The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-03-15


officers have lost an army at Sebastonof The |
iaea is absurd. With disholor Great
Britain cannot yet retreat. IF any think
that Russia can make peace, without suffering
far more than it is in the power of the allies at
present to infict, they sbovIld note the opinion
Of such men as General G nrzano wski. late Com
mander-in- Chief Of the Sandman army, and Tor
twenty years a Rup sian officer Of high rank
Nothing can be done," says he, until the
prestige Of the Emperor has been broken by a
series of defeats. Taking Sebastopol and Cron-
stadt win be good beginnings, but their first eff
fects will be only to irritate. Russia will fight
as long as she can stand" Think of this, of
TIE helpxoss allied army before Sebastopol, and
of the eight hundred thousand fresh men Rus
sia has yet to pour forth, and then say whether
overtEres towards peace can be made by Russia
Bs:t whether peace or war, the true, the great
question called into being by this war is I'M
changed. That question is the struggle for po-
p,ilar rights in Europe. We, on this side the
ocean, who have had no throne to subvert, no
rooted aristocracy to hew down and cast into
the fire, have long and earnestly watched for
the day when the men Of Europe should rise
and demand the same rights as we have assert
ed for ourselves. When Kossuth or Mazzi-
nj aroused titful insurrection here or there,
and made clamor as though the end were
come, and demanded the honors and the sympa-
thy due to the martyr, this journal has denounced
the cheat or the blunder, and warned the world
not to put faith in those who aimed at max
ing Europe free by the aid of nightly
conspiracies or sudden barricades We knew
that no great movement could be acco nplished
by these rash means or under the guidance Of
hairbrained enthusiasts. But now that half
Europe is in arms, and the great conservative
press of England has taken the lead in the revo-
lutionary charge, it seems that the day cannot
be far distant when we shall witness some change
such as the world has not seen for centuries.
Every thing conspires for its accomplishment.
The Russians prevent q victorious army from
returning to keep down the people. The aris-
tocracy offer sufficient resistance to FEED the
movement, and curb rashness The good sense
of the people warns them to conspire in broad
daylight, and say what the spirit moves them
to utter in the hearing Of all men. Day after
day, the curse of an oligarchical government is
more deeply felt. tits even an advantage that
France should be quiet, and thus no opportu-
nifty afforded for the importation Of those head
long and suicidal measures which have render
ed so many Partisan revolutions fruitless.
There is a wonderful lesson to be learnt from
the calm stolidity with with which the British
peers debate measures In their House, while
the people are breaking into bakers shops at
Liverpool and London, and meetings all over
the country are tracing the failure of the late
military operations to the effects of aris-
tocratic ihbecility. Just so the splendid old
gentilshommes of France sneersd in their
Of their noble life while the Bastiie
was falling, and Rouget de rIle was writing
the Marsellaise." A few weeks more, says
he Times, and it will be too late for Lord Pal
merston to mend matters. What good can he
do in the few weeks? Can he take Sebastopol,
when April and May will pour into it two hun
dred thousand Russians? Can he send an able
General to the Crimea, when the rules of the
service restrict his choice to those who are as
useless as Lord Raglan? Can he reform the |
army, when the whole articles of war are |
framed on the principle that officers shall be
gentlemen not soldiers, and the material for
good British staff does not exist? Even If q |
truce is made at Vienna, will the British peo-
pie whose blood is up submit any the more
readily to rule whose worthlessness has been |
so &C implicitly proved? No, no. 1t may be |
weeks, it may be months before the people rise;
but if anything short Of bayonets in the streets
of London settles the present difficulty it will !
be absurd to say that the age Of miracles has
past.