The Express.
London, England, 1855-09-15 00:00:00

POSITION OP THE RUSSIAN ARMY.

The Nord of yesterday thus converts the taking
of Sebastopol into a Russian victory. It says:
"The triumph of the Allied armies is more appa-
rent than real; and, comparing the situation before
and after the 9th of September, it must be inter-
preted in the inverse ratio of the victory—that is to
say—to the advantage of the Russian army. The
crossing to the north side had been foreseen, and was
in preparation for a long time. Russia had done
enough to satisfy her military honour in contesting
Sebastopol for a whole year ; but fighting fora pria-
ciple, she was not called upon to continue the contest
for a heap of ruins. By crossing to the north side
the Russian forces are concentrated, resting to the
right on formidable fortifications, which have been
raised in that direction, and having the Mackenzie
defiles on their left. The Russian army, therefore,
holds the Allies shut up in the plateau of Balaklava
sad Sebastopol. There, in a more imposing and
stronger position than before, it can await the attacks
of the Allies. By this mancenvre Prince Gortchakoff
has doubled his army—in a strategic point of view,
because, with his forms concentrated, he has com-
plete liberty of movement—in a tactical point of
view, from the superiority of his position, which is
beyond the range of the siege guns of the Allies, and
at the same time enables him to use his own field
artillery with greater advantage than the Allies can
Ogre."

AUSTRIAN MEDIATION.

The Paris oortespondent of the Isdepeadance Beige
has the following, the correctness of which, be says,
he can almost guarantee :—" At a conference which
took place some days ago between Prince Gortcha-
koff and Count Rue!, in the cabinet of the latter, the
Prince made overtures and threw out hints of great
importance. He left it to be understood that Russia
was quite disposed to come to an arrangement

through the mediation of Austria, in which
case she (Russia) should place in the hands of
Austria the sum of the conditions which she would
ousint to make, leaving it to Austria to present
them, to put them into shape, and to weigh them.
It wu quite a confidential mission which Russia was
giving to Austria. Count Buol listened to the end,
and when the Prince had quite concluded, replied,
that if he was anxious for a mediator he knocked at
the wrong address in coming to Vienna; that he
ought to call at Berlin, where no engagement had
been entered into."

TEE CRIMEA.

Yesterday's Debate e.ontains the following notes on
the present occupation of the allied army, from the
pen of Colonel St. Ange :

"It has been asked if the Allies will have
to undertake, now or later, the siege of the forts
on the north side. There appears no absolute
necessity foe so doing. That would be binding
ourselves down again to labours slow and painful as
those which have occupied us so long, and cost us
so many efforts, so many men, and so much money.
The key to those forts is in tact a victory over the
Russian army in the Crimea; then they would fall
of themselves, seeing that they must be instantly
abandoned. Or, if the Russians chose to retain them
still, a blockade and famine will compel them to
surrender; and this is a humiliation that Russia's
pride dreads more than all the rest. The forts
of the north side can consequently neither
prevent our occupation of Sebastopol, nor can
they thwart our operations is the interior of the
Crimea, on account of their eccentric situation. We
should not be surprised at their being blown op so
soon as the Russian army is compelled to retreat from
the neighbourhood of Sebastopol.
"The respective position of the two armies remains
the same, and will do so until one of the two shall
take the initiative of a movement that will force the
other to manoeuvre in its turn. For the present, the
allied army holds its strong positions on the Toher-
naya, on the Fedukhioe mountains, on Mount
Saponee, and the table-land of Sebastopol, until the
occupation of the town shall have been properly
arranged, and its chief defences thoroughly repaired.
It does not appear to have anything else to do at
present.

" The Russian army, for its part, occupies the excel-
lent positions of Mackenzie, strongly entrenched and
lined with redoubts like oar own. On both sides the
capability exists of receiving the attack with chances
tolerably equal of serious resistance and success, and
with the equal risk of losing a great many men.
The Russians will probably continue in observation
before us within their strong positions until the allied
army gives signs of some movement. But what
will that movement be ? Shall we venture to attack
is front the Mackenzie heights, where the road from
Bimpheropol winds along? Shall we penetrate into
the heart of the Crimea by another route ? If so, by
what route, and when ? All these are premature
questions. Let us avoid tracing out imaginary plans
of campaign. Rather let us permit time to develop
the events, or if our imagination mast seeds outstrip
facts, the field of conjecture is open."

TELEGRAPHIC COURTZSIES.— Oetterale Pelissier
and Le Valliant, the Minister of War, are schoolfellow', and
1 bays always been each dose and intimate friends, that they

swop, seek other. The telegraphic essamuniostions be-
tween them during the siege were of a very amusing cha-
racter. Oa one osessitre, Yelissier, being a little trend,
answered, " Ta seouttB,e." The Emperor wee very anzioas
that somethieg should be undertaken on the 18th of Jane,
and Le telegraphed to that effect. Pelissier
answered "Impossible !" The reply was, " L'Empereur
dit cm% s'y a Asa riaspossible." Mosier rejoined,
" Meese done le faint lalindete." The Emperor
leached heartily at the reply. The French Government is
certainly fortunate in Um possession of a General of so de-
termined a spirit.

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