Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1855-11-07
ENGLISH FEELING.

GAuUlSu pHUDlNus
The subjoined comments, upon the compare
tive success of The French and English arms ii
the late storming of Sebastopol will be reat
with interest. We extract from the edtoria
department of the Leicestershre Mercurn-
Ed ADV.
Nothing can be found more brilliant in militia
ry annals than the assault of our French allies
upon the Malakhoff and its contiguous line oi
defenccs. In the contemplation of this dazzling
feat of arms, it is difficult to say whether praise
should be most awarded to the skill with which
it was contrived, or to the resolution with which
it was executed-to the gallant conduct of the
soldiery Of General Pelissier, or 10 the consuul-
mate ability on the part of their officers, by
which every point of vantage gained was made
available for their own security, and turned to
the discontinue of the enemy Yet it is at the
| crowning struggle of a whole year of peril and
endurance, and on this proudest day in the histo.
ry Of the great Crimcan enterprise, the army Of
England played an inferior and much less dis.
tinguished part-since it failed where others
triumphed, and was compelled to recoil from de-
fences which its confrderates in arms were able
not only to win, but to hold Still more huni-
ating is the reflection that, but for the fearful
incompetence of our generals-the chivalrous
devotion of the regmena officers, and The
machless resolution Of the troops, would have
placed the Union ensign side by side with the
Trlcolour upon the ramparts Of the Gibraltar
EuXine. Such is now only too clearly shown
to be the case. If means had studionsy been
adopted by the Commanders.n Chief to ensure
the failure of their attack, they could scarcely
have taken a different course from that which,
by general testimony, they are proved 10 have
pursued. While on The side OF the French, the
sap was carried within ten yards of The Malakhoff
ours was discontinued at the distance of two
hundred yards from the Redan. While their
trenches were broad enough to afford an easy
passage 10 the columns which they contained
ours were made so narrow as to impede the men
in every movement While our allies made
their assault in masses of tens of thousands,
ours was carried on by mere handful of COM
batants. While they were pouring in powerful
reinforcements 10 the support of the first Storm
ers our reserves were kept in 4 state of naction
and confusion. While their generals were act
ing in perfect intelligence with each other, ours
appear to have had neither settled plan of pro-
ceeding, nor any means of mutual communica-
ton. The result naturally and necessarily was,
that difference i1 success which, however the
wounded pride of England may seek to disavow,
and the courtesy of France endeavour 10 conceal
it. will be taken by all Europe rs convincing
proof of 4 marked difference in efficiency between
the armies Of the two nations. This is now
unavoidable, and unhappily all our preceding
ddhtfiona ddhfon T gfoInd for conclusion so unhatterng
to our military reputation. The repulsc of the
Sth of September will be considered quite in
keeping with that "Want of Head" which,
after committing the great mistake of Balaclara,
and allowing the formidable surprise OF lnker-
man. left twenty thousand Of our best troops to
perish by neglect and famine between the months
of November aud February, and hurried whole
regiments to certain destruction on the fatal
18Th of June Everywhere our War Depart
ment will be pronounced incorrigible-our sys-
tenn of promotion Il libel upon common sense
and in Great Britain itself, We doubt whether
Ten men will henceforth be found TO deny the
accusation, or 10 maintain that the cersure Is
unjust.
1t is in no spirit of unworthy jealousy at The
success which h;ls ust crowned The eagles OF
the Second Empire, that n cry Of general dissat-
isfaction has been raised throughout the country
by the dispatches of General Simpson, and the
publication of the letters Of the Times and
Duly News correspondents The French army
is acknowledged to have performed the task
assigned to it in manner which does credit to
the successors Of those hardy veterans who
fought at Austerliz and Jena, and it IS felt that
it would be scandal and dishonourto ourselves,
if the praise, which has so noby been earned,
were either scantily or grudgingly bestowed.
But it is Mt the same time felt that, in justice 10
those thousands of our brave fellow-countrymen
whose lives were lavished upon the late fruitless
attempt in Justice to that reputation which has
been sealed by hundred victories, and to that
character of successful prowess which has been
ACQUIRED on many hard fought field, strict in.
ouiry should be instituted 10 discover why, in
conflict from which our allies have derived the
highest degree of glory and advantage, we have
reaped nothing but probable dscredit and Ger.
tain loss. It may be that success was lmposs:II;,
be, and supposing this to be proved, no one will
be injured by the results of the Investigation
But It NAV also turn out, that to the folly or to
the perverseness of some two or three lndIvldu-
ais, we are entirely indebted for a calamity,
which has brought mourning into so many OF
our households, and cast so marked discredlt
upon our arms. In this case, 1t would be
waste of words to show the imperative necess-
ty of bringing the parties really cupable to light
We trust that, at the very frat re-assembling of
Parliament, committee will be especially ap-
pointed to investigate the causes of the failure
of the English assault upon the Redan, and of
the confusion and want of arrangement WHICH
in the dispatches of the Commander-in.Chlet
are confessed to have existed on that occasion.
A letter to the New York Tribune from Para,
RrnzI dated Snntemher Goth, gives the follow