The Sun.
London, England, 1856-07-14 00:00:00

received abundant marks of honour and consideration
from my Sovereign, and of affection and regard from the
people of England. I bave enjoyed the hespitality of
my brethren in arms in military clubs. hue also been
magnificently entertained by public bodies in the city of
London ; but the invitation with which I was favoured
from the Reform Club was received by me with especial
satisfaction—(hear)—because I felt that it emanated
from a body of men of great eminence and great politi-
cal power, and was given to me, not in my capacity of
a politician, but simply as a soldier. To the allusions
made by your chairman to my companions in arms and
to the brave Turks who co-operated with us I am moot
happy to respond. I have on former occasions expressed,
and I Cannot too frequently repeat, my grateful sense of
the manner in which my gallant comrades stood by me
—of not only their great courage, for that I expected
from them, but of their great abilities ; and if with such
assistance I had not performed the part which fell to my
lot I should have come far short of the just anticipations
of those who intrusted me with their confidence. The
Turkish force which acted under me in Asia Minor un-
dervrent all the privations and terrible trials to which
they were exposed in a way which it is impossible to
praise too highly. They, therefore, deserve the generous
appreciation of the British public-as well as their sym-
pathy and respect. It was not alone the Turkish soldiers
whO fought by my side at Kars who conducted them-
selves so admirably; Equal honour is due to tie heroic
townsmen of that city, and even to the heroic women
—I might almost also add the children among its popu-
lation whose patience and self-abnegation under
the greatest misery and distress are well known to
you all. Of one fact, however, you may not be aware.
On my return from Tiflis over the Caucasus I met Gene-
ral Mouravieff at Stavropol, and almost the last thing
be told me was that after he entered Kars in one house
he found nit less than,lQ, c oa,se.; of these heroic men,
who, too protid to ask for thaw wlvtlisy knew
My own garrison and the women and children of the
place stood so much in need, had silently died of starva-
tion. (Cheers.) My gallant friend, as I shall always
be proud to designate Genetal Mouravieff, further ob-
served that be found in many houses one, and in others
two bodies of persons who shared a similar fate. I mention
these facts as some proof of the truth of the assertions I
make, whenever I have the honour of addressing a pub-
lic audience, as to the vitality of Turkey if she is treated
by the allies in the way whieh she ought to be. (Hear,
bear) If a high tone is taken towards the Turks—if
they are told that they must endeavour to reform their
institutions and eradicate that corruption which has been
the plague-spot on their country—or, when the inter-
vention of the allies is again necessary, it will not take
place in the interests of the Turks only—if such a tone
is adopted towards them, I have no doubt that Turkey
will right herself, and that England and France will reap
the fruits of the treasure they have spent and the blood
they have spilt in her defence (Hear, hear.) Above
all things, they should be told that we can never believe
that the Central Government cannot repress assassina-
tion or the wholesale murder of its subjects in any part
of the empire. On this point I will particularly insist in
Parliament and elsewhere, for I know every portion of
the Country from the cataracts of the Nile to the moun-
tains of Armenia. I can give you an illustration of
what I mean. In the city of Erzerotun a serious rising
of the population took place, not against the Christians,
but against a certain sect of Mahometans, when an
ambassador's house was forced and his secretaries
and servants put to - death. I was present when this
insurrection of many thousands of armed men occurred,
and -I see opposite a gentleman who was by my side on
that occasion. We went out and calmed the crowd—
the amba.sador was rescued, and for a time the disturb-
ance appeared to be allayed. Yet the criminals remained
in the town, and doubtless the outrages would have
been repeated but for what lam about to relate. In
consequence of toy representations to the central Go-
vernment, bodies of troops, no less than five months
after, were marched into the disaffected part of the
country, and occupied and surrounded the town, when
in the space of half-an hour the whole of the culprits
were arrested and delivered over to justice. I narrate
this circumstance in the hope that the people of England,
in conjunction with the French—that noble and splendid
nation—will in future insist en the Ottoman• authorities
immediately marching a force into any district where
violence is committed, and require, in fact, that the law
shall be vindicated. If this course be taken, and the
desired result attained, the blood spilt and the treasure
spent in the late war, I repeat. will.not have been wasted.
Gentlemen, you know that I hive been returned to Par-
liament. In selecting me the electors of Caine have
paid me the highest compliment which a stranger could
possibly receive. As I told my constituents, so I will'
tell you, that I enter the House of Commons solely that
I may on fitting occasions offer to the country my opi-
nions on military matters, with which I have, perhaps,
BOMB acquaintance, and also on the affairs of the East:
On these two que-tions, and on no others, do I take my
seat. It is quite impossible that a man 'w,go has served
his Sovereign for 32 years, 27 of which have been passed
abroad, can have anything to do with the party politics
of this country—(hear, hear)—and, moreover, as I stated
to my constituents, lam wholly ontinge 1 by interested
views or personal ambition. I trust that my future
conduct will bear out these professions. (Cheers.)
I hope I do not flatter myself when I say, I believe
that I am looked upon by the people of England with
a certain degree of respect and—perhaps I may presume
to add—affection—(hear, hear)—and the expression of
my convictions at suitable opportunities may be of some
little service. (Cheers) At the same time I feel equally
confident that if I venture to dabble in things which I
don's understand—if I once attempt to go beyond my
depths, that instant I shall forfeit all the influence I have
acquired. (Hear, hear.) As your excellent chairman ob-
served, we have now reached the termination of a uteri-
ous war. If you had been in Russia, and had heard,-as
I have done, the sentiments uttered by our late antago-
nists, you would have no room to doubt that for us the
conflict was a glorious one, and
.the peace equally so.;
(Hear, hear.) You know how we began this struggle.
We did so—as I have previously said—wileut a system,,
without establishments, and, in fact, with half a sword.
(Cheers.) Instead of being able to rush into the fight
immediately after the declaration of war we had then
positively to forge our weapons. I had the high grati-
fication this day to show to a most intelligent and ami-
able prince—Prince Oscar of Swe';en—before his depar-
ture from our shore, the Arsenal at Woolwich—an es-
tablishment which he had previously visited seven or
eight years ago. It was pleasing as well as most instruc-
tive to me and others to hear that illustrious personage
compare what he witnessed at the Arsenal only this day
with what be saw there on his former visit. The effici-
ency of that splendid establishment has grown out of our
efforts since the war commenced. I bring these matters
under your notice in the hope that the improvements
which the distinguished Prince I have named discovered
and commented upon with such satisfaction may not, by
any motives of false economy, be suffered again to dwindle
into nothing, until, perhaps, another war shall startle
the country front a sleep like that from which it recently
awoke unprepared after a period of 40 years. (Hear,
hear.) These are the topics to which, when I have the
pleasure of addressing any public assembly, I wish to
advert: I trust that the members of the Reform Club
will lend their lid in a matter in which the national
safety is at stake, to guard from undue diminution the
effective armaments and munitions which have sprung,
as it were, from our blood and our mortification, and
which ought to be vigilantly preserved. (Hear, hear.)
Gentlemen, I might continue this strain of remark
almest indefinitely, but I fear I have already trespassed
too far on your indulgence for an after-dinner speech.
(No, no.) Allow me, therefore, only to add that I thank
the chairman most sincerely for the very eloquent and
too flattering terms in which he has introduced my name,
and this company for the very handsome manner in
which they have received it. (Loud and prolonged
cheering.)

Colonel S. 'ADeIR' M.P., said he bad to.propose a
toast without which the proceedings,of that evening
would be incomplete. They had all heard Sir W F.
Williams, in language which became the brave leader of
brave men, express the high admiration in which he held
the gallant men who had participated in his achieve.
ments and his glory ; and they kuevv the generous sen-
timents which actuated him to be such that he insisted
that in any honours paid to himself his brother officers
should receive a share. (Hear, hear.) The annals of
the British army abounded in brilliant examples of he-
roic bravery and fortitude, but were it embed with not •
more glorious than those of Silistria and Kars. He had
therefore much pleasure in inviting them to drink, with
all the hOnours, " the health of Colonel Lake, Colonel
Teesdale; Dr. Sandwith, Mr. Churchill, and Mr. Red-
house, comrades of General Williams in the defence of
Kars." (Lend cheers.)
Col. LAKE, ,n acknowledging the compliment, re-
marked that, however undeserved be and his compa-
nions in arms felt the euloginme passed upon them to
be, it was gratifying to them to know that their poor
endeavours to do their duty were 'apprectated by their
countrymen and by their distinguished hosts. With
such a bright example before them as that set by their
gallant chief, it would have been strange indeed, if they
had not striven to .acquit themselves to the best of their
ability. (Cheers.)
Vice-Chancellor Sir W. P. WOOD Enid that the )ask•
had been intrusted to him of calling them away from the
tones of triumph in which they bad heretofore been in-
dulging to listen to a sadder strain, and one akin to the
seleinn and muffled peals which accompanied "the Dead
March." He had to bring to t heir recollection the me-
mory of Captain Thomson and the brave men who fe'l at
Kars. (Hear, hear.) That theme would not be as un-
welcome as the skeleton at the feasts of the heathen, be-
cause, to speak of no higher feeling, as patriots and Eng-
lish gentlemen, they must feel a mournful satisfaction in
rayi+ g a tribute to the brave departed who had fallen in
the diecharge of their duty. They could not but think
of the hopes of renown which must, in some degree have
cheered on those gallant spirits in their heroic efforts,
for who could forget the memorable saying of Nelson,
"The peerage, or Westminster Abbey." These heroes.,
now no more had, in the words of General Mouravieff,
their chivalrous opponent, added a brilliant page to the
history of civilised warfare, and having helped to heap
up that best of all national treasures, the inspiring ex.
amples of a country's bravest suns, it might be truly said
of them that—

" Ev'n in their ashes live their wonted fires."

(Cheers-.) He had no wish to draw any comparison to
the disparagement of our allantarrn y 21dg/4w:call in