The Press. — London, England, 1856-02-02 00:00:00

lot THE WAR. TRS health of the army and the state of the weather appear to be the sole points left for discussion. Letters up to the 19th have been received. The disaipline, subordination, and good health of the c tmp were highly satisfactory. "A drunken soldier," writes the Times correspondent, " is a comparative rarity." The whole army is being carefully instructed in musket drill ; the Land Transport Corps is gradually regaining its efficiency, and regular work, good living, bvarrn clothing, and care, promise to turn out by spring an active, vigorous, and, for its number, efficient force. The weather has been bitterly cold, and report says that the French troops suffer severely under its influence, as much from under-feeding as from under clothing. Their hos pitals are also said to be more full with cases of gclatio than the inclemency of the weather, under proper precautions, should give rise to. The destruction of the docks was proceeding, but very slowly. It was not anticipated that their entire demolition would be completed fur some weeks. On Wednesday, the 16th, an armistice was de clared for some hours. At Kertch the Russians appear to have initiated an attack across the ice, but finding General Vivian well prepared they drew off. With the capture of Kars operations appear to have ceased in Asia ➢linor. General Mouravieff had retired to Gurori with his main force, leaving only a few regiments to hold Kars. Omer Pacha was at Soukhum-Kaleh, ancPwould not return to Constanti nople. His army was suffering much from exposure. Prince Gortschakoff, in relinquii.hing the com mand of the Russian army, publistied an ordre du jour, extolling the bravery and self-denial of his troops. General Luders had succeeded to the com mand. Telegraphic accounts from Paris, of the 31 st, state : Official despatches from Constantinople assert that the war preparations are carried on with the utmost activity. Omer Paella's suggestions have been approved of. General Shirley had sent orders to Schumla to prepare quarters for troops who are to be despatched thither in the spring. THE EXPLOSION OF THE DOCKS. The demolition of the docks still proceeds. On he 12th one side of another dock was blown in, with charges of B,ooolbs. of powder : At about half past one o'clock the fuse was lighted, and the engineer officers ascended the high ground in rear of the docks to await the explosion. Owing to the mistake of a subordinate officer in charge of the wires, three of the mines were let off prematurely. Five minutes elapsed, and then the others exploded, not all of them quite simul taneously, but in very rapid succession. The effect was most satisfactory. To reconstruct what was overthrown would give more trouble than to build a new dock, for the removal of the ponderous rubbish would of itself be an herculean labour. The quantity of powder used would suggest the idea of a prodigious explosion, fragments flying high into the lair, and strewing the land around ; but it must be remembered that the force of these mines is directed laterally, and its first apparent ettect disap points expectation. It is only when the smoke clears away, and one beholds the huge masses of granite that have been riven from their beds, that one forms a just idea of the power applied. At the moment of the explo sion, however, some blocks of very respectable size were seen flying through the air, in a direction, fortunately, where their fall was innocuous. Amid and within the grey smoke a dust-cloud appearel. There was a tremulous motion of the ground, and some stones fell off the dock yard wall. The engineer officers were highly satisfied with the effrct produced. Few spectators were there, for it is never known beforehand, with any degree of certainty, when these explosions are to take place. A few French officers were present, some of them with a photographic apparatus, to catch the effect of the explosion. 'the Rus sian batteries were silent. Shortly after the explosion, as I rode up through the Medan, a few shots were fired ; but they were chiefly directed at the French part of the town. For the last few days the Russian tire has been very slack. They have probably found out that they merely wasted their powder and shot. When the destruction of the docks is completed, which will nut be before the end of the month, I hope to send you a detailed sketch of the whole opera tions.—Times cur., Jan. 14. CAMP OCCURRENCES. Nothing appears to occur to disturb the tran quillity of the camp. The weather is severe and Changeable. The fourth division are about to organise a new theatre, and a pack of harriers were daily expected out. l'aper•hunts and snowballing still go on. The Russian sharpshooters appear to be very active : A few days ago a French officer, wandering too near the ~achernaya River, in pursuit of game, NHA shot (lead by a Russian sharpshooter. Two English officers, who had Managed to get in front of the French sentries in the same 1 valley, had a narrow escape of a si►nilar fate the day before yesterday. T hey were wandering on, and bad got some THE PRESS. distance in advance towards the position of the Russian sentries. A French sentry, who had called in vain, at last hit upon the expedient of discharging his musket to at tract their attention, and fired over their heads. This roused them quickly enough, and, on looking round, they dis covered a group of three or four Russians, partly concealed and apparently awaiting their near approach, among some rushes at the opposite edge of the river. They at once turned back toward the French lines, and regained them, not without some risk, for the Russian shots grooved up the ground about them near enough to prove the necessity of the sentry's warning. The Russian sharpshooters line the whole length of the Tschernaya on the north aide, and omit no opportunity of firing a shot at a casual straggler.— Times cor., Jan. 14. Letters from Kertch up to the Bth bring intelli gence that a thaw had set in, and the ice had began to break up : There had been frequent reports of a Russian attack, and on Christmaaday, U.S. (Sunday, January 6), the troops were under arms before daybreak. No enemy ap peared, and they returned to their quarters, but were dis turbed and turned out, while church service was perform ing, by the appearance of the Cossacks, who hover about the neighbourhood, burning what little there remains to destroy. It was reported at Kertch that Lord Pam-Imre had sent General Vivian information of an intended attack. Be that as it may, it is believed that an attack is hardly possible now that the thaw has come, for the Rus sians could not move their artillery. The lines and fortifi cations of Kertch advance rapidly towards completion, and are represented to be very strong and to afford an abun dant guarantee against the success of an attack upon the place. At Yenikale the English officers were struggling against the weariness of winter quarters. Private theatri cals were getting up, and coursing was the fashionable sport of the day. Hares were at first very numerous, but their numbers were diminishing, owing to English greyhounds and Tartar guns, and a bare was worth Os. in the Kertch market.— Times cur., Jan. 14. THE WAR IN ASIA. Omer Pacha, who was on the Bth ult. at Soulthum- Kaleh, it was generally expected would, as soon as the weather permitted, take command of the force now collecting at Trebizond and march direct on Erzeroum. At Trebizond strong bodies of troops were being daily landed from Eupatoria and Con stantinople, but the men are reported to be in a wretched condition, and at present to be physically unfit to undergo fatigue. Despatches via Marseilles Omer Pacha will soon disembark at Trebizond ; and so soon a the weather shall have improved he will march upon Erzeroum. Moukli ruche has been despatched to organise the de fence of the latter place, where 90,000 men are now con• c( ntrated. General Williams has set out for Moscow, where he will remain a prisoner. THE MARQUIS DE LAROCHEJAQUELIN has just pub lished a pamphlet in Paris, "The Question of the Day," demonstrating the necessity of peace on four grounds The object of the war—the protection of the Ottoman empire —is attained. 1!. The con tinuation of the war will have no other result than to serve the personal interests of England. 3. Eng• land wishes to achieve the complete destruction of the Russian navy ; but that is not the interest of France, for the latter may one day need the co operation of the Russian fleet. 4. Russia ought to be allowed to develop her power freely in Asia. THE DISSOLUTION OF THE POLYTECHNIC SCHOOL IN PARIS is said to be decided on. The well-known Republican character of the students, their marked misconduct at the late entry of the Imperial Guard into Paris, and their vexatious interference with M. Nisard, has, it is reported, determined the Emperor to suppress them. Their silence was so marked on the occasion of the Guards' return as to excite the surprise of the Empress, to whom one of her ladies is said to have observed, contrasting the enthusiasm of the pupils of St. Cyr:—"Que votre Majeste n'y fasse pas attention. Les Polytechniques ne sont pas des efficiers ; ce ne sont que des architectes! Voile nos St. Cytiens ; ce sont eux, apres tout, qui emu mandetont les grog bataillons." A LEGITIIIIST LADY OF HIGH RANK IN PARIS, Mme. de was lately presented with a crown offieurs de lit by her partisans fur an act of great darinz. M. de having had occasion to seek an interview with the Emperor, was so won over th a t a n invitation to the Imperial table was at once accepted. Madame being of a more inflexible nature, upon discerning the intentions of her husband, waited patiently for the evening, and, while M. de B— was preparing his toilette, locked him safely in his dressing-room till all danger of his sacrificing his principles by eating an imperial dinner Was at an end. THE GOVERNOR OF MALTA decided last week upon taking the case of the military who attempted the rescue of their two officers from the police, out of the hands of the civil authorities, and trying the offenders by court-martial. Lieutenants Hudson and Mont wintery have bern found guilty by the Civil Court, and sentenced to a line and three months' imprison ment. in gaol. THE SESSION OF THE FRENCH LEGISLATIVE CORPS will probably open on the '!sth of next month. SATURDAY, prtigit 6oruspontatt. FRANKFORT, Jan. 20. " THE Guards of the King of Prussia aro more than a match for the army of England." A Prussian Minister, with or without the sanction of his Govern ment, thus expressed himself at the present con.junc tare. Whether this was hilariously enunciated upon the strength of the supposed "rapprochement" to the Court of Berlin by the Prince Royal, is not stated. But it was said without disguise. Looking at the situation which Prussia holds at the present crisis, the observation might have been omitted with. out disadvantage to the Prussian Government. That country cannot afford to take liberties with England. The Gazette de Silesie observes : There is an affectation in the pretence of disputing the point whether Prussia shall or shall not be admitted to the conferences for peace. The interests of Prussia are not involved in the neutralisation of the Bleck Sea. or i n the demolition of Russian fortresses and arsenale. -- "fhoseill terests demand peace, without reference to the conditions, be they what they may, so that end be really obtained. This is a short demand for the "rem quocunque modo," irrespective and careless of the price that Russia may pay. Well may the Cabinet of St. Petersburg exclaim, " Preserve me from my friends." And the Berlin journal proceeds to take higher ground : Prussia will wait to see whether the allies will dare to settle the political questions of the day without the consent of Prussia cud Germany. " Exclure la Prussic, c'est exclure l'Allemagne." The imperial diadem is not forgotten. Under the smart of consequences attendant upon misconduct, a virulence of expression is adopted at variance with an affected neutrality, and in disadvantageous con trast to the more dignified language of the Russian organs. The Journal de Frankfort denies the arrogant pre tension of Prussia to be considered the representa tive of Germany, and censures that Government for not having accepted the propositions of Vienna, whereby a right would have been gained to assist at the European conferences, which is now palpably forfeited, and dependent only on the will of England and France. " But," continues the Journal de Frankfort, " those propositions are, in truth, a stumbling-block to Prussia. They ale precisely that which she most fears. That Government has never doubted for a moment of the ultimate triumph of Russian armies over the allied troops, and has never ceased to hope that once again, in joyful revenge, qu'une loin plus, la Prusse, la Russie, et l'Allemagne se tourneraient ensemble contre la France.'" The truth is out at last. Every one is reminded by this plenary confession, tardy and criminatory, of the ola saying in allusion to a quarrel amongst mortals of in visible virtue. The Journal de Frankfort having once be trayed the confidence of 31. Bismarck-Schouhausen, thus admonishes him, without coin fliment or cere mony," Germany contemns the counsels of Prussia." Austria affects to reprehend Prussia for its indi'- creet avowal of aversion to France, yet approves of her expressed animosity to England, and points out the duty of taking part against the policy " brutale" (sic) of the " interets Britanniques." The Gazette Autrichienne, the Court paper, ;:s foremost in the attaA:k:— All the world understands the pleasure with which Eng land contemplates a continuance of the war. Intense egotism renders her blind, but the brutal tone of the Times will fail to make Anapa another Troy. Russia having accepted the four points, the fifth loses all value (a perdu toute signification), and France has no interest in consolidating the power of England in Asia. Seventeen days ago this official Gazette of Vienna insisted that Russia should be driven from Europe to the wilds of Asia, from whence, in ignoriuice, it asserted that its old friend in Hungarian need had originally emerged. The Ost Deutsche Post remarks i❑ a kindred spirit : Nations and Governments at the eve of their fall have always friends ready to precipitate their ruin. Thus it is with England. She has lost bee prestige ; her power is failing, and the public press cheers her onward to destruction. Her faithlessness (manque de toi ), in the construction put upon the fifth point, will cause all Europe to rise aga.ust her with the same energy, " armee I la mama" (sic) With which she combated Russia; and that great power at whose feet Russia has laid down her arms well knows how to compel England to bow in submission (saura Lien f.rcer lisle Britannique a se courber le front). Our gallant ally is not to be cajoled after this fashion, and the Times will also well know how to measure out its grain in dealing with Austrian hom• bast of this nature. In one word, Prussia, Germany, and Austria, are exciting the Continent by every means, foul and false, against England ; and the weapons used are worthy of the cause, I 1