*18

LIER OF OOBDEXN foes?

1855. ““ Midhurst, Sept. 80. (To Mr. Bright.)=1 think you a
mir. 51. read the enclosed with interest. There isa description of wha!
the writer witnessed at the hospital in Sebastopol, whic?
Surpasses everything I have read. The graphic account of the
horses lying harnessed to the guns ab the bottom of the cle?”
blue water comes back to my mind’s eye like a real pict
You will see that he speaks of our failure at the Redan a
arising solely from the fact of the men mot following the”
officers to the assault. He is always on the side of the me"
and he finds excuses for them at the expense of the office™
But the real solution of the disaster is that the troops Were
raw recruits—mere boys, and I expect that after a little
more recrimination between the parties concerned the Whole
truth will come out, that, in the words of the Times CO
respondent, ‘we are trusting the honour, reputation, and
glory of Great Britain to undisciplined lads from the plough
or the lanes of our towns and villages” It will end in 8°
exposure of the hollowness of all those demonstrations o
the press and the public in favour of this just and necessary
war—for it will come out that the bone and muscle of 12
country take no part in it, but leave the recruiting-sergeant
as best he ean to kidnap mere children and carry them of
to the shambles,
“This sham must blow up, but the press and Palmersto?
are so interested in not telling the people that they must 9
something more than pass resolutions, write inflammatory
articles, or preach incendiary sermons—that they must in
fact do the fighting as well ag the shouting for war, that 1
expect they will let matters go on till we are plunged int?
some deep humiliation and disgrace. As it is, the French
army are trying to soothe us with compliments so overdone
that we cannot help seeing through the grimaces which
accompany them. Depend on it, if the war goes on, med
of sense will see that we meat either Lave the cupscriotioss