The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1855-10-23 00:00:00

THE PREPARATIONS FOR THE SIEGE•

I am now once more at home, and by no means regret
my evening's stroll, late as it was. I have already seen a
great deal in the course of my life the struggles of
battle, the wild exertions of the field, and the stormy sea;
the silent misery of the hut and the glittering wretched-
ness of the palace. Sights like these are all familiar to me,
and present to my mental vision. Nevertheless, such a
many-formed, motley and moveable picture in so narrow a,
frame as I have seen to-night was still something new'
and its gigantic dimensions even now press with crushing
weight on my mind. And yet, what was it that so laid
hold of me, and how far did the scenes that I witnessed
differ from those in any other town threatened with a
heavy siege P I have been present at the priestly bene-
diction of the advanced guard and at Prince Menschikoff's
address to these troops ; then, following the multitude, I
have hastened down to the military harbour, where, by the
light of lanterns, the large ships were unrigged, and cannon
and ammunition were landed and carried to the works on
the land side of Sebastopol. Here, too, I met the Admiral
again ; and, once more in the interior of the town near
the square of the theatre, where, surrounded by shrieking
women and children, he endeavoured in his own calm
earnest manner, to comfort and cheer them. Was it

this one man whose cold haughty greatness made such
an impression upon me ? Was it the courage of death
that shone in the eyes of our soldiers at the words of
their leader, or was it the zeal and the grave noiseless
activity of our mariners, that made such an impression
upon me ? No ; for the leader and his warriors are yet
untried ; and this voluntary renunciation of the one place
of contest—the sea—though it may have been dictated by
prudence, is certainly not of a kind to inspire hearts with
real confidence. Nevertheless, it cannot be denied that,
in the whole scene, there was something that spoke of
great and sublime resolves ; for, •at this moment, I am
firmly impressed with the conviction that Menschikoff
and his army, that the sailors and the cannoniers of the
fleet, —nay, that even the inhabitants of Sebastopol,:--
have made up their minds for a struggle of life and death,
and that they will adhere to this determination till the
last bulwark and the last tower of those proud forts
topples over their heads. Everything that I saw bore
the appearance of action—terribly earnest action. They
were not mere empty words that I heard; they came
from the heart; they expressed. the most serious, the
deepest, conviction. From the general to the drmmer,
from the admiral to the cabin-boy, ,no one, I think,
believes that Sebastopol can, in the long run, withstand
an enemy who has such mighty resources at command ;
nevertheless, all are resolved on resisting to the last.
" War to the knife's hilt !" that was the oath that the
departing troops swore on their colours,—that is the one
thought that sparkles from every eye, that manifests
itself in every action ; and this unanimity among so many
thousands, this it is that has made upon me an impression
that I vainly strive to resist, and that, against my will,
excites my admiration, as well as my fears for the future
prospects of Europe. Pshaw ! I think my fears are carry-
ing me too far ; after all, it was the same here as in any
other town heavily menaced. Sounds of weeping and wail-
ing issued from every house; men, women and children,
laden with bedding and all sorts of household utensil's, were
hurrying breathless through the streets ; carts were
packed in the court-yards
_and before the house-doors;
and from the cellars sparkled a light, as a sign that there
the rich concealed their treasures. After all, this rough
drunken rablile, with its reminiscences of Moscow and .its
threats of fire and slaughter, is more ridiculous than ter-
rible, for in this country everything is done solely by
command; and, as as a first requisite to the realization of
these mad dreams, Menschikoff should be resolved to act
like Rostopchin. Even if this were the case, would the
Emperor sanction the destruction of one of the finest
cities In his dominions P I think not: Nevertheless, he
is a whole character—aogenuine Russian—and I am con-
vinced that, if he willed it, these opulent citizens, at his•
bare word, would, without hesitation or complaint, march
across the Isthmus of Perekop into the interior of the
country, and that these rude hordes would be the first to
hurl brands into their own cottages, with yells of delight.
The question of meum and tuum, which is of such infinite
importance in Europe, scarcely exists for Russia; all the
relations of life here are so diametrically opposite to those
of Europe, that a parallel between one and the other is
utterly impossible ; and things that would appear perfectly
monstrous and impracticable iu the civilised States of the
West seem, in this country, so natural and such mere, mat-
ters of course, that a mere word from the Czar is all that
is requisite to convert a territorial paradise into a desert
waste—a flourishing city into a heap of mouldering ashes.
This passive obedience in the Russian people, this spirit of
resignation, which is contented with anything,' is, indeed,
a far worse enemy to Europe than the Russian armies ;
for the latter can be vanquished and destroyed, but these
qualities are deeply rivetted in the national mind. No
bullet can strike them down, no power in the world
can reach them ; only the streams of time can undermine
the foundation, and thus bring them to an end. Outside there
is still the noise of the multitude. They are three parts
drunk, their mouths are filled with reviling; but far from
them is so much as a thought of accusing the Emperor
Nicholas as the sole exorciser of the storm that now
threatens Sebastopol,—•nay, Russia. They do not look
within, they only look outwards ; the cause of war
troubles them not. The fight has begun, so it must and
shall be fought out,—such is the Emperor's will ; that is
enough, and God protects Holy Russia. What is still ,
more remarkable, the war is popular.

In his portraits of individuals, this learned
Esculapian is forcible and graphic ; and although,