New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-02-23
A DAY LATER FROM EUROPE.
lNYERESTlN FROM GERMANY.
PREPARATIONS Of THE SAROINlANS.

Lobcou Journss only came down to the 9s,, IN q
affords us substantially one days later in,.l,i.
gence. We make the following extrsca:
THE NEW GOVERNMENT ARRAIGNED.
r,cm rAs saGo Taa.
The grand object for which the complex mechsn-
ism of the British Constitution and indeed the con-
situed authorities Of al civilized communities may
be said to exist is capable Of being expressed in
single word-respor sibiy. In order to mske the
Crown itself give account Of s actions to the ma
ton We surround i, with responsible Ministers. To
make those Ministers responsible, we elect Psrla-
ments; and We m serve, with religious venerator,
/ the checks and cOunterchecks OF representative
/ government. Our public officers are responsible 10
the iTSuIsls Gf the country for every sbuse OF paw
CT, ard every member Of society is responsible 70 q
Jury OF his peers for breach Of the law. The fear
OF responsibility is the incubus which oopesses the
mind aid perslyzes the energy OF half our public
men. ana place the power OF bearing respon.ihl-
ity among the highest Of the civic virtues. When
We boat of the institutions If our country speak
/ more especially OF is respousiOle Government aud
we cherish honest belief that every nan who ~
ters the public vice has al these terrors OF respons
ibjity before his eyes, 20 stimulate him 10 encless
| ertioD end 20 him of The smallest detection
from the path OF duty Al the risk Of saying thing
! which msy be novel and unpleasant to an saiazlng
Iumrtr If taders, venture to ask 10, m whether
the, have ever considered what this responsibility
really il applied 10 the public s-r ice OF tbs
try-whether il is real or ulusory whether IL il
continually enforced FOR the encouragement Of abls
spo the correction OF Improbable servants, asd
whether can Halter ourselves that We derive
from this great principle Of government all the
! benefits it ieht afford u.s. When Mr. Ohphsut re-
vsttd 81 vssiopol shortly alter the Emperor Nlcholas
had inspected that fortress II said that the late
/ Governor Of the place, clad in significant white
costume, employed in agang OF c0nvi ia To sweep
the be had swept through a few weeks before
in sll the pride of Office. Hehsd been found wsnnng
| in his duty, and the Car made him responsible for
the offense. This is, no doubt, very barbsrous
Asiac example of the sort o! Justice which the Car
metes out 10 his subjects and to III in authority
under him but the manner in which the puoc ser
vice OF Russia has been conducted dlring the present
war demonstrates that the men engsged in that ser
vice are continually ippelled to action b. two most
powerful stimulsns-the fear 81 punish nent and the
hope of reward. In other words, there Is authority
and there is responsibility to far greater extent than
we can be said 10 possess them. In The ordinary
! transactions of private life we all know that ocon-
potency, neglect, misconduct and even the gro wing
! infrmites of age, compel us TO change thoso whom
We employ; and the desire of keeping his place,
may be said t. Influence every man who ruOs risk
! of losing il from footboy to Nj alser OF state.
But the fret condition OF the permanent, civu
service of this country Is, that nobody 10 to be DIS
Missed from it for any cause short OF grave
moral ofense; that ths Government is ponuve-
" without that remedy which every other employer
! in this ration has a, His own command, and no one,
Except the public, /. saddled for life with all the bad
! bargains If the kingdom. 70 superannuate an in-
capable public servant although be has a retiring
pension 70 fall back upon, is considered 50 invdious
and painful a task that will encounter II OK
cent upon compulsion; though do not hesitate to
assert that every department of the State contains
| persons whom it would be good economy TO buy out,
al the fun rate of their present Salaries IN order 10
place more Efficient men in their room. This siogie
fact s think, decisive to the value and the in
port OF the term responsibility, as applied ID the
permanent official service OF this country AS long
there is snthority, possessing and exercising
discriminating power of punishment, at est OF re-
moval, the cv service will remain the stless thing
il is 10 which The abest man has little to hope for,
and the veriest dolt nothing TO fear.
Nor the present state of things more sasfsctory
in the military service OF the country Every officer
baving vested interest ia his commission. which he
has obtaneo by purchase by seniority il i,
ly possible TO exercise any poser OF selection
cOupense and, unless he commits some oifense suij-
cieniy glazing TO bring him within the articles of war.
his rec onsibiy 10 usOry. We hasten % add, thai
both IN the public Offices in this country and in the
| regimenta service of tho army there Is, happily,
sense Of honor and degree OF zeal which prompts
to do their duty IN every emergency; but beyond
| this principle we look In VAN for more peremptory
/ incentives 10 exerton. Before division Of the
French army takes the field for active service, the
General appointed 10 command II carefully observes
every part OF the corps be names his brgaders and
scrutlLZee the previous conduct ana personal abili
OF the field officers leaving at the depot those
who are least capable of active service; bis ded oi-
GERS in turn examine and weed out the substern oi-
GERS end men 10 each regiment. THIS process may take
some months, but at the end of the time every man
has confidence in his comrades and in hs officers, and
the corps brought 10 the highest state Of perfscton
The principle Of responsibility is thus vigorously ap
Piled but who be responsible for the conduct Of
! suboTdinates whom he did not appoint and WHOM be
cannot remove IL IL only by enforcing a far higher
degree Of discipline in all ranks Of the army, but
esEecialy among the officers both military and civil,
who conduct its operations that |e Al hope to bring
Her Msiesiys forces 10 the condition they ought 70
be in. The higher the rank Of the officer the stricter
this discipline ought 10 be- an the more right has tho
country TO require account vi all the powers con-
fded 10 bm and nothing can be 30 fatal to the ain
teBaDce of authority on just principles as tue susp
cion that great offenders may be doomed TO escape
while petty iEfrectiOns OF duty are punished with
severity.
Let Gs, for a moment, apply these remarks 10 the
which abforbs the interest Of the country.
! Crest eyils have occurred great abuses have been
| discovered; great mistakes have been committed;
great injuries have been inflicted on the power and
| the reputation Of England On whom does the re-
sponsibty fall ard what means do possess Of en-
/ forcing II The Ministers, we shall be told ara
/ primarily responsible; bat the House oil Commons
has already put forth is strength against them; the
| Duke Of Newcastle quits the Cabinet Mr.. Sidney
Herbert promoted ~ a higher office, and his col
leagues retain their places that Is responsibility in
/ rs mlldest form. What the country has right to
require il, not merely that the shortcomings OF ene
party in the State should be avenged by another pO
tica party but that those persons in the service Of
the Crown TO whom these oisssers are justly sttrb
utabe should meet their ceserts-that hey should,
al least be dVmis ed the public service aud not
screeLed from public TeprOb.ton. We aim these
observations At particular ndiyidusls either civil
or military ether here or abroad; aud the feelings
we express those II justice Of duty not OF
! sentiment. But, after the astonishing ana uoOokef
oelsJne- OF the last three months, and after the
/ NUMEROUS instarces ii neglect and misconduct which
have been brought 70 H. hi, hold Il 10 be the p,rs
mount duty Of the Government. itself % nyesiisste
Ar d 10 punish these grave offences. When General
l. -pi1esss had the misfortune last summer 70 lose