The Sun.
London, England, 1854-12-26 00:00:00

LONDON, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 1854.•

The Christmas Session has terminated, and four
weeks from this day must elapse before Honour-
able Gentlemen again assemble at the Imperial
Palace of Westminster to open the Parliamentary
campaign in earnest. We trust that the interval
may not be misapplied, but that the free and in-
dependent constituencies throughout the entire
Kingdom may give clear and explicit instructions
to their respective representatives, so as to pre-
vent the possibility of any future mistake. We
have already had a deplorable illustration of the
effects of a surprise. We have seen a proposition
for the establishment of an unconstitutional force
receive the sanction of the Legislature! We have
seen, what we cannot help designating as a prac-
tical insult to the British army, carried by the
same voices that passed a strong and well-merited
vote of thanks to that army ! ! At the very moment
when the brilliant exploits performed at the Alma,
at Balaklava, and at Inkerman had proved that
the soldiers of the present day were the worthy
successors of the heroes of the Peninsula and of
Waterloo—when the untried men had proved
themselves equal, not merely in dash and bravery,
but in steadiness and coolness under fire, to ex-
perienced veterans—the English Government
was deciding on the measure, which implied that
the honour and safety of the country could not
be entrusted to these men, but that we should
seek Swiss or German aid ! Engianl, forsooth,
was not "a military nation." We should pay
more warlike tribes to extricate us from the scrape
in which we became involved through our undue
interference with the will and pleasure of the
AUTOCRAT. We must hire mercenaries to dis-
charge the duties which we cannot find natives of
the United Kingdom able or willing to undertake.
Will the German emigrants train more rapidly
than the rising generation of England, Scotland,
or Ireland ? Will they be qualified at an earlier
period of their career to undergo the hardships of
a campaign in the Crimea, or will they more
steadfastly resist the attacks of a stubborn and
powerful foe ? We believe that nothing but a
deep and unreasoning prejudice, a thorough feel-
ing of " Germanism," could prefer the "HALBERT
Buccaneers," as they have been appropriately
termed, to our own gallant troops, prepared to 1
forfeit their lives, to shed their very hearts'-blood,
for the honour of the country. What feeling in
common can the hirelings who fight, not from
patriotic feelings, but for pay or booty, have with
them ? None. They are ready to draw their
venal swords for any master. The beat pay, the
most unlimited license, the prospects of successful
plunder, are all they look to ; and so long as the
produce of the Ural Mountains continue,
NICHOLAS will obtain similar auxiliaries, ready at
ary moment to sell the cause in which they are
engaged to the 'highest 'bidder-4o carry the train-
ing and. discipline acquired while receiving the
pay of Great Britain to the service of its oppo-
nents.

It is unfair to compare those whose assistance
we obtained in former wars with the class now
sought after. They were Allies in the broadest
sense of the phrase, and, although they received
British pay, were engaged in a common cause, and
had all their sympathies excited in our favour.
But new Ministers have travelled out of their
way to tell us that we are Rot to enlist Poles or
'Hungarians. That it is only " Swiss"—the name
that has passed into a proverb to illustrate the
mercenary of any class—or Germans, the highly.
favoured people, who can alone hope to bask in
Courtly sunshine, that are to be employed.
We refuse the men who would join heart
and hand, and seek for those who will only
be attached to us by pecuniary ties, on whom
our only reliance is founded on the pocket ! Let
the electors think of these things, and unequivo-
cally teach their representatives the nature of the
opinions which they entertain on the most ob-
noxious measure that was ever hurried—recklessly
and indecently hurried—through .the Imperial
Parliament.

It has often fallen to our lot to protest ear-
nestly and emphatically against " red-tapism."
The pert official sneer that contumeliously rejects
anything not introduced by protegees of the de-
partment—that recognises no light unless that
smuggled through official apertures may do very
well for " the piping times of peace," but it cer-
tainly is not suited for " grim-visaged war," when
our bravo warriors aro engaged in a struggle for
life and death. It is true that, even
when England was at peace with all the world,
we lost the illustrious FRANKLIN and his
enterprising companions, because the Admi-
ralty would not accept the freely- tendered
assistance, or even act on the suggestions of a
" mere civilian," although that civilian possessed
the greatest experience, and had afforded the
most satisfactory proof of sound judgment, and
reasoning powers of a high order.
But lamentable as was the loss of FRANKLIN
and his companions, there is something of even
higher importance at stake. Not only are the
lives and liberties of the Allied Armies in the
Crimea—of English and French " heroes," who
have well merited the title—involved in the re-
sult—but future peace and tranquillity of
Europe, and the security of the Western Powers !

These are important issues—on one side peace
and plenty—on the other war, with the iumer-
ous attendant evils which she brings in her train.
Not merely one hundred, or one hundred and
fifty lives, albeit of the best and bravest that
England could produce, but of thousands and
tens of thousands of British subjects are placed in
jeopardy, the welfare and prosperity of the na-
tion hangs in the balance, but still the old rou-
tine is obstinately persisted in.

A letter, which appears in our impresssion of
this day, points out bow, in 1854, we are suffer-
ing at Sebastopol from similar mistakes to those
which led to the failure at Burgos in 1812 ; and,
what is no less remarkable, that on both these ex-
traordinary occasions the engineering department
wax placed under the control and direction of the
same officer, Sir JOHN BURGOYNE. At the earlier
period he was foiled by earthworks, " executed
iii haste, and in defiance of all rule." A similar
result has occurred after an interval of 42 years.
The career of a victorious army has again been
arrested by works of the most paltry character,
constructed while we were lookin.. on. Had
we dashed forward after the decisive victory at
AlEal Wa tight have realised the tit% on

' invented as to the taking of Sebastopol. But
anything so contrary to rule as a rapid storm
could not be tolerated—it would endanger the
lives of too many men !—just as if a far greater
mortality was not occasioned by awaiting the ar-
rival of Russian reinforcements while we were
lying before the town for three weeks, receiving
but not returning the fire of its defenders. As
the writer of the letter alluded to states—" We
are reduced to our present straits simply and
solely because Sir JOHN, at the head of a large
party of veterans, has, during the 40 years of
peace, resisted every improvement in military
science as a personal insult to their superior
knowledge and experience, and they have, in con-
sequence of their position, been able to keep
things pretty much as they were at the end of the
last war."

This is military red-tapiam----this is having " a
safe man " at the head of affairs. Had we allowed
the capture of Sebastopol to depend on the pluck
and enthusiasm of our troops, when they were
flushed with victory, and their opponents paralysed
with unexpected defeat the matter would have
been long since concluded. Not blood-
lessly, for the storm could not have been
effected without the loss of many lives. But
still the object of the campaign would have
been accomplished. Russia would have been tho-
roughly awakened to a true sense of her situation,
and compelled to sue for peace on our own terms.
All these things we have forfeited, and yet there
has been greater mortality, more terri?ole
sacrifices, than if we had adopted the
more daring and the less sanguinary
course. England, which excels the world in civil
engineering, appears to be far behind in military
engineering—not through the defects of the
young officers, but through the prejudices of
the old, and the red-tapism that excludes
the lights of science, and flings cold water on
every invention, unless proceeding from legitimate
quarters. These are matters that should be
looked to in time, for the mischief arising
from such grave mistakes becomes irreparable, and
the nation is compelled to mourn in sackcloth
and ashes the grievous error into which it has
suffered itself to be betrayed.

COURT CIRCULAR.

WINDSOR, DEC. 25.

The Queen and Prince, the Prince of Wales, the
Princess Royal, Prince Alfred, and the Princesses
Alice and Helena, the ladies and-gentlemen of the Court
and the domestic household, attended divine service
this morninc, in the private Chapel of the Castle. The
Hon. and Very Rev, the Dean of Windsor performed
the service and administered the holy communion. The
Duchess of Kent was also at the service. The Duke of
Newcastle arrived yesterday and remains on a visit.
The Viscount Canning has been invited, and is ezpected
this afternoon.

Despatches were sent yestenlay from the Foreign..effice
to Lord Raglan, before Sebastopol.

Sir De Lacy Evans, Bart., is hourly expected
to arrive at Folkestone, where he will remain •come time
for the benefit of his health. It h probable '.hat he will
not return to his town house, in Bryanstone.square for
several weeks.

The Duke of Cleveland has expressed bia readiness to
accompany the South Durham AlViitia to any quarter,
and on any service, which her Majesty may require.

DEATH OF Till MAECHIOr,ESS CAMDEN.—We regret
to announce tho death of tirAe Marchioness Camden, who
expired on Saturday morning at Wilderness Park, near
Sevenoaks, Kent, after a short illness. By the lamented
decease of this charitable !ady the families of the Earl
and Countess of Kinnoull, the Bishop of Rochester, the
Duke and Ducb'ess of Athol], Lady Mordaunt, &c., are
placed in mourning.