The Press.
London, England, 1855-06-09 00:00:00

534

They will not in themselves achieve the con-
quest of the Crimea, or force the Russians to
lay down their arms. They are but the
preliminaries of the struggle withal alone can
force the intrenchments of the enetny, and
plant the allied standards within the walls of
Sebastopol. Yet they have done mach to facili-
tate the victory. The finirses of &Reit hal
been captured and occupied ; both at that
seaport and at the important depots of
Berdianski and Jenitchi immense stores of
provisions have been taken and destroyed ;
a large fleet of shipping has been burnt, and
the maritime resources of Russia in the Sea
of Azoff annihilated; two of the routes by
which the Russian supplies and munitions of
war have up to the present time been con-
veyed to the beleaguered fortress have been
entirely stopped; the passage of reinforce-
ments from the Caucasus has been inter-
cepted ; and the spirit of the Russians has
been broken by defeat, at the moment when
enthusiasm is of the highest importance.
But, for all that, the work is but begun. The
road by Perekop is still open, as well as an-
other passage across the narrowest part of the
Putrid Sea. A temporary hindrance will take
plate in the arrival of supplies until the new
transport service is organised, and the con-
voys have wound their way over the steppe
to the interior of the Crimea. But are there
no depots at I3aktehi-Sergi or Simferopol, and
no stores of provisions within Sebastopol,
that will enable the Russians to boar the
delay ? In a few weeks the loss may be
repaired, and a line of communication estab-
blished more secure than before It is not
safe to calculate on the impassable nature in
the summer months of the country between
Perekop and Simferopol. The difficulties and
obstacles will have been foreseen, and every
means of precaution adopted. It is even said
that a tramway has been constructed for the
whole of the distance, which will enable the
Russians to bring up any amount of supplies.
The commissariat of a hundred thousand
men is too important an undertaking not to
have been put into the most perfect efficiency.
Before Sebastopol itself we have gained no
decisive advantage The French with admir-
able gallantry have frustrated the attempts of
the enemy to construct a new and formidable
outwork, and have possessed themselves of the
disputed ground ; but, though a fortnight has
elapsed, we have not heard of our allies pushing
their advantage and storming any battery that
commands the town. All that can be said is
that they are in a favorable position for the
assault whenever a propitious moment may
arrive The combined forces of the English,
French, Sardinians, and Turks have advanced
their outposts to the Tschernaya and fortified
the village of Tehorgoum, but they do not
menace the communications between the gar•
rison and Simferopol. We are told by the able
correspondent of the Morning Herald that
such an attempt will be attended by the
greatest difficulties in consequence of the for
midable intrenchments which defend the only
practicable mountain pass, the road to Mac-
kenzie's Farm ; that from their immense size,
position, and extent, the attack will be one of
the most bloody struggles of the siege.
In the Caucasus the state of affairs is similar
From inadequacy of force the Russians have
evacuated Soujak Kale, and concentrated their
troops in the fortress of Anapa, which they are
strengthing by every means in their power,
It is scarcely probable that the Circassian
troops will accomplish much in a siege ; we can
only expect that they will post an army of ob-
servation, and transport the remain der of their
forces tieress the Straits of Yenikale to form a
junction with the garrison of Kertch.
Several courses are open to the Allied
Generals. They might adopt the plan
originally suggested to Marshal ST. ARNAUD,
in the instructions of the Emperor NAPOLEON,
of advancing with a large force from Kertch
and Katfa, so as to take Karasa-Bazar and
Simferopol in the rear. But this they give no
indication of attempting. Possibly they await
their Circassian auxiliaries. Another course
was to reinforce the Turks at Eupatoria, and