The Press. — London, England, 1855-03-10 00:00:00

THE PRESS. MARCH 10, 1855. The principal attack was undert►ken against the Flag staff Battery, and, indeed, the centre, but it has been ex tended on the left towards the Quarantine Fort. The zig-zag approaches have carried the third parallel to 100 metres from the rampart, and the works have been prolonged to the Cemetery, of which we are the masters, and as far as the Quarantine Bay, where the Laztretto has been occupied. This progress is considerable ; the fortifi cation is invested so closely that our miners have already commenced their subterranean labours. The first mine has been ruined by the Russian miners, who have counter mined, and by burning powder and resin smoked our men in their gallery. Other galleries will probably be carried on with better success. The great harbour-ravine divides the line of the fortifi cations, and also the siege -works, into two sections. The right part, extending from this ravine to the Careening Bay, was allotted at first to the English army. The lett attack, executed by the French, played on the city in front, and kept in check several fronts of ramparts and batteries extensively developed. But on certain points we were played upon obliquely, that is to say, were battered in flank by the guns of the besieged. The difficulties, there fore, were, and still are, very great along that front. What was wanted was, that the right attack should have been more vigorously advanced by the English, for it is in that direction, on the side of the arsenal, that more decisive progress might, perhaps, have been made. The Russians, at this moment, are hard at work in order to perfect their fortifications, and erect fresh ones on that point. As our batteries had suffered a great deal from the supe riority of the enemy's calibre, we were obliged to give up an unequalled contest of artillery, and confine ourselves, as much as the season and the ground permitted, to the de velopment of parallels and communications. Fresh batte ries have been constructed, as is known, and armed with heavier guns to the number of two or three hundred. All these batteries remain masked. They will not be unmasked before they are completely finished, armed and supplied with several hundred rounds per gun, so that they may all be brought into play at once. The object is to produce an overwhelming effect., and which will serve as a prelude to an immediate assault. This is all we are able to say, keep ing ourselves within a suitable reserve. PATRIOTIC FUND COMMISSION. THE commissioners have issued a circular (to take effect from March 2nd) setting forth the scale of allowance for the widows and orphans of the non commissioned officers and privates of the army and marines, and petty officers and seamen of the navy. The widow of a staff non - comm i ss ioned o ffi cer, without children, is to receive 6s. weekly ; if with one child, 7s. ; two, Bs. ; three, Bs. ed. ; four, 95.; five, 9s. 6d. A sergeant's widow, without children, will receive ss. weekly; if with one child 65.; two, 75.; three, 7s. Od. ; four, Bs.; five, Bs. 6d. (If a colour sergeant's widow, 6d. additional.) A corporal's widow, without children, 4s. weekly; with one child, ss. ; two, es. ; three, es. fid.; four, 7s. ; five, 7s. 6d. A drummer's, trumpeter's, or private's widow, without children, will receive 3s. ed. weekly ; with one child, 4s. 6d. ; two, Os. ed.; three, es.; four, es. 6d.; five, 7s. The corresponding ranks in the navy are as follows :—Staff non-commissioned officer, sth class ; sergeant, oth class ; corporal, 7th class ; and private, Bth class. Sixpence additional, per week, will be given to every infirm person. All allowances are to be subject to the condition stated in the Royal Commission, that the recipients are unable to maintain or support themselves, and in general these will not be made or continued to orphans after they shall have at tained the age of fifteen. As the foregoing scale for widows and orphans must necessarily be influenced by the various cir cumstances of every case, although the scale is to be the general rule, the committee are to be at liberty to deviate from it in cases calling for the exercise of their discretion ; sickness and lying-in, for example, will admit of exception. The allowances are in no instance to be transferred or assigned, and their continued payment must de pend on the circumstances of the parties and the sufficiency of the fund to answer the demands upon it. The allowance to widows will cease upon their second marriage, unless continued by an express o rder of the committee; but during any subsequent widowhood the widow is to be at liberty to apply to be replaced on the fund ; but no woman is to con tinue to receive an allowance if she shall, in the o pinion of the committee , by profligate conduct honour the memory of her husband. Lourir, R. G. WILSON having retired from the service on promotion, Lieut.-Colonel Mitchell has been appointed to comm and the Royal Artillery at Shoeburyness. Sour!' SEk HOUSE—The estate of the once power ful South Sea Company, comprising the South Sea House and three houses in Threadneedle-street and Broad. street, was sold by auction last week, at the mart of Messrs. Beadel and Son, and excited a s pirited competition. An agent from the Conserva tive Land Society attended, and bid a very large sum, but the property wes ultimately knocked down to Mr. J. M. Nelson, architect, for 56,750/. In the l ate ate estimate of their property by the directors of company it was valued at only 25,0001. 229 " CONDUCT OF THE WAR." would have derived from the moral and material forces he had brought, from the strength which he had ga. ti ered THE pamphlet published at B russels under the title around himself, and arouud the cause of the Sultan . He became absorbed in the oonterencee of Vienna : he watched of "De is Conduits de la Guerre d ' Orient" has attention ; he passed his time in excited, as it was calculated to do, an unusual sensa- the progress with sterile altering the phrases of pi-awe/a, in punctuating /1261120. ti o n both in France and in this country. It is stirs- rztTri i iis a :lb , : au lr:r d aor e fuo x eswb e shi r at c iie i n s chac i o n ti g y:d h ‘d i .ea s extt u et i i:r g llce e ldas n l u eh i iuth t m y yeat i ,tu n lafs w ee t lpeth • v a ec v an i ta n ed g u th e t er tr arek g a l usu e d ; buted to the "inspiration" of the Prince Napoleon. Circumstances are narrated in it which could have been known only to the Prince Napoleon, but, on upon plausible motives. The principal motive was his overwhelming desire ii t m, o laese n el t fi t ; e iim i n ly ssemu bre oomn ak eannt a el w or a n y haisp th ipon a y t tain ti nda t a le weiit if , the other hand, errors are stated, regarding the ope rations of the armies in the Crimea, such as Prince t a a rn d s e d v o u pted " , ic a h nd he n h, Napoleon himself never could have fallen into: for the ancient dynasties, and in the diplomatic ccencli of example, it is stated that the victory of Alma was in- Europe. As regards his second motive, he entertainNi extreme ideas of order and of conservatism. Ile vowed an uu founded hatred to democracy ; he had sworn against re fluenced by " one charge b rillante de la cavalerie du major general comte du Lucan." Such errors may volutionary action, • war in n which he had thrown away the possibly be intentional, to divert suspicion from the scabbard. For these natios, the awakening of the nation alities which the three Sovereigns of the North had con real author, but it is more pr obable that they result quered without extinguishing — t hat awakenin g which must be revolution, which was insurrection in Hungary, in Italy, from the ignorance of the writer to whom Prince inPoland, could only be supported un democratic prin. N a poleon intrusted his notes. We have heard the elides, and upon this ground he con demned all such move authorship of the pamphlet attributed to M. Charms, ments with the same vigour and the same resolution as if one of the Red party, in exile at Brussels. Apart it had been a Parisian move ment destined to p recipitate him from the throne. from its blunders in detail, which the French care Then follows a paragraph which shows the inspir little for, the memoir is extremely well written— • ing mind of the memoir: — the views are clear and broad—the language is pre- Need we soy that it would be easy to same many members vise—the tone authoritative —the knowledge to all of the imperial family who are far from partiripating is these appearance personal—and the criticism fearless. The .-ibsolutist principles.—sentiments which MIMI every day widen composition manifests ability of a much hi g her order a breach between the Napoleonic dynasty end the deeply. founded instincts of the Frisch psepk ! But this is not the than the world has yet given the Prince Napoleon moment to agitate and debate questions which the future credit for possessing. will infallibly place in their true light. The aim is to show, first, that the Emperor Napo- It will be a question much pondered in England, leon committed a great mistake in courting an though not mooted in this memoir, bow far the alliance with the Court of Austria rather than with delay of Louis Napoleon and his negotiations with the oppressed nationalities of Europe anti, secondly, the Court of Vienna were influenced by the per that the expedition to the Crimea was from first to suaaions of Lord Aberdeen's Government. From last a gigantic error. Throughout the pamphlet the commencement of this dispute Lord Aberdeen England is represented m implicitly following, both feared to take a decided part. He brought forward as regards her Government and her commanders, Austria to counterbalance France. Even when our the lead of France. When the Russians crossed the forces were encamped at Varna he still trusted in Pruth, Louis Napoleon, it is said, had " decided on Austrian mediation. He had no intention of prose ar," and the English alliance was proffered him cuting the war in earnest, and the fatal result of his "with eagerness." The last sentence in the memoir weak or treacherous policy has been the destruction is that " the Empercr (of France) has hut to make a of our army. sign, to express a wish. England, inwardly worked The disorder of the French army at Varna is de. upon by this young, new, and irresistible power, scribed as h avinga been extreme, and it is hinted that will follow it to the end of the world." the great fir at a was due to the guilt of officials The memoir commences with a rapid notice of the who thus s th o ught to conceal the extent of their i ncrea sed power given to the Emper o r Nicholas by peculation. the continental convulsions of 1648. He watched The treaty of the 20th of June , 1854, b y which the revolution, fearing to give it aliment by inter- Austria entered into possession of the principalities, ference, till, when it was recoiling, he struck its must be in the recollection of all our readers. Fir death-blow in Hungary. He had then arrived at the a long time people in England failed to comprehend height of his power and glory. The first shock of the object of that treaty. They regarded it only as the coup d'itat of the 2nd of December conferred on some new unmeaning movement in diplomacy. him irresistible power; but as the Government of They could not believe that it was intended to France became strengthened the two empires were facilitate the quiet and undisturbed evacuation of the brought face to face. It was on the question of the Danubian provinces by Russia and their occupation Holy Places that their pretensions met. The Em by Austria, while the latter power still retained her peror Napoleon, by timely retractation, withdrew ambiguous attitude. This treaty is referred by the from an untenable position, throwing the blame on memoir solely to the desire of the Emperor Napoleon his ambassador. The Emperor Nicholas believed to get his dynasty recognised by Austria; but e t the moment favorable for securing a step in noble tribute is paid to the general character of advance. Hence Prince Menschikoffs insolent British policy in an emphatic passage mission, and his abrupt withdrawal from Constanti- From the moment the English uniform blended in our nople. The Emperor of France comprehended the ranks, the moderation aud justice of our cause became in situation. He rivetted the English alliance, and contestable, even to the most prejudiced. then offered a firm front to Russia : From this fatal treaty of June 20th the author In spite of the hesitation of his Ministers, who did not supposes that all the disasters arose "which have well understand the question, and did not divine the motive occurred to the arms of France and England in the of the Czar, Napoleon from this time had decided upon war. generous struggle in which they were engaged He knew that by war he should give an outlet to French against Russia." The effect on the army is activity, restrained by the coup d'etat ; that it would afford a described as baying been most unfavorable : glorious occupation to the army, compromised by the civil The grief which the notification of the treaty of the '2oth war. He thus fulfilled a duty to himself, and at the same June caused among the generals and superior officers of time to the great name he bore. In fact, he took in the the army is inexpressible. Prince Napoleon manifested face of Europe an admirable position, by advancing to the d e fence of the independence of a w eaker state, against the extreme of indignation at colonel ( it.,f one In a familiar conversation dwith a vidity and ambition of a powerful a nd redoubtable empire. a frien d sionwh his, oa afterwards had adi ff itetrehencree gi w m ith ent s s he of m his h iv a i l - , It is intimated that up to this point the Emperor General Bosquet uttered the word treason. General Can- Napoleon acted with great sagacity, but that he lost robert himself, who followed the system of courteous trim his circumspection and prudence from the moment ming, expreseed his displeasure at it. The Turks (mild when he suffered himself to be entangled in the not comprehend it. The English kept silent, instead of intrigues of the Court of Vienna, and to wait and giving expression to their opinion, as is their usual custom. waiver with the hope of concluding an Austrian The subsequent stay of the army at Varna angered the soldiery, and caused a great mortality among alliance:— It was the hope of securing the alliance of Austria, after them:— having secured that of England—itwas the desire of form- From the 20th of Jane to the 20th of August, two full ing a coalition of Sovereigns against the Czar, instead of months elapsed, during which noetalgia, typhus fever, and forming a coalition of peoples against despotism—which cholera came to assail and decimate the allied troop s . They misled that artful and circumspect policy, and which de- presented a most latnentable spectacle. The hospitals Buoyed in one single campaign the forces of the Western were being filled every day; death ravaged our ranks, powers. Austria could not but be a hindrance, and her whier insubordinatiou, vely easy to conceive under such alliance an insurmountable obstacle. eirmestances, had already demoralised. Clamours were Hence it is said the delay in the active prosecution raised from every mouth, sedition. crieswere.heard among of the war. Louis Napoleon had foreseen war for several battalions, t h e ,il tniame sohfecsoertidaiienrse.sfied generals were b roug h t to rev ec on by months past ; he had prepared for it ; but the formal It was in July that Marshal St. Arnaud received declaration was delayed until the 27th of March : orders to undertake the expedition against Sebes- This delay gives a justification fur the charges which, at that juncture, were brought against the Imperial Go- topol. T he whole vernment. It is proved that the Emperor then attached is here t h e • g e :i po o i f e o t n h : e_ invasion referred to plan Fm an pe d r d or " N i himself to the chimera of an Austrian alliance as a sheet- It was in the private apartment at the Tuileries that anchor. The position was good, and he spoilt it. Ile the idea of that expedition originated; it was conceived iu compromised, of his own free will, the influence which he . solitude. The Emperor, bent over a map. and with eye IHI 1