The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-12-17
AFFAIRS m EUROPE.


Ra0ldn's Merit az Military Commander Criticized
o,rueI 7reatmen. IF their Wounded Prisoners by the
Ru. vians- Warfike EnAnsiasm in the Country Dis
tyich' Of Engiand-Rumored Change Of Ministry-
John Bright Likely to Lose his Seat for Manchester
Consen tence Of his Russian Letter.
The atmospheric gloom, in the shape Of vaporous fog
that everhangs the city, and by its density i'm
pedes all c and deluges with clammy dew stones,
Streets tempAs, ladies' feathers and manly moustache
is nothing tn moral cloud which, dark lowering and
deadly heavily ervades alike the busiest
and the gayes. palace. Never since the last days OF
European strife, when Waterloo's ensanguined plain
red with BritisA gore has such sensation becn
produced in London the dreary details OF the bat
tie Of Inkermann. The British army has been such
play thing, such galaxy OF frogs and tasses such
ralyng point and quinteNscence of who lived for
the hour that not the declaration war the vow
age to yarna the deadly periis Of pesience prepar
ed the gay world in which il moved to hear bona fde
boodsled Alma first reused it from its FOOLS PARADISE
Baiakava opened out painful reality: but Inkermann
has torn every vestge every rag OF the veil that filmed
is eyes, and revealed to those who for forty
years had slept the sleep of peace, that
war; with all its bes.al savagery, all it's
butcher spirit and devish will wrnging its
CORY hands the civilized world Old familiar faces
that never were seen without a smile-hard features
that looked too dry for eargen tie hearts on whom
the breath of aaversty had never blown, all now
"iihe ocuc"eu WIN tears OF saudest Every
house is as though there in il dead and even
those whom the thunderbo has yet fallen are in
hourly expectation of sharing the misery SO largely
spread around them. 1t is well that Lord Raglan all
the advantages OF high BIRTH first rate military training
and personal popularity. Had he been lesser man his
laurcls would not have been left unscathed and mill
tary criticism brought to bear upon him perhaps din
cult to be rebutted. it is many are heard to say
that there is unquestonably with many qualifications
of mi n lack of tha.
which knows, by skilfu combination how to spare the
blood Of the soldier II is said that battles are bull
headed assaults, vicoriousy carried by dog courage
but at cost which is serious terrible. Indeed
there is now no mistake abont either the reality
the horrors Of this In the club at this moment
two officers who took part in the battle of Inkermann
men whose tempers superior to all exsggernton-
and who give such accounts Of the which the
Russians treat the wounded that the blood cold to
hear of it, The fendsh spirit of the enraged tiger seems
to be loose, and the stricken soldier fals
before his ruthless foe than he is pinned to the earth
with forest Of bayonets; his brains are da shed out
his body stripped, and indignes which the savage
would have spared heaped upon it. And then such
battle as it But the mail which conveys you this
will bring you details fearful enough without the need
of others That 5000 men, approached under cover of
mist by enemy six or times numerous,
who had made all his dispositions for attack with tho
utmost and deliberaton and who troops fought
under the eye of their dreaded and almost deed Em
peDr should have held out for many hours,
dealing such fearful death and slaughter the foe s
glorious testimony in favor OF that Saxon stock,
mon alike to Americans and Britons The part which
the French took IA this engagement much to
semblc that which the prussans Waterloo.hcr
presence sufficient turn the scale they were
chiefly useful for the pursuit There was however,
important difference at inkermann-the Russians
fed, but retired from the field slowly angrly and
fercey again and again they faced about and charged
up the bill against English and French, and when
down by hundreds only retired 10 again on their
assaants. Good God! what VII be the result Of pro
longed fight with such peoplc!-a people who think
death holy sacrifice, and believe their Empcrors
mand the voice Of Jehovah arrayng them the battes
Whatever, however, may be the degree OF solictude
which agiates afflicted anxious minds at the present
juncture, the effect England generally Of the most
marve character The greater quantity Of native
blood poured out, the spontaneous and abundant
seems the supply England like encampment and
the land rings from end to end with the sound OF
trumpet fife and drum. have Just come up from the
eastern agricultural counties and the sss or all
classes beggars description Rife clubs every where
instituted, and men who have all their days handled
nothing but the spade pick the cy. the the hook or
fail, now hit the bulls eye with the precision OF an In
dian Every crippled old pensoner is hunted up and
made to put his best leg foremost that he may teach
young muary iuea, not 10 snCOt, but TO march
good order These jolly times promise you for the
poor and much i'll used laborer fields who with
wife and five children and twelve shilngs a week.
expected to look fat and have honest mind-to
so TO chweh and honor the King: and II he didnt-to
pack up bag and baggage and go the poorhouse Now
Richards himself again and he either trains for the
war, makes his terms for work when hands are
growing scarce. But the young unmarried men will
stop at home for indocement whatever
9TH ua
soul they Join the militia, with prayer to God
that next month il may be the Crmea The agricultural
clergy blow war from their pulpts-the market,
at the country town. trumpcts all day-the mem
bers for the county make speeches, and is the
theme--tle public houses below out war from morn
until nigh-the magistrates preach war from the ju-
dcal benchthe Lord Lieutenant. custos cusolorum
Of the county gives glorious ieasis waves aloft the
standard OF war; the fair hands Of his Countess be-
its colors the young militia, and bids them
carry them to the and defend them with their
hearts best boodn short. old England, with its quiet
noc is garden cultgre its cottage neatness s do
mestic affections, its ordinary peaceful tranquil tor
pd habits, Is crying out from end to end war war
wnr the knife's edge Nor amcmentary impulse
which will cvaroratc before practical difficulty and hard
ship. II IL true Of mortal IL is Of the Auglo-
snxor--nature and habit have made him innatcly
brave. see What those puppets Of officers doing
atSebssiopol The popinjay has become an eagle and
tie hardy sens q The soil wno follow him asound-
tti 70 st NAah t'AI bNL youth wal
uneergc and Il nerves their o9n stalsarth arms with
dcutt energy
The system IL school discipline England has very
much TO do with all this As seminares Of education,
cnsive they are, they far from what they might
be but the early hours. the habits obcdience they
enforce manly games they encourage the bold self
reliance, the determined wil qualities indeliby
stamped upon the youth, and when field Of hardihood
fairly opened TO him love and amorous daliance Dice
and dance and deadly feud flung The winds as so
many idle things and he Eters into II McGrogor ala
on bis native heath and challenges The world to arms
This Is tho stur that has done we'll AZ the Crimsa
and 81 which there Is s;iA snch an abundant sup,
ply at home. II may be imsginei then, that tue
idea Of substituting France, which was at one
time put out AS iecler, anything but agreea-
bic. To ray the money aud have any fun for
IT, secuted thing not 70 be borne and the memory
q former subsidies in which Russia largely benefited,
10 aid the argument which advoca ted by the
patriot alone There Is no dnnht propOson to