The Sun.
London, England, 1854-06-27 00:00:00

LONDON, TUESDAY, JUNE 27, 1854.

The " good and excellent" ABERDEEN has eaten,
or rather pretended to eat, his leek with edifying
humility, If, however, we examine closely his
elaborate defence, we shall find that he might
have exclaimed with the needy knife-grinder--
"Story, GOD bless you : I have none to tell."
That the seeming explanation was no explanation,
and that the " misapprehensions" of which he
complained were, unfortunately, but too accurate
interpretations of the ipsissima verbs—the very
words which on that occasion were the too faith-
ful expositors of the thoughts and sentiments of
the Noble Lord. We do not wonder at the anxiety
of the Premier to remove the impression created
by his ill-timed candour. He must have seen in
every journal without exception the universal
condemnation excited by the exceedingly inju-
dicious observations in which he thought proper
to indulge. He must have read it in the looks,
and heard it iu the remonstrances of his colleagues,
while the notice given by.llr. LAYARD, and the pro-
bable demanstrations of national feeling, nct only
within the walls of Parliament, but in every dis-
trict throughout the entire kingdom, must have
convinced him of the expediency, nay more, the
imperative necessity, of retracing his footsteps,
and striving to preserve his place, even by the
sacrifice of his affectionate " friend of forty years'
standing." It is, however, too late ! The time
has long sinc3 gone by for explanation or retrac-
tation. We see before us in the various prepara-
tions of .war—we feel most sensitively in our
p:;ckets—nor are we less influenced by the absence
of familiar faces—the void occasioned by the de-
parture of friends and relatives, than by the more
direct impressions on our senses—in estimating
the full extent of the evils ascribable to the vacil-
lation and want of energy, if not timidity,
of Lord ABERDEEN. Nor has his " old friend"
much greater cause for rejoicing as to the results of
his administration. Can we, then, continue to
place confidence in one who has already so greatly
abused the powers entrusted to his charge? Can
we trust to the management of him who has
already so grievously mismanaged everything
placed under his control or direction, and that at
a period. when the " OMINOUS NEWS" which we
communicated in our impression of yesterday ma-
terially Complicates affairs, and renders greater
decision; greater vigilance, and unflinching deter-
mination absolutely indispensable ? No ; Lord
ABERDEEN has proved hiinself so totally incapable,
that, were his speech completely satisfactory in
every respect,he could no longer be tolerated as
the "responsible head" of an Administration—
he could

"Never more be officer of ours"
But the vaunted explanation gives no promise,
no assurance, as
to the future that could be
safely relied on. It is very far indeei from
giving that perfect satisfaction that his organ in
the press assumes as the result of its publication.
There is nothing to indicate the nature of the
Peace that may be " cobbled up" when Parlia-
ment has been prorogued, and the representatives
of the British people are dispersed in every part
of reurope. Ha tells us, that " before the decla-
ration of war the status quo was all that we hoped
or 'desired I" Is that indeed so ? Is there a
singe true-hearted Englishman—not a member
of ;the Peace Society—who can endorse that state-
ment,- or sanction that assertion ? We believe
not,' and Lord ABERDEEN, in putting forward that
opiAion, has afforded additional and most conclu-
siva, evidence that he " misapprehends" and
"misrepresents" the feelings of an oversvhemiag
majority of the people. ,But, although be adds, that
" from the moment War was declared the whole
quest ion Was eaanged entirely," he carefully avoids
the slightest intimation of what conditions we may
now anicipate. He merely tells us that it is " un-
vristi it} the present state of the war to lay down
cowlitionsr adding with a solemn' affectation, that
" the conditions must bOdiZte4t-dceerding ai
we
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