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did not succeed in this task , for I never . couldfind the S . C ^^^) A few afterwards came Sat glorious affair , the battle of the Alma r and ^ here must say that , according to my humble judgment , nothing could be so perfect as the preparations which were made by a great army for that attack . The arm of the force in which I served had not the honour of being engaged-in anything important on that occasion . We sat upon our horses under a heavy fire for a l ong 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
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 , 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 . y In the two regiments which I had the honour to lead every officer , with one exception , was either
killed or wounded , or had 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 , - formed of 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 . Upon our returning up the hill , we had to run the same gauntletandtoincurthesame 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 he 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 be better officered . I can only- say that I do not think you will find any body of officers more careful of their men than thoso officers who now exist , and perform their duties better in the cavalry regiments , or that you will find any regiments in the world where there is such a mutual attachment between officers and
men , as is the case m the British cavalry . The officers are at all times perfectly ready to assist and to attend to the comforts of thoir men . The men , likewise , are so attached to their officers that , wherever those officers lead them in the cause of honour and glory ) there those 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 terriblo attack to which ^ have referred , there exist reflections Of which they cannot divest themselves . I think that © very man who was exigagod in that disastrous affair at Balaklava , and who was fortunnto enough to come out of it « liye , must feel that it was only by a merciful decree of Almi ghty Providence that ho escaped from the greatest apparent certainty of deuth which could possibly be conceived . " ( Loud Cheers ) . The noble Earl sat down by repeating his acknowledgments for the honour that had been done him .
LORD ELGIN AND HIS CANADIAN POLICY . On Friday last the Earl of Elgin and Kincardine " was entertained at dinner by the inhabitants of Dunfermline and of the western district of Fifeshire . The dinner took place in the Music Hall , Danfermline , 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
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 . ) tribute of to the
Lord Elgin then paid a respect 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 our 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 the 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 Jamaicarvvas the first , he believed , for Tftany vears , in which the colonial legislature did jiot petition Parliament for redress of grievances . He felt much gratified at that . In 1846 he was transferred to Canada . Protection
ha'd been the life and soul of that colony , but just as he arrived he found the entire system swept a ^ ray . ^ 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 wonder __ of . 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 tho 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 tho United States . . I have received very great kindness in that country ; and 1 must say I think the constitution of the United States is a very marvellous work of wisdom , considering the circumstances under which it was formed . I think that ^ our monarchical system gives us this very great advantage , that the head of tho state represents the unity of tho 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 tho United States in this respect is this , that , whereas in their republican system tho head of tho state is
necessarily tho typo and embodiment of party interests , tho 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 tells . There is only one way in a republic in which you can get absolute unity of . sentiment , andthut is by effecting hostilities ngninst a foreign country . We , tho popular will , toll on the executive Government much more immediately and directly than tho popular voico , does in tho United States . You could not have a more curious exemplification of tho difference botweon thoso two systems than you havo at this moment . A short time ago wo had a Government in this country , which , up to a rccaiit period , had received certainly n largo share of
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 in 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 are not able to do so except once in four years . Q Hear , hear , '' and applause ^ The noble Lord concluded by proposing * The Provost and Magistrates of Dunfermline , and prosperity to the trade of the town . ' "
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 Am . erican system , they are
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FRENCH OPINION OF THE ENGLISH AEMY . Thk following is from the Siecle : — " Do you think that Engl and 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 Engl and has learned to esteem us ? She maintained it to the end at the cost " of twentymilliards . Never once did her Parliament call on the Sovereign for a suspension or termination of hostilities . What that Parliament did against us , it will do against Russia . The Eng li shman 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 Eng li sh army . What . an admirable army 1 You cannot have an idea __ qf 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 na longer as allies , but as Frenchmen and brothers . "
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ARCHDEACON DENISON AND CONVOCATION . On Thursday the two Houses of Convocation for tho 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 Comm on Prayer : ~ Tlie ~~ foird ^ in ] f 1 resdlutw ^ 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 , andthe 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 n resolution to the following effect : — " That no alteration would appear to us desirable which did not ensure tho performance of the whole morning and evening Borvices on Sundays and holy-Ays . "
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 renders . He repudiated the commission altogether , and thought the House ought to interfere . He really did not know even whether he was entitled to sit in Convocation or not . In answer , it was said that Archdeacon Denison's present proceedings were irregular , and calculated to damage his ensc . The Prolocutor also affirmed that the House could not entertain a statement against a fact not before the House . Very strong imputation had been cast on the commission .
Archdeacon Denison thought it very unjust to refuse to hear a statement of fucts . If refused a hearing , he thought it might become necessary to lay a Charge of heresy before tho House . In conclusion , ' ' he handed the Prolocutor a letter of remonstrance against the Taunton commission ; hut motion for entering it on the records was lost .
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128 THE XE AD E B . [ Sactbday , -
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Feb. 10, 1855, page 128, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2077/page/8/
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