The Press.
London, England, 1855-03-10 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

MARCH 10, 1855.

The principal attack was undert►ken against the Flag-
staff Battery, and, indeed, the centre, but it has been ex-
tended on the left towards the Quarantine Fort. The
zig-zag approaches have carried the third parallel to 100
metres from the rampart, and the works have been
prolonged to the Cemetery, of which we are the masters,
and as far as the Quarantine Bay, where the Laztretto has
been occupied. This progress is considerable ; the fortifi-
cation is invested so closely that our miners have already
commenced their subterranean labours. The first mine
has been ruined by the Russian miners, who have counter-
mined, and by burning powder and resin smoked our men
in their gallery. Other galleries will probably be carried
on with better success.
The great harbour-ravine divides the line of the fortifi-
cations, and also the siege-works, into two sections. The
right part, extending from this ravine to the Careening
Bay, was allotted at first to the English army. The lett
attack, executed by the French, played on the city in
front, and kept in check several fronts of ramparts and
batteries extensively developed. But on certain points we
were played upon obliquely, that is to say, were battered in
flank by the guns of the besieged. The difficulties, there-
fore, were, and still are, very great along that front. What
was wanted was, that the right attack should have been
more vigorously advanced by the English, for it is in that
direction, on the side of the arsenal, that more decisive
progress might, perhaps, have been made. The Russians,
at this moment, are hard at work in order to perfect their
fortifications, and erect fresh ones on that point.
As our batteries had suffered a great deal from the supe-
riority of the enemy's calibre, we were obliged to give up
an unequalled contest of artillery, and confine ourselves, as
much as the season and the ground permitted, to the de-
velopment of parallels and communications. Fresh batte-
ries have been constructed, as is known, and armed with
heavier guns to the number of two or three hundred. All
these batteries remain masked. They will not be unmasked
before they are completely finished, armed and supplied
with several hundred rounds per gun, so that they may all
be brought into play at once. The object is to produce an
overwhelming effect., and which will serve as a prelude to
an immediate assault. This is all we are able to say, keep-
ing ourselves within a suitable reserve.

PATRIOTIC FUND COMMISSION.
THE commissioners have issued a circular (to take
effect from March 2nd) setting forth the scale of
allowance for the widows and orphans of the non-
commissioned officers and privates of the army and
marines, and petty officers and seamen of the navy.
The widow of a staff non-commissioned officer,
without children, is to receive 6s. weekly ; if with
one child, 7s. ; two, Bs. ; three, Bs. ed. ; four, 95.; five,
9s. 6d. A sergeant's widow, without children, will
receive ss. weekly; if with one child 65.; two, 75.;
three, 7s. Od. ; four, Bs.; five, Bs. 6d. (If a colour-
sergeant's widow, 6d. additional.) A corporal's widow,
without children, 4s. weekly; with one child, ss. ;
two, es. ; three, es. fid.; four, 7s. ; five, 7s. 6d. A
drummer's, trumpeter's, or private's widow, without
children, will receive 3s. ed. weekly ; with one child,
4s. 6d. ; two, Os. ed.; three, es.; four, es. 6d.; five,
7s. The corresponding ranks in the navy are as
follows :—Staff non-commissioned officer, sth class ;
sergeant, oth class ; corporal, 7th class ; and private,
Bth class.
Sixpence additional, per week, will be given to
every infirm person. All allowances are to be subject
to the condition stated in the Royal Commission, that
the recipients are unable to maintain or support
themselves, and in general these will not be made
or continued to orphans after they shall have at-
tained the age of fifteen.
As the foregoing scale for widows and orphans
must necessarily be influenced by the various cir-
cumstances of every case, although the scale is to be
the general rule, the committee are to be at liberty
to deviate from it in cases calling for the exercise of
their discretion ; sickness and lying-in, for example,
will admit of exception.
The allowances are in no instance to be transferred
or assigned, and their continued payment must de-
pend on the circumstances of the parties and the
sufficiency of the fund to answer the demands
upon it.
The allowance to widows will cease upon their
second marriage, unless continued by an express
order of the committee; but during any subsequent
widowhood the widow is to be at liberty to apply to
be replaced on the fund ; but no woman is to con-
tinue to receive an allowance if she shall, in the
opinion of the committee, by profligate conduct
honour the memory of her husband.

Lourir, R. G. WILSON having retired from the
service on promotion, Lieut.-Colonel Mitchell has
been appointed to command the Royal Artillery at
Shoeburyness.
Sour!' SEk HOUSE—The estate of the once power-
ful South Sea Company, comprising the South Sea
House and three houses in Threadneedle-street and
Broad. street, was sold by auction last week, at the
mart of Messrs. Beadel and Son, and excited a
spirited competition. An agent from the Conserva-
tive Land Society attended, and bid a very large sum,
but the property wes ultimately knocked down to
Mr. J. M. Nelson, architect, for 56,750/. In the l
ate
ate
estimate of their property by the directors of
company it was valued at only 25,0001.

229

" CONDUCT OF THE WAR." would have derived from the moral and material forces he
had brought, from the strength which he had ga. ti ered
THE pamphlet published at Brussels under the title around himself, and arouud the cause of the Sultan. He
became absorbed in the oonterencee of Vienna : he watched
of "De is Conduits de la Guerre d'Orient" has
attention ; he passed his time in
excited, as it was calculated to do, an unusual sensa- the progress with sterile
altering the phrases of pi-awe/a, in punctuating /1261120.
ti o n both in France and in this country. It is stirs- rztTriiiisa:lb,:aulr:rdaorefuoxeswbeshiratciieinschaciontigy:dh‘di.easexttuetii:rgllceeldasnluehiiuthtmyyeati,tunlafsweetlpeth•vaecvanitanedguthetertrarekgalusued;
buted to the "inspiration" of the Prince Napoleon.
Circumstances are narrated in it which could have
been known only to the Prince Napoleon, but, on upon plausible motives. The principal motive was his
overwhelming desire
iitm,olaeseneltfit;eiiminlyssemubreoomnakeanntaelworanyhaispthiponayttaintindataleweiitif,
the other hand, errors are stated, regarding the ope-
rations of the armies in the Crimea, such as Prince taarnd sedvoupted",icahndhenh,
Napoleon himself never could have fallen into: for the ancient dynasties, and in the diplomatic ccencli of
example, it is stated that the victory of Alma was in- Europe. As regards his second motive, he entertainNi
extreme ideas of order and of conservatism. Ile vowed an
uufounded hatred to democracy ; he had sworn against re-
fluenced by " one charge brillante de la cavalerie du
major general comte du Lucan." Such errors may volutionary action, • war inn which he had thrown away the
possibly be intentional, to divert suspicion from the scabbard. For these natios, the awakening of the nation-
alities which the three Sovereigns of the North had con-
real author, but it is more probable that they result quered without extinguishing—that awakening which must
be revolution, which was insurrection in Hungary, in Italy,
from the ignorance of the writer to whom Prince
inPoland, could only be supported un democratic prin.
Napoleon intrusted his notes. We have heard the elides, and upon this ground he condemned all such move-
authorship of the pamphlet attributed to M. Charms, ments with the same vigour and the same resolution as if
one of the Red party, in exile at Brussels. Apart it had been a Parisian movement destined to precipitate
him from the throne.
from its blunders in detail, which the French care
Then follows a paragraph which shows the inspir-
little for, the memoir is extremely well written— •
ing mind of the memoir:—
the views are clear and broad—the language is pre-
Need we soy that it would be easy to same many members
vise—the tone authoritative—the knowledge to all of the imperial family who are far from partiripating is these
appearance personal—and the criticism fearless. The .-ibsolutist principles.—sentiments which MIMI every day widen
composition manifests ability of a much higher order a breach between the Napoleonic dynasty end the deeply.
founded instincts of the Frisch psepk ! But this is not the
than the world has yet given the Prince Napoleon moment to agitate and debate questions which the future
credit for possessing. will infallibly place in their true light.
The aim is to show, first, that the Emperor Napo- It will be a question much pondered in England,
leon committed a great mistake in courting an though not mooted in this memoir, bow far the
alliance with the Court of Austria rather than with delay of Louis Napoleon and his negotiations with
the oppressed nationalities of Europe anti, secondly, the Court of Vienna were influenced by the per-
that the expedition to the Crimea was from first to suaaions of Lord Aberdeen's Government. From
last a gigantic error. Throughout the pamphlet the commencement of this dispute Lord Aberdeen
England is represented m implicitly following, both feared to take a decided part. He brought forward
as regards her Government and her commanders, Austria to counterbalance France. Even when our
the lead of France. When the Russians crossed the forces were encamped at Varna he still trusted in
Pruth, Louis Napoleon, it is said, had " decided on Austrian mediation. He had no intention of prose-
ar," and the English alliance was proffered him cuting the war in earnest, and the fatal result of his
"with eagerness." The last sentence in the memoir weak or treacherous policy has been the destruction
is that " the Empercr (of France) has hut to make a of our army.
sign, to express a wish. England, inwardly worked The disorder of the French army at Varna is de.
upon by this young, new, and irresistible power, scribed as h
avinga been extreme, and it is hinted that
will follow it to the end of the world." the great fir at a was due to the guilt of officials
The memoir commences with a rapid notice of the who thus
sthought to conceal the extent of their
increased power given to the Emperor Nicholas by peculation.
the continental convulsions of 1648. He watched The treaty of the 20th of June, 1854, by which
the revolution, fearing to give it aliment by inter- Austria entered into possession of the principalities,
ference, till, when it was recoiling, he struck its must be in the recollection of all our readers. Fir
death-blow in Hungary. He had then arrived at the a long time people in England failed to comprehend
height of his power and glory. The first shock of the object of that treaty. They regarded it only as
the coup d'itat of the 2nd of December conferred on some new unmeaning movement in diplomacy.
him irresistible power; but as the Government of They could not believe that it was intended to
France became strengthened the two empires were facilitate the quiet and undisturbed evacuation of the
brought face to face. It was on the question of the Danubian provinces by Russia and their occupation
Holy Places that their pretensions met. The Em by Austria, while the latter power still retained her
peror Napoleon, by timely retractation, withdrew ambiguous attitude. This treaty is referred by the
from an untenable position, throwing the blame on memoir solely to the desire of the Emperor Napoleon
his ambassador. The Emperor Nicholas believed to get his dynasty recognised by Austria; but et
the moment favorable for securing a step in noble tribute is paid to the general character of
advance. Hence Prince Menschikoffs insolent British policy in an emphatic passage
mission, and his abrupt withdrawal from Constanti- From the moment the English uniform blended in our
nople. The Emperor of France comprehended the ranks, the moderation aud justice of our cause became in-
situation. He rivetted the English alliance, and contestable, even to the most prejudiced.
then offered a firm front to Russia : From this fatal treaty of June 20th the author
In spite of the hesitation of his Ministers, who did not supposes that all the disasters arose "which have
well understand the question, and did not divine the motive occurred to the arms of France and England in the
of the Czar, Napoleon from this time had decided upon war. generous struggle in which they were engaged
He knew that by war he should give an outlet to French against Russia." The effect on the army is
activity, restrained by the coup d'etat ; that it would afford a described as baying been most unfavorable :
glorious occupation to the army, compromised by the civil The grief which the notification of the treaty of the '2oth
war. He thus fulfilled a duty to himself, and at the same June caused among the generals and superior officers of
time to the great name he bore. In fact, he took in the the army is inexpressible. Prince Napoleon manifested
face of Europe an admirable position, by advancing to the
defence of the independence of a weaker state, against the extreme
of indignation at
colonel (
it.,f
one In a familiar conversation dwith
avidity and ambition of a powerful and redoubtable empire. a friend
sionwhhis,
oa afterwardshad adiffitetrehencree giwmithentssheof
mhis
hivail-,
It is intimated that up to this point the Emperor General Bosquet uttered the word treason. General Can-
Napoleon acted with great sagacity, but that he lost robert himself, who followed the system of courteous trim-
his circumspection and prudence from the moment ming, expreseed his displeasure at it. The Turks (mild
when he suffered himself to be entangled in the not comprehend it. The English kept silent, instead of
intrigues of the Court of Vienna, and to wait and giving expression to their opinion, as is their usual custom.
waiver with the hope of concluding an Austrian The subsequent stay of the army at Varna angered
the soldiery, and caused a great mortality among
alliance:—
It was the hope of securing the alliance of Austria, after them:—
having secured that of England—itwas the desire of form- From the 20th of Jane to the 20th of August, two full
ing a coalition of Sovereigns against the Czar, instead of months elapsed, during which noetalgia, typhus fever, and
forming a coalition of peoples against despotism—which cholera came to assail and decimate the allied troops. They
misled that artful and circumspect policy, and which de- presented a most latnentable spectacle. The hospitals
Buoyed in one single campaign the forces of the Western were being filled every day; death ravaged our ranks,
powers. Austria could not but be a hindrance, and her whier insubordinatiou, vely easy to conceive under such
alliance an insurmountable obstacle. eirmestances, had already demoralised. Clamours were
Hence it is said the delay in the active prosecution raised from every mouth, sedition. crieswere.heard among
of the war. Louis Napoleon had foreseen war for several battalions, the,il tniame sohfecsoertidaiienrse.sfied generals
were brought to rev ec on by
months past ; he had prepared for it ; but the formal
It was in July that Marshal St. Arnaud received
declaration was delayed until the 27th of March :
orders to undertake the expedition against Sebes-
This delay gives a justification fur the charges which,
at that juncture, were brought against the Imperial Go- topol. The whole
vernment. It is proved that the Emperor then attached is here the • ge:ipooi fe
otnh
:e_ invasion
referred to planFmanped rdor"Ni
himself to the chimera of an Austrian alliance as a sheet- It was in the private apartment at the Tuileries that
anchor. The position was good, and he spoilt it. Ile the idea of that expedition originated; it was conceived iu
compromised, of his own free will, the influence which he . solitude. The Emperor, bent over a map. and with eye