The Sun.
London, England, 1854-11-25 00:00:00

THE CONDUCT OF THE GOVERNMENT

IN REGIA.RD TO THE W.R.

(Prom the Press of this day.)

A victory, more remarkable, perhaps, than anything
in the annals of war since Agincourt, Las been gained
by the sheer and splendid valour of troops who had
60,000 of the enemy before them and a Coalition Min-
istry behind them. Despite both obstacles Inkerman
was won.

There is little fear lest the glorious deeds of the sth
of November should lack record and eulogium. The na-
tion has burst out with one exulting acclamation at the
tidings transmitted by our Field-Marshal. Not an inci-
dient of that day, from the church-bells sounding out in
the darkness of the morning to the final retreat of the
routed enemy at the dusk of evening, will ever be for-
gotten where the English history is read. And the
journalist, who perceives a more imperative duty than
the gratifying one of Hating upon the heroic actions of
our soldiery, has at least the satisfaction of knowing
I that there is no chance of their glorious valour and un-
hesitating self-devotion going unrecognised.
Unhappy England ! that the very glory of her soldiers
is the shame of her statesmen. Unhappy, that in every
one of the facts which make the victory a marvel and
a miracle, is a damning charge against those who sent
forth the expedition. The army was miserably scant to
contend against the enormous force of the enemy—it did
contend in the face of those fearful odds, and vanquished
—hence its glory. But why were its numbers so few I
Such a fight would have been impossible had Sebastopol
been previously assaulted ; and the day of assault had
bees again and again Named, but, unable to complete
their preparations, the besiegers allowed time to pass,
the Russians came up, and this dreadful battle was
fought. Why was the army unable to complete its
preparations ? Why, but because its resources wore,
by the criminal negligence of the Government, inade-
quate to its work. At no time was our arma-
ment at all proportioned to the task set before
it. Ere disease had thinned the ranks, and ere a
single Russian shot had been fired, the army was
—as every military man knew—far too small for
the reduction of Sebastopol ; and yet, after thousands
had rotted and died while Lord Aberdeen was cackling
ever " negotiation," and after the slaughter of the Alma
and of Balaklava, the Ministerial organs received orders
to pretend to expect the fall of the great stronghold.
The sadden shrieking and shouting for reinforcements is
a cry of the very latest date—it was not set up until
men, incensed at the fearful and wicked waste of life in
the Crimea, and indignant at the cowardly terror of the
Administration to face Parliament, began to speak of
holding their owe meetings, and of considering for
themselves the conduct of the war. The first of such

assemblies would hare sounded the Coalition knell ; and
the cry for reinforcements was made, we admit, with all
the fervour and frankness of imbecile despair.
Despite all that had been done to insure failure

and ruin, the little Crimean army has triumphed.
Our best blood has been poured out like water,
a carnage which, had it been necessary, would have been
dreadful, but which, seeing that it might have been
spared, is utterly hideous, has been in part announced ;
and there is other sorrow on its way. Scarcely a family
of rank but is already in mourning. Our brave soldiers,
slaughtered by the thousand, find nameless graves in the
Crimean valleys. And yet the glorious little band holds
its own against all comers. How long it may be able
to do so is a question too grave for discussion. A coun-
cil of war has decided that the army is to winter in the
Crimea, from which resolution it is evident that no im-
mediate effort was contemplated. Sebastopol is to be
taken at our leisure. It is niost probable, therefore,
that our skilful generals will be able, Heaven only knows
at what price, to secure and maintain a position which
may defy the onslaughts of the enemy. Let us trust
that such may be the case.

Had the deverament at home made up its own mind
as to the plan of operations, or made itself adequately
acquainted with the nature of the task which was so
glibly prescribed to our soldiers, not even a Ministry
like Lord Aberdeen's would have sent out se miserably
insufficient an army. A powerful force, with a defined
object, would have at once proceeded to its work, and it
is not much to say, that in the presence of such an army
as ought to have been despatched to the Crimea, such
attempts as those of Menschikoff and Liprandi would
have been military impossibilities. But, boastirg as
seemed the Prince's phrase, when he announced that he
would " cast our forces into the sea," it was really no
such absurd vaunt when the relative numbers of
leis own forces and ours are contrasted. The grand
attack on the sth was an attempt to fulfil this
pledge, and if one Alan is matched against six—and
these are the terms on which the Coalition has pitted oar
forces against the Russians—the six can hardly be
charged with boasting in whatever way they may under-
take to deal with the one.

Bet those who expected the Coalition to manage the
war boldly and practically manifested a sanguiness in
which we must avow that we were unable to participate.
We showed at the ♦ery outset that the war, begun at
the wrong time, was also begun in the wrong manner.
Now, wrong seldom comes right, and the whole cam-
paign has been a series of misfortunes, illuminated at in-
tervals by the splendid valour of those wantonly exposed
to such trials. It is almost useless, except in refutation of
arrogant self-laudation, to refer to the past conduct of the
war. But now that our army is finally consigned to the
inhospitable and iron-bound Crimea for a terrible whitey
—new, at the end of November, the Government is
taking thought for the need of our soldiers, and " orders
are given " for the preparation of winter clothing, which
will doubtless be Blade, in time, and at some later time
will be shipped, for the long voyage to the Black Sea.
Wooden barracks are even talked about, and a very
good suggestion that holes should be dug in the ground,
and that our soldiers should become Troglodytes during
the winter, has been received with favour. In the
meantime, our soldiers, under the watchful eye of a
practical Government, are shivering in the Euxine
breezes, starving with miserable rations, and sick-
ening in presence of medical assistance of so limited
a character that it is little more than a erue
mockery. May Heaven preserve the brave fellows who
have withstood the Russians, but who have yet to
withstand the Coalition !

This is no time to ....e words, or to seek for emascu-
lated paraphrase in place of honest English. The nation
knows that the army has been abominably treated, and
that its condition at this moment is one of peril and suf-
fering. Public indignation demands that every exertion
be instantly made for the succour and solace of the troops
now sentenced to a Crimean winter. Hands, hearts,
purses are all open if the Government will do its duty.
There is nothing which the nation will refuse to the Ad-
ministration—except confidence.