The Sun.
London, England, 1851-12-20 00:00:00

SIR CHARLES NAPIER AND THE ME.

DITERRANEAN COMMAND.
The following correspondence has been published
by Sir C. Napier :
" Sir,—l inclose you a correspondence that has
taken place between Lord John Russell and myself
relative to the Mediterranean command, in order that
the country and the navy may see that Ministerial and
Admiralty jobbery are of more importance in the
eyes of a Whig Prime Minist©r than either rank or
(to make use of his own expression) ' brilliant ex-
ploits.' Ido not dispute the right of the Prime
Minister to choose whom he pleases to fill important
commands, but I dispute the right of the First Lord
of the Admiralty in the first instance, and the Prime
Minister in the second, to damn the professional cha-
racter of an officer by attributing to him a want of
discretion, when documents at the Admiralty for 50
years prove the contrary.
" Were the navy ruled by a professional man, he
would not have dared to dishonour an officer ; that is
left to Lord John Russell and Sir Francis Baring,
who appear not to know what military honour is, and
thank God I am in a position and independent enough
to tell them so. I remain your obedient servant,
" CHARLES NAPIER.

3 Merchistoun, Dec. 17."

(No. 1.)
" TO LORD JOHN RUSSELL.
" 18, Albemarle-street, April 11.
" My Lord,—You finished your not very pleasan t
letter on the 25th of January, 1850, by stating,
'Your brilliant services on the coast of Syria evince
the energy and boldness of your professional cha-
racter, and will always be remembered by me.' Now,
my Lord, as it is to be presumed Sir William Parker
is not to remain in the Mediterranean all his life,
your Lordship has an opportunity of rewarding my
brilliant services.' The appointment to the Mediter-
ranean command is, I believe, a Cabinet question, or,
at all events, it is not made without the concurrence
of the First Minister of the Crown and Lord Pal-
merston. I therefore request your Lordship to take
my services into consideration, and I venture to say
they have not been surpassed by any admiral in the
Navy List.
" Your Lordship is no doubt aware, had I not dis-
played the energy and boldness' you have thought
proper to compliment me upon, that the probability
is this country would have been involved in war, and
our foreign policy overthrown. The time may again
come when an experienced and an energetic officer
may be wanted in the Mediterranean, and I feel
neither my health nor energies as yet impaired.
" Sir Francis Baring thought proper to tell me that
he doubted my discretion'—nut a very complimen-
tary opinion to be given by a First Lord of the
Admiralty to an officer of my standing, but he de-
clined to tell me on what occasion. Could it have been
at any period of my services during the war ? they
were approved by every admiral and Admiralty I
served under.

" Could it have been when I dethroned the usurper
Miguel, and put a constitutional Queen on the throne
of Portugal ?
. . _

" Could it have been when I upset the Grand Prince
of Lebanon, the ally of Mehemet Ali, defeated his son,
and drove his troops out of the mountain ?
" Could it have been when I stormed Sidon and
made the garrison prisoners ?
" Could it have been when I served as second in
command at Acre ? Or could it have been when I
signed a treaty with Mehemet Ali, which was:ap-
proved by Lord Palmerston and all the foreign Mi-
nisters in London, is opposition to the Ministers of
the Sultan and all the foreign Ministers at Constan-
tinople ?
"Another word, my Lord, and I have done. You
disapproved my letters. Nevertheless, they have done
much good. Many of the evils I pointed out have
been remedied, and;if my suggestions were attended
to there would have been money enough saved in the
dockyards to make it unnecessary for the Chancellor of
the Exchequer to lay on a house. tax.--I have the
honour to remain, your Lordship's obedient servant,
" CHARLES NAPIER."

(LORD JOHN'S REPLY.)
" Downing-street, April 11.
" remember very well the passage in my
letter of the 25th of January, 1850, to which you
allude. Nor have lin any way altered my opinion.
The energy and decision evinced by you on the coast
of Syria in 1840 were, I conceive, among the main
causes of the success of the critical interference in
which, with other powers of Europe, we were then
engaged.
" The Mediterranean command is not now vacant,
and I do not know that it will soon be so.
" I must preserve my opinion quite unfettered till
that period arrives, and I can only say at prAent that
when Sir Francis Baring consults me on the subject
I shall weigh only the merits of the officers who
may be eligible to that important appointment.
" I remain, your faithful servant,
JOlllq