The Press.
London, England, 1854-12-09 00:00:00

THE

WEEK.

THE knowledge of renewed negotiations at Vienna, and of ono more
treaty having been signed, has led sonic sanguine persons to speak of
" peace." The word has been eagerly caught up, and raised a vision
of all the blessings associated with the term. We think of the
delightful pictures on the shield of ACHILLES, of playful lambs
grazing at the cannon s mouth, of swords beat into reaping-hooks, of
the sad remnant of our gallant army returning home with fife and
drum to receive the welcome and rewards their brilliant valour and
invincible fortitude so justly deserve. The announcement that a
treaty had been actually signed on Saturday by Count Buot, Lord
WESTMORELAND, and Baron BORQUENAY, at once produced a favourable
impression on the Bourse of Paris and our Stock Exchange. It was
supposed either that Russia really desired peace, and wished Austria
to resume her part as mediator in earnest, or that this chief of the
German States had at last determined to cordially co-operate with
the Western Powers. But how, if neither of these suppositions
should prove correct—how, if the treaty should turn out little more
than a formal supplement to the former treaty, laying down the four
points as bases of pacification ? Looking abroad, the most sanguine
eye can detect only preparations for waging the war on a vaster scale
than hitherto. Russia is putting forth all her strength to maintain
the contest ; and France and England, too late aroused to a compre-
hension of the arduous work set before them, are sending out immense
reinforcements to the Crimea, with a hope of guarding against a repe-
tition of such irreparable disasters as have occurred. While the con-
test before Sebastopol is raging, peace can be but a dream, and, when
the struggle there has ended, may be further removed than ever. The
text of the treaty will, it is supposed, be published in a few days. We
are most anxious to learn whether it contains any stipulation for
Austria to join the allies in arms. It is noticed as significant that in
all mention of this treaty the words " offensive and defensive " are
never used.

The French Government has received a despatch from General
CANROBERT, giving news from the camp before Sebastopol to the
28th ult. To that date operations on both sides had been well nigh
suspended. The allies had thrown up extensive works to secure their
position ; and the enemy had been equally active in protecting the
town by repeated intrenchmeuts. The weather seemed disposed to
improve, and if so, the works would be carried on with renewed ac-
tivity. The main force of the enemy in the field had withdrawn to
Baktchi Serai, leaving only a powerful force of cavalry to observe the
movements of the allies. We may conclude that the camp is now
perfectly sale from assault, and the communications with Balaklava
thoroughly secured. The gang of " navvies "—about 500 in number—
selected to depart for the Crimea, and form a railroad between the
camp and port, will therefore, we may assume, be able to prosecute
their labours with little chance of interruption. The work must tend
to wonderfully facilitate the transport of guns, ammunition, and stores
of all kinds, from Balaklava to the camp.
It is difficult to form an estimate of the reinforcements which
have already landed since the battle of Inkermann ; but the force
now collected must altogether be much stronger, we imagine, than has
yet been employed for the prosecution of the siege. More troops, both
French and English, were arriving day by day; and it is stated—
though the assertion seems scarcely credible—that 40,000 Turks are
to be sent to swell the numbers under the command of the allied

chiefs.
To judiciously handle or employ the vast multitude of troops
which will speedily be congregated within the narrow limits of the
allied lines, will be a task requiring the greatest skill and discretion.
There is danger resulting from an army being too large as well as
from being too small. If an assault on the town indeed be contem-
plated numbers must prove of great advantage, as the position can be
adequately defended on every side while the assault is being made,
and powerful reserves can be in readiness to push an advantage,
repair losses, or cover a retreat. But, if active operations are to be
delayed until the spring, the numbers of the besiegers may prove
of the greatest disadvantage to them. With every precaution that
can now be taken our troops must suffer severely from exposure, and
the liability to disease will be greater in proportion as the camp is
more crowded. We wait, therefore, arrivals from the Crimea with
great anxiety to gain some knowledge of the course the allied
commanders purpose to pursue. If it is merely intended to hold the
camp through the winter, it would plainly be the best policy, on all
accounts, to collect a powerful army in the neighbourhood of Con-
stantinople, and have it in complete readiness to land in the Crimea,
as soon as the season allowed field operations to be undertaken.
Sebastopol might then with a sufficient force be completely invested,
and cut off from all supplies and from communication with the Russian
army in the field. Observed by an adequate force of the allies, its fall,
with the surrender of its garrison, would be inevitable within a limited

date.

The accounts of the state of our forces are of a nature to excite
)t from attacks of the foe, indeed,
enemy—disease, induced by exposure,
correspondence has been received from
ber 20. The trustworthy correspondent
fearful hurricane of November 14,
of our troops died from cold and
many horses pei ished. The camp
spondent of the Dublin Evening Mail
' oth November, many instances of the

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