The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1855-09-25 00:00:00

LIVERPOOL CELEBRATION OF THE
CRIMEAN -VICTORIES.

ON Thursday last the " good old town" of Liverpool appeared
decked out in all its gayest hues, and was musical till " echo
rang again," in honour of the victories which have crowned the
allied arms in the Crimea. The news of the fall of Sebastopol,
although received with a joy which diffused itself rapidly
through all classes of the inhabitants, and which penetrated
into every nook and cranny of this gigantic town, had, never-
theless, received no public and official recognition, and the ac-
knowledgment of the victory was consequently felt to be
imperfect. A generally-understood rather than directly-ex-
pressed opinion to this effect being widely spread, his worship
the Mayor embraced the opportunity of requesting his
fellow-townsmen to join with him in a public demon-
stration of rejoicing in commemoration of the great vic-
tories we have won in the Crimea ; fixing on Thursday
last, the anniversary of the battle of the Alma, the first of
those victories, as the day. The request of the Mayor was
followed by such a cordiality of aid on the part of the inhabi-
tants as proved at once the intensity of feeling by which the
public was pervaded. The various committees of the Council
lent their willing and efficient assistance, and through their
means the leading features of the day's rejoicing were speedily
arranged ; but to the zeal and energy of the inhabitants them-
selves the entire success of the display was mainly attributable.
Each locality vied with its neighbour in giving expression to
the feeling of triumph which animated all. At early morn
the royal standard was run up in front of the Town Hall ;
flags were displayed on the various Church towers and public
edifices; and the bells rang merry peals throughout the day.
St. George's Hall was thrown open to the public, and at noon
a series of performances was given by Mr. Best upon the mag-
nificent organ. The Hall was densely crowded, and as the
strains of thenational anthem, of " Partant pour la Syrie," and
of " See the Conquering hero," pealed through the noble
edifice, the admiring audience expressed their sympathy and
delight by loud and enthusiastic shouts of joyous aelammation•
The organ performances were repeated in the evening to if
possible a still greater crowd; which abated no jot of enthusi-
asm as compared with that which had been evinced earlier in
the day. In the evening the Mayor gave an "Alma Banquet "
in the Town Hall, which- was attended by most of the military
and naval officers resident in Liverpool and its vicinity.
As was to be expected a- community so eminently mari-
time as that of Liverpool, theg-eneral demonstration assumed
az:aspect in unison with the- forms of joyful demonstration
usually adopted by the gallant sons of Neptune. All the
principal streets were literally radiant with the gay hues of
flags; banners, and streamers, which fluttered joyfully in the
breeze.- Festoons of brilliant flags spannediLord-street, Castle-
street, (north and south,) Church-street, Dale-street, Water-
street, Hanover-street, James'-street,. Park-lane, and indeed all
the streets. and thoroughfares of the tuft,- even back courts
and alleys' displaying tasteful exhibitions' of decorative bunt-
ing. Many of these displays indicated rich fancy and good
taste, the preVailing devices being modifications of the Union
Jack, together' with the national emblems- of the Allied
Powers, intermingled here and there with the symbolic flags
of different trading companies, the whole forming: a combi-
nation of dazzlhrg-brilliancy and varying forms.-
The vast outstretching line of docks and its myriad hosts of
shipping, formed adelightftdly varied picture, which, in the
radiance of its aspect; mocked the rainbow's varying-free. The
dense forest of tall and stately masts literally streamed and
fluttered with emblematic figures of rejoicing peculiar to nearly
every nation on the face of the earth. Added to these were
also the countless array, of signal-flags which streamecU and
flaunted on the summer.gale; rendering the scene asPyful as-
it was many-hued.
Military and other bantli'perambulated the town thrugh--
out the day, performing martial and other appropriate -airs.
The streets, particularly &ring the afternoon, were crowded-
by dense masses of people—pleased spectators of the general
jubilee:. Royal salutes were flied. from various private battarl'es
in honour of the occasion, azd atone o'clock a salvo of twenty-
one guns- was. fired from the Nertk Fort. As night closed
bonfires were kindled in different localities within the town,-,
and also entire outskirts. Frommost of these points there
were-also-brilliant displays of fireworks-; and, in short, from-
morning-Aonight —and late in the night too—the spirit of
rejoicing• and: merriment prevailed,througbaut the town.