The Press.
London, England, 1855-05-12 00:00:00

MAY 12, 1855.

meeting with serious reverses. The first ac-
tions of the campaign are stated to have re-
sembled in their general features the combats
lately fought in the Crimea
It is a curious circumstance, indicative of the lasting
impress which nature has put upon all the families of the
European race compared with the Asiatic, that these
battles of Groohow and Sieroczyn bear the closest resem-
blance to those of lnkermann and Balaklava in after
flutes. The Poles resisted the enormous masses of the
Russians with the same intrepidity and firmness, in front
of l'raga, that the English did their assailants, five times
their own number, in front of Sebastopol ; and if a gallant
allied force had come up at the close of the day, to ren-
der the balance somewhat more equal, the result would
have been the same on both occasions. The Polish
squadrons threw themselves on the Muscovite artillery with
the same intrepidity as the English light horse, in after days,
on the shores of the Crimea; and, like them, atter passing
through the guns, charged and routed the enemy's cavalry,
three times more numerous than their own, in rear.
Dwernicki's leading was the prototype of that of Lord
Cardigan. These facts lead to a conclusion of great and
lasting importance for the interests of civilisation and
freedom in future times. This is, that the forces of
Europe, animated by the spirit of liberty and the energy
of intelligence, are still as superior to the hosts of Asia as
they were in the days of Marathon and Plates; and that
the ceaseless encroachments and menacing strength of
Russia is not owing to any advantage which the Asiatics
possess in courage over the Europeans, but to the greater
foresight of its tioverument, and unity of purpose in its
inhabitants,—qualities in which the people of the West,
unfortunately, are often as deficient as they are superior
in vigour and knowledge.
The brilliant victory gained by the Poles
over Rosen's army is remarkable for the panic
which seized on the Russian forces. The
Russian centre was broken by a brilliant
charge of Polish cavalry :
Upon this the whole of Rosen's corps took to flight, and
nothing but the darkness of the night, and the extreme
exhaustion of the Polish troops, who had marched and
fought since the preceding midnight, saved any part of
them from destruction. As it was, the Poles took six thou-
sand prsoners, besides inflicting an equal loss in killed
and wounded on the enemy, who diapered in all direc-
tions, no longer preserving even the appearance of an army.
Such of them as could be reached by the Polish horse
surrendered without resistance; the peasants brought in
great numbers who were straggling in the woods ; awl so
great was the consternation of the Muscovites, that
next morning the extraordinary spectacle was exhibited of
two peasants, without arms, bringing to the Polish head-
quarters twelve Russian soldiers, whom they allowed to
carry their muskets, to avoid the trouble of taking them
from them !

The army of Menschikoff seems to have
been similarly disorganised after its defeat at
Alma ; and it is now evident that the allied
commanders missed the fortunate moment for
securing the brilliant success of their enter-
prise.

The Russians prevailed over the Poles at
last by the same policy that they unscrupu-
lously adopt in all their wars. The lives of the
men were recklessly sacrificed ; thousands
fell, but thousands more were marched for-
ward. The Russian commanders act on the
principle that life is cheap, and that no sacri-
fice of blood is to be esteemed which enables
them to gain ground, or even to inflict loss—
though comparatively far inferior—on their
opponents. At Ostrolenka the Russians lost
10,000 men, and though compelled to with-
draw counted the battle a victory, as it cost
the Poles a loss of 7,000. The desperate
tenacity with which the Russian troops hold
their ground, in spite of enormous loss, warn
us that we must prepare for a frightful
carnage when once hard fighting recommences
in the Crimea. The noble struggle of the
Poles was disfigured by one lamentable
episode :

History may well take a pride in recording this moving
scene, in which noble parts were played by great actors
on the tragic theatre of the world ; but it would be
well for the annals of Poland if the narrative of the
change of government at Warsaw could stop there. Un-
fortunately, a very different scene was exhibited by the
mobs in the capital. Excited by the approach of the
Russians and the declamations in the clubs, as the
Jacobins of Paris had been by the advance of the Duke
of Brunswick in 1792, they broke out into similar ex-
cesses. The massacre in the prisons of Warsaw on the
15th and 16th of August, 1831, is a fit oompanion to
that in the prison of Paris on the 2nd and 3rd September,
1792. A furious mob, excited by the declamations of the
violent orators in the clubs, and exclaiming, " Treason !
treason !" collected in the streets ; and the whole armed
force having been sent into the intrenched camp, the
Government had no means either of suh•luing it or de-
fending themselves. They first invaded the Palace, where
they overturned the Government, and then proceeding to
the State prisons, they broke in and murdered all the
54t0 vrisoners, including Jaukowai Itud Bukowai, who