The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-12-20

| Mandarins, under the P..ouoo -. a,,o,,
the opium trade, committed acts o. opsn
hostility. A war broke out tue io''o .,s;nS
year, Mt the commemcemens o. . wu
Chinese officials talked OF i.'"u,ns
Fmoiand overland by way OF nus
sia Tho Imperial Government was,
however sufficiently BUNDLED by the mid
dle N The wear 1912, and on the 10Th Au-
cnst a treaty OF peace was signed before
Nanl,in Inv which the ports OF Annoy, Fu-
chow Sinypo. and Shanghai were, IN adj
ditjon In Canton, thrown open to foreign
trade. The island Of Hong Kong was also
coded In nerpctu,ty to the British Crown"
The writer Of the foregoing evidently nj
tachcs no crcdeucc to the opium grievance,
and clearly intimatcs that the proyocaiion
came from China. The Chinese had appa-
rcnfly not then learned that their boosted
army of nearly million OF men could be
oyorrnatchcd by handful Of Englishmcn;
their vast hotiilas Of iunks aud war-ships
could be scattered By few British craft:
The cruise up the Chinese rivers OF asmali
iron runboaf, the "Nemesis," reads like
romance. As the "Condor" did the other
day at Alexandria, so she would run under
tbe runs of the forts and batter their walls
TO pieces. Doubtless the Chinese are not
TO he regarded as mighty men OF vaior;
and vet, II mistake not, the Russian Gov
eminent has been compelled to treat them
with some considerable respect.
"rHE cRINEAN WAR;"
WHY. In treating OF the Crimean war.
does General Maury contrast the French
so nightly to the disadvantage OF Eng
land! lie omits reference to the battle OF
the Alma, in which, at the outset OF the
war. the Russian army, under Menchikof,
was defeated and routed. II that VIC
tory had been pressed, M Lord Raglan
passionatcly urged, but which the French
commander frustrated, SevastOpol would
probably have been carried and the war
ended at blow. But time was given the
enemy to recover. A regular siege was
necessltated. II lasted within few days
~ long as the siege OF Richmond, and the
allies lost 10000 men.
Surely General Maury does his own feel
inos injustice when he characterizes the
celebrated Balaklaya charge rs "an Illus
tration OF British laundering which in any
people trained in war would have been
hushed up." There is not "scintilla OF
evidence" that that fatal misconccption
arose through any commanders fault. 1t
Is not difficult 10 understand the way in
which q verbal order which an aide-de-
camp carried was misunderstood. With
ont referring TO book, my recollection OF
the occurrence is this: y body OF Turks
Soldiers 70 whom reference will hereafter
he made) had deserted their guns, and the
Russians had gained possession OF them
and the hill OH the right. kinglakc lilienS
the position to mans fist with the fore and
little fingers extended, the middle fingers
closed. The little finger il the ridge with
the guns in possession OF the Russians
taken from the Turks; the other extended
index finger, to the left, is another
ridge. or range OF hiIls, in possession
OF the Russians, with artillery. The
space between The extended fingers will be
the valley, and the fist. with middle fin
gers clenched, il where the Russian forces
are massed with their batteries in front.
All this, perhaps, it is superfuous TO mar
rate, but, to repeat particulars here as else
where, NAY frcShen recollection with those
who have been interested enough TO read
| thus far. Wei, the position described. we
will proceed Nolan, IN aido-Gc-camp,
rode up to the Light Brigade with the or
der to charge the Russians at the guns.
| Tic commander OF the brigade had not
| been in a position 10 sec what lad trans
| PRED on the right, 4 fact which the aide
dc-camp did not recognize. With the bat
terry down the valley in his mind, the caval-
nv commander hastily expressed surprise,
and exclaimed that Tie attempt was impos-
siblc. my Lord" said the impetuous
young officer, "that is the order, and there
arc ti.e s,uus". waving ~ lac said so in
general direction forward. without an-
other word the "charge" was ordered.
a rrI 10 s.t
r;ble task. Every man in his place rs il
on parade, and Cardigan at their held.
rocking not, but to rage, as lie was
heard 20 do, at the insolence Of the young
lieutenant. who. instantly diyining from
the direction taken the fatal misconception,
had contiivcd to plunge in advance OF Car
digan himself. and whist fran.icaIly en-
deayoring 10 arrest attention and divert
the fatal course was himself almost in
stantly stricken dead. ~ we know tie bri-
gade thundered on TO the fearful goal. Was
il not 4 sublime instance Of herOism and
unialtering soldier!y NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
indeed 10 the actors in the drama, but Of
iering an example OF iortiiude and deyo-
ton from which the world will ever be n
gaincry In South, rs well rs North. is
not the war Of secession now pretty gene
rally conceded to have been a vast blum
der! But would southern patriotism e
more or hush uD the achievements TO which
that blunder gave rises No; this whole
country and the world will for ages be the
gamers for that war through the lesson Of
gallantry and devotion there so sublimely
displayed. It, battles and gallant charges,
with Balakiava's, viii 20 down in history
through the ages.
December 6, 1882.