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Leader (1850-1860), 10th February 1855, Edition 2 of 2, Page 8, o THE LEADER. [Saturday, ¦ —^^^^^^m^^m^^...

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      Sir Chaules Napier And Lord Cardigan At ...

      did not succeed in this task , for I never could find the I ^^ ^ a tr ^ must say that , according to my humble judgment , nothing could be s 6 perfect as the preparations which we made by a great army for that attack . The arm of the force in which I served had not the honour of betn" engaged in anything important on that occasion . We sat upon our horses under a heavy fire for a long period and in that position we witnessed the glorious exploits of our brother soldiers . Shortly after this was fought the battle of Balaklava , and unfortunately our allies , the Turks , abandoned their position in a very short time , without maintaining any contact with the enemy . It was late in the afternoon when I received an order to attack the Russian forces posted in the

      valley , which consisted of a long line of guns drawn up in the form of batteries . I received that order , and I obeyed it . ( Loud cheers . ) I delivered that order myself to the brigade under my command . I ordered them to attack the Russians in the valley ; but I must say this , that it being my duty to give the order to my men , I did give it , though I deeply regretted it at the time , and I am sure I should have much more deeply regretted it afterwards if anything had prevented my performing the rest of my duty , which was to share the dangers that those brave men so boldly faced . ( Cheers . ') My lord , whatever danger those men incurred , I shared it with them . ( Renewed cheering .. ) We advanced down a gradual descent of more than three-quarters of a mile with the batteries vomiting forth upon us shells and shot , round and grape , with one battery on our right flank and another on the left ; and all the intermediate

      ground covered with the Russian riflemen ; so that when we came to within a distance of fifty yards from the mouths of the artillery which had been hurling destruction upon us , we were , in fact , surrounded and encircled by a blaze of fire , in addition to the fire of the riflemen upon our flanks . As we ascended the hill the oblique fire of the artillery poured upon our rear ; so that we had thus a strong fire upon our front , our flank , and our rear . We entered the battery—we went through the battery—the two leading regiments cutting down a great number of the Russian gunners in their onset . ( Cheers . ) in the two regiments which I had the honour to lead every officer , with one _ exception , was either "tilled or wounded , orTiad his horse shot under him , or

      injured . Those regiments proceeded , followed by the second line , consisting of two more regiments of cavalry , which continued to perform the duty of cutting down the Russian gunners ; Then came the third line ,, fo rmed o another regiment , which endeavoured to complete the duty assigned to our brigade . I believe that this was achieved with great success , and the result was that this body , composed of only about 670 men , succeeded in passing through the mass of Russian cavalry of ( as we have since learned ) 5200 strong ; and having broken through that mass , they went , according to our technical military expression , " threes about , " and retired in the same manner , doing as much execution in their

      course as they possibly could upon the enemy ' s cavalry . UponottrreturningTip-the hill v ' wehad-to run-the same gauntlet and to incur the same risk from the flank fire of the Tirailleurs as we had encountered before . Numbers of our men and horses were killed , and many of the soldiers who had lost their horses were shot down while endeavouring to escape . But what , my lord , was the feeling and what the bearing of those brave men who returned to the position . ' ( Here the noble and gallant officer's voice faltered , and ho spoke with very evident emotion . ) Of each of these regiments there returned but a small detachment , two-thirds of the men engaged having been destroyed ; and those who survived having arrived at the summit of the hill could not refrain from

      giving three ringing cheers of triumph at the exploit which they themselves had performed . ( Cheers . ) I understand it has been stated that the British cavalry are of a very , inferior description , and require a thorough reform ; that they are badly officered , being commanded by gentlemen of too high a rank in the country , and that they ought to bo better officered . I can only aay that I do not think you will find any body of officers more careful of their men than those officers who now exist , and perform their duties better in the cavalry regiments , or that you will find any regiments in the world whore there is such a mutual attachment between officers and

      men , as is the case in the British cavalry . The officers are nt all times perfectly ready to assist and to attend to the comforts of their men . The men , likewise , are so attached to their officers that , wherever those officers lead them in the cause of honour and glory , there thoso men are always sure to follow them . ( Cheers . ) In conclusion , my Lord , I will only say that , in the minds of thoso who have escaped the dangers of that terrible attack to which I have roforred , there exist reflections Of which they cannot divest themselves . I think that every man who was engaged in that disastrous affair at Balaklava , and who was fortunate enough to come out of- it alive , must feel that it was only by a merciful decroo of Almighty Providence that ho escaped from tho greatest apparent certainty of death which could possibly bo conceived . " ( Loud Cheers ) . Tho noble Earl sat down by repeating his acknowledgments for the honour that had been done him .

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      Manifestation, That It Is Not Tendered B...

      manifestation , that it is not tendered by men who have any party objects to serve in bringing me forward , but that it is the genuine expression of the kind feelings of regard for me of my neighbours in this district . ( Cheers . ) I don't think that a more conclusive proof of the unpartisan character of this meeting could possibly have been given than the fact that we have been drinking the health of her Majesty ' s Ministers , without having the slightest conception of who these Ministers are . ( Laughter and cheers . ) _ __ ...... . f ect to th

      LORD ELGIN AND HIS CANADIAN POLICY . On Friday last the Earl of Elgin and Kincardine was entertained at dinner by the inhabitants of Dunfennline and of the western district of Fifeshire . The dinner took place in the Music Hall , Dunfermline , and was attended by above 300 gentlemen . . . After the usual toasts , the health of Lord Elgin was proposed by the chairman , Provost Robertson . The Earl of Elgin , in reply , said : — " I appreciate this welcome all the more highly that it is not a political

      Lord Elgin then paid a tribute oresp e army in the Crimea , and to the nation which will support any active War Ministry . Characterising his former services as slight , he hoped that his experience would qualify him to perform whatever duties he might be called upon to render here ; for though he had been on nominally " Foreign" Service , it was in reality " Domestic , for he had always been looking after the interests of the English , the Irish , and the Scotch . During the past twenty years three most important alterations in the system of our colonial policy have taken place . The first was the abolition of slavery ; the second was the substitution of free-trade for colonial and domestic protection ; and the third was the substitution of the principle of self-government by o \ ir colonial fellow-subjects for the principle of the government of these colonial fellow-subjects in the hands of British statesmen at home .

      In Jamaica , twenty years ago , he found still glowing tho embers of the controversy which had preceded the Act of Emancipation ; and though he would not say that in a Governor brilliant qualities were requisite , that position did require caution and discretion , to hold the balance between the two parties . The last year that he was Governor of Jamaica was the first , he believed , many years , in which the colonial legislature did not petition Parliament for redress of grievances . He felt much gratified at that . In 1846 he was transferred to Canada . . Protection had been the life and soul of that colony , but just as he arrived he found the entire system swept away . What answer could be made to the colonists who wished to

      legislate for themselves , and to the people at home who objected to bear burdens for the colonists ? The only plan was to throw the responsibilities of the colonies upon the colonists . And what was the result ? Why , that though we have taken away every advantage in trade , Canada maintains the utmost loyalty to our Sovereign , and its revenue , which then was about 400 , 000 / . a year , was now more like 4 , 000 , 000 / . Railways were forming , and also a tubular bridge over the St . Lawrence , two miles long , which would be the wonderof the world . - " - —

      " I wish to say , further , that I return to this country with a stronger conviction than I had on one or two points . I have a stronger faith in the good sense and in the"powers of self-government of my fellow-countrymen . ( ' Hear , and applause . ) I have not been a dilettante on this subject ; I have put the thing to the test . I have also a stronger conviction , if possible , of the superiority for all practical purposes of our own institutions- over those of any other country . I am not talking of European countries ; but I have had opportunities , greater perhaps than any man ever before enjoyed , of contrasting the working of our institutions with those of our great neighbour in America , the United States . I have been working the English system against the system of

      the United States ; and I do say that , in many respects , we have the advantage over them . I do wish to pay all respect to the United States . I have received very great kindness in that country 5 and 1 must say I think the constitution of tho United States ia a very marvellous work of wisdom , considering tho circumstances under which it was formed . I think that £ our monarchical system gives us this very great advantage , that the head of the state represents the unity of the nationrepresents . those great and paramount interests which unite us , and which in that respect are distinguished from those which divido us . Our great advantage over the United States in this respect is this , that , whereas in their republican system the head of the stato is

      necessarily the type and embodiment of party interests , the head of tho state under our system is tho embodiment of national and general interest . ( Loud cheers . ) And I can tell you tho practical way in which that advantage tolls . There is only one way in . a republic in which you can get absoluto unity of sentiment , and that is by effecting hostilities against a foreign country . We , tho popular will , ' toll on tho executive Government much inoro immediately and directly than tho popular voice docs in tho United States . You could not'have- a inoro curious exemplification of tho difference between those two systems than you have at this moment . A short time ago wo had a Government in this country , which , up to a recent ]> eriod , had received certainly a largo share of

      <«^ 4 * b - * _ _ _ _ .. ^ m . A— ^* . ¦ JS ' m i Bfc b . *«¦« *« * m «^ ^ 9 ^ b >^ ^^ m ¦ ¦ — ^ » , Parliamentary support , and which used to command the confidence of Parliament ; but we find that when the confidence of Parliament in the Government was tested , and was carried against them , that Government retired . But what would have been the state of matters in America ? Why , there never was a President who was elected with a . greater appearance of popular support than the present" President of the United States , and I venture to say that there never was an Administration which seemed to be more utterly discredited among all parties than is the present Administration in the United States ; but under the American system , they are

      saddled with that gentleman for four years , and I defy them to get rid of him , or his Ministers , if he chooses to keep them . Now , we have in this country that privilege which ha social life is only supposed to be enjoyed by the ladies—and I am not quite sure that that privilege is not restricted to the ladies of Aberdeen ( a laugh)— -we have the privilege of changing our minds ; whereas , under the American system , they aro not able to do so except once in four years . ( ' Hear , hear , ' and applause . ) The noble Lord concluded by proposing ' The Provost and Magistrates of Dunfermline , and prosperity to the trade of the town . ' "

      French Opinion Of The English Army. The ...

      FRENCH OPINION OF THE ENGLISH ARMY . The following is from the Siecle : — " Do you think that England will not profit by the lesson that the Parliamentary Government cannot do all that is necessary to endow its military administration with the same means which are disposed of by our own ? Need we recal the gigantic struggle in which England has learned to esteem us ? She maintained it to the end at the cost of twenty milliards . Never oncedid her Parliament call dp the Sovereign for a suspension or termination of hostilities . What that Parliament did against us , it will do against Russia . The Englishman is of that strong race which never gives in after it has once begun the attack . " The Pays publishes a letter on the 10 th ult ., by an officer of the 29 th Regiment of Infantry . The writer says : — "I have not yet spoken to you of the English army . What an admirable army ! You cannot have , an idea of its sang-froid , coolness , and courage before the enemy ! The French soldiers run upon the guns . The English soldier walks up to them with as much , calm as if he were on parade , I cannot tell you how heartily we sympathize together . We regard ; the English no longer as allies , but as Frenchmen and brothers . " _ — _

      Archdeacon Denison And Convocation. On T...

      ARCHDEACON DENISON AND CONVOCATION . On Thursday the two Houses of Convocation for the Province of Canterbury met in the Jerusalem Chamber . In . the Upper House , which adjourned to the Bounty Office , the principal discussion was upon some proposed alterations in the Book of Conim on PrayerrThe following resolution ,-however , was agreed to : — " That we consider that in any alteration of services it should be a fundamental principle that the Book of Common Prayer should be maintained entire and unaltered , except so far as shall concern the rubrics , and tho division of services , and the formation of new services by the recombination of those now existing , with such alterations in the psalter and table of lessons as may be judged fit . " To this was added a resolution to the following effect : — " That no alteration would appear to us desirable which did not ensure the performance of the whole morning and evening services on Sundays and holydays . " The proceedings in the Lower House were uninteresting , with the exception of some discussion relative to tho case of Archdeacon Denison , who went at some length into the details of his case , already known to our readers . Ho repudiated the commission altogether , and thought the House ought to interfere . Ho really did not know even whether ho was entitled to sit in Convocation or not . In

      answer , it was snicl that Archdeacon Denison ' s present proceedings were irregular , and calculated to damage his case . The Prolocutor also affirmed that the House could not entertain a statement against a fact not boforo the House . Very strong imputation had been cast on the commission . Archdeacon Denison thought it very unjust to refuse to hear a statement of facts . If refused a hoaring , ho thought it . might becomo necessary to lay a charge of heresy before the House . In conclusion , he handed tho Prolocutor a letter of remonstrance agntn & t tho Taunton commission ; but motion for entering it on tho records was lost ) .

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Feb. 10, 1855, page 8, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_10021855/page/8/