New-York daily tribune., 1856-02-29

lie feeling stands incarnated in the person OF ths
trsye and gentle Florence Nightingale. As long
a. tie Crimeau war holds its place in history her
name will be "tbe first beheld, forgotten last;
for victorious Generals and Field-Marshals are
rite aud vulgar things TO tell OF, but the pre'ence
Of a well born and tendery-reared womsn taxing
tie control as i, were Of the military hospitals at
tie request of the Secretary OF War, is seen tor
the frs, time on the stage Of history. She has
won al honorable and enduring reputation which
will survive that Of many of the Generals whose
proves had filled the hospitals which she Purihed
and blessed by her presence Those horrible
ho.pitss
Dire the te.',ss deep he ts sIo1n, - Ds:P1i'
AHd over III n, fTuHPhsIt Death his dart
sLook but &c ayed TO s;rike"
But she came, and whatever mitigation the I'M
erring instinct and humane experience OF woman
at once refined and energetic could bring to these
horrors was lent to them, and the hospitals as
sumed a new character under her firm and saga
ci,us direction. Beside the general gratitude
which has rewarded her services, and their recog-
nition BY the humane everywhere, we see that the
Queen has presented her with jewel, to be worn
as decoration, as an expression of her Msestys
sense of her services We copy the description Of
this ornament, of which tie devices are said to be
the inveL ton of Prince Albert from The illustrated
Neus:
"TLe form of the jewel s oval. The ground or
field j. Of pure white enamel bearing crimson cross,
on which in diamonds are the letters '. X and the
Roval Crown; from the center issue gold rays Implying
Heavenly Sympathy; this i inc.Oaed in al oval band
OF black ename-back being an emb EN- OF good
counsel-on which are the feeling WORDS BLESSED
ARE IHE MERcIFuL.' On each side spring branches
of gold end green Misunderstanding the peaceful oc-
cuIltion ard triumphant result of her gentle though
finn lahours the color green may also be considered
to imply eternal friendship. TIE whole Is surmounted
by three brilliant diamond stars, the celestial signhca
ton of which is obvious
Our readers will perceive that the temptation to
make ghastly kind of merriment over this de-
scription must be almost irresistible. But we Will
resist it. We will honor the wOmanly sympathy
which seeks relief in this mark OF distinction be-
slowed by one woman upon another for deeds wo-
manly and divine The Order of the Nightingale
is more truly illustrOus than that of the Garter,
now disgrsced by the wearing of the base aud
cruel French tyrant, or Of the Legion of Honor
whose baeful star has lured so many brave men to
their death on fields Of carnage. The Queen OF
England is technically the one who declared this
war. and who carries it on, as far as England is
concerned. But she has, in fact, no voice nor in-
fuence in the premises and no personal response
bility in the matter. Had it been Elizabeth in-
stead of Victoria, who had bestowed this honor on
such an occasion, might have suggested to her
that perhaps il would have been better not TO have
sent her sons 10 be MANNED and massacred in the
Crimea rather than to decorate her daughters for
! going TO take care of them. The reflection Is
surely worth the atteL;iOn of those who compelled
the Crown into this unhappy war Should the
peace which is now hoped for be concluded, what
has been won One tyrant, by no means the
worst Of the brood, may be weakened but the
strength which he has lost has only gone to fOrtity
worse tyrannies The feet Of Austria planted more
/ firmly than ever on the necks of Hungary and
Italy; the pelter despOtisms of Germany as ram
pant as ever; Naples and Rome under the most
odous of bad Governments; and France delivered
Up, by the consent and helping of the hereditary
enemy Of the Nspoleonic dynasty, to the tender
nerces Of the bastard usurper of its title, which
mcrces it need hardly be said, are crueltes. No,
no, The best thing that is likely to be derived
from this Russian war is the example and the
ssme of Florence Nightingale.