INSPECTOR-GENERAL DR. RUSSELL.
William Russell, LL.D., who told England how the authorities managed her Army, and who thereby did even a better thing for the Army than in immortalising its deeds in his noble narratives of our wars, has taken up his pen in behalf of the Service in Red, and the Service in Blue. He directs a newspaper for himself, and will, it appears to Mr. Punch, materially assist that gentleman in his efforts for the good of our Combative Institutions. It would appear that even the terrible exposures made during the Crimean War, and the indignation that followed that, have not quite cured officials of neglect or jobbery. Mr. Russell discovered, and announced in his Army and Navy Gazette, the fact that some of the woodwork of the carriages for the Armstrong guns that were put on board the Himalaya was rotten. Those splendid engines, of which we have lately read so much, would therefore be useless when wanted to be used. Mr. Russell called the attention of the Authorities to the fact. As usual, when any shortcoming is pointed out by a civilian, the first thing is to give him the lie. Out comes the duly instructed Morning Post with a bullying reply, thus-
“A statement appeared in the Army and Navy Gazette, to the effect that the carriages manufactured as the Royal Arsenal for the Armstrong guns, on being hoisted on board the Himalaya steam-ship, were found to be rotten, &c. This assertion is (we are informed on good authority) entirely incorrect. The carriages in question were constructed from timber most carefully selected, and as regard materials and workmanship, they were considered by practical men in the carriage department to be perfect specimens.”
This is the true official style – not only is the thing not bad, but it is the very best thing in the whole world. But Mr. Russell has had some experience of official veracity, and is not exactly the man to be very much impressed by such an answer. He institutes a new examination in to the case, and favours the Authorities with the following rejoinder:
“If who ‘good authority’ were present on the occasion of hoisting the guns on board, we would request him to favour us with an interview, for the purpose of discussing a matter of fact. As he could not have been on board, or his contradiction would not have assumed such a positive form as ‘entirely incorrect,’ we beg to reiterate our statement on better authority than his own, and to repeat, on that authority, it was found, on hoisting some carriages of the Armstrong guns on board, that portions of the woodwork were unsound, i.e. ‘rotten.’ – Editor.”
That is an awkward wunner. Perhaps the Authorities will recollect themselves, and William Russell also; and consider whether, in the future cases of neglect or jobbery that he will be of any use to try to put down the Pen of the War by falsehood and impertinence, and whether it will not be better to amend the error and thank the critic.
Proceed, Editor. The name is fortunate, for you “exhibit” not only our fighting men, but the folks who make their fighting a crueller task than it need be. And we rejoice to see you do it like a true Roman Editor, per libellum publicè affixum, and called the Army and Navy Gazette.
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