The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-09-22
LITERATURE.
REVIEW OF NEW BOOKS

Harper broJherS,;; niladelphia Agents
The second volur.le of the American reprint of
Kinglake's "F.lstory If the Ctimean war"-third
and four.n volumes of the English edition
takes up the narrative of events Immediately
after the battle of the Alma and concludes with
the battle of Balaklava. Mr.. Kinglake's weak
points are his rabid anti-Napoleonism and his
admiration for the generalship of Lord Raglan.
It is an undoubted fact that the Crimean cam
paipn deprived the English of their military
prestige, and lost them their position as the
holders Of the balance Of power in Europe. The
French carried off all the honors of the war;
while the bad generalship and baG management
Of the British were only redeemed by the per-
sonal valor of their soldiers and their obstinate
determination to accomplish the fall Of Seyas
topol at all hazards. In his efforts to do justice
to the memory of Lord Raglan, Mr.. Kluglake
unduly exalts the abilities of that very amiable
Gentleman but very inefficient general, while
he is led into disparagements OF the French
which are certainly not deserved. The
events of the Crimean war are still
too fresh in the minds Of the newspaper
reading public for any author, unless he brings
stronger arguments to bear on the subject than
Mr.. Kinglake does, 10 remove the prevailing
impression that Lord Raglan was utterly
Incompetent for the position which he held, and
the honor which the French army won they are
likely to hold for many day. Independently
of its partisan spirit, Mr.. Kinglake's work is
valuable, and now that the bitter feelings which.
of course, prevailed during the progress of the
war have passed away, he does not hesitate to
do justice to the Russians, aud to repudiate the
vile ISLANDERS which were circulated about them
for the sake of firing the British heart when it
was disposed to be dependent on account OF
the blunders of generals and the red-tapeism
OF the home authorities. He has had access to
important official documents and the reports of
officers of all the contending armies and per-
sonal explanations made by participants in the
conflict throw much light upon doubtful and
controverted points, In regard to the famous
cavalry charge blunder at Balaklava, Mr..
Kinglake, after hearing all sides, deduces the
following essentially correct conclusions:-
"The task Of endeavoring 10 put right con-
clally in battle, is often anxious and difficult
one, yet SO enormously important that the
upon the way In which it is discharged. Now,
1t would seem that there is one Kind of expe-
tendency to disquaIity an officer for the duty of
putting sensible constructions upon orders
ence / speak of is that Whicn is possessed by an
officer who has served many years in stand.
ing army without having had the fortune to go
whole military life, has been perpetually deal
ing with fixed conditions and petty occurrences
measure, provided for beforehand by even that
limited forecast which the rules Of an office
imply; and as soon as his training has taken
its effect to the utmost, he may be Said to re-
present the true opposite OF what a COM
mander should be who has to encounter emer-
gencies. So long as soldierly duties are confined
to mere preparation and rehearsal, they can be
s I & Thene Gr ne
enemy interposes. and interposes so roughly
that the mitary clock Of peace time is
momentOus orders delivered in the hour of bat
the eSnsrieece of | the bscames
snare. His new theatre OF action is so strange,
so vast and SO dim-for he now has to meet the
unknown-that unless he can rise with the
occasion, throwing open his mind and chang
ing his old stock of ideas, he becomes danger.
course, in proportion to the extent OF the com.
mand with which he has been intrusted. Sup.
posing the natural capacity equal, there is no
stirring missionary, no good electioneerer, no
revered master of hounds, who might not be
more likely to prove himself equal to the unfore-
seen emergencies of campaign than the gene
raj officer who is veteran in the military pro.
fession, f and at the same time, % novice @ In war
experience in war is still In so early period OF
his life as to have unimpaired the natural
mind to the new exigency; but wien State
gives high command TO an officer who is not
acquired in peace-time, but is also advanced in
years, 1t fulfiIs at least two of the conditions
which are the most likely to bring about mis-
constructions of even the plainest orders; and
II to these precautions the Government adds
that of taking care that the selected General
shall be q man of o marrow disposition and
narrow mlnd-a man cleaving to technicslites
and regulations with morbid love OF uni
form1ty-then. indeed, IL exhausts a large pro-
portion of the expedients which can be used for
insurng miscarriage.
"Engiand ruling as she does over various
and widespread dependencies, Is SO often forced
into warlike operations OF more or less magni:
having at her command no war-tried Off ers
Therefore, when, with such means at her dis
posal, she still trusts mportant commands to her
peace-servtng officers, she has not the plea of
necessity She acts In sheer WantOnness She
needs, as IL were, a sIrong swimmer, and hastens
to take q man who never has happened TO
bathe. She wants skilful ships captain to
maintain her strength on the ocean, and for
this purpose chooses bargeman who has piled
thirty years on canals.
"As warning instance ofmiscarrlage result
ing from this evil practice, Lord Cardigans
mistake has great worth; because IL was so OBJ
viously occasioned both by his experience and
military experience which had gathered
upon him in peace-time. and by the want of
that other experience which men gain in war.
Many officer long versed in peace service might
have made an equivalent mistake; but on the
tuncture as that in which Lord Cardigan found
himself no man who ever n td Welded squad
ron IN the Held would have thought himself
"The example was made the more signal by
an incident which occurred at the time,
Whilst Lord Cardigan sat in his addIe, express
ing, under cavalry forms of speech his envy of
the Heavy Dragons. and adhering TO that
hapless construction of Lord Lucan's order
which condemned him, as he thought, to
state of neutrality, he had at mis- side an Off cer
comparatively young, and with only the rank
ofa captain, who still was we'll able to give him
that guidance which by reason of his want Of
experience IN war he grlevously, though
unconsclousy needed. Captain Morris. COM
regiments of the Light Brigade, and