The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1855-09-18 00:00:00

maging to the ambition of Russia than the burning Of
Moscow, or indeed any circumstance on record since
the days of PETER I. Russia built up a fabric for
which thousands of human lives and millions of trea-
sure have been sacrificed, upon which all hopes of
future conquest were based, and which formed indeed
the main point of contest. This has been shattered
at a blow ; the dream of years has been demolished,
and a far more material guarantee acquired for the
future peace of Europe than would have been gained
by negotiations at Vienna, however apparently willing
Russia may have been to make concessions.
It is not very easy to estimate the difficulties with
which the allied armies have had to contend, though
all accounts concur in representing them of the most
formidable character. Sebastopol was deemed by those
best acquainted with its natural position and immense
resources to be impregnable, and nothing had been
spared which skill could devise or despotic will could
effect to render it so. Viewed, therefore, in this
respect, the success of the besiegers is entitled to our
warmest congratulations; but when viewed with
reference to its important results upon the position of
Russia as the disturber of the peace of Europe, the
advantage can hardly be over-estimated.
Prom the accounts.which have reached us by means
of the electric telegraph, it appears that the Russian
General Prince GORTSCHAKOFF had made preparations
for the evacuation of the town, which lies an the south
side of the 'harbour, as far back as the end of August ;
for General SIMPSON, in his despatch of the Ist of
'September, mentions the circumstance of the Russian
General availing himself of the 'bridge of rafts which
had been constructed acrose the harbour to the north
side,to effect the removal &Stores. He must there-
forehave anticipated; or at 'least endeavoured to provide
against, the success of the Allies in their assault on the
Tifalakhoff. This was no doubt owing to the convic-
l'ion that his position hnkFbecome untenable, and that,:
notwithstanding the ‘determination evinced for -so:
long a period by the Russian soldiers, the &Stress
occasioned by the `sitting off the supplies Was
operating with deadly effect. Up to 'the 'last Ihey
boasted of their iinexhaustible means of aerenee, • btit
that which had Sdestroyed the courage Of 'the besieged
roused the courage of the besiegers, au'd the
Malakhoff was carried with a dettrinination to
win at any Igzard. We know the result. The fierce
assault of the Bth, which outrivilied all former dis-
plays of &Aug hardihood, loft 'the ValakhCfnu the
hands of 'the assailants, and thetnext morning found
the great,LObject of all the Ck/rltOgt deserted' by its de-
fenders. There is a melancholy liSt of ',killed and
wounded, the price of the iiietury ; but ' the victory
itself, in :its influence upon thewar, is beyond all price.
The :Malakhoff was the key to'Sebastepol, and Sebas-
topolywas the key to RasSian-supremacy in the Black
Sea. They have fallen, and-With 'them' the hopes of a
succesion of Russian =tombs.

We are not yet in posseision of stifficieat details to
form, an opinion as to :the ',designs of the Russian
lGeneal, although it is pr6tended that ins movement
is purely of a strategetical Character,- substituting the
;Sebafftopol of the meth ibrlthat of thesonth. This is
,nrere pretence. The ;dad& on the :Talternaya was
,eiiderntly the des ate of an =my in fear of
nniailation, and the evacuation• of Sebastopol is of a
siniilar character. 'The.tewn; the arsenal, the maga-
:tines, and everytiiinglaimlablel. for eccupation and
defence, were ,on the ground ‘whick has been aban-
doned ; while iihe .north.4de,'•to‘Whieib. the Russians
*thaw retreated, (contains'xthly a fevi forts and batteries,
!vilich were, me btloutt, ,valuable as :outworks, but .of
little importance in ;themselves. Thefaussians, with
0 their advantages,rhavelbeen overmatched, and tthe
.-4ietory is in ":Clielansis:Of :the' Allies ; ...and we have ;no
doubt that the sk ll arid energy displaAd by Marshal'
TELISSIER will very--soon result; in -the complete
~expulsion of the Itneeianslfrom the chimes.

We observely-the ppm that the lir.re:ach EMPEROR
'was not forgetful-of the obligations due to :the
ALMIGHTY •clivoaer of events for 41hislong-expected
-triumph, as a 'A% .Pettntwas.celebratecl in Paris stn
`Thursday, and :again =throughout Finance on Sunday
last. This iisas should': he ; and wettrust that our
-rulers will mot :be neglectful of their .duty in this
respect. It would be a: disgrace to our profession .as
-a Christian aiatieu if ,the opportunity he allowed to
amss without a stolemn acknowledgmentol that over
waling Providenoe, by, whose -mercy we have beemper-
4nitted to be Victors in the struggle. The cause was
-one of truth and , justice against 'tyranny and
,oppression, of right against, woong, of needy against
-slavery. It was .: ft contest,in ,which the; mightiest
Towers of the world .were .putting forth; 211 'their
otrength, in whichithe lives and fortunes of itbousanda
(were perilled, .on kthe success,of • .which depended the
advance of civilisation, or its, almost total el:Unction ;
and, therefore, we; have. abundant cause fa:oo,l*s-
giving for that boundless mercy= which has permitted
us to triumph.