The Sun.
London, England, 1856-03-22 00:00:00

LONDoN. SATURDAY EVENING, MARCH 22, 1856.

SIR CHARLES NAPIER AYD SIR JAMES
GRAHAM.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
SlR,—Sir James, in his speech, accused me of not
sending a report en Sweaborg till Sewernber the 23d.
On looking over my papers, I find that, owing to the
weather, i did not get off Sweaborg till the 12th of June.
On the 2d of July Sir James wrote to me as follows :
"The Cabinet has taken into consideration the statement
contained in your private letter to me on the subint."
The following is an extract of my letter :—" The only
way to take or destroy Sweaborg would be by a large
military force occupying the islands, and throwing shells
into it, and I send Amiral Chads's report." The admiral's
report was a very clear one. This Sir James industri-
ously concealed from the house. On the 18th of July,
after due consideration, I sent another report, and, as it
is of great importance to me, I beg, sir, you will have
the kindness to reprint it :
"The only successful manner of attacking Sweaborg that
I can see, after the most mature consideration, assisted by
Chads, who is a practical man, and knows more about gun-
nery than any man in the service, is by fitting out a great
number of gun-boats, carrying one gun with a long range,
and placing thorn west of Sweaborg, and south of Helsing-
fors: Every shell from them would tell somewhere, and
perhaps not five per cent. from the enemy would take'effect.
Back them by the fleet, to relieve the men, and in the
course of the summer Sweaborg would be reduced to ashes,
and Helsingfors also, if it was thought proper; and I don't
see why we are to be ' mealy-mouthed' in time of war. The
ships, you will see, could not be destroyed, because they
could move out of the way.
" I was at the siege of Martinique, many years 'ago,
We 'coal not batter Fort Bourbon, as it lay higher than
the ground around it, but 50 mortars in three weeks,
plunging their shot into it, made it surrender. And whe-
ther mortars are placed on shore or in gun-boats is quite
immaterial ; indeed, the latter have the advantage, for
when their shells began to tell, and our blood began to
warm, the ships would move up to the batteries, and close
quarters would finish what the mortar-boats began.
"I sent you home copies of all the plans I had, and if
you will lay theta before the Engineer and Artillery officers,
I will be bound for it they will agree with me that is the
only way to destroy Sweaborg, without an army superior
to the Emperor of Russia's, which we are not likely to
bring into the field. It is too late this year, but be all pre-
pared next, now we know the anchorage, and begin early.
"I forgot to say that the islands within range may all
be put in requisition for 13-inch mortars. The expenses
would be very groat, no doubt, but if we are to bring the
war to a conclusion, expense must not be thought about."
This letter the Admiralty deny having received. I
wish to know what Sir James bas done with it. He
said I sent home no report before the 23d of Sept., which
was the reason be could send no appliances in 1854.
With regard to Botuarsund, Sir James read two let-
ters of mine, recommending 10,000 men to be sent there
—bat ha suppressed the extract of another letter, as fol-
lows :—" The third plan is to attempt Aland Islands.
To do this (as we have no troops) it would be necessary
for the whole fleet to proceed to the anchorage pointed
out on Capt. Sullivan's chart, leaving vessels at the en-
trance of the gulf, to watch the Helsingfors squadron.
Land all the matinee and the French troops," which
would amount to 5,000, a great number of heavy guns,
and lay siege to Bomarsend, attacking at the seine time
in front if found practicable ; if not, land 10,000 seamen
and make soldiers of them." Why did Sir James sup-
press this, unless in order to injure me ? It is worse
than Capt. Christie's affair.
I have shown that Sir James contemplated no further
operations after be knew of the intention of withdraw-
ing the French army ; but when he found the people
were discontented, a council of war was ordered on the
4th of September, and it was unanimously decided that
nothing more could be done at that season of the year.
I, therefore, was not to blame.
A second council of war was ordered on the 9th of
September, to take General Jones's plan into considera-
tion. This plan, Sir James said, I sent home without
comment. This is not true. I did comment as fol-
lows :—"The place is of tiro much importance to be
feebly garrisoned, and if we have 5,000 men at Back-
holmen they would pars over from Gustavus Sward
10,000 men, and make them all prisoners." The date
of this letter to the Admiralty was the 27th of August.
This council of war was not held because the French
army had cone, and the Admiralty knew at the time
they gave the order that it was dec de'l they were to go.
A third council of war was ordered on the 12th, and the
French admiral declined attending it, as he had already
given his opinion, and my own admirals unanimously
agreed that they raw no reason to change theirs.
Now,' sir, it will be recollected that may second recon-
naissance, an account of which was sent home on the
23d of September, was received by the Admiralty on
the 4th of October, the day that the report of the cap-
ture of Sebastopol arrived .; and they perverted my
letter, wickedly and maliciously, and goaded me to at-
tack Sweaborg, contrary to the opinion of two councils
of war ; and on the 9th of October (the day that they
kn ew Sebastopol was not taken), without waiting for
my reply, they contradicted the order, and directed the
sailing ships to come home, and my squadron to go to
Kiel.

Flow does Sir James get out of this ? He blinked it
altogether, anpl told the house the hatle of Alma was
fought on the Lith of September. Tat had nothing to
do with my report, which was dateti the 231, and ar-
rived the day of the hoax ; and that was wi,at caused
the quarrel between the Admiralty and myself ; and Sir
James managed it so we:l, that he led the house en-
tirely away from it, .

Sir James says it was my neglect is not sending
borne a report before the 23,1 of Septernier, 1854, which
prevented him from sendimr appliances newssary for the
attack of Sweaborg, in 1854. I have shown that I did
send my report, dated the 18th of July ; and as for his
talking of sending ont appliance,,, it was quite impos-
Eible, and he knows it was.

In 1855 they only managed to send out 32 gun and
mortar vessels, and bad not oue gun on the islands,
though the French had ; and Admiral Dundas was so
sensible that his means were insufficient, though assisted
by 8 French gun-boats, 4 mortar-vessels, and, I think, 4
or 5 mortars on the islands, that he never c nitemplated
bringing up his large ships ; and yet he was one of the
lords who wished me to attack with 8 or 10 sail-of-the-
line, though the intricate nature of the ground, from
rocks awash and reefs under water, rendered it difficult
to select a position for the mortar-vessels at proper
range.i. Even Captain Sullivan, who had surveyed the
ground, got on shore, and the ships which engaged the
batteries were obliged to haul off, It may be asked, why
Admiral Dundas did not go in when he saw the whole
place in a blaze? There were two reasons. His fleet was
not'' assembled, and his mortars were all split, and the
admiral had none to replace them.

•
Sir James says this affair ought not to rest here. So
say J. Hia Admiralty have been accused of perverting
my despatches to save themselves from blame, and urging
me to act contrary to the decision of two councils of war,
ordered by themselves, and to attack a fortress which
not an admiral in the service would have ventured to do
with my means, and which one of their own board, with
all his additional appliances, would not do ; and at the
same time I write, 200 sail of gun arid mortar boats, be-
sides what are preparing in France, are getting ready
for the Baltic (if the war continues), to do what I was
expected to do ,with nine or tea sail of the line.
The, whole of the summer of 1851 I wag praised more
than ever an admiral was, both publicly and privately ;
and now, in 1856, every attempt has been made by Sir
J. Graham] arid Admiral Berkeley to destroy me, because
I resisted their conduct towards me, and all the power
of Sir James's ridicule and special pleadings, true or
false, brought against ma, to damage my reputation.
When I came home a court martial was refused—an
appeal to the Prime Minister not noticed—an appeal to
the House of Commons in 1855 successfully resisted,
and an investigation into the operations in the Baltic
met with a serious charge preferred against me by the
late First Lord of tbe Admiralty, supported by the Senior
Naval Lord, accusing me of being the cause of proper
appliances not being sent to the Baltic in 1854 to attack
the enemy ; and a further charge of having caused the
delay in the attack of Cronstadt—a charge little short
of high treason, and, if true, I ought to be removed from
the list of admirals.

If an investigation, which I shall ask the Admiralty
for, is ordered, I can tell both Sir J. Graham and Sir
F. Berkeley it will not redound to their honour, at one
time advising me not be goaded on, and that they ap-
proved of all I did, and then turning against me, and
doing everything they could to annoy me.
Sir. F. Berkeley said my nerves were gone. Ile has
done enough to destroy the nerves of a much stronger
man ; and I should like to have seen bow the gallant ad-
mira would have conducted the Baltic fleet the first
campaign, had it been entrusted to him ; but that the
Government took very good cars not to do.
The reporter of the Times represents me as having said
that I had the gout ; I said no such thing—it was a per-
fect mistake.—I am, sir, your obedient servant
N,
CHARLES APIER.

Marines. + Admiral Dundaa's Letter.

DEATH or LIEUTENANT WOOLVER.—Lient. Richard
J. Woolver (1315) died lately at Chelsea. This officer
entered the navy Jan. 1, 1806, as midshipman, on board
the Malta, 84.
UNIVERSITY DEGREEIL—In the present Ministry there
are eight first-class men—Sir G. Lewis, Sir C. Wood,
Sir G. Grey, Lord Harrowby, Lord Wodehouse, Labou-
chere, Lowe, and Sir R. Bothell. The Lord Lieutenant
of Ireland, Lord Carlisle ; the Governor-General of
India, Lord Canning
' • and the Governor-General of
Casada, Sir E. Head, were first-class men. If former
Administrations be regarded,
we have lately had Sir R.
Peel, Gladstone, Cardwell, and Sir F. Baring. Of the
last eight Chancellors of the Exchequer five have been
first-claee men. The permanent Under-Secretary for the
Colonies, Herman Merivale ; the permanent Secretary to
the !Admiralty, Thomas Phinn ' • the Chairman of the
Board of Customs, Sir T. Freemantle ; the late Deputy
Chairman, George Dawsen ; the Receiver-General of
the Customs, Sir F. Doyle
; the Secretary of the Poor-
law Board, Lord Courtney ; the Secretary of the Council
of Education, Ralph Linen ; the Emigration Commis-
sioner, Sir F. Rogetd—were all flint-class men.—Borabay
gacirterly Review.

Naval arid Military littelligence.

The Castle Eden convict-ship sailed last evening from
Portsmouth for the eastward, and also the Avon steam-
vessel, Second Master Veiteli, fiir the westwar.l. The
Clifton, No. 106 transport, sailed last evening for the
eastward. The Mayflower, 2, gun-I,nat, Lieut. Temple,
arrived yesterday from the eastward, The Goldfinch,
2, gun-boat, .Lieut. Boxer, arrived yesterday morning at
Portsmouth, from the eastward. The Arnelie, No. 203
transport, came into harbour yesterday morning to dis-
charge stores. The Pearl, 21, 'Captain Sotheby, wont
out of harbour yesterday, and ancho4 at Spithead.
The Wanderer, 4, screw devatch-4ssel, Commander
J. P. Luce, having-received the who)* of her st gyres on
board, left Chatham on
,Wednesday:lor Sheerness, to
await her sailing orders. This vessel: is supplied with
two large Lancaster guns, and she is i.too provided with
a large quantity of cases of Laneasterebells. Her crew
have been paid in advance.

The Mohawk, Commander F. Close; fittiiig at
Chatham for a despatch steamer, haviii been completed
and made ready for sea, a telegraphic sparch arrived at
Chatham late on Thursday evening for her departure
for Sheerness on ° the following day. the has a comple-
ment of PO men.

An order has been received at Chatham dockyard
directing that the inerr employed on the establishment
are t'i discantinpo working overtime, with the excel).
tion of those employed on the /Etna floating battery.

THAT BLESSED BABY.LINEN.

(Front Punch.)

MRS. SMITH TO MRS. Nola% .
-
" PARts3, March 14. dear Mill' . Jones, take my word
for it, babies will be all the fashion for a month, at least
amongst what Smith calls ' our lively It can't be
otherwise ; for the show of the baby-linen—the sweet
Empress's things for the darling child make babies,
as ose may say, quite catching.
" Well, I've just come from Mademoiselle Felicie's' in
the Vivienne. A ticket was brought to Smith bytho
Count (Smith tells me I mustn't trust names to
the post), who always beats Smith at billiards out of
more than Smith likes to own, in the handsomest way,
for two for the baby-linen ; which, as Smith
always grumbled at the expense, I wouldn't, for that
reason, aka with me. So, myself and young Mrs. Flower
—who wished more than I can mention, but which you'll
quite understand, to see the patterns—we both of us wont
to Mdlle. Felis's, where we had to form what is called here
a queue, but which; in English, may be called a terming.
tion —them was such a crowd to see the blessed children's
things ; La. the Emperor, who is the greatest man in
Europe—and this would be enough to prove it if nothing
else did—the Emperor has had two sets of things made up,
one for a darling Prince, and one fur a sweet Princess, so
that he mightn't be taken by surprise, if Providence was
ever so bountiful. A feeling that does him honour as a
husband, and immortal glory as .a crowned head, as I said
to young Mr. Flower, who I'm sorry to say is what is called
a liberal, which means anything but manly generosity to
the wife of his affections and the dear children that may
at some titan bless him.

" After we had followed the movements of the queue—
which twisted ist and.out like any snake; but all, like the
French, in the best politeness, and with no pushing what-
ever—it Caine to our turn to enter the rooms, several effi-
cers—Colenels or Generals at least, I'm sure of it—iu the
handsomest manner attending us. Oh, my dear Mrs. Jones,
it is something to be borne a prince in France ! I thought
Mrs. Flower would have fainted—the things were quite too
much for her. And even for myself, I must say, I felt as
if it would have been a pleasure to weep ever so little, the
scene was so moving. Indeed, everybody was affected ;
and I'm proud to say it, my own countrywomen—and there
was a swarm of 'em—showed as much interest in the things
as if they'd been made up upon their own account—an
who, with any heart, can wonder?
" As I told you, there's two sets, for boy and girl—the
boy's trimmed with red, and the girl's with blue, which,
on the white, quite snakes up the line of the beautiful song
for which Mr. Henry Ruesell has been made a full colonel
of the legion of honour, with permission its tka decline of
his life to sell out for the advantage of his family ; a fa-
vour, as I am told, never before heard of in France, and
by no means likely to be heard of again.
" Well, my dear, if I was to try to tell you what we
saw, you'd take me for ono of the Arabian Nights.! There
was one partielar set, frock, under things, and all eesides,
you might hive drawn through the Empress's wedding-
ring. And then the heap of. articles ! Why, allowing
the babies—for I'm speaking, as one may say, boil for
the red and the blue—allowing 'em not to grow a bit,
and there was more than a full change a-dsy, with-
out one going to the wash, for a twelvemonth ! Take
and turn all the Foundling Hospital into new-born
babies, and there is clothes enough—if it isn't improper to
name such a thing in the same breath with foundlings—
clothes enough to shift 'em every day for three months,
boys and girls into the bargain.
" But what struck me and Mrs. Flower with astonish-
ment was the quantity and the fineness of the lace. The
Empress, as I said to Mrs. F., who quite agreed with me,
the Empress must be a happy W0111:11A Aud then the
work ! Well, I don't like to thiukomalLokaklown4"l"'
try-s—specielly hi needbfwork and erabreidetyr bat the'
work does take away one's breath. The worst of it was,
olr queue was made to move so fast through the rooms,
that we couldn't examine even with the naked eya,any-
thing like what we wished—and as for touching a single
thread, you might as well have tried, as Mrs. Flower said, to
lay your hand upon a white cloud in Heaven. However,
you may take my word for it, there never was such needle-
work before; such embroidered roses and violets, it isn't
a bit too mach to say, you might fairly have smelt 'em.
Besides this, I'm told—not that we saw it—that out of
compliment to the English alliance, the Emperor has had
the British lion woven as a pattern in some of the things,
which is, you will allow, very handsome.
" I've always stood up for the Emperor ; because what I
always admire in men—l'm eat speaking of Smith, under-
stand—what I. admire is, determination, will, my dear ;
power! Now all this baby-liuen convinces me that Louis
Napoleon is the best man for France ; knowing, as it's
plain he does, how much can be clone with muslin.
"There was a report that the Conference —as they're
called—wore all coming over to Mdlle. Felicie's to look at,_
the baby-linen ; but that an electric telegraph from St.
Petersburg to Coent Orloff, for state reasons, and on pain
of the knout, which must be drm_dful, forbid him.
" if I can, I'll bring you horse, from Mdlle. Folicie her-
self, a pattern of ene of the Princess's blue bonnets ; and
also a pattern of a Talusa, which, Pre told, is called after
a French tragedy-player, just as you might name a muff
after an English one ; and am, deur Mrs. Jones,
" Yours, sincerely,
" SUSAN SMITH.

" P.S. We're to have a hundred guns whe• the Prince
is born. You know what Smith is ! There's no rousing
him to any pitch of admiration. Fur three nights I could
have vowed I heard the beginning of the gnus, and woke
him accordingly ; but of course ho wouldn't hear anything
of the s,rt, and I couldn't make him. The Popo is coming
to christen the Prince, which, I he•>.r upon good authority,
will be christened Napoleon Pius."

A WHITE SLAVE FOR SALE.

(Front Dr. Parson's " lasi& View of Slavery.")

Mr. C., a dry goods merchant, of Boston, was with me
at the little city of M., where he wont to visit a partner in
trade. He had not been in a slave state before, and was
bitterly opposed to etnancipatien. Two merchants, slave-
holders, had been in our cotnpany on the way to that city.
Whenever slavery was talked of, Mr. C. uniformly con-
curred with them. The next morning after we arrived we
saw a handbill in the bar-room, in which forty-four female
slaves were advertised for sale. Stepping out into the
street, we found those girls sitting on the sidewalks. At
the farther end of the row was a very beautiful girl, appa-
rently perfectly white, and neatly dressed. The moment
Mr. C. looked at her, he exclaimed, " What do you think
that white girl is sitting there with those negroes for ?"
" I presume she is a slave, sir," said I.
" That can't be," replied Mr. C ; "just look at her ;
why, I never saw a prettier girl in my life."
Now, Mr. C. had heard that likely quadroons are held
as slaves and sold in the market, but be had never believed
that a young lady, so entirely American, so elegant is form
and feature, so intellectual in appearance, with pure blue
eyes, and the perfect red and white Caucasian complexion,
was in the same degraded condition as the African girl ;
and his fine sensibilities were greatly shocked at the idea
that a white girl, so beautiful, was. deemed to inch die-
gt ace. his heart was steeled against sympathy with the
blacks, bet it was unshielded on the side towards the
white race, to which his mother, wife, and daughter be-
longed. Hence he was unprepared to believe it, when I
said to him, " She is a slave, sir !"
Thole was the precise number, including her, advertised
in the bill. Still iucredulees, Mr. C. stepped up to the
drover, and asked " Is that white girl a slave, sir ?"
" That's not a white girl ; the is a nigger, sir," replied
the drover. _

Mr. C. bit his lips with suppressed indignation, paused,
and then ejaculated, " Is it possible !"
" Does she belong to you ?' said ho to tho drover.
" Yes sir," replied the drover.
" What do you ask for her ?" inquired Mr. C.
" I was offered 1,800 dollars for her last night ; I want
2,000 dollars for her."
" What do you ask for that one ?" said Mr. C., pointing
to a light quadroon sitting next to the white girl.
" I will take 1,200 dollars for her."
" Well, holy much for the black ones, here, at this end
of the row ?"

" I will take $OO dollars a piece," replied the dealer.
" Why, can that white girl—"
" That isn't a white girl ; that's a nigger, sir, I tell you,"
interrupted the drover, contemptuously. At the satne.time
he removed a woollen cap from her head, which exposed
the light brown hair, and added, "You see her hair is
waved."

That is regarded as evidence that African blood is min-
gled with the white. Mr. C. had now become excited, and
he exclaimed, " Well, then, can that white nigger do more
work than one of your black niggers, that you ask se much

for her
" Oh, no," replied the drover; and, perceiving that Mr.
C. did not comprehend the superior value of female beauty
to physical ability in a slave, he added, " But yon know
she is a high-priced fancy girl."
" By heavens !" vociferated Mr. C., "'Lis too bad !" and,
•turning to me with his clenched hands raised towards the
heavens, he added, " I will never say another word against
the abolitionists, so long as God lets me live !"

A correspondent of Galignani writes :—" Neuraigy,
which is now a very common complaint among ladies,
may be attributed to a part of the head being so unco-
vered, in consequence of the extreme smallness of the
bonnets, a fashion which is not at all suited to such a
cold and variable climate as that of France."

ntre Dame will present au imposing spectacle on
Sunday Dent. The Emperor and the members of the
chief bodies of the state go in pomp to the cathedral to
hear a ". Te Dem" in celebration of the recent birth.

THE NEW BISHOP OF CARLISLE ON
EDUOATION.

Yesterday evening the Iron. and Rey. Dr. Henry
Montague Villiers, the Bishop elect of Carlisle, preached
at Trinity Church, Marylebone, in aid of the funds of
the Metropolitan Training College at liighbury. After
dwelling upon the 13th verse of the 103 d Psalm, which
he chose for his text, he directed attention to the ob-
jects of the college. Time was, he said, and that not
many years ago, when an idea was prevalent, even
amougst men well educated themselves, that anybody
would do for a schoolmaster. The notion was, that
if there was some old man or old woman in a village,
for whom nothing else could be done to keep them off
the books of the parish, that old man or old woman
might be converted into a schoolmaster or schoolmis-
tress. .Since that time men had taken a juster and
higher view of the importance of education, and perhaps,
in the whole era of the world, there was never a time which
might he so appropriately described as the age of education
as that in which we were now living. What Christian per-
son was there who (lid not rejoice at it ? There was also
a time when thoughtful persons objected to education,
'for they said it would have a tendency to lead men
-into infidelity, and induce them to dispute the truth
of God's holy Word. Again, be said, men bad token a
juster and higher view of education. They now knew that
the more knowledge was brought to bear upon the
Scriptures for the purpose of testing their credibility,
the more they would shine, and the wore certain would
it appear thet they were from God and that they were
designed to show, men the way to a glorious hereafter.
He granted that there was a danger connected with
education, and it was against that danger that those
.who bad the management of the Highbury Training
College were most careful
.to guard. It was possible
to put into a child's hand a sharp weapon with which
it might do itself and others great injury ; but a child
with such a weapon should be watched, warned against
is danger, and instructed in its use. And so with edu-
cation—unless it was watched and properly guided, it
might prove highly dangerous not only to its possessor
but t r all who were within the sphere of his influence.
It was quite possible to have a teacher ♦ery different
from that old superannuated man or woman to whom
Me had alluded—it was possible to have a teacher who
had a great deal of knowledge, and better than that,
who Lad a heart full of love, and yet that teacher might
be altogether inefficient and useless when placed in a
school. They might havb all the appliances of education
—good rooms, adequate funds, proper books, and perfect
apparatus; and yet with all these, if they bad not gat the
right man to teach, they would have a 'nest imperfect, he
might alMost say, a moat useless school. Those whom
he addressed were probably aware that a great improve-
ment had been introduced into schools (luring the last
few years by means of pupil teachers. These boys were
induced to go through a considerable amount of extra
education,—they were, as it were, apprenticed to the
master and the managers of the schools, who were bound
to give them an excellent education. They were then
exaturee4 at certain periods of the year, and according to
that exariaination, made by an independent inspector ap
pointed specially by the Comtuittee of Council on Educe-
' tion, they received a very important salary as a reward
of their work. Now it was thought that after they had
left the school in which they received instruction, and
before they took schools of their own, they should be
received into institutions where they might gain the tact
and the judgment to impart to others the excellent in-
struction they had received. Knowledge was useless
when it was boxed up in their own heads, and therefore
it was absolutely necessary that young men designed for
the scholastic profession should be taught how to im-
part it to others. If, they, such institutions as that for
which he pleaded were supported, there would be secured
a race of well-educated and intelligent teachers, who
would net only benefit the schools over which they were
placed, ,but would promote the real good of mankind
and the glory of Gerd. Adverting to the Bible as the'
foundation of hi sound educ &on, Dr. Villiers re•
marked that it was frequently read where it ought not
to be read. Where teachers did not appreciate the sacred
volume, or where they knew little of anything else, they
made it a task book, making that distesteful to a child
which ought to become the cirnfort of his after life. He
therefore recommended to his cougregetion this college,
which was not A piece of mere inactive machinery, but
an institution, the conductors of which were ready to
sacrifice &cry thing in order to send forth men thoroughly
zealous for that great work which they believed to be
essential to the welfare of the country at large. The ear-
nest appeal of the bishop elect, on behalf of the college
was responded to by a liberal subscription in aid of its
funds.