The Sun.
London, England, 1856-05-02 00:00:00

tude of this country, yet I cannot but think that too much
was conced,d to the prejadices which. I mukt say, were not
well founded on the part of our French allies. After Sebas-
topol had fallen and after Kars had fallen there was the
Turkish Government displaying an earnest, natural, MD a
anxious desire to withdraw a portion 'of their army from
the Crimea, and to occupy Trebizond without -delay after
the fall of Kars, in order to prevent the dander of the fur-
ther advance of the Russian army. As late as the 14th of
December, Lord Stratford writes to the Earl of Clarendon
to say :

I learn from M. de Thouvenel that permission has at
length arrived from Paris for Marshal Pelissier to assent to
the departure of the Egyptian infantry at Enpatoria for
Trebizoncl. lam informed, however, that the ,Turkish
commander had declared his determination to embark the
troops without waiting for any further communication."
This bears incidentally upon a part of the case of the Go-
vernment. They have been blamed for adhering to the
view taken by General Williams himself, and preferring
the auxiliary troops from Turkey to the division of Omer
Pacha. The local knowledge of the hon. member for
Aylesbairy has made this perfectly intelligible, and he has
shown that in the early part of the summer the road from
Trebizond to Batoum was more direct in a military riat
of view, and more suitable except for artillery. But after
Sebastopol had fallen, the question was whether a portion
, of the army ought not to evacuate the Crimea and go to
Trebizond. Hear what Sir W. Codrington, our Com-
mander-in-Chia 1, says with reference to this subject
Writing on the 10th December, he says
" I wrote to Marshal Pelissier in the general Use of
your letter, expressing to him the great object it seemed
to be to get the Turkish troops to Trebizond, and that,
if done at all, it should be done at once, and offering nil
assistance, if I could, by communications with our nail:
farther this object. His answer was, that be could not
consent to their leaving Enpatorie without the
express
sanction of the Emperor of the Fi er oh."
, (Hear, hear.) That is to say, that the opinion formed by
the general commanding-in-chief, backed by the earnest
desire of the Turkish Government, was dependent oa
the will of the Emperor at Paris, communicated' by tell"
grapte This is delierategrounci- (cheers)—but I speak with
every desire to show the utmost deference to the Emperor of
the French. Lord Stratford wrote to say —" The Turks are
sadly mortified by the embargo which appetite to have
been laid on the Egyptian troops at Eupatoria." That
feeling of soreness and disappointment was both natural
and well-founded. (Cheers.) But I may be asked--
" Why, if you find these faults, do you not vote for the
motion of the hon. and learned member for Enniskillene
(Opposition cheers.) That, is a fair question, and I will
proceed to answer it. I will first take the amendment of
my hon. friend the member for Dorsetshire (me. K. Sey-
mer). If the, previous question had been moved at an
early stage of the discussion, I do not know whether, with
' the view I take, I should not have voted for it. But since
the discussion has been opened, I cannot regard the
amendment of my hon. friend exactly in the light of *
motion for the previous question ; although it is a reason-
able amendment, asking, not that no verdict shall be pro-
nounced, but that there shall be delay in pronouncing s
verdict ; and he asks for delay upon the assumption that
we are ignorant of the terms of peace, and that we aught
to be made acquainted with them, and to considerthem
before we pronounce our verdict. With respect to the
original motion, I cannot regard the question which it
raises as an abstract question ; even if I did so regard it, r'
could not bring myself—it may be from prejudice, it May
be from kindly feelings towards old friends—to say, as an
abstract proposition, that I think Lord Clarendon deficient
• in foresight or Lord Palmerston deficient in energy
;
(Cheers.) But this is not an abstract question ;it must '-
regarded with reference both to circumstances and to time.
Now, with regard to circumstances, there was great truth
and justice in the opinion pronounced by an impartial
• and intelligent spectator, General Manstiel 1, that the
cause of the fall of Kars is quite obvious. He says that
it was necessary, until Sebastopol had been taken, to keep
concentrating in front of Sebastopol every English, eveq
French, every Sardinian, every Turkish soldier thst
could be obtained ; that the campaigns in the Crimea
• and on the Asiatic frontier, including Kars, must be Fe''
garded as a whole; that the centre and key of the
entire
operation was Sebastopol, to which Kars, however iMPer:
tent, was but secondary ; and that the result was not s:
L all surprising we succeeded at the point where our unites
energies are concentrated, and we failed at the extremitii
to which we could not direct any assitance. Genera
Mansfield adds that he had predicted the result ; but, that
the gallant feat of arms by which Kars was enabled to
' hold out prevented the advance of the Russian army one
, yard farther than Kars, and that if Sebostopol he'd not
fallen we should, this spring, in consequence of the de-
fence of Kars, have opened the campaign in Aeia with the
' brightest prospects. Then, in considering this rnetioh!
time is not to be disregarded. Ido not wish to autieirs°
the discussion upon the articles of peace, but I cannot for-
get that peace is ratified, that it was proclaimed yestercn
that we are cognisant of its terms and, looking at the,!l.
terms, I must say that, in my humble judgment, all the (.1?
jects, the principal objects of the war, have been fully
achieved, an 1 that the peace is honourable to the country
(Cheers.) Without wasting the time of the house by en-
tering at any length into this subject, I must give them in
a short summary of the terms we have obtained. 14e
Principalities--the occupation of which by Russia was-
pretext, the cause of the war—are rescued from the grail!
of Russia, and to them is added the half of Bessarabia;
the fort of Ismnil, long occupied by Russia, is restored r
the Principalities ; the free navigation of' the Danube 1:
guaranteed ley Europe ; the commerce of the Euxine
opened to the world ; the Russian fleet in the Euxine rs
annihilated, no military arsenals on the coast of the Eux•
ine, no military fortress on its Eastern shore which hs!e
been destroyed, are to be rebuilt, the standing menace
to
Sweden, Borna.rsund and the Aland Islee, is not again to
be fortified ; the standing menace to Turkey, Sebastopol,
is in ruins ; Kars is restored to the Turks without an
equivalent, the progreas of Russian aggrandisement is ar-
rested, the independence and integrity of Turkey are
sesured under the guarantee and panoply of Europe.
(Cheers.) These are the leading conditions of peace-
I have, without partiality, censured wherever I
thought censure was due ; but I think it would be un-
generous to the Administration which has conducted the
war to a conclusion, upon such a day as this, under circum-
stances such as I have feebly described, to declare that it is
altogether unworthy of the confidence of the ciiuntry sad'
has failed in foresight and energy. • For these reasons I
shall neither vote fur the amendment nor fur the motion.
Mr. DISRAELI said—The right hon. gentleman the
member for Carlisle has this night tempered justice with
mercy. (Laughter.) He has spoken against the Weil-
tors, and he intends to vote for them. (Laughter.) The
right kon. gentleman seems to have put with considerable
force and Parliamentary experience the main points that
tell against the Ministers; but, remembering that the/
ware once h;s colleagues and stil his friends he says that
he will resist the irresistible inference that on this ocessi°l/,,
they are to blame. They are, in the opinion of the right
hon. gentleman, sinners to be condemned, but that, We
stractelly considorel, they are innocent. (Laughter.) We
have just terminated a great war, and just concluded all
important peace, and during that space of time an evell
has occurred -which, in the view of many persons, has a'
ercised an influence on public affairs, and has been
,at-
tended with circumstances which enlist the deepest 11131-
pathy of the people of this country. There has been s Pre•
valent belief that men distinguished by all those qualities
and virtues which Englishmen are prone to '
.clueire hay'
V
been deserted by the Governor int ; and now, after a for-
bearance not morethan due to the state of thei country end
to the embarrassing duties of the Administration—after s
forbearance which reflects credit on this housie we arq told
because the attention of Parliament is called to those cir•
cumstances, and because we presuthe in the House of Cora•
mons to discuss this question of national and universal in'
terest, which for a long period has touched the hearts of
the whole country, that we are taking a p Art which Po-
tion only could have inspired, and the most sal'
fish anal sordid sentiments only could. have prompt'
d. (Hear, hear.) Before the main 'business of the
night commenced an hon. member rises a member for
Scotch burgh, the member for greenock,.. and he says that
this debate is only continued for the sake •of a few speeches,
and that, it is entirely a factious move ment. Is that the
opinion of the people of England ? Is ithere a man in this
country who does not feel that the sie.g e and fall of Kara
ought, and deserves to be, the subject or Parliamentary dis•
cession. (Cheers.) It is not only that tine Scotch member
who presumes to give this opinion on :the conduct of the
House of Commons. The house still eels oes with the plain-
tive oration of the member for Ayr ; and what is the eau"
why ho addressed such language as he did to gentlemen on
this (the Opposition) side of the house f What is WS griev-
ance ? reason against the continuani cc of 'this debate /0,

that he will thereby be prevented from introducing a bill.
And what is the history of that bill ? Some fortnight ago
another golden opportunity was lost by i~ hat hon. and learned
gentleman. He came down to the hol Ise to expound his
legislative opinions, but unfortunately' there was no house.
(Hear, and a laugh.) Really I do not t tti nk that there is any
great grievance on the part of the hon. '7lnember. He has had
his chance,'and a member having a bill. to introduce and not
making a house is not a member who 'ought to complain of
an adjournment of the debate. But tb ereis a third member
fir Scotland, who represents the eapit a:t of that great court'
try, the successor, and, I believe, the s-t tccessful rival, of one
of the greatest ornaments of British lite rature, and formerly
one of the greatest ornaments of this h o use—l mean the hon.
member for Edinbu gh. He declares :all this discussion to
be vain and worthless, and says it is .only an assault on the
Treasury bench. Does he mean to say that there
is in the city of Edinburgh, which, by some strange
anomaly, he represents—(a laugh) —such a total want
of sympathy with all that has happened at Kars—
with those strange and romantic in cidents which will bo
remembered when the war is forgo•i:ten, and when this

.eaty of peace is a dusty document- --does he mean to say

that there is in that city such an ex ti •aordinary absence of
sympathy with the gallant William s, and all those heroic
achievements which form the subjeet c If discussion this night?
(Hear, hear.) Does he represent faith ft the feelings of his
constituents when he says that any di le ussion on this subject
is vain, futile, and selfish ? I have a -3 nigher opinion of the
educated, intelligent, and accomplishes i inhabitants of modern
Athens. (Hear, and laughter.) I ch not believe that the
hon. me ober on this point faithfully t presents his constitu-
ents, for I am sure the subject of our discussion must excite
among them the deepest interest. (Et 3ar.) But unf ,rtn-
nately, it is not only of such small deer' as these vituperative
members of the sister kingdom, (a lau g that we have to
complain to-night. A Cabinet Ministc , whose speech, lam
bound to say (as he spoke of contrast),. was most favourably
contrasted with the speech of another m ember of the Cabinet
in this debate, because he did justice to the subject before
us, and because he least admitted its im port:thee, described
this motion as an attempt to upset the ML tistry. I think ho
should not have touched on that point. I think it becomes-
the House of Commons to have some more clear idea., of the
position of an Opposition in this country,. and of the ( tuties it
has to fulfill, than appears to be prevalent among son 03 hon.
gentlemen, and even among right hon. gentlemen on the
Ministerial bench. I confess it appears to me that tl to
duty
of an Opposition is to vindicate its principles, whe at they
deenait necessary and convenient, and to assert them N ritbout
the slightest reference to what may be the consequen ea of a
division rthink, in the second place, that it is tit( para"
mount and peremptory duty of an Opposition to offer . cri-
ticisms on public affairs, when they think that the cond sic tof
the Ministry demands observation, without the slightest :
ference to the consequences of a division. If the duty of s
Opposition is only to be tested by the success which upsets a
Ministry, it is very easy to see that the sphere of oppositio 1