The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-02-10

merit, and which place the prizes of an honor
able ambition only within the reach of q privi-
legged few, they must ever expect to be the vic
Tins of corruption and treachery.
The Crimean Campaign.
1t is many months since we pointed out that
the invasion Of the Crimea was likely to termi-
nate like the last invasion of Russia forty-two
years ago; and that Sebastopol might BE- to the
British what Moscow was t, the French. The
analogy seems just now to have been discover
ed in England. The London Times already
remarks that those who want to know what is
going on at Balaklava must read the accounts
of the retreat from Moscow. There is no dread
full con1agration bursting out on all sides aud
driving the foreigners into the pitiles5 storm
and drift; but in all other respects the position
Of the British army is as wretched as that Of
soldiers who have been sent out in the highest
state of discipline and equipments, only $4,000
remain. OF these, about 1000 are barely fit
for field duty, and only 2,06o are said to be in
q condition to fight. One hundred men die
daily. In spite Of the oatcry that has been
raised, actually nothing has been done towards
enabling the troops to Withstand the rigor of
the climtte- nothing towards the making Of
roads; nothing towards the procuring CT COM
forts. Shiploads Of clothing, food, and stores
lie rotting on the wharves ut Balsklava, and
cannot by any process be carried to the heights
above. Starvation and profusion are separated
by a distance If about two miles. Both are in
such an extreme that the whole history Of war
contains nothing 80 horrible as the sufFerings
Of the army; and ships arriving from England
with cargoes of the very things that are most
wanted, are obliged to return back for want OF
some authority at Balaklava to receive them.
1t is estimated by men apparently we'll able to
judge, that by the 18th Of March the whole Bril-
fish army viii be destroyed; and many parties
are already clamorous for the recall of the ex-
petition.
Nothing less than this would have convinced
Great Britain Of the utter folly and absurdity
of the system on which the British army is
conducted. II has long been usual for officers
Of the British infantry and cavalry to buy their
commissions, and to buy promotion from grade
to grade afterward. The artillery and engineers
pass q sort Of examination, and when O m u in
these corps is really anxious to learn his pro-
~fession, some poor facilities are afforded him to
do so. But it is contrary to the practice Of the
service for officers of the line to interfere in
such matters. They are expected to be rich or
noble-in every case to be gentlemen, bat
nothing more. The consequence is that for
many years Great Britain has not contaioed a
more thoroughly incompetent and useless get
Of men than the officers of her army. Perfect
gentlemen in manners-when they do not fall
into the habit Of gambling, drinking, and so
forth--they know positively nothing. Their
lives are spent in the drawing room or at the
mess table. Delightful companions and very
popular with young ladies, as soldiers they
are as worthless as the wooden target at which
their men are taught to fire. Like that coun-
%terfeit, they never finch from danger, but stand
firmly to be shot but like it, to expect counsel
from them would be ridiculous. or the science
of war, Of the duties of an officer in the field,
of the thousands of matters with which q SOL
der should be conversant, in order to make
head against the enemy and protect the lives Of
his men, they are wholly, helplessly ignorant.
These are the men whom England sent out
to command her brave soldiers. In their hands
the placed their lives, and the consequence Is
that after q campaign of q few weeks, forty
thousand out OF dfty-four thousand are under
the cod or In the hospitals and though
three battles have been won, the failure
of the campaign has come to be admitted
on all sides and the expediency of the
withdrawal Of the troops openly debated.
From day TO day, q fresh I~nkermann may be
and though it is hard to say what
may be the issue of q combat between the
and Frensh, no one can doubt what
would be the effect Of q bold sorsie on the weak
lines. There are doubtless other points
besides that one on which an attack might be
made. There are, indeed, many reasons for
believing that the withdrawal of the force under
Liprsndi from the line formerly occupied In the
valley Of the Tchernaya has been nothing but
! rust intended to delude the besiegers into an
extension Of their ground.
That these things are well known and fully
appreciated in England will be seen by the
republshed elsewhere, and the Cabinet
movements which have just taken place.
WLetl er they will lead to the correction of the
cal eyil remains to be seen. The spirit of