The Sun.
London, England, 1854-10-18 00:00:00

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LONDON, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 1864,

No further news from the Crimea ! That is to
say, nothing authentic, or on which any reliance
can be placed. Rumours are in abundance,
" thick as leaves on Vallombrosa," but they all
want confirmation, and many of them probability.
Thus we hear on one side of a reported defeat of
the Russians ; that a sortie had been made by
twenty thousand men from Sebastopol, and that
they were completely routed. We also hear of
letters from MILNSCHIKOFF being intercepted,
which contain a candid confession that the quasi
invincible fortress is incapable of making a suc-
cessful resistance. Again, of a despatch from
Lord RAGLAN to OMER PACHA, in which he de-
clared that the regular siege was to begin on the
sth instant, " and expressing an opinion that the
fortress would be taken in ten days." On the
other hand, we have the veracious productions of
the imaginative MENSCHIKOFF, a rich fund in
themselves, while through German sources it is
announced that OSTEN-SICKEN is en route from
Odessa, at the head of 40,000 men, to reinforce
the Russian Army of the Crimea. These are some
of the innumerable reports that receive circulation
and some degree of credence, which is generally
yielded in accordance with the wishes and feelings
of the auditors.
Still, however, we are without direct intelli-
gence from Lord RAGLAN, and it is difficult to
account for the continued silence of the English
Commander. We know that he was making the
most energetic exertions to commence the bom-
bardment, that the town was invested on the
South, that batteries of heavy guns had been
constructed, and that the Allied Armies had ad-
vanced their trenches within 1,500 paces of fije-
bastbpol. But this was all accomplished by the
3d, and
we might easily have trustworthy tidings
of fully a
theweek later. All that had occurred in
Crimea up to the 10th inclusive might now
be known in
England, and nothing but some de-
cided change in
the operations would justify the
delay.

we may obtainNow,some clue to the real facts
by considering the actual state of affairs at the
time of the last despatch— After the brilliant
strategetical movement on Balakl
esta-
blishing it as the basis of their ara'and
operations,esta-
the
Allied Armies menaced the townfrom the south,
holding a powerful position, where they could
withstand the entire Russian force, even if all the
vaunted reinforcements had arrived and were
available for actual service. There they could
obtain ample supplies of men and provisions, and
there they would await the arrival of the reserve,
which coulfl land at Balaklava without difficulty
or impediment. Having thus established these
important points, they would naturally be de-
sirous of cutting off all communication be-
tween MENSCHIKOFF, who, as, he himself
declares, had executed his flank movement on
Bakshi-Serai, and was very probably hovering
about the Belbeck, and possibly in communication
with the North Fort, and the several forts on the
eastern side of the bay of the harbour—Fort Con-
stantine, &a., &c. Indeed we see no reason to
doubt it, except his own positive assertion that it

In our impression of yesterday we readily gave
insertion to a letter from Dr. SMITH, Director-
General of the Army and Ordnance Medical De-
partment, on the interesting and important
subject of the alleged insufficiency of medical
attendants, and of medical stores and supplies,
with the Army and in the hospitals of the East.
It is but justice to the writer to say that he has
fully and completely exonerated himself and the
heads of the department over which he so effi-
ciently presides from any participation in the
alleged neglect of the sick and wounded. He has
pointed out that there were with the Army at the
Battle of Alma no less than 276 medical officers,
being one to every 97 of strength, while in the
Peninsula the number of medical officers with the
troops was only one to every 154 of strength. The
long list of materiel supplied, consisting of medicines
and medical materials and comforts, instruments,
surgical materials, and hospital stores, machines
for the conveyance of the wounded, kc.,
proved that everything that could be required was
abundantly supplied, and that so far as the seat
of war was concerned no just complaints could
be made against the preliminary arrangements,
all for which Dr. SMITH, or the medical officers
at home, could fairly be held responsible.

We are also told that the medical officers at
Scutari (Dr. SMITH believes 21 in number) have
at their command. everything necessary for the
treatment of the wounded. soldier, and that there
are at this moment 30 more medical officers on
their way to Constantinople, and that 15 more
are waiting for embarkation. This is not quite
so satisfactory ; inasmuch as Dr. SMITH does not
speak positively, but merely on belief, as to the
number of medical officers at Scutari. Besides,
supposing the full number specified in attendance
—twenty-one persons—even of the greatest effici-
ency, would be incapable of affording the neces-
sary care and attention to so many sick and
wounded persons, said to amount to nearly 4,000
of all classes. It would seem, too, that the medi-
cal officers en route to, or under orders for, Con-
stantinople should have been earlier despatched.
From the time of the sailing of the expedition it
must have been known that a severe conflict, at-
tended with many serious casualties, was inevi-
table—that the return of numerous bodies of
sick and wounded, as well of our own troops as
of unfortunate prisoners, who ought to be treated
with equal care and attention, might speedily be
anticipated; and, therefore, that no considerations
of economy should. be permitted to retard for a
single moment the despatch of a sufficient party of
medical attendants, not merely officers, but
dressers and nurses—to whom, by the way, Dr.
SMITH makes no allusion. The error may, how-
ever, rest with parties on the spot, who looked
chiefly to the wants of the troops at the Crimea,
and thought too little of those who might be
sent home to the hospitals at Scutari. This seems
a very probable view of the case, and, thet efore,
there is at present no sufficient evidence to war-
rant any charge against Dr. SMITH, or the officers
of the medical department at home.
Two questions then arise which should receive
prompt and adequate answers. Are the state-
ments respecting the want of medical comforts
and surgical materials well founded, or gross
exaggerations of the actual facts ? We can scarcely
conceive that they can be pure inventions, or that
any persons would be base enough to fabricate
such vile calumnies unless there had been some
foundation, some groundwork of truth, on which
to rest the superstructure. On this point we have
very conflicting evidence. On the one side, many
persons come forward, on the authority of letters
from their sick friends or relations, to charge the
medical attendants, both on board the ship and at
Scutari, with gross incompetency or negligence—
or perhaps a little of both ; while, on the other
hand, we have unimpeachable witnesses, who
were actually present, and under the care
of these impugned officers, vindicating their
reputations, and passing high encomiums on their
skill and indefatigable attention. The natural
deduction follows that there is most probably a
mixture of truth anti falsehood. in the charge, so
that a strict inquiry should be instituted to ascer-

taro whether the complaints are sustained to any

and what extent ; and, secondly, if so, who
are the parties or party primarily responsible for
this serious evil. .
But, in whatever aspect we view the affair,
we are the more confirmed in the view we origi-
nally' took, not merely of the inutility, but the
impolicy of attempting to supply-
the alleged defi-
ciencies by the liberality of private individuals.
Such assistance must be absolutely useless to the
afflicted. Their welfare is, of course, the first
consideration, and if that could be promoted, or
their sufferings alleviated by such aid, we would
Say GOD speed the movement, much as we might
feel bound to protest against its policy. But it
must be obvious that the ditty is primarily im-
posed on the Government of the country, and
that they acknowledge and recognise the
responsibility. It seems equally plain that
they have more ample means at their dis-
posal than any association of private indivi-