The Sun. — 1855-08-09 (London, England)

LORD JOHN'S CONSISTENCY.  When a garrison can no longer hold a fortress, and is able to withdraw, it commonly does its best to render the place untenable or unwholesome. It fills the town with mines, throws the dead bodies into the wells, or leaves them unburied in the streets. A soldier very naturally has no kind of sympathy with the foe who turns him out of a comfortable shelter, and drives him to seek his fortune in the field. A different rule, however, is applicable, in our humble opinion, to the case of a statesman's conduct towards his former colleagues, whom he has been obliged to leave, not by their hostility, nor yet by any serious difference, or any difference at all, but simply by some blunder of his own. It certainly seems very uncivil, not to say worse, in Lord John Russell, who a short month ago was himself a member of her Majesty's Government, setting to work to make them as uncomfortable as he can. It is not his fault if the ground does not already begin to heave under their feet and the walls to tumble about their ears. There is not a sore point in European politics, there is not a place where the fire still glows under the treacherous ashes, that Lord John Russell does not stir up with the recklessness of a novice, or the artifice of a less amiable character. No thanks to him if Austria, whom a month ago he affected to think our real friend, does not now liberate the Russian armies in her front, and prepare for an Italian campaign ; no thanks to him if Turkey does not fancy herself entrapped into playing our game, and either desert the Allies, or only continue in our service on whatever terms she can extort from our necessity. If a hint from Lord John Russell is worth anything at all, the King of Sardinia will stipulate, before he sends us more men to the Crimea, for the regeneration of Italy after the model of his own nation. If the Romans have their eyes about them, they will be looking for British countenance to govern themselves, without Austrian, or an, Frenchman, or Pope. Both Austria and Russia may now defend the continued occupation of the Prinipalities, and the latter the threatened cu oef Constantinople, by Lord John Russell son osipoantitoon the French occupation of Rome. Indeed, the whole speech is characterised by that cynical tone comm sful ambition, on to men of great talents, bad tempers, and unsucces after a certain time of life. It asoh shows itself totes etl thing iinngaacson badstartilts attempt to make out ono man another ; tz. prove that the worst man has his apology, and that the gressest..coauttiort of some genurage is only fair retaliation, or the particular WE' l law. What such men are driving at, and why they don't commit suicide outright, instead of continually poisonin the cup of human life for everybody as well as them selves ii of course their own concern. There are such men, and the tone of Lord John Russell's speech seems to show that her is one of them. He has left the room, saying a ill-natued thing to everybody about everybody, —annd je„vieg all to recover their mutual confidence as well as they can, The first thing that strikes one is, wliat a very pleasant colleague Lord John Aussell must have been till a , month ago 1 /low onortuel how oik itryige 111) _ _bow pm!