The Sun. — 1854-03-17 (London, England)

PROVIDENCE. Our sailors in this agree with us. Whatever their somewhat boisterous vices, cold scepticism is not one of them. That is the creed of a life spent among a machinery which fosters an unnatural reliance cn human skill. JACK, who has spent all his life amid elements which baffie all human calculation, is a firm believer in the GOD who made him ; he likes to quit harbour with the prayers of the Church; and OD the midnight watch he has visitations of thoughtfulness which those who see him rampant on shore would hardly believe. Roughly, too, as he can look upon a Russian line-of-battle-ship, and recklessly as he will dare a whole crew of knouted serfs at the command to board, he has a tender place in his JOHN BULL'S heart, and can use his weatherworn sleeve to dash away a tear at some thoughts of "the land, and those in it, he left behind him." And, in the awful moments before the murderous artillery begin to play on either side, when all is ready, and the word of command alone wanting ; and still more in the moments when, wounded and fainting, perhaps, he hopes no longer to revisit the home of his heart—at these times he needs and prizes the hope that the GOD of heaven is his friend. Should he not know, then, that he goes into this most righteous war, not only with HEAVEN'S approval of his cause, but with his country's special prayers to the LORD OF Hosts, to bless him in the day of battle ? We have " kept our powder dry"—we have used every means human skill, industry, and foresight can think of ; we have provided our warriors by land and by sea with the best commissariat, and the most efficient medical aid ; but, as we observed on Saturday, "the commencement of a great war is not the appropriate time for boasting or for exultation." No ; we have rather to invoke solemnly the aid of that ALMIGHTY PROVIDENCE which will not ultinia;;ely forsake the trustful and the brave, though it may permit occurrences which teach us our dependence. We think we saw some question put to the Government in one of the Houses of Parliament respecting a day of humiliation and prayer. Humiliation, as it is commonly understood, appears to us very inappropriate ; unless, indeed, we confessed our sins in conniving at the past wickedness of Russia, in Poland, Hungary, Circassia, indeed everywhere along a frontier built up with the murdered liberties of free countries. Otherwise, while it would ill become us to boast before the MOST HIGH, never before, not even when Lord EXHOUTH bombarded Algerine pirates, have we been engaged in a more righteous cause—one in which, without a tinge of cant or hypocrisy, we can take up Lord JOHN RUSSELL'S prayer, " May HEAVEN defend the right!" Would it be unbecoming for Government to give the hint that a day of prayer be appointed for the success of our arms ? Christians of every denomination throughout Great Britain would heartily and devoutly respond to it. Thousands of hearts at home would be fervent on behalf of brothers and husbands abroad, in whose risks they are anxiously concerned ; and the intelligence would rejoice the hearts of our brave men as it reached them, that their whole fatherland, by its spontaneous supplications, had invoked for them the benediction of the