New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-11-14
SIR CHARLES NAPIER AND SIR ROBERT
PEEL.

Sir barles Napier presents hs compliments 10 inc
Editor Of The Star, and requests he will be good
enosgh 10 give msern 10 the accompanying let5r 10
sLT Robert Peel. - $3.50
MERcHIsToUS o.. 20, 1886.
SIR: IN Your sfterdnner speech at Stafford the other
day, YOU returned thanks for the health OF her Males'
~ ministers On dong whiSh YOU ,tatoi tn.t you
"had lifted the lortltss of Crousadt, AMI there was
but ne opinion, from the Grand Duke Constantine
down to the youngest MILDLY on board the Nlnllmr,
that had the energy OF the commando oqualei the
pluck of tue Brit IN Navy, thai iorro7s at the present
"timc would have been crIumb.5d in the dust. Sf
.'tbarez Napier had been through the wao!e OF the
feet and fortress and be gave it a hs opinion that
" il WIS impossible 10 destroy the fortress. II vas GER
tainls Neiy clear at ibis moment that il was lmpossi.
BILE attack troLstad, with success noE bu. when
" tie war commenced the case very different and
:" if tie man wto commanded the fee. at Copenhagen
had 90 mmanded the Baltic feet or ii a man pos.
"sessed OF the spirit and capacity OF Il Nelson had
comm snded that feet be had moi the slightest doubt
that ia the fortress OF Copenhagen yielded SO would
"Cronsradt have fallen"
You appear, Sir, Lot to remember that there were
two commanders III the Baltic fleet, viz, myself and
my respected colleague, Admiral Parseyal "a man
whose couIagc aid judgment all bear criticism, even
from You.
But let that pa,s--I Gun quito willing to take his
responsibility Oh my shoulders, az We agreed III every
thing e regards CTonsadt.
Like ny self, ADMIRAL parseval may in Your eS;ima
tiop baN BEE S"an'ing in gy aud spirit; but We
can both afford to bear the imput ,tion f:om you
As regaIds myself, ii the Grand Duke nstantiae
told Oh what You state, he told no very different
story.
lie Imperial glness went over with NC TIA plan of
tie south OF Crorstad and re himself showed me the
total impossbty Of succeeding against Cronstadt by
ships.
Ii you form cd your judgment from what you saw, it
slows Your ignorance OF Iaya! matters AMI your want
of generosity in attacking the character of man who
has tiibfuy served his country for so many years.
II The GIGLd Duke told GU that the north of Cron'
stadt might have been attack sd this quite true.
But whose fault it thati not attacked bu. III
Of y e B0ad of Admiralty, which did not furnish the
means by which Lonc 1t could have been successfully
ATTACKED viz gun and mortar boats, and rockets, OF
which the allied fleets were altogether destitute; aud
sufficient ems moreover, not supplied TO Adj
miIal Dundas in the following year, SO he could no
more attack il than Admiral Parseys and myself could.
II you have been put forward by the Admiralty to i'll
subj me- you hay acted unworthy part. and If you
have put yourself forward, you have acted foolish
one.
You cav if Lord Nelson. who commanded the fleet
at CUpthhagen, or any man of spirit had commanded
tie feet q, Cfonstsdt, would have falen a. Copen
La. en- did. Now, -ir, tell yun that there was no
comparison between Copenhagen and Cronstadt; and
ne h er Lord Nelson any other admiral OF ancieot
ar modem thncs would have touched II with the force
ND at Ii cOmtDsnd. .,. .,,,,.,,
ronaiu your oh't scryt, CHARLES NAPIER
Sir ROBERT PEEL, Bart.