The Sun.
London, England, 1856-04-29 00:00:00

LONDON, TUESDAY, APRIL 29, 1856.

Mr. WHITESIDE has long since achieved a high
reputation in the House of Commons,not merely
as a brilliant orator, but as a man of sound prac-
tical judgment. When untrammelled by party pre-
jadices he is enabled to, take an independent view
of any subject he carries with him the feelings
and the hearts of his countrymen. On all clues-

tions connected With the War he has pursued a
thoroughly English course, befitting a true-hearted
Englishman. With him the honour and interests
of Great Britain have ever been the paramount
object. A better selection could not have been
made of a leader to direct the first attack on the
errors of omission and commission that have un-
fortunately occurred since the commencement of
the Eastern difficulty.

The Honourable Gentleman not only fully
maintained, but greatly enhanced, his
well-
merited reputation, by his wonderful effort last
night. For more than four hours he kept the
House enthralled. The dinner hour was for onc(

_...„
forgotten, and no inember thought of moving
while the enchanter wielded his magic wand.
The veriest " Waiter on PROVIDENCE" could not

stir—he was spell-bound for the time being,
and compelled to listen to the unanswerable
bill of indictment preferred against the

GoverAment. The most sagacious, and talented
advocate for the defence could merely make
an appeal ad inisericordiam, confess that
there was " one little dark spot" in the conduct
of the War which could not be justified—and
strive to ride off on a collateral issue. We com-
mend the unanswered and unanswerable speech of
the Honourable Gentleman to the general atten-
tion, which it so eminently merits. It clearly
shows what the nation owes to the Joint-Stock
Administration ; and proves that, for some time
at it had but little cause for exultation at
the appointment of a new Cabinet.

The Honourable Gentleman is blamed by a
contemporary because he did not attempt to shield
Lord STRATFORD DE REDCLIFFE. It would doubt-
less have been far more satisfactory to the " thick-
and-thin " adherents of the Ministry had he en-
deavoured to do so. But his language was that of
truth and sincerity ! He would not spare any
delinquent in order to render his shaft more en-
venomed. By adopting that course he might not
have' displayed " very brilliant strategy"—might
even have displeased many influential members of
his party. But, by that straightforward and
honourable line, he disarmed his antagonists of
the most formidable weapon which they could use
against him, and carried with him the sympathies
of the people. We can easily conceive the
disappointment of the Ministerialists, who were
thus deprived of the best chance of escape from the
unpleasant position in which they were placed. But
the community at large will take a broader view of
the subject, and rejoice that there is at least one
independent Member from whom they may hope
to hear not only " the truth," but " the whole
truth,",,lina, who in his capacity as legislator,
will place the case fully and fairly before the
country.

But, while stating the case clearly and impar-
tially, he also explained how the misconduct of
the petulant and arrogant Ambassador who per-
mitted his personal feelings to prevent him from
adopting the course which the interests of his
country imperatively demanded, could not justify
the Ministry that condoned the offence, and
cast the mantle of their protection over the
wrong-doer. The " four officers and a doctor "
sent for the defence of Kars could not accomplish
much unless they were enabled to avail themselves
of the prestige once belonging to the British name.
That so much was accomplished would have been
almost miraculous, even under the most favour-
able circumstances. But it was the zeal and
energy with which General WILLIAMS shattered
the "red-tape" bonds with which he was encum-
bered that led to the extraordinary and almost
miraculous results which, although they could
not ultimately save Kars, has covered the
name of its gallant defender with undying
glory. It was well said that "he seized
upon an authority—ho usurped an authority
—lie trampled upon etiquette, and saved Asia Mi-
nor." Every Englishman will heartily join in the
aspiration—" May Goo bless him for that." He
" would not have • ceca ten thousand soldiers
perishing -with cold opposite to the store in which
were the gacruelits to clole tlien, but the koy-
hole of which was sealOd with red tape.
He would have kicked open the door
and saved their lives." This was the con-
duct of NELSON iu the olden time—of ?Wu.
LIAMS in 1855. Both tkese heroes flung
themselves gallantly into the breach—regarded
not the "signals for recall," or the doubtful in-
structions of timid directors, who, while shrinking
from responsibility, would gladly take credit for
every achievement. Many men have physical
bravery—that pluck that enables them to dare
any bodily peril ; but such instances of moral
courage are rare indeed. If we had " the right
men in the right places" General WILLIAMS would
receive adequate rewards. He is pre-eminently the
English hero of the War—almost the only man •
who, as a commander, sustaiaed the reputation of
his country.
He wal shamefully abandoned to his fate.
Not even the contest in the Crimea, or the natu-
ral indisposition of the Allied commanders to
sanction any diminution of their power in that
quarter until Sebastopol had fallen, could justify
the gross Negligence, of those who suffered four
Englishmen, of whom their country might well be
proud, to endure such sufferings and privations.
We do not expect much from the present
House of Commons. We know that the so-called
Conservative or Darbyite party are by no means
united on the question. But if there are men
arrogating to themselves the title of " inde-
pendent " members, who hope to face their con-
stituents without shame, we call upon them to
display that independence in the hour of need, to
show that they are really worthy of the confidence
-,f those by whom they have been placed in so
proud a position.

To the many reasons we have adduced for the
dissolution of Parliament must be added the sue-
c-,-;s3 attending Sir GEORGE GREY'S Police Bill.
Undeterred by the deplorable results of Germanic
as opposed to popular influence, in connection
with the late War, the House of Commons, by
'arge majorities evinces at once a scandalous dis-
regard for the wishes and feelings of the people,
Ind a settled resolution, despite the lessons of ex-
perience, to follow still further the Germanic
model, according to which the State is not merely
regarded as a power distinct from the people—
but as all in all, and the people nothing. It was
not, we hardly need remind our readers, under a
system of bureaucracy, based on centralisation,
England rose to her high pitch of greatness. It
was under a system of an entirely different nature
—a system which, instead of fostering the domi-
nation of the minions of power in our cities and
provinces, kept them in their proper place, and
developed to the utmost that desire for self-
government which, if not art original instinct, has
become a second nature to Englishmen, and has
stimulated the national intellect to the con-
ception of projects, and nerved the na-
tional arm to the execution of undertakings bene-
ficial to the welfare of society, and from which
the victims of centralisation elsewhere have to a
large extent as intuitively shrunk. Our moral,
intellectual, and material greatness has been
achieved, as we all know, after no foreign model,
and those who duly weigh this undeniable fact
will do well to consider whether the time has not
arrived when a stern and decisive protest against
the system of centralisation and bureaucracy should
be made.

The advocates of the Bill, of course, keep its
offensive features as much as possible in the back-
4round. It serves their turn better to point to
the alleged superiority of the county system, as
apparently shown by cooked, or at all events un-
reli Able, statistics. The old or constabulary sys-
temp they tell us, does not protect society like
File new, more crime being committed and more
crinain. als escaping detection under it. Mr. HEN-
LEY'S ( :omment on this assertion is the production
of stat istics showing that where the police is most
nurnez ous the greatest number of offences is com-
mitted, and the amount of detection i; the small-
est ! I ris statistics, however, aro said to prove
too mud 1, those who say so affecting to be unable