The Sun.
London, England, 1854-11-18 00:00:00

"T FIE SUN'

THE MOMENT THE

EXTRAORDINARY GAZETTE
?,.414.74 IS ISSUED,
TOGETHER WITH A LIST OF THE

—men " sans p&ur et sans reproche," while Eng-
land, Scotland, and Ireland had champions that
might bear comparison with the most illustrious
names that illuminate the chronicles of lands once
opposed to and jealous of each other's honour, but
now happily and permanently united by indisso-

luble bonds.
But Alma and Balaklava were exceeded in one
deplorable item by Sebastopol. In one respect
the 20th September and 25th October were cast
into the shade by the sth November. On the
latter day the losses of the Allies amounted to no
less than 4,000 men 1 of whom more than 2,600

were British, and about 1,400 French.
It does not follow from this lamentable supe-
riority that our countrymen exhibited' greater
valour than their gallant allies. It was merely

the chances of war that threw greater difficulties
in the way of the English troops than fell to the

!ot of their companions in arms, who doubtless

envy the chances that afforded such terrible op-
portunities for display to their distinguished coad-
jutors, and pine for a suitable occasion of
showing that Gallic blood can be as freely
and willingly poured forth as the Anglian.
We had, it appears, to meet a fresh body of
men—not new and untried recruits, but veterans
from the Danubian Principalities—which had just
arrived at the scene of action from the other
States of Southern Russia, and crossed the isth-
mus of Perekop without opposition. These men
proved themselves worthy opponents. With des-
perate determination they strove to regain the
credit lost by their compatriots on the 20th Sep-
tember, and to reverse the proceedings of that
day, so terrible to Muscovite feelings. We were
then the assailants. They had all the advantages
of position and previous preparation. Their bat-
teries commanded all the approaches, and a fearful
sacrifice of human life must necessarily occur in
the Allied ranks before the Western warriors
could cross bayonets, or come hand to hand with
the defenders—who held Well-arranged and care-
fully-planned trenches.
The Russian General deliberately announced to
his master that he could hold them for three
weeks against any force that could possibly be
brought against him—even against one hundred
thousand men. Yet in three hours the position
was gained, the defenders driven from their for-
tified lines, and the English army on the high
road to Sebastopol.
On the sth it was, as we have stated, very
different. The Russians attacked, while the
British defended, the fortified position. It is true
that the defences were merely artificial—that the
natural difficulties were wanting—and that the
occupiers of the position were placed between
two armies of equal, if not superior, power to
themselves. Still we must allow full credit for
the circumstance that the Russians continued
the attack for fully seven hours (!), and that
they left 8,000, or perhaps 9,000, men on the
field after the decided repulse they sustained.
Nor was their sacrifice unavenged ! ONB HUN-

DRED AND TWO OFFICERS, AND TWO THOUSAND
FIVE HUNDRED At IN, were placed hors de combat,
while OUT Allies lost FORTY-EIGHT OFFICERS AND
THIRTEEN HUNDRED MEN. Nor is this all. At
Alma, though every English General bravely dis-
charged his duty, none were killed, or even
wounded. At Sebastopol three were killed and five
wounded I A fearful proportion, that proves that
the post of honour is also, generally speaking,
that of danger. Sir GEORGE CATHCART, a dis-
tinguished inheritor of a distinguished name,
perished in the contest. With him fell Brigadier-
Generals GOLDIE and STRANGWAYS, men well
worthy of the high position they had achieved.
Sir GEORGE BROWN lost an arm. ADAMS, BEN-
TINGE, BULLER, and TORRENS, were wounded.
This catalogue shows the fearful nature •f the
conflict which, bravely and judiciously commenced
on the part of our adversaries, terminated in the
triumph of the Allies—a triumph which will pro-
bably lead to another of vast importance in the
speedy fall of Sebastopol—the emblem of Russian
power in the Black Sea—and without which it
can no longer maintain its arrogant and unjusti-
fiable pretensions.

But, unfortunately, although the paymaster is
willing, we have a very niggardly overseer of the
works, one who will not call on his principal for
the necessary funclz, which would be cordially and
willingly granted, Mr. C—LIMO:SE) inspired by

Reinforcements ! Reinforcements ! Reinforce-
ments ! We have given the signal, and shall not
shrink from repeating it. Our men are out-
numbered, but not overpowered in the Crimea.
They are over-fatigued, but still they nobly endure
the burden. The most sanguine anticipations
that could be formed of their prowess—the most
unlimited expectation has been more than justi-
fied, and if they were left alone and unaided to
fight their battle and perform the assigned task
we have no doubt that they would do their decoirs
faithfully and efficiently, and render a good ac-
count of their adversaries—and of the Russian
stronghold, the only source of Muscovite power
in the Euxine—and which alone entitled ii, we
should rather say induced it, to claim any distri-
butive share in the assets of the " Sick Man."
But JOHN Bum. is by no means disposed "to
spur the free horse to death," a course that would
be as unwise as it would be inhuman—as impolitic
as it would be heartless and cruel. Greatly and
justly as we may pride ourselves for the almost
superhuman endurance and unflinching determi-
nation of our men, we must not wantonly or
wilfully test these qualities. Sufficient for us to
know that at the hour of trial we may implicitly
rely on their exertions, that when weighed in the
balance they will not be found wanting. But that
constitutes no sufficient reason why we should
for the sake of vain display, or even more sordid
and disreputable motives, suffer our gallant coun-
trymen to be too severely pressed—as we have
already pointed out the question is merely one of
s. d., which may be solved by figures of arith-
metic inscribed in ink as well as in blood, in black
as well as in red characters, in which the pen
may be as influential as the sword.
It was not a mere idle complimentpaidto
N
Messrs. Fox and HENDERSO when in proposing
their healthy, as the representatives of a very
important body, the British Contractors, the
Chairman of a banquet at the Crystal Palace
declared that they would " be prepared to con-
tract to take Sebastopol," and that if they under-
took the duty they would most unquestionably dis-
charge it in such a manner as to prevent
the possibility of complaint on the part of those
for whom they were acting. There was profound
philosophy in this observation. It showed a clear
and accurate view of the true state of the case.
England has the power of accomplishing this
gigantic undertaking if it thought fit to put it
forward. If its Government were as energetic
and determined in carrying out its projects, as
careful as to its preliminary estimates, and faithful
in redeeming its promises, as the distinguished
firs above alluded to—and, thanks be to GOD,
" England has others good as they !"—we should
have uo fear. We should rest satisfied that the
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