The Press.
London, England, 1855-06-23 00:00:00

THE WEEK.

THE incidents of the week, though numerous and important, are all
cast into the shade by the telegraph despatch received by Lord
PANMURE early yesterday morning, announcing that an attack made on
the 18th of June by the English on the Redan, and by the French on
the Malakoff Tower, had not met " with the success which has usually
" attended our efforts." Coupled with the announcement that "both
" the French and ourselves have suffered considerably," it was at once
understood that the attack of both armies had been repulsed with
heavy loss, and it would be difficult to describe the painful feeling
this announcement excited among all classes in the metropolis.

There are many circumstances which contribute to heighten this
painful sentiment.
The attack must have been long meditated ; it must have been
made in considerable force ; it was the first occasion on which the
allies have together attacked any principal outwork of the fortress ;
and it was the first check the English arms have yet received in the
whole of the war. We have been so accustomed to attach the idea of
invincibility to the British bayonet—we have known such marvellous
deeds achieved by it, transcending in valour all that history or heroic
fable can record of successful daring—that we were quite unprepared
for a repulse. Had it happened when our army was weakened by
suffering and disease in the autumn and winter, when scarcely twelve
thousand bayonets could be mustered, we should have been less sur-
prised. But Lord RAGLAN has now 30,000 fighting men under his com-
mand ; he has the Sardinian Contingent; ho has a considerable force
of Turks, and General PELISSIER must have one of the finest armies
France ever sent into the field under his orders. Moreover, all the
troops are in the finest order ; they were flushed with the pride of re-
cent successes ; and the British troops as they rushed to the assault
must have felt their hearts glow as they remembered that the day was
the anniversary of the battle of Waterloo. That the repulse took place
under such circumstances, and after so long a period of preparation
and tremendous cannonade, is the strongest proof we have yet received
of the valour of the foe and the strength of their position.
It is everywhere said—" We must expect a check ; the fortune of
" war is proverbial ; the French were checked in their first assault on
" the Mamelon, yet took it triumphantly on the second occasion." All
this is true, yet the repulse shows, at least, the arduous nature of the
work the allies have to accomplish, and warns us how much blocd
must yet flow before that fortress which was to be taken by a coup de
main can be wrested from the foe. Have it we must and will now.
But the nation must nerve itself for new efforts, must prepare for war
on a yet grander scale. How is it that our troops are so far, far below
the requirements of the war? Why is there not more energy in col-
lecting and sending reinforcements ? We can have from our own popu-
lation any numbers we require by increasing the rewards of the service.
Since the war broke out, every one has been repeating liberality will be
true economy, yet we have been weighing every shilling we paid for
bounty, and our Sebastopol army has been starved by the
niggardliness of our recruiting scale. Last year the number of men
voted were never raised by several thousands. This year, to all ap-
pearance, will tell the same tale. Not until we resolve to offer men
what they are worth shall we get recruits of the right sort in the num-
bers we desire. Grants of colonial land at the end of periods of ser-
vice, and a liberal bounty, would attract the prime of our labouring
population to our banners ; and money couli not possibly he so well
spent as in attracting a large addition of picked men to our ranks It
is dreadful to think that the scenes of slaughter and destruction of
which almost every day brings tidings may be protracted through
years, or the life of a generation, from want of due energy at the right
time. The expedition, undertaken without due preparation, or accu-
rate information of the strength of the enemy, was a mistake in the
first instance. The conduct of the siege has, we fear, been a mistake
since. We lose the immense advantage we possess in having com-
mand of the sea by so large an army remaining stationary The expe-
dition to the Sea of Azoff shows what may be effected by more enter-
p-ising measures. It would seem comparatively easy to entirely cut
off the Russians from all their supplies, and to isolate them in the
Crimea, by occupying certain positions commanding Perekop on one
side, and the road by the Putrid Sea on the other. The war thus
far—even from the commencement of hostilities betwen the Turks and
Russians—shows the importance to be attached to well-chosen posi-
tions. The Russians could not force the lines of Silistria—they
were driven back by the Turks from Eupatoria—they could not with
all their forces carry our position at Inkermann—and we, after a year's
siege, have made next to no progress before Sebastopol. The genius
of a general is shown by his strategic movements, by the boldness and
brilliancy of his invention, by the energy of his action, the fertility of
his designs, and the celerity of his proceedings. We have laid siege to
Sebastopol as if we were founding a Crimean colony. We have made
our position secure no doubt, and have effected a marvellous change
for the better in Balaklava; we have our railway and telegraph, and
This 'mld be all

SATURDAY,

both in Paris and London for two or three days previous. As the
engagement took place early on Monday morning, intelligence might
have been received of it the next day at latest. To account for
the delay it is said that the telegraph was out of order. But
was its disorder purely accidental? And how came it that the
rumour of the repulse got abroad before intelligence of it was
officially received? We always felt that the exclusive possession of
the telegraph by Government afforded, we will not say the opportunity,
but the possibility of jobbery on a gigantic scale ; and wo are not
sure, after all, but that the best way would be to throw it open to the
public. The intelligence communicated by Lord PANMUBE was less
precise than could be wished. Why should details be whispered
about in social circles before they are officially announced to the
public ? The circumlocutory language of Lord PANMURE'B note is how-
ever to be accounted for by his desire to avoid using any of the words
employed by Lord RAOLAN iu his despatch, as in that case a key might
be afforded to the cypher. Another message was received by Lord,
PAsmuaE yesterday afternoon, but at the hour we write it had not been
communicated. We deeply regret to hear it stated that the names of
Sir JOHN CAMPBELL, general of the 4th division ; Colonel YEA, 7th
Fusileers, acting brigadier-general ; and of Colonel SHADFORTII, of the
57th, were among the slain.

The despatches and letters from the camp contain full details
of the attack and capture of the Mamelon and Quarries upon the
evening of the 7th of June, on our side with a loss of some 500,
and on that of our allies some 1,500, men and officers killed and
wounded. The Russians in the Mamelon made but a poor defence at
first—they were surprised ; the French columns swarmed in over the
parapets and in a few minutes bayoneted or drove out their defenders.
A panic appeared to have seized them for the moment, but being quickly
supported by their reserves in the Malakoff they attacked the French
in force under the support of the guns of the Round Tower and an
eight-gun battery. The French, in their turn surprised for the moment,
were driven out of the Mamelon and compelled to retire down
the slope, but their reserves coming up a return rush was made,
and after a severe contest for a few minutes the Russians were a
second time driven out of their position Elated with their conquest,
the French troops appear to have attempted in the heat of the moment
a coup de ►nain against the Malakoff, but the attempt not having been
agreed on, and the attack being made in a rash and hasty manner, the
troops were driven back with severe loss. On our side, the capture of
the Quarries in front of the Redan must be ranked as one of the most
gallant actions of the war. Lord RAGLAN observes, in his despatch,
that nothing could be more spirited than the attack, and nothing
more determined than the gallant defence of the ground captured.
The 88th, with detachment from the light and other divisions, comprised
the attacking force, and, although every inch of the ground was hotly
contested by the enemy, and the ground was swept by the guns of the
Redan, Malakoff, and eight-gun battery, our gallant troops drove out
the Russians, and, moreover, held their ground during the night
against six desperate assaults under cover of a tremendous cannonade
from their batteries.

In the camp, the health of the troops still continues satisfactory,
though cases of cholera are very frequent in the immediate vicinity of
Balaklava.

The army encamped on the banks of the Tschernaya still remain
in position. A strong reconnaissance towards Baidar was executed ou
the 3rd, and a convoy of provisions seized, the Russian videttcs
offering no resistance to the allied troops.
From the sea of Azoff we have had no news of importance during
the week. Sir GEORGE BROWN does not appear to have advanced
from Kertch in any direction, or to have re-embarked upon any fresh
expedition against either Kaffa or upon the Circassian coast,

The proposition that a large tract of Canadian land should be set
apart for the members of the Foreign Legion appears to be open to
strong objection. Why should foreigners have more bounties given
to them than the troops of our own kingdom ? But, independent of
the partiality in favour of strangers, there are colonial objections to
the proposal. Introducing men of continental races into an English
colony in America is not a good mode of securing the connection with
the mother country. The evil does not terminate in new countries
with a single settlement of foreigners. Where they are once located
and established, others of their countrymen will be sure to follow and
increase their numbers. There is already a large French element in
Canadian society, and it would be better to graft the future population
as much as possible from the Anglo-Saxon root.
If the war continues (and who can say when it will stop?) we
shall want all our colonial resources to reward our officers, with large
families, unable to provide for them in this expensive country. It
is not well to appeal too largely, to the generosity of the Canadian
Legislature, though we are sure that it is cordial and loyal in its
feelings to the Crown.

The slaughter at Hango of the boat's crew who went to the coast,
under shelter (as they thought) of a flag of truce, to lanclsome Finnish
prisoners, is one of the most horrible incidents in the annals of
modern warfare. There seems no room to doubt the substantial truth
of the man's story who succeeded in effecting his escape, though the
Russian account received by telegraph states that Lieutenant GENESTE,
Dr. EASTON, and Mr. SULLIVAN, were prisoners. They were wounded,
however, and it would be impossible for BROWN, wounded himself at the
bottom of the boat, to know whether they were merely wounded, or
dead, when they were struck down. The outrage is aggravated
by every circumstance that can add to its barbarity. The savages
perceived and understood the flag of truce, they attacked unarmed.

perhzolinatie preparing for another winter. This would be all
very I tfigeired to effect a settlement on a hostile coast,
bu ~.0014 whether it is the most effective means of carrying on
in •4•- - gc •• n ; and sure wo are that it was not thus that
t n record, from ALEXANDER tO WELLINGTON,
. 7, . le. ''''•
.:14. :
it 43. ..:i
achieved their successes.
-3 i
ri*
A,
- i .1 sage announcing the repulse was received by
414.0.044 ic- ,;
Lox. !v. - • ~..i. :sidence, in Belgrave-square, at two o'clock on
Fr it* ,1 • • : : sinister rumours of a reverse were prevalent
4. " •

JUNE 23, 1855.

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