The Press. — London, England, 1855-09-22 00:00:00

THE WEEK. The one absorbing anticipation of the week has been the arrival of General SIDIPSON'S despatches. On Wednesday the Indus steamer reached Marseilles, direct from Balaklava on the Bth, but, as she left almost at the moment of the assault, no official despatches of that great event were forwarded by her. On the 11th, however, the Tele graph, one of the swiftest steamers afloat, was despatched with these im portant papers, and, after a severe passage, she arrived at Marseilles on Thursday morning at ten a.m. At one p.m. Major CURZON, in charge of the despatches, started for London ; and, at the time we write, it is hoped he will reach the War-office in a few hours at the latest, so that in the course of Saturday, if Lord PANMURE is disposed to be at all com municative, the public may fairly anticipate receiving these long expected papers. So close upon the facts of the case, it would be superfluous to speculate upon any of the features of the assault. The despatch of General SIMPSON in a few hours will set speculation at rest. Our failure before the Redan will, it is hoped, be satisfactorily accounted for, though no explanations can deprive the French of the real glory of the day. The latest intelligence received from the camp during the week gives us a few details of the quantity of stores and materiel left in the town by the Russians. The astonishing number of four thousand guns, besides vast quantities of powder, shot, and shell, are among the trophies fallen to the allied arms. Divisions of French and English troops have already encamped within the lines, some small vessels have contrived to enter the harbour by closely hugging the southern shore, and it is stated that the sunken ships are to be blown up preparatory to the entrance of the allied fleets. As long as the Russians continue to hold the northern forts, it would scarcely appear safe to risk any ships within reach of Russian shells, or we might run a good chance of having retaliated upon our Royal Albert the fate of the Twelve Apostles. The electric telegraph so completely extracts the sting from " Our Own Correspondent's " letters that their compositions, unless con taining some powerful descriptive writing or making public some startling fact, have now not much attractive power. In the absence of all authentic intelligence from the allied Generals relative to their projected ulterior operations against the Russian army, the most improbable rumours about that army are cir t culated upon all sides—capitulation and the honours of war one day, a great battle the next, or full retreat the third—but the latest despatch from Prince GoarscnaxoFF informs us that up to the 16th, at least, nothing new had occurred. Letters from St. Petersburg assert that GORTSCHAEOFF speaks confidently of his power to hold the Crimea against the Allies, that reinforcements are to be hurried from Poland to the seat of war, artillery, stores, provisions, and ammunition col lected at Perekop, and every preparation made to dispute the ground inch by inch. It is generally rumoured in the camp that he will abandon the northern forts and concentrate his army upon the Mac kenzie heights—as we have in THE PRESS more than once anticipated —and await the allied attack. An article in the Morning Post of Friday points out that such an attack is more clearly preferable for the allied Generals than any series of complicated movements from Eupatoria. As the Morning Post, since its early publication of our loss in the attack on the Redan—a telegraphic fact supposed at the time to be known only to Lord PANMURE and the Cabinet—is supposed to speak with authority, we may almost presume that such are the opinions of our War Minister. Marshal PELISSIER may be a bold general, but we question whether he, on the spot, will be bold enough to attempt that which the Martial PANMURE declares so easy to achieve. It is well known that the Russians have scarped the road, have covered the inaccessible heights with batteries and redoubts, and have at least 90,000 men behind those impenetrable ridges. In the face of these difficulties of position we still incline to think that the campaign is virtually over, and that unless the Russian army is in full retreat from the Crimea the allied Generals will scarcely venture upon any great combined movement this season. The projected visit of the Russian Emperor to Odessa, and possibly to the Crimea, early in October, may not improbably bring on some great general action. GORTSCHAKOFF and his Generals might possibly be stimulated into a second battle of the Tschernaya ; but, be that as it may, the visit of the Emperor doss not look like retreat or surrender. We have not yet had time to learn what effect the capture of Sebastopol may have upon the Russian army in Asia. Our most recent information from Kars is but scanty, and from its general tenor the inhabitants did not appear to apprehend that MOURAVIEFF would re assault the town. He would seem to he without any very effective siege-train, and to trust more in blockade and famine than in assault for the capture of the town. The Turkish Government, with its usual delay, has postponed sending reinforcements for so long that it is highly probable the place will be reduced to severe straits unless some decided succour is speedily afforded. It is even reported now, that since the fall of Sebastopol the embarkation of the Turkish forces from Eupatoria has been summarily stopped, and that OMER PACHA has returned to Constantinople. The Turkish army now in Asia con sists of about 50,000 men of all arms, of which 16,000 garrison Kars. From the easy repulse of the Russians on their first attack, that gar. rison appears animated with the highest spirit, but we may not unreasonably expect that the loss of Sebastopol will stimulate the Russian Government to urge on MOURAVIEFF to endeavour, at all costs, to obtain some equivalent in Asia. On the 18th of August there were •nly provisions for tea weeks in Kars, and that upon a reduced scale, THE PRESS. SATURDAY, so that, unless OMER PACTIA or his supplies start soon, it is not impos sible that while every Turk in Constantinople is enjoying the fall of Sebastopol, that of Kars and Erzerown may follow soon after. The worst sort of Job's comforters aro those who, when we are suffering under the " ills that flesh is heir to," endeavour to reconcile us to the infliction by reminding us how much worse off other people are than ourselves. Let matters be ever so bad with you, they are sure to be worse wth somebody else. According to this philosophy, the best salve for your suffering is the greater calamity of some ono else. Nothing is so consolatory in the world as to reflect on the amount of wretchedness in it. A martyr to a racking toothache ought to feel perfectly happy if told of the existence of toothache and gout both. On this text, our gay Premier has expatiated with great effect in his Melbourne address. " We," said he, " have the " satiefaction of knowing that whatever are our own losses and " privations, they are surpassed by those of the enemy." This amiable source of satisfaction must rank in Christian ethics with his Lordship's notable discovery that we are all born free from original sin. A battle-field, by this account, must be a pleasant sight, if for one of our own dead we can count two of the enemy; there should be no music to our ears like the shrieks of a suffering foe, and no balm to dry the widow's tears like a faithful report of the bereavement in the land of our adversary. We can imagine that such sentiments might, a century ago, have been received with great applause among the most savage tribes of North American Indians, but we do not think them consonant to the nature of our people, nor very fit for expression by the First Minister of our Queen. The despatches from India received this week confirm the pre vious accounts of the insurrection of the Santhals, and of the depreda tions and atrocities they have committed. It is impossible to doubt that gross ill-treatment or misgovernment must have been the sole cause for such an outbreak among so harmless a race as the Santhals have hitherto proved themselves. The unfortunate misguided men will suffer a terrible retribution for the cruelties they appear to have practised ; men, women, and children have been killed by them, whole villages burnt, factories plundered and destroyed, and the country ravaged in every direction. Their numbers are said to amount to at least 30,000, in moveable columns of from five or six hundred to one thousand men each. The Government appears to have acted with prompt decision. About 6,000 troops; have been hurried away from Calcutta, Dinapore, and contingent stations, and several severe en counters have already occurred between the troops and the rebels. There appears to be no probability of the insurrection being speedily put down, as it is anticipated that the Santhals will retire to their native hills and forests, into which we cannot pursue during the approaching rainy season, and watch their opportunities for a rush upon a village or district, as circumstances favour them. We hear that Sir WILLIAM MOLESWORTH'S late job has been the cause of a little Ministerial fracas. Our possessions of Malta and Gibraltar having, from their military position. been placed under the administration of the War Department, Lord PANMURE, naturally desirous of promoting some Scotch relative, claimed the patronage already appropriated by Sir WILLIAM. Sir WILLIAM, on the other hand, asserting his rights to the civil jurisdiction of Malta, determined to stick by his protigie, and an appeal was made to the Premier, as mutual bottle holder and umpire. The right of appointment being decided in favour of the latter, Lord PALMERSTON inquired the antecedents of the fortunate recipient of Sir Witt.tAm's favours. On receiving the infor mation, the Premier demurred and expressed his disapproval. The Cornishman however has held out, and we believe has carried the day against all his opponents in the Ministry. The whole circum stances connected with this transaction are so discreditable, that we much doubt whether the country will countenance such shameless practices. This is the age of testimonials. Within the last few weeks wo have had a Raglan testimonial and a Roebuck testimonial, and now we are to have a Napier testimonial. The army and the law, it seems, are not to be permitted to enjoy all the profits of popu larity ; the navy claims a share, represented in the person of Sir CHARLES NAPIER. How the Gallant Admiral will receive this proposition we do not know. A meeting has been held at Portsmouth, resolutions passed, and money subscribed. For an officer of high rank to quarrel with the administrative authorities upon questions of service, and to make that quarrel public by publishing the private letters and despatches of the head of that Board, which he, as commander of a fleet, was in duty bound to respect, is not offering a good example to the junior officers of the navy. Appealing to the people is not conso nant with the feelings of the service, or with the articles of war ; and for Sir CHARLES NAPIER to accept a sum of money subscribed by the public, would seem too much like receiving payment for the publica tion of private letters to be altogether satisfactory, we should think, to his feelings as a naval commander. The dismissal of MAzzA, the Director of the Neapolitan Police, whose insolence has been so nearly the cause of a rupture between this country and the Kingdom of the Sicilies, has removed one serious embarrassment from the overcharged consideration of our Ministry. We, of course, are pleased with this event. Experience has shown us how readily Whigs will seize any opportunity of displaying their prowess against a weak State ; awl we cannot but feel rejoiced that the squabble has been settled without any of that exhibition of bully and swagger adopted by Whigs against any impotence more flagrant than their own. II