The Sun.
London, England, 1857-04-21 00:00:00

and actual expenditure well know how very mo-
derate and usual would be such a change, the rate

The principal merit, as well as the conspicuous
characteristic of the Commander-in-Chief of our
forces in the Crimean War—so far as wo have
ever been able to understand it was his Amia-
bility ! It is very ridiculous, of course—but it
was so I Fancy an amiable Commander-in-Chief !
. Amiability his principal merit—his conspicuous
Flattering promises may be held out, and shares
eharacteristic. Really the notion of choosing a
man to conduct a great army to battle because he may at present be quoted at nominal premiums I
happened to be particularly suave and agreeable, But all these matters must be taken cum grano
has from first to last in this matter appeared to us says. All men who have attained middle life
to be in its way about the utmost possible stretch recollect something of the inflated calcula-
of absurdity ! One might almost as well go in bons attached to every prospectus brought
under their notice. In many instances the
quest of a Great Captain to that curious
place somewhere upon the Rhine, described so promoters might not have intended to
d
facetiously by the Mont Bien Lecturer, where deceive the public, or to have obtained money
everybody is remarkable for bowing to everybody
by fraudulent represeetetions. Naturally of san-
else I And where, if you only chance to lounge guine temperaments they might have believed
that the results would have fulfilled the expects-
by, any fine afternoon in the whole season--your-
self a total stranger, observe, to every one in the tions they excited. But still they were always
w crowd—the people are flourishing their hats in willing to strain a point so as to place their
the air, in your especial honour, for perhaps favourite schemes in the best light; and, as
twenty minutes at a stretch. In fact, long after 'lludibras" long since deposed—
you yourself are far away, and out of sight ! Why, "You must know the difference is immense
really this does appear to us to be the very place, Between a simple lie and false pretence."
of as it has been popularly 'of all others in the wide world, where the Genius
of the Horse Guards should go a-bunting in termed, is not a legal crime ; but still very serious
search of the old approved kind of a model-
consequences may follow to those who improvi-
dently part with their money and render theta-
amiable Commander-in-Chief l Quite a het-bed,
we should conjecture, for the cultivation of Great selves liable for future payments on highly
Captains of the stamp of the RAGLANS, the coloured statements.
&mesons, and the CODEINGTONS ! " Rigging the market" has been resorted to on
Well—Amiability had its day under the NEW- previous occasions, and, to say the least of it, is
CA3TLE regime. And now it seems that another possible in the case under notice. It was usual
hardly less astounding quality is to have its day, to devote a certain sum to buying up letters of
in turn, under the PANMURE Dispensation. That allotment, and keeping scrip at a premium in order
quality being—Discretion. A discreetly-amiable to induce the general public to pay. The "stags"
Commander-in-Chief—an amiably-discreet Com-
were necessarily propitiated ; and men subscribed,
wander-in-Chief—put it which way you will, this not with any intention of fulfilling the contracts
then is simply ridiculous. Yet Discretion and they entered into, but merely of selling
Amiability are actually to rule the choice under on the first favourable opportunity, when a
- 'the astounding War system now in vogue among few shillings, or even a few pence, per share
our administrators. Awe see...under the guidance ceuld be realised. But the bona fide purchasers
of this extraordinary principle, the Commander- ,suftered severely for the temporary benefits in
in-Chief of our grand warlike expedition against which they did not participate; and solvent sub-
the Chinese is General AsHnunNIIAM ! General scribers found that they could not, even at a heavy
Who ? almost everybody will ask on hear- loss, dispose of the stock which they originally
ing the name mentioned. And no wonder— took for the purpose of immediate sale, not of
seeing that about the only thing ever brought investment.
under the notice of the public at large From the statement in the money article of
the Times, which will be found in
• regard to General ASIIEGRN A5l, was the fact II
another part of
that once he commanded a brigade and that on the our impression, it appears that something very
_ suspicious has already leaked out. That clergy-
occasion of the Battle of Chillianwelleb. A con