Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1856-04-22

ana mol. H- usual fftin iiiH uhtt III its
fieaiion; 50 TINT We have net ualy passed into
condition af peace without being in the least n
wnre of the gradstions through which 1t was to
be obtained.
Even while we write, the guns of the Tower
are announcing the return of that condition which
! If once lost sight IT, robs war of all its honors,
reduces il ~ an igneble conflict between the en-
ernie. If mankind, and renders it utterly unwor-
thy of a Christian state. 1t is vain To speculate
nn the precis. conditions upon which peace has
| been concluded. They are not yet known to Us.
aud probably may not be sol for some days.ihough
| they eau hardly be concealed during the whole
period requisite for the exchange 1T the ratIhca-
! lions We have little doubt that in their sub.
stance they az. already known to the English
pnblic and. if so, though they do not contain all
| upon which we might have thought ourselves en-
titled to nsist. they nevertheless give US sub.
sianfial reason To believe that we have not con
cluded hollow truce, but final and honorable
| reconciliation.
And now. placed on the vantage ground afford
| ed by this crrica moment Of time. which Inks
Together the war from which have emerged
and The peace which are entering. wa can
not fornear a comparison ct our present situation
and prospects with those Of the men'rable 9th
of March, 1854. Much we have done,we have
learnt laore 9srhe stern reality of war has dis
spated piany Illusions and shown many things
to US in their true shapes the aspect of which
was before vtiated by prejudice, by our over
appreciation of ourselves. by contemptuous aud
insuar mi,cacuil,tion of the forces OF oihers,and
! by mistaken estimate If the overwhelming ad-
van,ages of mere physical power.
When we entered into the war, we believed, as
we had a right to beleve-that our generals
were skillful and enierprising. and that our cost
| " military system, often and 80 empha'caliy
honnrrd with the appreciation of the great Duke
Of Wellington. would be found equal to every o.
mergepcy. These Authorizations were rapidly
disripatod by the progress of the war, aud we a
woke to the melancholy conviction that. OF all
those things which trusted none, except the
| brilliant valor and endurance IT oar army, was
| worthy Of our confidence. One legacy therefore,
that the war has left us.i- di.tru-t OF orr military
~ stem and a firm determination t" place that
syste ON footing which. lift cannot command
success for mny at any rate, secure our oe-
| scr, ing il better for the future.
France on the other hand. profting by the
riate of constant preparation in which she has
hc,.n living sine" the peace OF 1919, has
| itlnriousy asserted her right to be ranked among
the first of military nations, and has acted IN n
| ina.nucr calculated t. raise her reputation as
81 eat military power, and I" add new pages t" the
long catalogue ofthe triumph- she has won by the
~ III If her officers. and the trained and organ
IL ed enthusiasm of her soldiers
The two powers have lenrnt to place reliance
- II each Others naval aud military strength and
hey have also proved to each other and the
world, that they are capaole nom the HloSl uis-
interested motives, of forming aud preserving
rrpat alliance and maintaining its good faith
nyiolatp, under circumstances the most arduous
mud III ~cournging, despite of all the arts which an
enemy, equally skillfuland un+crupuon., could
employ in order to undermine their good under
standing
INDEPENDENTLY, therefore IF the exact conditions
If pence, which do not yet know. the war has
been glorious and prosperous for tn" western
powers, by demonstrating the purity ot thu If mo
iiyes the extent of their resources, their daunt
less courage, their nviolabe good faith, aud that
stern and steadfast resolution which seems able
| TO control even Fortune herself, and to bend to
its will the most adverse and threatening crcum-
stances. II were invidous to enter too critical
ly into the share of merit to BIZ awarded to either
party.
The brunt of the strength Mt Alma and mixer
man was borne by the English; the best approach
rs to Sebnstopol and the finally successful assault
were the work of the French; and, if we have
abundant reasons to complain of our Generals,
: France has : little reason to be satisfied with
\ the want of vigor which neutralized her great sue
| cess of the 9Th of September. The English army
suffered most at the beginning, the French at the
4 end of the war; aud if France has shown most
4 skill in the conduct of hostiiitirs. England was
/ better able to continue them. Tor her resources
A were only beginning To he developed at the very
moment when those of the other begerents had
4 perceptbly diminished,
| In tt military point of view the losses of Russia
have been signal aud overwhelming. Half mil
l lion of valiant soldiers, vast fleet, arsrnals of
\ bonndless abundance. her whole means of inter
nal transport have vanished into the course of two
\ brief years. aud the power which would not con
descend 10 return any answer to our remonstran-
I in lf51 is glad 10 seek for peace, with an ad-
| mis- sion n its absolute necessity, in 1856. Her
! unjust CHI are abandoned her naughty tone is
lowered; she has felt in her vitals that con
suming flame of war with which she has infested
tho repose o weaker states. aud she has learned
that there is IA power Us superior 10 her IN that
ply sic Il force 10 which she has been ready
To appeal as in tina t justice and moderation which
her neghbors hav often sought from her in
vain.
But at this heavy price Russia has. undoubted-
". purchased great advantages. She has awoke
from the delusion of universal conquest-from
the dream that a power resting purely on a mill
tary basis can, for moment, successfully com
pete with those which I'D to military strength
a highly developed int TN al organization: and rs
il would seem. she has turned her attention to
the development of her internal resources, with
the view possibly of rene wing the conflict ut some
future date hut with the riainty that by raising
up an internal material pro-. perity she will be en-
listing her own interest most powerfully against
the warlike spirit. which fonrishes only among
nation that believe they have more to gain by
plumber than by commerce.
OF the states of Germany we have left
selves little room 10 speak but certain poeti-
cal justice does not seem to have been wanting
in their case. While the belgerent powers,
victorious aud vanqniehed. retire from the con-
test with no incon> siderable share of military hon
or, to play first rate part in the European dra-
ina, Austria and Prussia, the poor. spirited sup
pnrters of either side alternately. and of neither
effectually, have suffered grievously since the
commencement of hostilitips The former was