The Sun.
London, England, 1857-09-26 00:00:00

LONDON, SATURDAY, SEPT. 26, 1857.

Honour to the brave, to whom honour is
justly due ! No degree of red-tapism can with-
hold the general recognition of distinguished and
meritorious services. Government 3 only follow,
do not lead public opinion, and too frequently
exhibit great tardiness in the operation. - There
41, however, the opportunity of " damning by
faint praise,' or depreciating by inadequate re-
wards, and that has always been a favourite
course.
We have recently alluded to the miserable
pittance bestowed on the hero who has rendered
himself illustrious by his conduct in the present
rebellion in India. General HAVELOCK has re-
'ceived 1001. per annum as a good service pen-
sion ! Had he been a dancing or music-master
to one of the Royal Family he would have re-
ceived double the amount out of the fund pro-
vided as the reward for " literature" (!) Had
.he been a German mercenary or one of the aris-
tocracy, with what is ordinarily termed " a
`handle to his name," the cousin-german of a
Ould-Stick-in-Waiting," or any of the hangers-
on about the Court, who could bring " back
- stairs influence" to bear, honours would have been
'lavished in abundance. But he was merely " one
of the people," one of the middleclass, who are ex-

~Pegged topayforeverything, but to receive nothing, times the speed of the best coaches of thirty years
.
t1"0 on whom the income-tax presses most ago ; while they saved, practically, more than half
116"161Y, because an equitable adjustment of the or three-fourths of their time, a considerable part
iniquitous impost is refused. And there is a also of the cost of travelling, and were spared
species of p„ticai
injustice in-
the course pur- most cf its discomforts. How rare a thing now
sued towards
}l'vz-LocK- Ho is just brought is a Light on the road I—unless it be, indeed, the
within the tax ; receives the minimum amount I forma:- c; letter half of one on the railroad itself,
that wi'l render him a contributor on the lowest giving y„ nearly a day more at one or the other
scale I
end of your journey. And then the safety. An
General HAVELOCK cannot forget that, not- occasional railway crash, almost always folbared
withstanding his zeal and high qualifications that . quickly, like other misfortuces, by a second or a
ought to have ensured promotion, he was pet_ third, are apt to produce an impression of insecu-
witted to linger twenty-three years as as 9, suL- 1
; rity : the fact is that in 1856 one person only out
alt-ru. He had attained the ripe age of 43 before of every sixteen millions and upwards who tra-
\
be received the command of a company, and it vdled by railway sustained fatal injury from
w:a for his skill as an interpreter that he obtained leauses b:yond his own control. From the same
the rank that enabled him to save the Aaiglc-1 causes not more than one in four hundred and
`ltidian Empire from destruction,. He has not i fifty-eight thousand sustained any serious injury
1 whate
been a carpet knight, basking in ladies' smiles, or 1 ver. of
course we step into a rail-
playing at soldiers ; and therefore the highest , way carriage with the chance of nearly hilf a
honours cannot be anticipated. He has simply i million to one irc favour of our perfect.
ty and of more than •
iu favour safety to our lives ! If secu-
. merit to look to, and that invariably withers ur.- i stxteart mi lions
of
b 3 brought nearer
. perfection, of course
der "the cold shade of aristocracy."
. - Juiicious rewards possess very beneficial infiu- rity may
6tOcift cue '
much the better • but it must be owned that
enc,,s. Every man looks for the prize, anJ, Iso '
however adverse the chances, still he takes
these facts border on tits
itself a
he marvellous.
I
however The
wonder. The
any, remote, into account. It inspires i
~. goods traffic
him with new zeal, bestows indomitable courage I
i
tonnage of all vessels entering the Unit -id King.
and resolution. He identifies himself with his dom from all countries last year (including their
leader, and feels that the entire corps are honoured ; repeated voyages) was eight and one quarter mil-
in the recognition of hie services. He has ?shared lions nearly; that of all vessels clearing outward