The Trinity times., 1855-03-31
Aspect of the War.
From the London Times, Jan. 25.


There is n reason for all things, and on the
eve of great national disaster it is some
comfort to think that the present-yes, this
very present hours the season for a great
national duty. As for the pending opera
tons at Sevastopol, we may almost dismiss
them from our thoughts for while. Eng
land has now done her best and her worst in
that Quarter-her extravagances. her follies,
and her neglects--and can now do no more.
We may read the future there as plainly
as the crew Of the Prince, when the single
chain that held them from the precpce frown-
ing over their heads snapped at last, and they
knew they were at the mercy Of the storm.
The remnant Of the British army might be
about fifteen or seventeen thousand bayonets
at the last date. About a hundred a day
were sent to the hospitals. never to return fit
for service, and nearly as many saved their
country further trouble by dying on the spot.
Here is regular drain of rix thousand q
month, against no further reinforcements
worth taking into account. At this rate,
Lord Raglan and his staff would be the sole
survivors of the expedition, about the 9Th of
March. The weather has heen worse than
ever, and was expected to be worse still; hca-
Wy snow, rapid thaw, severe frost, bitter north
wind, frozen trenches, impossible roads hard :
ened to the consistency of rock, ruts treach-
erously filled with driving snow, officers found
suffocated by their charcoal fires. sixty horses
frozen to death in one night, and all that
Engishmen have read Of before, when they
could afford to amJise themselves with the
horrible in the narrative Of Napoleon's Rus
sian campaign. Vast piles of wooden huts
were at Balaklava, but the army was In tents,
end it was certain it must remain in tents as
long as it lasted, for there was not the least
chance Of transport sufficient TO bring up the
huts Only small fraction Of the army had
received warm upper clothing, or were likely
to receive it, for the same reason. Every Of
hcer repudiated the duty of supplying, or even
taking charge of anything beyond the eternal
salt pork and green coffee. OF the former,
the army was still sometimes on half ratons
or quarter ratlons. The latter was seen every
where strewn in the mud, being wholly use
less TO the soldier. For the rest. it is the
same story we have had to tell every day
these Two months. The hospitals and the
medical stores were in the same state, the
authorities at Balaklava still doing their best
TO save themselves the trouble of landing
what they had neither clerks to take note of
Ship after ship full of the most necessary ar
tlcles, priceless to the wretched soldier, was
sent out Of harbor. and even back to Constan-
tlnople or Corfu, on some idle formally
Positively, literally, there was not one change
for the better since we sat down before Sc
vastopol. The only chance was, that the rail
way, which left Malta on the 10th, and ought
to have arrived at Baakiata at this time
mi bo q. I IL.
But who can expect this in the face of such a
uniformity Of mismanagementl Either the
screw-steamcrs containing it will be ordered
out OF the harbor on some pretence, or moi
permitted TO land the rails, or no ground be
allowed TO lay them down, or the whole affair
hayves and all, will be burkcd in some other
quiet way. That chance once disposed Of
the end cannot be distant, and the finest army
that ever left these shores, will soon cease IL
exist as a force
Here, then, nothing more can be done-at
least, nothing that we could pretend to urge
with the slightest hope of our advice being
taken. The man, the order, the material, oi
"hatever it is, that might save our gallant
counirymen, could not be sure to arrive un-
der three weeks, when all may be over. We
may therefore enjoy the leisure of despair
that release from the burden of the day which
.he dyng man enjoys when he has taken his
tast oraught, made his last will, and has only
70 cast nus thoughts toward the unseen world
IS this, then, time to set about planning :
second expedition TO the East. and layino
down the programme of a campaign for
1857 That, it would seem, is what we are
waiting for. At head quarters before Sevas
.opol they are waiting for the spring. when
with the Turks Of Eupatora the Imperia
Guard and other relnforcements from France
and a sufficient excess Of British arrival.
over British deaths and departures, they ma,
attempt, with somewhat less hope Of success
what they might have done on the 2Sth 0
September. We are to persevere, with th'
whole force Of the empire in carrying Lore
Raglan and his staff through with il, and en-
abng them to redeem their credit at the risi
Of another army That is what Governmen
IS prepared to ask, what Parliament is ex
peoted TO grant, what the press will b,
thought very disloyal if it does not back up
what the British people are expected TO swal
low, as 1t has swallowed many another despe
rate policy. For our own part, whaieve