New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-08-16
MAXIM ON THE WAR.

From Inc LoHdof bdhs NeH'
In the following eloquent letter there are many inn
portant general truths and many as appears to usD
errors of detail We submit it to those who can listen
to all opinions and Judge for themselves.
July, 1855.
My DEAR FRIEND: You ask me why DO not ex-
press nv opinions on the war / feel dlsheartened.
You seem TO TO be fl htiDg Ike Ajax, IN tue dark
ou, he was praying for hght-you have It shining on
Won from every side and shut your eyes resOlutely
against II. You have been repeatedly warned. Men
who do not claim any superior insight or power OF
genius but who from their Iosition from the studies
AM events of whole life, entitled to know some
thing of continental political matters told you from
tie tel inning of the contest that Austria would never
Ggbt your battles that her only aim was 10 take pos
sessiOn of the PTincipaties that by you oosuuaely
pursuing the flying phantom OF an alliance with her
YOU were Dot only degrading your cause anu losing
all the sympaihies OF the good and brave throughout
Europe but lettering your intellect, crampng your
sclem = and turning the policy OF your war from the
only ground upon which you could nationally nope Tor
victory, 10 wild chase OF mpOsslblee. All TINS has
been subsequently Chrstened into FACTS. Still, You
remain inert mpassiVe mistaken, bent on the same
identical track-plunging deeper and deeper into
dark hopeless region of dreams and decepuOns;
while single of will would lead You back 10 the
wide easy, bright path, on which honor and victory
must bles zach step of yours see brave deeds, SUI
fcent 10 redeem whole fallen nation; noble powers
Of action and endurance, die ayed by your unknown
demi-- ods your soldiers and officers in the Crimea
but for what purpose and with what hope | bow
before the quiet silent devotedness with which your
nation accepts all the sacrifices nseparable from
war, and | feel proud of loving and being loved IN
your own country but such devotion ought not TO be
IN vain and as far as | can see, II II SO. Owing 10
the policy which leads the war. you are hshilng for
an impO slbllly.
The thought unless indeed all practical sense has
orsakou your nation must be by this time, after
months of efforts and deceptiOns living and restless
within many souls Still none dares 20 give uterance TO
IT, You are IN YOUR Parliament floating between one
fla ~ .Ifr
drawing from that knowledge policy OF cOwardlce,
and another fully alive 10 the supreme necessity OF not
Withdrawing from the contest before decisive victory,
but neither understanding, nor wanting 10 understand
how victory can be reached peace az any cost, even
of honor and war for war sake the three words Ut
tered by Mr.. Roebuck mig unsupported echoless,
a threatening prophecy 10 be remembered when itWl
be TOO late Your administrative reform societies
systematically stunning the vital question apparently
aiming at nothing else but at teaching people how 10
do Gle VERY the wrong thing Your press active, far
sighted, bold, sometimes fierce and, when combined
al-pOWeTiul concerning details and all secOnc-rdte
matter is silent about the problem" Can Russia be
conquered through the Crimea /" Still that Is the
question II is good and brave 10 le for ones own
flag but il is rad, unuterably sad and cupabe bid
the best die truitless Death when more could be
sclieved. Msryrdom is in certai1 times and circum
stances the sacnd duty OF the weak; the strong
bound 10 COZ quer
Can you conquer without radical change in your
actual obey 1t Is my deep conviction that You can
not.
To believe thai tie success Of war rests on q
ground OF mere organization and military
that Tie directing obey has nothing 10 do with il
thst when you have comparative perfection of me
ch0uica arrsug tments and valor yOl have conquered
the most favorable OF chances-is immense mistake.
/ have Witnessed in ls4., IN LOmbaTdy the rapid,
progressive. unavoidable destruction OF certain TIL
unph through a sil- e fatal STOKE Of policy
There, ON q land where a raroral movement had
suddenly taken lacc and swept the TERRITORY. the for
rtsses excepted, OF all foes from the Aps 20 lle sta.
d hing selIed forward with REGULAR bdital0l, sr IL
lory, and resources twice equal 20 conquered dis
loartened, demoralizcd enemy, but with q different
siu--the aggrsndzement % the House 0f savoy, aui
with mOuarchical tradition entirely autarolistis %
the spirit and tendency Of ibe movement There was
valor IN the srmy devoiedness in the officers; sll
whole population glowing siih enthusiasm was back
ng tie f1odmonese gmen's. The llen was obvious.
The tliffy thousand Austrian soldiers Fho bai tici o
Verona ard Na--aa could never r-eouQuo. alone me
lost ground. To preytn- theH beng r. 1tiEc j Was
the problem a. re e. we'd and tne solution car.
20 g. 10 he i-a-cu I'd EEL Acm-pIJ'C YOU