The Sun.
London, England, 1854-10-30 00:00:00

LORD J. RUSSELL AT BRISTOL.

CIVIC BANQUET IN THE MERCHANTS'
HALL.
The banquet given to the Lord President of the Coun-
cil by the members of the corporation and the magis-
tracy of Bristol took place in the Merchants'-hall, in the
city, on Friday evening. The Right Worshipful the
Mayor (J. G. Shaw, Esq.) was in the chair, surrounded
by his distinguished guests.
After the usual loyal and constitutional toasts, the
MAYOR proposed " The Health of their distinguished
guest, Lord J. Russell. (Cheers.)
Lord JOHN RUSSELL rose to respond to the toast, and
was received with continued cheering. He said—Mr.
Mayor, my lord duke, my lords and gentlemen, I can-
not but feel that I am very far from deserving the kind
compliments which it has pleased the Mayor to pay me
in proposing my health. At the same time, lam ex-
tremely proud that he has done me the honour of invit-
ing me in the name of your ancient corporation, and in
this ancient hall, belonging to, as it does, a society
which in former times sent forth from our shores men of
naval eminence to become the discovers of new worlds.
(Cheers.) I believe that the spirit of honourable enter-
prise still continues in Bristol ; for from all that I have
learnt of your judicious measures in lessening dues which
impeded your trade, and from all that I kew of your
opening up new sources of commerce, you have shown
yourselves,to be the enlightened and intelligent successors
of that community which, in days gone by, furnished se
many men eminent in the history of our country. I like-
wise feel proud that, never having disguised my senti-
ments on political matters, and having always, I may
say, taken decided views according to my own judg-
ment—(hear)—and never having concealed those views,
I am proud to find that I have net by their
ierfon
expressionri
forfeited the good opinion of many who may d
me in the sentiments I have formed. (Cheers.)
I feel,
en the one hand, that this evinces very greatiber.dity
also, that
on your part ; and you will permit me
it shows that,
lwiehveetltileiratthheolodpini
wrong, you be
greatness and
and happiness of the British
peopcOun try. (Cheers.)
conscientiously, I desire onlygnitotohne:pnrllotarsieooeitlsdealya;hfir-cormrn,ilg-yellifatanroder
prosperity of our own common
Gentlemen,
discharge my duty of.thalinin n y
glory
ya con-
strained
our
you will agree withkid
alluding
et
00 tulti
that leading
eyshouldoduig scarcely
topickindnessof
were I to do so without
minds,
which kelps us all in
the day which engages a
continued
t, ao
lndddi,nwerheialesinitghaansabiertoyu,g7titnlfrlse-hslilelg]
filled many hearts with sorrow and affliction.
My lords and gentlemen, those who may have hitherto
thought lightly of the calamities of war must novr be
convinced that we, who have now embarked in it, urged
to it by cruel necessity, were not wrong in pausing long
—(hear, hear)—in emliausting all the means of preserv-
ing peace ere we entered upon war. Yet I trust that
we shall prove, as we have proved, both as a Government
and a nation, that if we have been slow to enter into a
quarrel, we shall yet hear ourselves in that quarrel " that
the opposer may beware of us." It is now three-quar-
ters of a year since we first came into hostility with a
power which boasted of an armament of some 600,000
men, and which proclaimed to the allies that in the
01111;0 of tho lag Winter that 000,000 Simla be raised

_tinOtllaix;illion with a power which had 27 ships of the line
Baltic, and eighteen in the Black Sea. Well, then,
this was a foe worthy to contend agednst the forces both
;o£ I~hglaaid and that ally greatest cor.4taucc~, with which has stood by us with the
v, hofn lie have always taken
counsel, with whom we have stood side by side in the
field and in the Cabinet—l allude to the Government of
voe, a
the French empire. Well, my lords and gentlemen,
what have we seen with regard to the naval part of
iu
owa pni e
nhr a
fteoi
moe
sny sww?
hhoi
ch Hcaawymiene gto
uahvtaetdo shininuetetfouurpzearndweanrsda to contend
in their ports, and
all events, to win naval renown from us, we bow have
tions o
have prevented frem pressing us as respects the opera-
ps. Among the first considerations
which came before us was, how to prevent the march ;of
a great army in the immediate neighbourhood against an
enemy despised by the imperial.bead of the Russian em-
pire; despised by its statesmen, and despised by its -
genials—Turkey. It was Paid; it was boasted,
that the destruction of the ernoire of Turkey would
be an easy matter, as 'she weell lie unable to resist
the march of the Russian arns.
~Now we considered,
eeein,g that at least the power e': '.!nrkey was not equal
to' that of Russia, her army• not being one-fourth
as great, and her finances 'being disarranged,' we
considered how we might best assist her. W 0 -
hod heard it said by Russian stamen •of great ability
that Constantinople could not be save. 4 by our fleets ; -
that we might send our fleets there, but they could not
preverit the advance of the Rto::Qian legions. Well, after
much. con.ideration and after mr.el, c enmunication with
the French Government, we detemioed upon sending
an army—a considerable army—to the East, to protect
the threatened power. The question they arose, having
determined upon sending an arolv out, who should we
place at its head ? That question, my lords and gentle-
men, was soon resolved, became:" there was one man who
during the Peninsular war had been constantly at the
side of that great warrior, Arthur, Duke of Wellington
—(cheers)—who had conducted also the military depart-
ment of the British service under that illustrious duke,
and who had had opportunities of observing in the field
the execution of all his plans— (hear, hear)—a general,
too, who possessed himself the greatest experience, and
who was admired and beloved by the whole British
army. I speak now of Lord Fitzroy Somerset (Lord
Raglan), a near relation of the noble and gallant duke
(the Duke of Beaufort) who sits near me. (Cheers.)
We did not therefore hesitate in our choice, and, gentle-
men, the results which have followed that choice have
more. than justified nil, oev expeettitione. Men Lora-
LBAglau-phioed „himself4tikki he 'a the Bridal army
at COnstaniino ple he immediately sought an:lnterview
with Omer Pacha—(cheers)—with that daring and skil-
ful warrior who so long bad kept the foe at bay, and
who, not rashly risking his army in the field against
the woll-organised troops of Russia, thereby gained for
his own force considerable advantages. I have said
that Lord Raglan sought an interview with Omer
Pacha, for the purpose of deliberating on the plans of
the campaign. That interview took place at Varna. It
has been stated that Omer Pacha had asked for assist-
ance from the allied armies to relieve Silistria, and I
have seen a statement in the public papers that it would
have been only necessary to have sent 10,000 men for
that purpose ; but my lords, Mr. Mayor, and gentlemen,
men accustomed to military duties, men of great expe-
rience, caution, and judgment, do not concur in that
opinion. (Hear, hear.) Neither Marshal St. Arnaud,
Lord Raglan, nor Omer Pacha so judged of the matter.
Although Omer Pacha had succeeded in repelling the
Russians, and might have succeeded without the pre-
sence of the allied army, still I believe that Russia
would have renewed her aggressive attacks again and
again, and might have in the end proved successful,
had it not been for the neighbourhood of the English
and French armies, which, together with the position
which Austria had then assumed, made the case so en-
tirely hopelesss that the foe was compelled to retire
across the Danube. (Cheers.) Hare, then, we have
the blocking up of the ships of Russia in their ports,
and we have the failure in their operations of the Rus-
sian army. (Cheers.) Immediateiy after the siege of
Silistria was raised a new question was opened for
consideration, both Iry the Government at home and the
generals engaged in the conduct of the war, as to what
should be done on the shores of the Black Sea. The
Government thought that the time had now arrived
for the invasion of the Crimea and the capture of
Sebastopol. The instructions of the Governments
both of England and France were received at Varna
a little after the middle of July, and at a council of the
generals commanding the allied forces the expedition
was resolved upon. It may seem to us that a long
Period elapsed before the resolution was carried into
operation, but, gentlemen, we do not and we cannot
know all the obstacles which had to be overcome, all the
difficulties to be met and surmounted, all the arrange-
ments which had to be made for the movement of such
extensive armies, and for taking the steps best calculated
to ensure perfect and successful operations. (Hear.)
Before any landing of our troops was attempted in the
Crimea, Lord Raglan, with General Canrobert and Bur-
goyne, and two French officers, surveyed the whole of
the coast ; and at the place which was selected by Lord
Raglan as being (having a regard to every consideration)
the most suitable for the purpose, the landing took
place. You all know how successful that landing was,
(Cheers.) It was effected without resistance on the part
of the enemy, and without the shedding of blood.
(Cheers.) There was time for the two armies to form.
and they marched on to the Alma, where they gained a
brilliant victory—a victory which shed glory upon the
allied arms. But that victory was clouded by the death of
the Marshal of France, who showed in the last days of
his life a vigour, energy, and readiness, which could not
be surpassed by men in the very meridian of existence.
We have also had to lament, all of us, high and
low, rich and poor, have had to lament the loss of
many killed in that great battle, and, what has
been quite as fatal and more distressing, many
who survived the perils of the battle had scarcely
time to rejoice ere they fell victims to that
dreadful disease which has caused so much mourning and
de olation. But, Mr. Mayor and gentlemen, we shall
all agree in this, that those who fell with without the
opportunity of crossing swords with the enemies of their
ccuntry—those trays men who were stricken down by
disease, died for their country quite as much as these
who fell in the very front of the battle. (Cheers.) Well,
my lords and gontlemen,jerhat remains must be decided
by the fate of war. It is not for us to say what the re-
sult will be ; all we can venture to say is this, that we
have prepared all the means that should ensure success.
We have a large and well-appointed army, a numerous
artillery, and vast stores of ammunition. We know that
we have allies acting with us in mutual confidence, and
we know further, that of the justice of the contest in
which we are engaged but one opinion prevails. Lord
John Russell then quoted from a speech of Sir John
Trollop', a political opponent, to show the unanimity
which prevails, and continued. With a very few excep-
tions, there does not exist the man who is not convinced
that there never was a more righteous cause than that
on which we have embarked, and that we should prose-
cute the war so as to secure a peace that is just and
honourable, and based on a lasting foundation. (Cheers.)
If such a misfortune should happen as that Russia should
triumph, the present war would be followed by one far
more dire, and Europe would be brought under the
Cossack dominion. The people of England naturally
dread the ambition of the ruler of millions half civilised,
half barbarous—a ruler who has proclaimed opinions
utterly inconsistent with the independence of any Go-
vernment. My lords and gentlemen, it is of no use at
present speaking of peace till is the course of the war
the means shall arise for securing a peace which shall be
lasting and secure. However long we may have hesi-
tated, and however far we may have been anxious to
avoid the dreaded evils of war, it is on account of those
very evils that we must so prosecute war as to make it
conducive to a peace that shall endure. (Cheers.) My
lords and gentlemen, I could not forbear giving utter-
ance to these sentiments touching a subject on which
we all feel the deepest interest. I can only again ex-
press mf,gratitude for the reception you have given me,
and I trust that while I hold a place in her Majesty's
Government, whatever you may deem to be my errors
of judgment, you will yet believe that I am actuated by
a steadfast desire to promote the good name and pre-
serve the liberties of my country, and to maintain her
in the position which she has so long held amongst the
nations of Europe. (The noble lord resumed his seat
amidst loud cheering.)
Several other toasts followed, and the company nePa''
rated a little before midnight.

" TIMID COUNSELS."

d counsels,' which
" in spite of timid
condolence to
Sir,—The words
letter of con
occur in Louis Napoleon's
Ipublished in the Moniteur,
Madame do St. Arnaud,
cis
of slight importance.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE . TIMES. ,
cannot be passed over as w
apply to the French, because,
them.
canoelissatisfied with the timidity
if the Emperor had beeerns
iOstilmtlrossibletha
so
to be induced to complain
of any of his own
characteroffic
of their counsels, he would
publicly of the
bcrter
they are of the highest importance. It
contrary, they
have taken the s course of superseding
therefore,enply to the English • for,
may ho the interest of the Turks or the
however great
present contest, it was not for either of
Austrians iu the
voice i
have an influentialn deciding on the in-
vasion
141ole world, that the coun-
sel re 1,,,,e, then, the opinion of our Imperial ally,
oTgih
conisaei
to
ywoo
forrtrdbosee
iican
irumismte,de
atotll 0 ,
of Englishmen touching the invasion of the Crimea
was tainted with timidity. A graver charge it is diffi-
cult to imagine. That the Emperor preferred it other-
wise than as the result of his firm conviction, and after
careful consideration of its probable effect on all con-
cerned, it is impossible to Suppose. In ordering the
publication in the Moniteur of those ominous words, the
Emperor must have intended either to brand with igno-
miny the character of one or more of our generals or ad-
mirals in the Black Sea, or to point at senile incapacity.
Whichever was his intention, tie duty of the Governueent
is clear. They are imperatively bound to guard the honour
of our army and navy. They are equally bound to satisfy
the nation on whatever affects the national honour.
Their first duty is to ascertain the precise meaning and
object of the Imperial accusation. Their next eitlier to
refute it or to consign the justly accused
punishment.— Yours obediently, t•
eN meritedß.
October 27.
i R

,AILWAY ACCIDENT.—An accident occurred on the
Deal branch of the South•eastern Railway on Friday
evening., at the Sandwich station. Fortunately, how-
ever, from the slow pace at which the train was pro-
ceeding, neither the engine nor any of the carriages were
thrown off the line, the tender only receiving damage.
Several of the passengers'were most seriously bruised.
LONDON MINsIONANY SociETL—TIDMAN v. AINSLIE.
—The hearing of this libel case was resumed on Satur•
day in the Court of Exchequer Chamber, when the Whole
of the sitting was occupied in the examination of Dr.
Ticlman, the plaintiff, The me !fa: xgaiu Adjourned,

THEATRE ROYAL HAYMARKET.,

Under the management of Mr. Puckstone.

THIS EVENING, OcT. 30,

•..
• I

Will be performed the comedy of PAUL PRY. Principal cha—
racters by Mr. Wright, Mr. Chippendale, Mr, W. Farren, Mrs..
Poynter, and Miss E. Chaplin.
To be followed by THE SPANISH DANCERS.
To conclude with THE IRISH POST. Principal character bl 7 r
Mr. Lludson.

ROYAL PRINCESS'S THEATRE, OXFORD-STREET.
1
Under the AtallageMellt of Mr..Cumuan Saes.
THIS EVENING, Ocr. 30,
107111 be performed the highly popular comedietta, entitled LIVING- Ili

TOO FAST.
After which, THE COURIER OF LYONS. Principal characters&
by Mr. C. Kean, Messrs. J. Vining, Addison, Graham, D. Fisheif,„
Ca hcart, and Saker ; Misses C. Leclercq, Heath,
Terry. ernan, and b...

To conclude with THE HALT OF THE BALLET•

THEATRE ROYAL ADELFIII.
Proprietor, Mr. B. Webker.—Directress, Madame Celeste.
THIS EYENThrG, OCT. 30.
Will be performed THE SERIOUS FAMILY. Characters by
Messrs. C. Selby, Leigh Murray, and Seeley ; Miss Woolgar, and
Mrs. Keeley.
Followed by BONA FIDE TRAVF.LLERS.
After which, THE CAMP AT CHOBHAM.
To conclude with MEPHISTOPHELES.

r.OYA.I. OLYMPIC TFIEtTRE.
LCIISCe and Manager. Mr. A. Wigan.

TAIS EVENC‘.:G, Ocr. 30,
Will be performe I T FIE TaIJIOEE. Ch
MisrsacMake!, ators by Mendm&3E.s A.
Wigan, F. Vining, Emery, and Leslie;
Stephens.
To be followed by a Farce, called A BLIGPITED BEING, in
,hich Mr. itobson will appear.
To conch:de with TO OBLIGE BENSON.

A STLEY'S ROYAL A trIPHIT/IF.A
Lessee and Manager, Mr. William Cooke.
Tremendous success of the new MILITARY SPECTACLE, exceed-
ing even that of the Battle of Waterloo!