The Press.
London, England, 1855-09-22 00:00:00

THE WEEK.

The one absorbing anticipation of the week has been the arrival of
General SIDIPSON'S despatches. On Wednesday the Indus steamer
reached Marseilles, direct from Balaklava on the Bth, but, as she left
almost at the moment of the assault, no official despatches of that
great event were forwarded by her. On the 11th, however, the Tele-
graph, one of the swiftest steamers afloat, was despatched with these im-
portant papers, and, after a severe passage, she arrived at Marseilles on
Thursday morning at ten a.m. At one p.m. Major CURZON, in charge
of the despatches, started for London ; and, at the time we write, it
is hoped he will reach the War-office in a few hours at the latest, so that
in the course of Saturday, if Lord PANMURE is disposed to be at all com-
municative, the public may fairly anticipate receiving these long-
expected papers. So close upon the facts of the case, it would be
superfluous to speculate upon any of the features of the assault. The
despatch of General SIMPSON in a few hours will set speculation at
rest. Our failure before the Redan will, it is hoped, be satisfactorily
accounted for, though no explanations can deprive the French of the
real glory of the day.
The latest intelligence received from the camp during the week
gives us a few details of the quantity of stores and materiel left in the
town by the Russians. The astonishing number of four thousand guns,
besides vast quantities of powder, shot, and shell, are among the
trophies fallen to the allied arms. Divisions of French and
English troops have already encamped within the lines, some small
vessels have contrived to enter the harbour by closely hugging the
southern shore, and it is stated that the sunken ships are to be
blown up preparatory to the entrance of the allied fleets. As long as
the Russians continue to hold the northern forts, it would scarcely
appear safe to risk any ships within reach of Russian shells, or we
might run a good chance of having retaliated upon our Royal Albert the
fate of the Twelve Apostles.
The electric telegraph so completely extracts the sting from " Our
Own Correspondent's " letters that their compositions, unless con-
taining some powerful descriptive writing or making public some
startling fact, have now not much attractive power.
In the absence of all authentic intelligence from the allied
Generals relative to their projected ulterior operations against the
Russian army, the most improbable rumours about that army are cirt
culated upon all sides—capitulation and the honours of war one day,
a great battle the next, or full retreat the third—but the latest despatch
from Prince GoarscnaxoFF informs us that up to the 16th, at least,
nothing new had occurred. Letters from St. Petersburg assert that
GORTSCHAEOFF speaks confidently of his power to hold the Crimea
against the Allies, that reinforcements are to be hurried from Poland
to the seat of war, artillery, stores, provisions, and ammunition col-
lected at Perekop, and every preparation made to dispute the ground
inch by inch. It is generally rumoured in the camp that he will
abandon the northern forts and concentrate his army upon the Mac-
kenzie heights—as we have in THE PRESS more than once anticipated
—and await the allied attack. An article in the Morning Post of Friday
points out that such an attack is more clearly preferable for the allied
Generals than any series of complicated movements from Eupatoria.
As the Morning Post, since its early publication of our loss in the
attack on the Redan—a telegraphic fact supposed at the time to be
known only to Lord PANMURE and the Cabinet—is supposed to speak
with authority, we may almost presume that such are the opinions of
our War Minister. Marshal PELISSIER may be a bold general, but we
question whether he, on the spot, will be bold enough to attempt that
which the Martial PANMURE declares so easy to achieve. It is well
known that the Russians have scarped the road, have covered the
inaccessible heights with batteries and redoubts, and have at least
90,000 men behind those impenetrable ridges. In the face of these
difficulties of position we still incline to think that the campaign is
virtually over, and that unless the Russian army is in full retreat from
the Crimea the allied Generals will scarcely venture upon any great
combined movement this season. The projected visit of the Russian
Emperor to Odessa, and possibly to the Crimea, early in October, may
not improbably bring on some great general action. GORTSCHAKOFF
and his Generals might possibly be stimulated into a second battle
of the Tschernaya ; but, be that as it may, the visit of the Emperor
doss not look like retreat or surrender.
We have not yet had time to learn what effect the capture of
Sebastopol may have upon the Russian army in Asia. Our most recent
information from Kars is but scanty, and from its general tenor the
inhabitants did not appear to apprehend that MOURAVIEFF would re-
assault the town. He would seem to he without any very effective
siege-train, and to trust more in blockade and famine than in assault
for the capture of the town. The Turkish Government, with its usual
delay, has postponed sending reinforcements for so long that it is
highly probable the place will be reduced to severe straits unless
some decided succour is speedily afforded. It is even reported now,
that since the fall of Sebastopol the embarkation of the Turkish forces
from Eupatoria has been summarily stopped, and that OMER PACHA
has returned to Constantinople. The Turkish army now in Asia con-
sists of about 50,000 men of all arms, of which 16,000 garrison Kars.
From the easy repulse of the Russians on their first attack, that gar.
rison appears animated with the highest spirit, but we may not
unreasonably expect that the loss of Sebastopol will stimulate the
Russian Government to urge on MOURAVIEFF to endeavour, at all costs,
to obtain some equivalent in Asia. On the 18th of August there were
•nly provisions for tea weeks in Kars, and that upon a reduced scale,