The Press. — London, England, 1855-12-22 00:00:00

■ 131xcEmBE1t 22, 1855. THE WAR. THE capture of Kars, an event anticipated from day to day for the last month, has at length occurred. The heroic garrison, after suffering from absolute famine, and having waited patiently under extreme privations for weeks in the hope of relief from Erzeroum, at length succumbed, and on the 26th of November surrendered prisoners of war. General Mouravieff summoned the garrison to surrender on the 14th, aid on the 15th, after a council of war had been held, a suspension of hostilities, it is stated, was proposed by the garrison, and agreed to by General Motiravieff. Colonel Thompson was then despatched to Erzeroum, to set if any hope of relief might be expected, but finding the Russians within three leagues of the town, and Selim Pacha without any intention of attempting the relief of Kars, he returned to Kats on the 22nd. General Williams then, in an interview with General Mouravieff, arranged the terms of capitulation, and on the 26th the whole, garrison surrendered as prisoners of war. Omer Pacha after the passage of the Ingour appears to have pushed rapidly forward, and reached the banks of the Choni, five and a half leagues from Kutais. The village, used as a Russian depot, was fortified and held by eight battalions, but the Pacha attacked with vigour, forced the position, and drove 0.5 Russians out at the point of the bayonet, leaving all the stores and winter clothing in the hands of the Turks. By later advises, via Batoum, Otner Pacha had reached the banks of the Kion, opposite Kutais. From our own camp the news is scanty in the extreme. The Russians at times c intinued to fire heavily on the town; the relative positions of the two armies were unchanged ; the reconnaissance en force of the Russians had not been succeeded by any further movements ; and the setting in of winter oil the Ist, with a tremendous gale of wind and its con comitant severities, would seem to put a final stop for the season to all operations. In the Sea of Azoff, operations had closed for the year : a final cruise up to Marioupol had been taken by Captain Osborne, and the coasts narrowly setvehett as the squadron returned to Kertch, forced out by the ice which had already formed over various parts of the sea.. OFFICIAL DESPATCHES. Lord Panmure, on the 18th, received a brief despatch from General Codrington, announcing the commencement of winter, and enclosing the medical reports, by which it would appear the health of the army has materially improved, except in the Land Transports Corps, which shows a heavy sick list. The copies of reports addressed by Sir Harry Jones to Sir James Simpson at the close of the siege upon the conduct and the duties of the En gineers were received yesterday at the War-office. Despatches have also been received from Sir Edmund Lyons announcing the withdrawal of the squadron in the Sea of Azoff to Kerth, and calling the attention of the Admiralty to the unwearied zeal and gallant services of Captain Osborne. A final report, detailing the actual causes compelling his withdrawal from the Sea of Azoff, from Captain Os borne, is also inclosed by Admiral Lyons. SURRENDER OF KARS. The Invalide Ruud, of the 16th, announces that Kars was surrendered to General Mouravieff on the 26th of N ovember. The Muchir, Wassif Pacha, eight other Paellas, General Williams, and the entire garrison, are prisoners of war. Oatignatti states that the park of artillery at Kars, when it surrendered, numbered 120 field-pieces, and a few heavy alege guns. The garrison is believed to have been about 16,000 strong. The defiles between Kars and Erzeronm are held by the Russians. The Invalide Russe has published the following despatch from Prince Gortschakoff with reference. to the late attack upon the French advanced posts : Aide.de Camp General Prince Gortschakoff has for warded the following, under date of the 28th of November, 110th December.) Ever) thing goes on satisfactorily in the Crimea. On the 2tlth of November (Bth of December), Colonel Oklobjio, with a small portion of the detachment of the Upper l3elbeck , crossed the mountaimpass which gives access to the valley of Bahia, attacked the advanced posts of the enemy at Ourkousta and at Bap, and, having dis lodged them from those villages, threw them back upon the Tachernaya, Twenty prisoners remained in our hands. CAMP MOVEMENTS. The letters of "Our Own Correspondents " con tain so little ihcilent, that it is difficult to extract any thing of interest. The winter had set in with great severity, and the first day's bad weather tested the new huts, not much to the credit of their bui4lers. The new huts are much complained of, and it is said They are frail, ill-made, full of chinks and knots, which THE PRESS. drop out, and leave inimical little embrasures for the wind to shoot through. During a moderately strong breeze of wind, a short time ago, the roof of one of the hospital huts at the Monastery went off on a mission of its own, and left the poor inmates shivering in the cold till they were removed to another building. The hut in ques tion, however, was built before the new huts came. The tents now issued to the army are new and good, and most of the war and time worn fabrics inside which our gallant ancestors reposed in Egypt or Spain have been condemned, and are used as outsides for the new tents or as covers for huts, officers' quarters, stables, and fabrics of that kind. — Times, Nor. 30. As an example of false economy, we called atten tion some time since to this case, and predicted the result. The authorities at home, you already know, refused the application of the Conimi3sariat for more tarpaulins to cover the stores, " because they were very expensive." Well, the wet weather came on—hay began to smoke, corn and barley to heat ; and the Commissariat officers were obliged to purchase canvas wherever they could to prevent the loss of thousands of pounds' worth of property, not to speak of the mischief to the army. But the "holders of canvas stood firm ;" they saw their opportunity, and they refused to sell if for less than 2s. a•yard, at which sum many hundred yards were purchased for the Commissariat store of this division. But even now the stores are badly protected, for there is no pitch or tar to cover the canvas, although there is a vessel reported to be in Balaklava with 300 tons of these useful articles on board for the use of the army —lb. The real evil and curse of the camp, " rasee " was being hunted out with great vigour : As to our own authorities, they are waging a war of extermination against spirit vendors, and, above all, against rakee importers. This villainous spirit inflames men's brains and sets them mad ; it has all the abominable properties of fresh-run tutu or new whisky, but it affects the nervous system more mischievously, and produces prostration, which frequently ends in death. It is dread fully cheap, is colourless. like gin, with a taste of bad ani sette and a fiery burning smack on the tongue, and is alcohol all but pure, with the exception of the adultera tion, which contributes the flavour. Vaptain Shervinton, the Provost-Marshal at lialaklava, has a wonderful knack of following out the concealed depots of this by the smell, and the process of punishment is simple. The owners are compelled to start the poison into the sea, and they are then ordered to leave the Crimea instanter. Canteen keepers who keep 't are fined heavily, their canteens are shut up, and themselves deported, at their own expense, to Constantinople. No less than three native vessels were seized the other day by Captain Shervinton full of rakee; the cargoes were confiscated, and the ships sent away, never to be let into Balaklava again. Every canteen keeper or storekeeper on whose premises a drunken sol dier is seen, no matter what the excuse may be, is fined N. for each, and the Provost-Marshal has more money than he knows what to do with from this source alone. — lb., Dec. 4th. THE WAR IN ASIA. Now that it was certain that Kars had fallen, re inforcement.• were leaving the Crimea and Turkey for the army in Asia. 3,000 Egyptians had left Eupatoria for Redout-Kaleh, and further re-inforce ments were to be immediately sent. The advance of Omer Pacha to Kutais had been successfully pushed on, and it was daily expected that he would attack and carry that position. Omer Pacha's army numbered in all 40,000 men, and entirely occupied the provinces of Mingrelia and Gouriel. The want of pontoons is stated to be seriously felt by the Sirdar. The Austrian Government has consented to a diminution of the transit dues on goods from Prussia and the Zollverein. This is a step peculiarly advantageous to Russia. The Project to Send out Schoolmasters to the Crimea has, we believe, been abandoned, in favour of sending them to Aldershott Camp. The price of provisions in Paris still continues very high. The Government are making every endeavour to relieve the necessities of the poor, and it is believed that the foreign orders of the mann facturers will fully occupy the operatives throughout the winter. Adxices from St. Petersburg state that the main force at Odessa will be removed to Nicolaiett and that the Czar has ordered a concentration of forces on all the strong positions of the Black Sea and the Baltic. The Mortiteur has officially announced that the Imperial Guard and the regiments of the line lately returned from the Crimea will make their solemn entry into Paris on the 29th. The Emperor will meet and harangue them at the Bastile, and the defile take place in the Place Vendome. Prince Paskiewitch, upon the opinion of Dr. Oppoldzar, the eminent German physician, is suffer ing from an incurable and perforating abscess in the stomach. The trial of the late Danish Ministry is put off until the 12th of January next. It is sail that Count Stalkelberg brought proposals of peace w Vienna from St. Petersburg, somewhat different from those agreed on by Austria and the allies. 1209 1 ortign Otorrespontentt. FRANKFORT, Dec. 18. GERMANY is uneasy in its position. A selfish apathy has been converted into a selfish fear, without other or honester motive of action. Having been unwillingly roused from their sluggish state, the German papers give a vent to their ill-nature by peevishly drawing a comparison betwixt the numerical strength of the French and English armies, and by making remarks, perfectly inconclusive and void of truth, in order to dispa -age the personal prowess of the English soldier. The taste of the fellow-Saxon shall not be disputed ; but it is right to observe that the Russian holds a different language, and the day may come when the Saxon taunt may produce bitter fruit. The mission of General Canrobert to the Scandinavian powers, the mighty preparations of England to place her navy upon a gigantic scale, such as the world has never yet beheld, and the lofty tone of the Emperor Napoleon, force upon the German mind the sense of insecurity. Therefore it is that he slow)) , arises from his neutral slumber. German and Prussian envoys have been sent to undo the work of General Canrobert—an attempt unwise and impossible to be successful. Self-interest is acute of perception, and cannot be lulled into forgetfulness. If the fleets and armies of England and France visit the seas of the Baltic in the spring they will bear the aspect and do the deeds of masters, on good terms with neutrals if so be, or on any other, as the occasion may require, and without the possibility of let or hindrance. The ports of the Baltic, one and all, "per fas aut nefits," will be at the disposal of the combined armaments. Yet if peace be obtainable on just and honourable terms, so that after honest reconciliation the parties shall stand on the same footing as of old, "bent relicta parmula," the rejection of such opportimity would be an act of " lege ntajeste" against the humanities, and by providential decretal would bring about its due punishment. Whatever discussions may have taken place be tween the Western and other Cabinets upon this momentous question, it is certain that Russia has not extended the basis of the four points of Vienna : La Ilussic n' a pas donne son adhesion a des proposi tions psoifiques dont l'Antriche as serait faite l'organe aupres des liouvernemens de France et d'Angleterre ; Men plus, on doute que see propositions aient ete faites, entin on dente egalement, si on ne le nie pas bien fortnellement, que les Cabinets des Tuileries et de St. James Benoit d'accord sur lea questions de l'opportunitii et des condi tions de la pair. The perfect concord existing betwixt the Cabinets of France and England is what Russia and Germany would wish to doubt and seek to destroy. Without such union, any approach at negotiation by a third party would be irrelevant and of no avail. At the same time much would depend upon the character of such mediator, his fitness for the office, combined w►th intrinsic worth an moral value. If not trusted loyally and equally by England and France, or if mistrusted by one, or again suspected by each party, such parole intervention would not be worthy of attention. As Austria has voluntarily sought the post of mediator, let her position towards the belli gerents and her aptitude for the office be fairly examined. Count Pozzo di Borgo, Russian Minister in 1839, makes use of the following expressions in a letter to Count Nesselrode : Austria is, according to me, the main author of the present critical situation of the Eastern question. During four years the Prince Metternich has paralysed and baffled the most noble sentiments without regard to the delicate position of Russia, and constantly abused the eon ‘idence which we placed in him. Our therefore, that we should show ourselves un aspect terrible," and persuade her a movement against us, she head the most terrible storm These be untoward expressions certificate of mediation. Nit- Prince Metternich was by Prince Felix Schwartzeie Minister was unable to revolution, and earnestly I. the Czar, which he obtained, served Hungary to the house Alter this loyal evidence Prince said, in allusion n'est pas eloigne oil l'Au par la grandeur de son words, that, avowing a moral restraint, make without compunction as daring perfidy, and in due . the administration of Count Metternich, came the Decemi ostensibly in antagonism Russia, and in favour of sou in him. Our policy demands, how ourselves w Austria, " sons iersuade her that if she makes he will see bursting upon her In that she has ever known. .pressions for a qualifying I. Nine years afterwards succeeded in his high office rtzeuberg. The impatient to quell the Hungarian v besought the assistance of fined, and which literally pre- house of Hapsburg-Lorraine. of amity and good faith, the n to Russia, Le moment iutriche etonnera le monde, m ingratitude." Memorable course of action free from public the lapse of bon , ur without shame. After this ue succession of time, under >unt Buol, the pupil of Prince December treaty of em to the old benefactor, f the Western powers. These