sea-fight, we
have an exchange of commercial civilities. The recent
orders in Council must in some way or other have been
concerted with the Russian Court, as substantially the
same regulations to extend the time for the free passage
of ships on one side and the other, and to carry on trade
between the two countries in neutral bottoms, were pub-
lished almost simultaneously in London and St. Peters-
burg. We profess to be anxious to engage the German
States in au alliance against our foe, yet we make it di-
rectly their interest to preserve neutrality by throwing
the whole trade with Russia, which we allow to remain
open, in their hands.
It is a fact strikingly significative of the disposition of
our Government that up to this date our hostility has
been confined to show merely. It is now everywhere
asked—Why is this ? How long is it to last I How lqng
are we to make war as if it were a military masquerade
to fence with buttons on our foils, and fire blank car-
tridges ? We may have peace or war, but we cannot
have both. Their duties are irreconcilable.
The organisation of war demands a pervading energy
and a happy audacity that exults in surmounting diffi-
culties. There must be present in a War Minister the
talent which inspirits others—the hardy resolves--the
divining genius—the foresight that plans—and some-
thing of the enthusiasm which can "do or die ;" but ,
where shall we look for these qualitiesin Lord Aber.
deen's Cabinet ?
It is mere folly or cowardice to encourage the idea
that commercial relations can be maintained between
countries whose. Governments are really at enmity.
Should hostilities commence in earnest, the delusion
would be scattered in an instant, and that it is now
favoured is only another proof that the Government is
playing the country false, and that it yet hopes that the
Turkish empire may be overthrown by Greek insurrec-
tion or Russian victory, before the Czar has felt the
force of our arms. On this supposition, and on this
only, the conduct of our Government is intelligible.
The delay at the War-office—the evasions of the Colo-
nial Secretary—the issue of the orders in Council—the
emptiness of the Exchequer—the inaction of our forces
—all are explained.

THE " DESTINY" OF AMERICA AND

CUBA.

(Prom the Press of this day )
It is not many months since Mr. Everett, after he
had ceased to hold office, addressed to Lord John Russell
a letter in reference to American progress in general,
and especially in the direction of Cuba, the " lone star"
of the Carrib Sea. In that letter, which was lengthy,
measured even by the standard of American state papers,
Mr. Everett expressed " wonder" that the nations of
Europe, instead of viewing with admiration " the beau-
tiful" extension and expansion of American power now
in the course of development by annexation, should re-
gard it rather with au eye of jealousy. This pro-
cess, which Mr. Everett looks upon as the gradual
fulfilment of manifest " destiny," has certainly more
charms for the American than the European spec-
tator—than the Sovereign of Spain, for example.
Still Mr. Everett need neither be angry nor
alarmed ; for, as the great Frederick said, " Fortune
favours large battalions," so " Destiny" will declare on
the strongest side. That our transatlantic cousins have
shown patience and a long-suffering endurance of wrong
none can deny ; for the injuries and indignities systema-
tically heaped upon them by the Cuban authorities are
positively countless. There was the violent deaths of
General Lopez and many of his followers, while the libe-
ration of the survivors from imprisonment was only pro-
cured after several months' endurance of that " hope de-
ferred" which is so galling to the spirit of the brave and
the free. Then there was poor Smith, the steward of
the steamer Crescent City, the authorities would not allow
him to land, and he always wished to go on shore ; and
this was " a difficulty" which was constantly recurring,
for the steamer plied between New Orleans and
Havannah. We suppose the prohibition must have in-
flamed his desire to an extent which was injurious to
health, for a paragraph lately went the round of the
papers stating that " Smith, the steward of the Crescent
City, was dead." Peace be to his ashes ! It was not
written in the roll of " Destiny " that the enforcement
of his right of way over the island, at the cannon's
mouth, was to be a step in the "beautiful development"
of the process of annexation.
Again, there was the proposal by France and England
that America should enter into a tripartite treaty with
them, for the purpose of preventing any power wresting
the island from Spain, and this was certainly a direct
provocation to its seizure ; for nothing is more likely to
incite a spirited nation to instant aggression than an in-
timation that it will be vigorously resisted. Even this
provocation America withstood, and those indignities
were endured, if not in absolute silence, at least without
active retaliation.

But now at this particular juncture a variety of com-
binations seem to point to a path along which patience
may march to reap its reward. "A difficulty" exceed-
ing all the others in magnitude and complexity has re-
cently occurred between the two Governments. An Ame-
rican vessel called the Black Warrior was detained by
the Spanish authorities at Havannah, for an alleged.
viclation of the regulations of the port. As soon as the
news reached Washington, the President, by inspiration
(there was not time for the receipt of accurate informa-.
tion), knew that it was an outrage of the gravest nature
calling for large reparation, to obtain which he resorted
to instant action. Directions were hastily issued to
equip a naval force, and the American Minister at
Madrid was ordered to demand ample satisfaction for
the wrong. How M. Soule was likely to discharge such
a mission it would require no wizard to predict, after
his duels and strange misconduct in society. Of course,
naming a sum sufficient to cover all
demandsh
e
60,0001. sterling, and couched the
commenced
infull, bi y viz.,
preposterous demand in terms so insulting that even in
its fallen state the ancient pride of Castile for a moment
was roused, reared its head, and a befitting answer was
returned.
Here for the present the affair rests, but a hundred
and fifty years ago something not unlike it occurred.
It is recorded in a certain History of John
that John, Nick Frog, and Lewis Baboon, treated old
Lord Strutt ill, and commenced surveying his park be-
fore he was dead, for the purpose of dividing it amosigat
themselves afterwards ; but the allianceturned out badly
for all parties, and we trust the respectable portio a of
America will learn wisdom from the fact, and will not
alloy themselves with the Locos-focos, or whatever th o
ex-
treme democrats, who are so aptly andably
by M. Soule, are called, to perpetrate a great wrong on
a decaying nation. The possession of Cuba, even if it
were peaceably acquired, might itself be a " difficult "
greater than that of the Black W • arrior. The very name
is ominous. America may one day have millions of
" black warriors " within her bounds.

CAPE OE GOOD HOPE.—MAIL ARRANGEMEIITS.—
GENERAL POST-OFFICE, April, 1854.—The General Screw
Steam-Shipping Company having abandoned their con-
tract with her Majesty's Government for the monthly
conveyance of mails to and from the Cape of Good Rope
and India, the following arrangements will be made for
the transmission of the correspondence hitherto con-
veyed by those packets. The correspondence for India
and Ceylon will be sent by the overland route, via
Egypt. All letters and newspapers addressed to the
Cape of Good Hope, St. Helena, and Ascension will, for
the present, be forwarded by private ship, as opportu-
nities offer ; and such letters and newspapers will be
liable to the ship letter rates of postage, viz. :_Bd. the
half ounce for letters, and ld. each for newspapers,
which rates must, in all cases, be paid in advance. The
transmission of printed books to Cape Town and St.
Helena, at a low rate of postage, is for the present.
suspended. Letters, &c., for Mauritius also,
will for
the present be forwarded by the overland snail, in which
month,on the
case they will be left at Ceylon for conveyance to their
destination by any opportunity that may occur. By tie
discontinuance of the Cape packets, mails for the Cape
de Verde Islands can be for%evaavrll::soonn nito
lythttoncpean
viz., by the Brazil packets, l
9th of each month.
APOTIIECAILIES HaLL:—Names of gentlemen who
passed their examination in the science and prat ties of
medicine, and received certificates to practice, on Thurs-
day, April 27, 18.4 :--Henry Pratt, Montreal, C anada;
Hay Ebenezerward,
NSveapltkirnerusKßeinri,ggw.s
aFkaerfire,HD; urothanbleivißlleiadms
Liverpool ; Henry Gristock Trend, Bridzewater, S omer.
set ; Charles Beresford, Congleton, Cheshire' • John
Robert Kealy, Gosport, Hants ; Arthur Sharpe' Bar-
ford, Warwick ; James Seaton, Leeds • Richard Sumner
Fowler ; William Gardiner, Mold
George
ePGatoroicdlyt,Al3l`aLmosslizeyy,
;RothweltrNeeon;tlinaeanirpiltoundshdieren;
Hugh D. Jones, E,I.
Bengal.