The Press. — London, England, 1855-09-29 00:00:00

928 THE WEEK. WAR seems to have a life of its own, and to possess a kind of inherent activity which rolls it on its course and shapes its destiny. When once it has broken out with fury it defies control. The humane look on with grief, the wise with wonder, the populace with acclaim at the sparkles which mark its destructive progress, while the general result is, that it is left to burn itself out for lack of fuel to consume, or want of wind to fan its flame Its necessities precede council, and hence it is difficult to murk points in its progress when the decisions of Cabinets influenced its course, though we may be able to observe its leaps from point to point, and its turnings from one direction to another. One such leap and one such turning are observable this week. A year ago, if any politician had been asked what the allied expedition would do when the Russian fleet was totally destroyed and Sebastopol reduced to ruins, the unhesitating answer would have been that the force would quit the Crimea, having fulfilled the object for which it was despatched. The probability that it would do so declined as the enterprise increased in magnitude ; but up to the present week there was a chance that this decision might be taken. For some days after the intelligence of the fall of Sebastopol was known to the French Government, warlike preparations were discontinued, the embarka tion of shells and ammunition ceased, and, as we learn by the tele graphic message forwarded by the Sebastopol correspondent of the Times this week, an impression prevailed in the camp that the works of Sebastopol would be completely destroyed and the docks filled up— measures which would be taken only on the supposition that the Allies did not intend to retain their conquest. But all doubt on that head is now dispelled. The shipments to the Crimea are renewed with increased vigour, experienced workmen are being despatched to render Sebastopol habitable, winter clothing is sent out for the troops, and a design for the conquest of the Crimea is succeeding the design for the conquest of Sebastopol. It is doubtful whether the Allies have yet made any forward movement. As we foresaw, the enormity of their losses has paralysed their action for a time ; considerable reinforcements have certainly been sent to Eupatoria, and it is probable that the Russian communi cations will be threatened from this point, though it is scarcely pro bable that offensive operations on a great scale will be undertaken this season. The war in the Crimea is likely to prove a war of positions, in which the movements on each side must be made with caution. We do not yet learn what progress has been made by the Allies in occupying Sebastopol. But on the north side the Russians have dis played their wonted industry in fortifying their position and arming batteries. They have already opened fire upon the town; and we imagine that it will be impossible for the Allies to occupy it in force, or make use of its buildings for the shelter of their troops, or avail themselves of its magnificent harbour for their ships, until the enemy can be driven from their position. Our fleet appears to be still inactive. How long the enemy will hold their ground to the north must depend partly on the facility they have for bringing up supplies, and partly'on the vigour of the demonstration made against them by the Allies. Prince GORTSCHAKOFF, by the admission of his enemies, has proved himself a most able general—there is no parallel in warfare to his successful evacuation of Sebastopol, considering the enormous force opposed to him, and his immense losses on the day as he retreated in the night. He will not hazard the safety of his army or of a part of it by holding the northern side longer than he considers it tenable ; but how long it may prove tenable is a question we are entirely without grounds for deciding at present. The narratives which have been given to the public of the terrible contest on the Bth so fully detail every circumstance connected with the bloody struggle throughout, and with the repulse which fell to our lot before the Redan, that there is little room left for remark. The attack commenced a few minutes before noon on the Bth. On the previous night the French had silently collected about 30,000 men in their spacious approaches about the Mamelon, and re-inforced by 5,000 Sardinians, their assaulting columns and reserves were both weighty, powerful, and at hand. Just before 12 o'clock the bombard ment ceased for a few moments—the French troops, with a loud cheer, dashed from their intrenchments, crossed their twenty-five yards of separation, and in ten minutes were in the Malakoff. A surprise—a faint struggle—and the work was won It had to be retained. At the moment that the tricolour waved on the Malakoff three attacks were simultaneously pressed against the Great Redan by ourselves, and against the Little Redan and the Bastion du Centre on the town side by the French. All these attacks failed. The Little Redan was attacked in immense force by the French, but the terrible en filading fire of the Russians rendered it impossible for the assailants to hold their ground. The attack on the Bastion Centrale failed altogether, for they never there got a footing at all within the work ; while the result of our own attack upon the Great Redan is told at length in our other columns. Of these three attacks, that against the Great Redan was the most serious—it was intended to be an equivalent to the attack against the Malakoff; and, from the tremendous tire which our batteries had so successfully directed against its defences, it did not offer so many obstacles to success as the Little Redan or Bustion Centrals, kvhich, comparatively speaking, were unimpaired works. Hence ; it is 1 THE PRESS. SATURDAY, ridiculous to assert that the attack upon the Redan was simply by way of diversion for the advantage of the French at the Malakoff. That it was certain to create a powerful diversion was evident, but it was nevertheless meant in earnest, and should have been followed up with resolution. It is impossible to read General SIMPSON'S despatch, or any of the correspondence from the camp, without a conviction that this attack failed from want of support—that in the first instance the assaulting columns of fifteen hundred men were misetably in sufficient for the work in hand, and that when thrown forward upon the breach in the Redan, they were left unsupported to maintain a most " determined and bloody contest" for upwards of an hour. It seems to be a peculiarity of British Governments and British Generals to attempt gigantic results with insignificant means. _ _ _ _ . _ _ _ In this way the honour of the nation and the best blood of the army are trifled with and wasted. While the French army has daily grown before Sebastopol ours has remained at its stunted capa city. We are surpassed by our Allies in every undertaking, because we are too weak to undertake it ourselves ; and if a campaign in the field succeeds we shall surely continue to play but this secondary part throughout the war. Lord PALMERSTON, who so lately asserted his be lief in the theory of equivalents, and recommended us to console our selves for our own sufferings by contemplating those of our enemies, will probably point to the sickening details of those horrors beheld in the burning ruins of Sebastopol as a consolation for our defeat, and for a total of 2,447 brave men killed, wounded, and missing. His Lord ship is welcome to the consolation. The loss of the French in the attack is given as 1,489 killed, with five generals and 140 officers, and ten generals, 244 officers, and 4,259 wounded, with 1,410 missing—a total of 7,557 men and officers. Our friend the Moniteur, in an article (which has been largely quoted and praised by all our contemporaries) upon "The Allies and the Siege," pats us on the back in the most pleasant possible manner. We are so unaccustomed to be patronised in this way by our neigh bours, that the sensation is perhaps more novel than gratifying. After admitting that both nations share the glories of the war, the complacent scribe continues, " If Bomarsund fell under the blows of " our soldiers, it was chiefly the English navy that took them there." Did the English blue-jackets do nothing else ? Again :—" While by " the force of courage our soldiers triumphed over the desperate re " sistance of the Russian army, the combined fleets destroyed their " provisions," &c. &c. Our army, we know, is very insignificant by the side of the imposing masses of Frenchmen ; but still, if little, it is good, and did its work tolerably well at Alma, Inkermann, and Bala klava, and during eleven months of the siege. It is very kind of the Moniteur, no doubt, to give us a rub down now and then, just to keep us in spirits, and assure us that while we have a " big brother " we shall not be ill-treated; but we have an odd habit of thinking that we can take care of ourselves, and can dispense with so much kind patronage. If there is anything pre-eminently useful, that one thing is sure of neglect from a Whig Government. Much as they boast of progress, the only progress made by them appears to be towards the front bench on the right hand bide below the gangway. Once safely seated, the career of enlightenment suddenly ceases, and the cry of the nine teenth century is laid aside against a rainy day of opposition. It might have been imagined that on an occason so momentous as the fall of Sebastopol, no time would have been lost in procuring at once all intelligenoe of the victory. A letter from Dr. LARDNER, lately published in the Times, shows that this might have been effected with every security and precision iii two hours. But let us give our Government every latitude. Let us multiply the necessary time by twelve ; and then let us ask, why were we not in possession of full particulars within twenty-four hours of the event? All Britain was deeply interested. Wives, children, and relatives, in thousands were in agonising suspense. The domestic and patriotic feelings of the whole country were in anxious expectation ; and yet we have had to wait the arrival of a steamer liable to stoppage, and even to loss ; while electric speech, running along as fast as thought, might have allayed fear, or set at rest unce , tainty, on every hearth in this great empire. The progress of cholera towards these shores is marked and rapid. It has passed from Poland to Berlin, from Berlin to Switzerland, in the north, and from Naples to Florence, Genoa, and Marseilles, in the south of Europe. The rank, warm atmosphere of the last few days is precisely that which accompanies cholera. We may have it in a week or two, or it may be postponed till the ensuing year. But, in the face of this near approach, what has been done and is doing by our sanitary authorities? We want active measures. We want that filthy floating sewer of the Thames to be cleansed without delay, and the drainage of London to be carried or consumed away from the precincts of the town. Under Sir B. HALL'S Metropolitan Local Management Bill nothing is likely to be done for five years to come. Should the cholera appear amongst us again we shall still have whole districts decimated, and then we suppose the Board of Health will suddenly wake up and issue instructions for the prevention and cure of choleraic symptoms ! CHANT, DURING THE NAPIER COLLECTION. And we have limited this expression of national feeling to one shilling each person.—Tie Napier Placard. Ro and goes the hat, Unlock each till, A Bob a head FOB' BOBADIL I