Washington telegraph., 1855-02-28
Sir Archibald Allison
ON TIE RUSSIAN WAR

ON THE RUSSIAN WAR.
In his andresz at the opening of the Me-
-cbanics' Institution at Seaham Harbor, on
the Sd Of January. Sir ARCHIBALD ALISON,
the distinguished historian. made the follow.
ing reference to the Russian war:
Such was the Interest of the war that it
was of the last importance that they should
knOw the nature of the enemy with whom
they had to contend He was not an insig-
ni6caut enemy. The Emperor Nicholas
has over seventy million of men. all devo-
ted to war Commerce. agriculture. sci
ence. literature. philosophy were in little
esteem all rhe talent of the Empire was
devoted to war Every young man of abil-
ity was sent to the military schools: in these
schools 10000 young men were educated
to the science of war, the ablest of whom
were selected for the duties Of diploma
cy. At the head of the Empire they
found man of vast energy. unshaken cour-
age and great determination. He devoted
the energies of the great Empire to the
objects of external aggression. and was ac-
tually supported by the whole Russian ma
tion every man. from the Emperor down
TO the serf. was impressed with the idea that
Russia was to be the conqueror of the world
The Emperor was now making war on the
idea that he was merely giving vent TO the
nstional feeling To him might be applied,
with the alteration of few words, the lines
of one Of The creates. poets of the last GEN.
tury:
No charms for him pacific sceptres yield.
War sounds the triumph. ne hurries to the field
Cease nothing he cries .yhiEe aught remains
On S;ambouI-s towers till Russian standards fy.
And all is mine beneath the Eastern sky.
Now, how was it that in the contest with
this great Power they had made SO sudden
transition from the exultation of victory
to almost the dependency of defeat9 They
saw great deal in the journals endeavoring
to throw blame on this and that Ministry.
on this and that General. He neither stood
there to vindicate une Ministry or another
to vindicate one General or ancther-
But he stood there TO point out to his fell
low-countrymen the error>-he might al
mos: say the national crime>--which we're
now meeting with national punishment
They were DOW III state of anxiety here
on account of the state of the army in the
Crimea. Why was it that the noble army
which had done such great things. bad been
exposed 10 such defeats? Jus; because it
was one half It's proper size Let them
open the papers and they would find the
reason Why the English were In much
worse position than the French: our army
of twenty thousand men was obliged to do
the work of sixty-thon>and men while
the French were only obi sed to 60 into the
trenches once in every four days. the Eng
li-h soldiers nIu-t 90 in every ether night
This of course weakeIiS their frames, and
they are unable to bear the cold. wet. and
storms which prevail in that inho>pitable
climate. If England, when the war broke
out had one hundred thousand regular
troops, ten thousand cavalry. and eight
thousand militia they would have gained
decisive success IN the first compaion.
Suppose they had bad one hundred thou
sand 10 traH>P IT. they might have sent
forty thousand TO the Baltic. and taken
CronStadt. and fifty ihousand to the Crinca
and taken Seva>.opol Why. if six thou
sand cavalry, instead of seven hundred, had
been at the battle of Alma they would
have converted it into total route, and
the Russian army. broken and disorganiz-
ed. would have been unable to defend Sevas-
tOpol. 1z.ls.. e.
At the battle of Balaklava. after the lapse
of four hundred and thirty years of the very
anniversary of the hattie of Aoincourt If
there had been five thousand Engli-h troops
the valuable road from Balaklava would
have been preserved. and supplies would
have been carried up with perfect safety.-
Five thousand English horses would have
marched trlumphantly through ten thousand
Russians. The battle of Inkerman. destined
to be Immortal in the world. and to take its
place with the battles IF Marathon and Pla-
tea, at that battle, If We had had twenty
thousand more English troops. while with
the right wing We hurled the Russian hat.
tailioEs down the heights with the left wing
We would have taken SevaStor,ol. and the
two Grand Dukes would have come mn 70
the theatre of action only to see the total
destruction of their fathers homes. c.,
now what dreadful state their army b,d
been brought into in consequence of the in.
cessant clamor for reduction. If they would
see the good effects of war, they would have
only to call out their armies, and see the Of
heers who have been trained in every luxu-
ry. and the soldiers accustomed TO every
comfort. enduring patiently every hardship
and submitting to every privation. and ready
every moment to lay down their lives for
the country. But see also the good effect
OF the war on the nation. Let them look
around and they would see people of all class
e tfrcm the Queen TO the peasant. even includ-
Ing the captive in his dungeon. sscri6ciuo
certain comforts and doing every thing in
'nelr power to provide for the widows and