The Press. — London, England, 1854-11-25 00:00:00

i1in.....1 1 1116 • THE WEEK. WE are at last in possession of full details of the battle of Inkermann. It wanted only a result to be one of the most glorious achievements in our military annals. But, failing this, it has proved, like Alma, a barren victory. The enemy were repulsed, and that was all. We took few prisoners, and no guns. Neither ground nor weather per mitted of manoeuvring. From first to last the battle consisted of a series of desperate assaults on the British position by dense columns of Russians, which were received with immovable steadiness, and repulsed with invincible valour. The noble CATHCART, in his zeal to strike an effective blow at the enemy, seems to have made an incau tious movement, which lost the army its most distinguished general and entailed severe loss on the troops he led. With this exception, and the pursuit of an advantage pushed by the French too far on the side of the town, the allies acted on the defensive. They repulsed the attack with heavy loss, and that was all. The enemy's casual ties were to ours as two or three to one—a result mainly due to the dense masses in which they came on, and the terrible destruction poured into them from the steady fire of our troops, and the discharges of our guns, when they got fairly into play. The enemy retreated as they came, in good order, and without interruption. Their loss is officially stated at 42 officers and 2,989 men killed, and 206 officers and 5,791 men wounded; together, 9,008. Our loss 43 officers and 416 men killed, and 102 officers and 2,029 men in wounded and missing. The Frenchloss is stated to be 1,726. These figures are re markable, as showing that, while the Russian dead were to the British as no less than seven to one, their wounded were to ours as less than three to one. Yet it is said that the Rusians gave no quarter. The truth is difficult to be arrived at ; but perhaps, if all were known, there was on either side little mercy shown in this desperate strife. Some facts have come to our knowledge, showing the ferocity of the Russians, which may be fully relied on. Neither NEVILLE, PAKENHAM, NEWMAN, GREVIILE, nor many others, were badly wounded when they fell ; they were massacred as they lay defenceless on the ground, some of them retaining breath long enough to say so. Colonel SEYMOUR was dis mounted, attending to CATHCART, when he was bayonetted, and his brains beaten out; NEWMAN was being carried to the rear by a sergeant, when some Russians shot the sergeant and murdered NEWMAN. These acts must tend greatly to embitter the contest. A few months ago the march of progress and enlightenment papers, told us that the war would be carried on in a more humane and chivalrous spirit than any former one. The direct contrary is the case. Of all wars this promises to be the most relentless. We are assured that a Russian major, taken prisoner by our grenadiers, was observed to leave the ranks and run one of our wounded men through the body with his sword. We give currency to these statements with regret; but they reach us on excel lent authority, and have produced a feeling of the greatest exaspe ration throughout the allied ranks. From the great reduction in our strength previous to the battle, our ranks were severely tasked to repel the assaults of the enemy. The brigade of Guards went into action only 1,000 strong, and their loss in non-commissioned officers and privates alone was 551. An instance is given in a published letter of the ridiculous manner in which the War Department supplies reinforcements. The 95th Regi ment was once 1,000 strong, To supply the gaps in it, one subaltern and eighty men were sent out. But when this powerful reinforcement arrived, the regiment was reduced, to six officers and 200 men. Our troops are reduced by tens and reinforced by units. The Russian despatches seem now written with great exactitude. No attempt is made to misrepresent events or disguise losses. There is a discrepancy, however, in one respect between their accounts of the battle and our own. Prince MENBCHIKOFF mentions distinctly that several guns in both the French and English works were spiked, but our accounts are all silent on that head. Lord RAGLAN'S despatch is in parts vaguely written, First, he says that the Russians " aban doned on the field of battle 5,000 or 6,000 dead and wounded," and, subsequently, that they left on the field " near five thousan d dead," and that their total casualties " amount in the whole to not less than 15,000." If in the Russian account the missing and prisoners are not included, their loss would probably exceed 10,000 men—a terrible loss considering the number engaged on our side. From the impossibility of affording the wounded Russians medical aid, vast numbers of them were left to perish on the field. The enemy sent in no flag of truce to bury the dead and tend the wounded. Hence, per haps, in great measure, the unusual proportion of dead to the wounded in the return. This is to carry on war in the savage spirit of utter barbarism. A telegraphic message from Paris yesterday says that the allied generals have demanded an explanation from Prince MENSCHIKOFF as to the orders issued to his forces before the battle, that no quarter should be given. It is scarcely credible that such order could have been issued. The advantages of the day, notwithstanding the horrible carnage in the enemy's ranks, seem to have been with them. We have accounts from the Crimea to the 15th, and up to that date the siege made no progress. The battle indefinitely postponed the contem plated assault, and the allied commanders , more than ever convinced _ ?rise before them, had resolved to and wait for large reinforcements. we been joined by three distinct )n-Saken, and of Dannenberg ; the ins, in light marching order. The therefore, in the Crimea, inclusive _ not fall short of 100,000 men. Balaklava will be a perilous experi- At present it would seem that (eir ground. They are themselves SATURDAY, besieged, by the relieving army on one side, and the garrison on the other. All the disastrous consequences of this "leap in the dark" are not yet developed. As the allied commanders are reinforced, will they attempt to vigorously prosecute the siege through the winter, or will they shelter their men as they best can, and wait for the arrival of spring, and an immense increase to their force, to take the field with one army and act against Sebastopol with another? If the latter decision be taken, it would seem most advisable to reinforce the camp at Balaklava only to the extent required for perfect security, and to collect another considerable army at Constantinople ready to take the field as soon as the season will permit. The severe and disastrous action in the Pacific, which at another time would have excited great attention, is almost lost sight of through public anxiety being so exclusively fixed on the operations in the East. The great strength of this remote station, however, shows what care has been taken to fortify the most distant extremities of the Rus sian empire. Our loss was considerable, the force of the allied squad ron being much too weak for the service it attempted to perform. Several vacancies in the representation have occurred this week. By the death of Lord DUDLEY Courra STUART a seat is vacated for Marylebone. Some cliques in the borough have already begun to stir themselves, and the stale shibboleth of party is again heard—Reform of Parliament, Vote by Ballot, &c. Will the electors of this wealthy and populous borough again be imposed on by this worn-out clap trap ? Do they want a second placeman ? We trust some candidate. independent alike of pothouse dictation and Ministerial jobbing, will be put forward, if only to test the opinion of the metropolis at this juncture. The Irish Conservative party has lost two members. Colonel PAKENHAM, who sat for the county of Antrim, fell at Inker mann. In Scotland, Ayrshire is vacated by the lamented death of Colonel BLAIR, who was first returned for the county in 1852. His loss, as a consistent and most promising politician, will be severely felt and deeply lamented by the Conservative party. Mr. LUCAS is again before the world. It appears that a certain Rev. Mr. KEEFE, P.P., has provoked the wrath of his bishop; has been spouting, pot-valiant " pat"-riotism after dinner, or something of the sort, and the bishop has suspended him till he has learnt the useful art and mystery of holding his tongue. Mr. LUCAS is up in arms, of course ; "inflames the crowd to that pitch (says a Romanist paper) that they commit the double scandal of "—in short, hooting the bishop, and cheering the curate ; finally, Mr. LUCAS announces that he means to appeal to the Pope. Innocent Mr. LUCAS ! The good man really believes "the Pope" is like "the press," or the House of Commons, or Westminster-hall—will hear what he has to say, and give him a civil answer. He never was more mistaken in his life. We invite the attention of Mr. LUCAS, and of the Roman Catholic laity generally, to the following exposition of the canon law, as practically laid down in another of their organs : A priest's complaint against a bishop is not entertained vicarionsly through a layman. It the priest do not apply he is not supposed to be aggrieved at all, any complaint by a layman notwithstanding. This is pleasant news for the priests; and from it the laity get a tolerably accurate notion of their importance "at Rome." We congratulate Mr. LUCAS on having at last got a grievance—a real good-sized, palpable calms belli. Unluckily it is against the wrong person—the Pope, and not the Queen ; but this is what traditionally happens in Ireland. THE REPORT OF THE AMERICAN AMBASSADORS " ASSEMBLED AT OSTEND TO CONSIDER WHAT POSITION THE UNITED STATES OUGHT TO TAKE," drc. We wish we may be biled But we feel a kinder riled That the stars and stripes are spiled Of a finger in the row, Its " fire and tow !" Tarnation! That the most enlightened nation Can't have a "jawtication " At a fixin' time like now. It was most Almighty green That Buchanan had not seen That the " hunker " Aberdeen Was a hawkin' to be sold. For we might as well have had a Sorter haul at ould Can-a-da When we lighted on so bad a Watchman as this Premier old. S'help us 'taters, but it's vexin To see Cuba want annexin' While the old coon saw the wrecks in Simipe shattered slick. Might we not have aided Lopez With at least as good a hope as This here Nicholas did ope his Jaw about the man wot's sick? Then, all friends, its our opinion That this 'varsal great dominion Must shut up its eagle pinion, Or get into this here swim. We opine we'd better go for Jest to skeer the old Scotch loafer Who rules England's councils over, And to chips we'll whittle him of the arduous nature of the enterp: win*, pu l t,h,,,4eight.B „they held, al Piinoa Mil 11011/60Ft Otems to haN cor . • , iv?, ) • .. i, of Ostei I: . 1 . " . A d i ''':...,,,,,,.. • A se ,* waggons to ...• n • „ A P vr7 • i 'jg troops, t r•A , *, -; • I 4 4 vt . 0 ••1, 0 b k , ~ . • . v , a . .ly does A '"" ' 17 111........1 '7' its of Bi i • 3 nevitable. 333 . Ai, all • .. 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