The Sun.
London, England, 1854-08-25 00:00:00

r
1~ `'~ g

tifix

,g 1431,

LONDON, FRIDAY, AUGUST 25, 1854.

Now that the first blow has been inflicted in
the Baltic, we are looking forward with deep
anxiety to subsequent proceedings. Although
much valuable time has already been sacrificed,
enough still remains to convince the AUTOCRAT of
the danger he has incurred by his unconscientious
aggression. He has hitherto been insensible to
the real extant of that danger. With " a friend
of forty years' standing" at the head of the Coali-
tion Administration—with the secret support of
Austria, whose vAmPzuo a he has placed under so
many obligations, and the openly-acknowledged
sympathies of Prussia, he has fondly imagined that
he has only to abate a portion of his arrogant
pretensions in order to obtain a cessation of hosti-
lities, and that, under any circumstances, his own
" withers will remain unwrung," his own domi-
nions free from invasion. It is of the utmost
importance that this delusion should be forthwith
dispelled—that he should be taught, without a
moment's delay, the true state of the case—that
France and England being really in earnest,
neither the "friendship" of ABERDEEN, the grati-
tude of FEANcis JOSEPH, nor the nepotism of
FREDERICK WILLIAM can preserve him from the
retribution he has so richly merited by his un-
warrantable infraction of the law of nations, and
outrageous attack on the rights of a neighbouring
monarch.

" The first blow has been inflicted ;" but in
order to render that blow effective it must be
promptly and energetically followed up. We have
given evidence of our power; let us exhibit it even
in a clearer point of view than by the capture of
the Forts at Bomarsund, and the overthrow of
the Russian power in the Isles of Aland. Much
remains to be done in the seas which were once
regarded as Russian Lakes—in the Baltic as well
as in the Euxine. It will not do to imitate the
example of the Black Knight in "Ivanhoe," to show
unequivocal proofs of gigantic force, without ap-
plying that extraordinary power to any useful
purpose, or achieving exploits worthy thereof, or
of the ancient reputation either of France or
Great Britain. We fear that there has already
b4aen but too much reason to stigmatise us as
"faineants." Let us strive ere the setting in of
winter prevents further operations to prove that
we are indeed in earnest, and that, when
we please to act, we can do so vigorously and
efficiently.

The great object now is to show to Sweden that
it is her interest to co-operate cordially and effec-
tually, and that she will incur no considerable
danger by braving the wrath of her formidable
, neighbour. If perfectly assured on these points,
there would no longer be either doubt or diffi-
culty. She has too many real grievances to
redress, has been plundered of too many valuable
provinces, to hesitate a moment as to the course
she should pursue. But so long as there was
any appearance of apathy or indecision on the
part of France or England that hesitation was
natural. It would be an act of foolhardiness on
her part to engage in hostilities which she might
bitterly have to expiate when the Allied fleets
n
had withdrawn, and her coasts 1
capital were
placed at the mercy of her vindictive opponent.
The capture of Aland has done much to afford
the security which was indispensable before we
could expect Sweden either to speak or act to the
purpose. The enemy no longer holds a threat-
ening position which might at arynioment be
aexpeditionagainst
ar
ne
im
seo
v
aanl
of
made use of to org
her shores. The
gar-
rison is no trivial matter to have hostileatt •
the substitution of a friendly cue is still more
valuable. Not only would any Russian
ex-
pedition against Sweden have to start from
a more distant point, thus exposing itself to far
greater dangers before it reached its destination,
but it should have to expend much valuable time
in reducing the fortifications at Aland, or leave a
hostile force in its rear, ready to take advantage
of any casualty, and to enhance a hundredfold the
fearful consequences of a reverse.
Aland being ours, or, more properly speaking,
Sweden's, there is every prospectln a td. ha t sllfi et
1e may
Alliedcon-
sent to send troops against Finland.
Forces alone went to the attack, they would neces-
sarily be regarded in the light of invaders;tinhab i
thaonwts-
ever strongly opposed to Russia, the
would have no sympathies in common with France
or England. But the Swedish troops would be
looked on as liberators, come to free the Finnish
tribes from a foreign yoke, and to restore them to
their anciertl, allegiance. They would be
. wel-
comed as friends and brethren, and would
q .gave the powerful aid supplied by the good
,Irll of the
reaaonably anticipate that
-..
)t_ receiving
• ;„.4..
: ~ tojoinin an attempt
) portatiee to justify pre
,et
tift.
Population. le may, therefore,
Proper
assurances,
Sweden will, on
pa
ra
übe . prepared
pt of sufficient ha-
m of such maga-
117frjii z--:

tude as those made by the Western Powers, and
to produce adeplate fesults. Without laying
any claim to " second sight," or extraordinary
powers of vaticcination, we venture to predict,
that before the close of the present month we
shall hear of some very decided movement in the
Baltic—one that will go far to humble the
pride and reduce the power of the AUTOCRAT.
In the Black Sea, too, we may speedily look
for some decided step. Hitherto all that has
been accomplished has been by the unaided
valour of the Moslem troops ; and we, by our
timid and vacillating policy, have prevented the
beneficial results of their brilliant exploits. They
have expelled the Russians. We have sanctioned
the occupation of the deeply-injured principalities by
a new set of bloodsuckers, who may prove more rapa-
cious than those already gorged to repletion. Active
measures must now be adopted to expel the Rus-
sians from Asia, to restore the Crimea to its law-
ful owners, and to break up the stronghold at
Sebastopol. That important naval arsenal must
be dismantled or taken possession of, and the
CZAR must consent to the reduction of a navy far
more powerful than he can require for any honest
or justifiable purpose. It is said that sixty thOu-
sand men have already embarked for the Crimea
and Sebastopol. But we have had enough of
" sayings r we want something more decisive.
Nothing but "doings," and these of a very ener-
getic character, will satisfy the people. We must
to the best and utmost of our power strive
to make up for lost time, or else the Government,
which has taken on its shoulders the entire re-
sponsibility, will have much to answer for, when
giving an account of its stewardship, on the open-
ing of the next Session of Parliament.

A week has now elapsed since Major-General
WETRERALL delivered his memorable reply to the
admirable and conclusive defence of Lieutenant
PERRY. Since that period the public have been
anxiously awaiting the result of the unparalleled
persecution to which this young officer has been
exposed, and we may form some estimate of the
intense excitement which the deeply.injured gen-
tleman must himself be enduring. Few constitu-
tions could stand the wear and tear of such a trial,
or rather series of trials, as those to which he has
been exposed. It is true that he may be " strong
in conscious innocence," and that the knowledge
of the justice of his cause, and the earnest sym-
pathy of the community, may sustain and support
him under his heavy affliction. But he must in-
tensely feel the unmerited ill-treatment he has under-
gone. CHARLES DICKENS has truly remarked that
" injustice is, itself, to every generous and properly
constituted mind, an injury of all others the most
insufferable, the most torturing, and the most hard
to bear ; and that many clear consciences have
gone to their account elsewhere, and many sound
hearts have broken because of this very reason ;
the knowledge of their own deserts only aggravat-
ing their sufferings, and rendering them the less
endurable !" What, then, we say, must be the
feelings ofan oppressed subaltern, who, having been
made a butt of from the day he joined his regi-
ment, is now, if possible, to be a scape-goat, a victim
on whose head is to be visited the punishment
due to those who were so totally oblivious of
their duties as "officers and gentlemen." To
this sense of flagrant wrong must be added the
bitter agonies of suspense. His judges have arrived
at a decision, but any intimation thereof is withheld
from the person so deeply interested. Although
satisfied that he had fully and completely vindi-
cated his character from every aspersion—that he
has justified the statements put forward not volun-
tarily, but in his own defence—he must wince
under the partial and one-sided speech of his
prosecutor—a man whose experience and high
position in the service must give extraordinary
weight to his opinions, and materially influence
some, if not all, of the
-Members of the Court. He
cannot yet feel certain of the result, and the tor-
turing anxiety of his position must materially
affect his health.

He knows not whether the judgment may be
favourable or otherwise, and whether an unjust
sentence may not blight all his future prospects.
The proceedings may not even terminate here,
but may be carried much further—each new
charge, growing out of those by which it was pre-
ceded, and the statements put forward in self-de-
fence. Besides, supposing that everything terminated
in the most satisfactory manner, that he was fully
and honourably acquitted, or that his most gra-
cious SOVEREIGN again interposed her Royal pre-
rogative by refusing to confirm an erroneous find-
ing and unwarrantable sentence, he may, unless
he receive substantial aid, be no less surely
crushed under the heavy expenses to which he
nas been subjected. A man cannot stand the
brunt of three trials, one Lof them alone pro-
tracted for sixteen days, without a serious outlay ;
and however kind his able and efficient adviser
may be, he must know that the remuneration to
which he has so eminently entitled himself can-
not be withheld. " The labourer is worthy of
his hire ;" and Mr. DARVILL has merited a high
recompense for the zeal and ability displayed
during the entire proceedings, from the very com-
mencement to the termination.

Now we must recollect that Mr. PERRY is not
a rich man—that was " the head and front of
his offending." He was unable, without reck-
lessly plunging into debt, to avail himself of the
indulgences in which his associates freely partici-
pated. As he himself declared, he was "unable
to support the character of a fast man consistently
with that of an honourable one." He had, in
fact, "to fight his way in the world with the
limited pay of a lieutenant, and such slight assist-
ance as his father could afford out of his pay."
Nor is his pecuniary position improved in any
respect. How, then, can he meet the heavy out-
lay, or discharge the claims to which he is justly.
liable ? The object of his oppressors was to com-
pel him to retire from the service, to sell his com-
mission. That object will be accomplished, un-
less the haters of injustice come to the rescue.
The regulation price of his lieutenantcy would
I scarcely cover the necessary outlay ; and even
though the verdict be a full and honourable
acquittal, GARRETT and MAXWELL, NICHOLAS',
and SANDWITH, and CAMPBELL - apparently
the most vindictive of all—may chuckle
over the fall of their victim. There can
scarcely be a doubt that an intention existed to
compel him to sell out, and that it was commonly
talked of in the regiment. In the celebrated letter
from Lieut. W. T. WALDY, of the 12th June last,
that singularly oblivious officer requested that he
(PERRY) might mention to his servant, LAWLER,
that WALDY would take him after PERRY left ;
and the proposition to " sell out " was made after
the affray into which he was forced by GREER, and
few men of his age would, under the 'circumstances,
have braved the result of the first Court-
Martial.

say whether thish
Comlthiinsantioown
shallfor tlrierovpubliceven
tessful—whether t e
ucce
in their unwarrantable purpose. We believe lthe horns of the altar, and his persecutors foileat
dthere are few persons who will not freely and wil-
lingly give their "mites ;" so that the prisoner
—for he is still virtually a prisoner, may be pro-
tected against any pecuniary loss ; and we con-
fess that we should gladly see the purchase money
for his next step made up in a similar manner.
There could not be a more conclusive testimony of the
state of public opinion, not only as to the duct
of Lieutenant PERRY himself, but also ascon to the
value of the revelations elicited during the pro-
; tracted investigations revelations which will lead
to the establishment of a sounder system of regi-
mental discipline, and the abandonment of the ob-
noxious practices so justly complained of, and also
a searching reform in the constitution and pro-
cedure of military tribunals, so as to render
j them more suitable for the duo administration of
justice in her MAJESTY'S land forces. We may
add that it has been announced that subscriptions
will be received by the Mayor of Windsor, at the
bank of Messrs. WILLIAMS and Co., Birchin-lane,
for the Windsor bank of Messrs. NEVILLE and
Co., and at the London and County Joint-stock
Bank, for their branch at Windsor.

ROYAL FREE 1108PITAL.—Two mare deaths from
Ailiatic cholera occurred on Wedneoday is tthe above
hospital,

JUSTICE TO. THE SUBALTERNS IN
TILE ARMY.