The Sun.
London, England, 1854-05-18 00:00:00

Trip MN, LONDON, THURSDAY
LI-

THE WAR AND TILE MI ZsT2STRY.

PROVIDENT C. E ASSURANCE
AND BENEVOLP2NT ASSOCIATION.

Leasing
;ompans.

'losing Prices
this day.

Huainan
this day.

A meeting of the members of the benevolent depart-
ent of this institution was held yesterday afternoon at
le London Tavern, for the election of three clerks and

.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE 51711.
SlR,—There are some striking .rernilrits in
your edi-
torial of the 15th instant on the subject of the war. In
one I particularly concur. There is no heart in the
cause on the part of the Ministers as a Cabinet. Indivi-
duals of them are, I should hope, hearty enough. It
there are such, why do they remain connected with a.
Cabinet that bids fair to entail more disgrace upon old
England than any Ministry that has existed in tin-
country fur a very long period indeed.
It is all very fine for the Aberdeen Cabinet to say that
they hoped against hope for peace.• It may almost be
said literally that ninety-nine men in every hundred be-
lieved war to be inevitable at the time that the Cabinet
hoped to preserve peace. Granting that they were sin,
sere and conscientious in this their hope, why should
they not have taken certain measures of precaution in
case their hope's should be disappointed ? The Einperor
of Russia 'neglected no measure to enable him to make
war effectively as soon as the season would admit. An
why should not we have have been equally prepared to
enter upon active operations the moment that we knew
we must wage war Were we so prepared ? The daily
events now occurring tell us that no such precautions,
as in common sense and common prudence ought to have
been taken, were adopted by the Cabinet of all the
talents ! These events are a sad and disheartening com-
mentary upon what has been done in contrast to what
might have been done. There would not have been
room for blame by any party had active measures of pre-
paration been taken as soon as the resolve to send
an ultimatum to the truthful Nicholas had been decided
on. Transports might have been engaged, and many
other matters discussed and arranged which would have
simplified the execution ()tall the necessary arrangements
for the embarkation of our gallant soldiers. More than
a third part of the money now paid for transports might
have been saved by engaging them conditionally only ;
and instead of uncertainty as to the best mode of trans-
mitting our horse artillery and cavalry, by sailing or
steam-vessels, the thing would have been decided, and
executive action only would have been required from our
commanding officers. Lord Nelson used to say that
when he died, frigates, frigates would be found impressed
upon his heart 1 The chances are ten to one that Lord
Raglan will have equal cause to lament the want of horse
artillery and cavalry as Lord Nelson had to regret the
want of frigates.
Thus, sir, the advantage of having all the talents as a
Cabinet is dearly pain for, when, fur business-like effi-
ciency, we get incapacity and want of zeal in the service
of the country. Take my word for it, sir, these men
are not the men to conduct, because they cannot orga-
nise the preliminary measures to insure a successful
war. Is there any lean that is satisfied with our want
of preparation and readiness to strike a hard blow at
the enemy ? Is there anyone of the Duke of Welling-
ton's officers that thinks as much has been done by dear
Aberdeen and his friends as their old commander would
have done Nu ! not even Lord ilardiuge, connected
with these men as he is, can be sure that he has done
justice to his country. lie has no doubt been restrained
in part, and in part, no doubt, by hesitating and imbe-
cile instructions. Where the heart to do the thing well
does not exist, there will be a want of precision, as well
as decision, that will puzzle and perplex in all instruc
tons coming from such a source. What new system of
making war is this that is to save armed men as much
as possible ? Uuwalled towns are, or ought to be, sacred
against all active warfare ; but wherever there is resist-
ance to the hazard of loss of life, common sense and com-
mon humanity demand reprisals. Are the lives of her
Majesty's Saitors and soldiers to be sacrificed to this new
doctrine ? It is-aiarming, sir, to see the apathy of the
people of this country to the manifest incapacity, and,
as I think, something worse than the incapacity, of their
rulers to conduct this war to a successful conclusion. It
does nut require a professional person to see that there
has been a total absence of that prescience of all the de-
tails of preparation for this war, and hence the state of
our infantry now in Turkey, without artillery and with-
out c .vairy, fit fur nothing but the defence of fortresses
or the erection of field works. There can be, there is nu
doubt in the mind of any professional person, soldier, or
sailor, that we might now, and we ought now, to be
striking hard blows at our enemy. The people of Eng;
land way depend upon it that the blame is nut with the
commanders, but solely with an
incapable and subser-
vient Government, abetted by the must unprincipled and
inconsistent public journal in England, or it may be said
in Europe.
It is to be hoped, sir, that
.Lord. Aberdeen will not
much longer be allowed to as,ast imperial friend in
forty years as much as lie possi.bly. can, and that the
people of England will, ere long, insist upon something
more for their money than a sham, war remain, sir,
your obedient servant, C.

our widows of cleris, additional annuitants on the funds,

Mr. R. H. Jones, the chairman of the board presiding.
The resolution of a former meeting authorising the
election of a further number of annuitants having been

TH.' WAR-AUSTRALIAN SHIPS.