New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-01-22

fHPe To the question VINO ~ 10 plane Tor tnls
s,ste Of Il iDes the reply just now most popular
in England is that il ia Lord Raglan, hut this is
not iust. We are no sdmirer, of his Lordshlp's
military conduct, snd have criticised his bllndets
With freedom, but truth requires Us 70 ssy that
the terrible evils amid which the soldiers in the
Crimes are perishing are no. his fault but that Of
the system on which the Br:ish war establish
mept Is administered.
The British Army has a Conmsnder.in-Chief
spersonaqe dispensed with in almost all other civ
aized armies. But it would be a mistake to sup
nose that this cemmsnder.n chief really e)m-
usnds anything. II be has some control over
the infantry and cavalry, the artillery engineers
ssppers and miners are entirely beyond his
sphere. If be has any authority over tro gsers,
coates, and stocks, oil greatcoats are exempt
from lis influence If he can make every foot.
soldier carry two cartridge pouches, hs cannot
find him ,inele muiket. II be can have all bis
men tried by coult-msrtial and well fogged, he
cannot make them stir a single inch. Marching is
beyond bis competency, and as to feeding his
troops, that is thing which does not concern
MIN bI al. lHtu lutit - tue "
the Ordnance. This person. lameDtabJle relic
Of the times when science was considered unsol-
dierlibe, and when sll scientific corps, artillery
and engineers, were not soldiers, but sort OF
monde script body, half Swans, half hasdicratts-
men, and united in separate guild or cor
no, walton under the command Of such Mas
ter General This Master General Of the Ord
nance, beside artillery aud engineers, has
under him all the great-coats and smal-srms
Of the army. To any military operation, Of
whatever nature, be must, therefore, be party.
Next comes the Secretary at War. II the two
preceding characters were already OF COM
psrstve nulBty, he is beyond nullitY. The
Secretary at War can give no order TO any part
of the army, but he can prevent any portion ofthe
army from doing anything. AS he is the chief OF
the military frances, and as every military act
costs money his refusal to grant funds is
equivalent 70 an absolute veto upon Operations.
But, willing as he may be to grant the
funds, be lie still Dullity, for he cannot feed the
army; that is beyond his sphere. In addition to
all this, the COmmissariat, which really feeds the
army, and, in case Of any movement, is sup
posed TO find it in means Of transport, ia placed
under the control of the Treasury. Thus, the
Prime Minister. the frat lord of the Treasury,
has direct hand in the getting up of every
military operation and can at bis pleasure either
push it. rttard it, or stop it. Every body knows
that the Commisssriat is almost more important
portion of the army, than the soldiers them
selves; ard for this very reason, the collective
wisdom Of Great Britain has thought proper to
make it quite Independent of the army, and to
place it under the control Of an essentially diff
ferent Department Finally, the army, formerly
put in motion by the Colonial Secretary 10 now
subject to the orders of the new War Minister.
He disocafes the troops, frem England to China
and fram India to Canada. But, as we have
seen. bis authority, taken singly, is as Intellectual
as tbst Of any of the four preceding military pow
ers; the cooperation Of all the FIVE being re-
quired, in order to bring about the least move
ment
1t vas under the anspices OF this wonderful
system that the present war began. The British
troops, well fed and well cared for at home, in
consequence Of forty years peace, went out in
bieh condition, persuaded that whatever the en-
my might DO, England would not let her gallant
ads want for anything. But scarcely had they
hpded at their first stage, at GAllipoli, when the
romps rison with the French army showed the lu-
aicrous inferiority Of all British arrangements,
md the pitiabe helplessness of every British
Official. Although twas here com paratvely easy
to provide for everything, although sufficient no
tice had been given, and very small body of troops
Only was sent out, everything went wrong. Ey.
cry body made himself very busy and yet nobody
would perform duties that had u ,t fallen to his
lot at home in time of peace so tina. not man
was TO be found to do that business which WAS
created by the very var itself. Thus sbiplosls
Of stores were left to rot the sbore where they
were first landed, and troops had to be sent on to
Scutsr for want OF room. Chaotic disorder an.
nounced itself in unmistakable signs, but as it |
was the beginning Of the war, an Improvement |
was expected from growing experience.
The troops went to varna. Their distance
from home increased their number increased |
The disorder in the administration increased.
The independent working Of the five depart
ments composing that administration. each Of |
them responsible TO different Minister at home
here fret resulted in open and unmist,k able
clasbirg Want reigDed in the camp, while the
garrison of Vsrns bad the best Of comforts. The
ComuisFsIist, laziy indeed, got together some
means Of transport from the country; but as the
Genersl-in-C hief did not appoint any escort wag-
ops, The bulgarian drivers disappeared again as
fat as they had been brought together. A cen
trail depot was formed at Constantinople-a sort |