The Express.
London, England, 1855-02-14 00:00:00

ME ARMY IN THE CRIMEA.

(71011 ns COILZIOPONDINT OP 111 nan.y news )
BALAKLAVA, ire. 28.
We are biding our time. It the public at LOMB hope
or expect anything more than that; if at this inclement
season of the year they look for operations, events,
and results, each succeeding mail, and this among
the number, most disappoint their expectations. It
is true that some smart work is now and then going
pa, and there are petty daily events which possibly
might Moo:A a novice from some Yankee settlement
in the Pacific. The canon, what bristles en every
side of the beleaguered fortress, will at intervals start
from its grins and ominous repose. Weary riders on
broken-down hacks, that trudge over the ridge of hills
on their way from one camp to another, may, on looking
down upon the doomed city, mark a quick flash,
similar to the leaping up of a yellow lizard, followed
by the graceful twirling up of a slight cloud of white
smoke, followed almost immediately by a deep
booming sound, and the angry, expostulating whiz
of a round shot, which strikes the rocky earth,
making the dust fly, and bounding up again
as it ready to forswear its nature, and
turn into a shell and burst from sheer vexation at
being thus baulked and stopped in the middle of its
course. Such flashes, wreathe of smoke, and reports,
may also be heard from our own lines ; and to the
young and timid a week on Sebastopol heights would
be a very mild introduction into the mysteries of
practical siege operations. But all this firing—inter-
mittent as the fevers of the country—has its cause in
the impulse which makes young men whistle as they
go, or old men twirl their thumbs. It is to pass the
time; to get over a period of short rations of thought,
and because the gentlemen so occupied are at a loss
what to do with themicives. The artillerymen on
either side send a few shots and shells now and then
just to keep their hand in, or get up something like
excitement, or to let the other party know that they
have kept their powder dry, and that, if the others
should feel' inclined for a little martial conversation,
"Sarkis is willing" to respond to the invitation.
These, I take it, are the reasons for this blazing away
now on this part of the lines and now on that. But the
nal objects of the attack or defence are not served
by this sporadic activity, and to all intents and par-
poses winter and foul weather have for some time
past been acting the part to which the King of
Prussia aspires in his new pose plastique as Angel of
Peace. To all intents and purposes there has been
an armistice—broken, indeed, now and then (for
most armistices are broken) by a few sorties and
some smart cannonading; and as far as those who
are strangers to tho mysteries of councils of war are
able to judge, the armistice will be prolonged until
the circumstances which caned it cease to operate.
Unless the Russians attack us in the plain (every one
in camp wishes they. wound), we are not likely to do
great things, and bring about great results, until the
roads are dry, the trenches made, fresh cannon in
position, an until circumstances lend themselves to
the transport of en unlimited supply of powder, shot,
and shells.
such being the care, it seems rather inconsistent
that, while one half of the camp devoutly believes in
the conclusion of a peace, the other half is equally
positive that what is about to be concluded is an
armistice, and general orders announcing that armis-
tice are daily expected. The expectants may have their
own remains for the hopes they entertain. I, for
one, see nothing in the position of affairs which could
make as armistice desirable for the allied armies,
though, to do our enemies justice, I see a great many
reasons why they should wish to rally us into a
temporary cessation of hostilities. Theirs would be
the advantages ; ours the disadvantages of the com-
pact. They would draw their troops upon and feed
them in Sebastopol, Simpheropol, Baktchi Serai,sai
the Valley of Baidar. Instead of conquering the
difficulties in the way of transporting hutting maim
rials sad victuals, they would amik their soup is
quest of shelter and provisions, noir 1181Gby, MR.
starved as ours, would be noes the mass for a few
weeks in the winter-green pastures d Ns Eila Moun-
tains. The yros of their reinforcements, which have
yet many a weary march before them, would be able
to take matters more easy, and arrive on the scene
of operations in better condition, while we have no taws.)
towns, no fertile districts to go to. Oar four con-
quests—Balaklava, Kadikoi, Karani, and the Cher- NEW YORK, inc. 30.
mese, are shorn of all the questionable comforts It is not strange that Europeans should be per-
they once could boast of ; our men would still be plexed by the sudden appearance of a new and over-
obliged to winter on Sebastopol heights and rely for whelming political party in the United States, which
their provisions on the mercies of the Ermine, the promises to revolutionise our domestic and foreign
fitful changes of.ths roads, and the tenacity of life in ooli for it is more than many Americans can do
horses, mules, and &minims. Our only advantage - "
would lie in the discontinuance of outpost and trench to explain the curious phenomenon themselves. I
duty—a great relief sorely; but one not nearly ?qui- have seen, in English journals, many partial and so' I
relent to the advantages an armistice would confer satisfactory accounts of the origin, progress, prix.
upon the Russians. Besides all this, we should be ciples, and prospects of the Know-Nothings; and as
bound by the terms of the contract. The Randall' their policy and measures will be likely to affect
would construe those terms. European nations as seriously as our own, it may he
As for the peace rumours, I can only say that they
emanate from high, but not from the highest, official well for your statesmen to understand this matter
quarter,; and that, as before mentioned, many, who before things go any further.
ought to know better, pretend to believe in them. The Know-Nothing party came up in its present
The thought of peace involves that of a return to the form only about two years ago. It originated he
old house at home, to the sight of the old familiar causes which, although often mistaken, lie upon the
faces and haunts, to absent friends, fondly and long-
ingly, too fondly and longingly, remembered. Small very Borten of society.
wonder, then, that in many the wish is father to the First —The increasing immigration from Ewers
thought. But so changeable and fitful are a soldier's principally of the lower classes, bad thrown upon
impulses and feelings, that those among us who our share, within a period of 20 years, more than two
most ardently, desire peace would swell and burn millioas of foreigners:Few of them brought the means
with rage and vexation, if the word were given to of subsistence had
ever been
considered
turn our backs upon that proud and unconquered town ; fewer still
which lies frowning at our feet ; upon the unseen qualified to participate in the administration of civil
beauties of Haider Valley and Ella Mountains; upon government ; and not one in a hundred bad any
the whole of this beautiful country, so dear to °lanai- adequate comprehension of our social, religious, or
cal romance; and last, not least, upon the tumuli on political life. The evils which grew out of their
the banks of the Alma and on the brow of Inkermano. presence increased from year to year, until at last
Should they whom those hills cover have bled and they became intolerable. Those of the new-comers
fallen only to die in Russian soil? Bzoriare aliqmis who went straight through our seaports to the
~atria es ossibus ultor ! That cry from a distant broad and fertile lands of the west became
shore would mar the enjoyments of home, even to agriculturists, and at once began to contribute
those who now rejoice at tho distant prospect of an to the growth and prosperity of the communi-
early and inglorious peace. ties where they settled. Against this class,
The weather has of late taken a favourable turn embracing nearly, and perhaps quite, one-half of the
for our troops. It is moderately cold at night. The entire number of immigrants, no bjection was or
days are clear and sunny. The wind is low, and could be raised. They were peaceable citizens ; and
incoming vessels report fair average plunges. although European peasants can contribute little to
Among the late arrivals was the 14th Regiment, and the embellishment of social life in America, yet they
the Jason, with a fresh load of bit horses from Con- can and do contribute to the development of the ma-
stantino. Mules, too, the finest that were ever terial resources of a new country, and their children
seen with the army, have arrived from Gibraltar, and grow up under higher influences and aspire toe higher'
were landed yesterday, accompanied by Spanish life than their fathers. With the second generation
drivers, who, it is to be hoped, will know how to of European peasantry in the United States we have
take care of theme invaluable animals. This opportune no trouble; but the hundreds of thousands, chiefly
accession to our transport cannot fail to make the of Irish and Dutch, who linger around our seaports
service more efficient; and, as good will is certainly and great inland towns, and who move about like
not wanting in the commissariat, though method hordes of gipeies from canal to canal and from rail-
may be, there is every reason to believe that all toad to railroad, have constituted a floating mass of
our troops in front will, from this date, receive full corruption, and proved a fruitful source of disturbance
rations regularly. In this respect our prospects are and trouble. They have been the Helots of the north,as
certainly brightening, for the mildness of the weather, the Africans have been of the south ; and bad as
the warm clothing, issued in abundance to our troops African slavery may be, even in the United States, it
—in such abundance, indeed, that it seems the quan- might admit of a question which of these two Helot
tity must make up for the delay—and the full rations classes had made the most rapid progress in the social
which may henceforward be expected, must tend to scale. By a close estimate it has been discovered that,
lessen the amount of mortality, which of late where the almshouses and charitable foundations of
became rather alarming. It remains to be seen American cities have expended one dollar upon
whether the new arrivals of mules and horses will native Americans, they have expended from ten to
enable us to take up the wooden houses; not an one hundred dollars upon European paupers. The
easy task, considering the heaviness of the materials proportion is nearly as great between natives and
and the state of the roads. foreigners who are arraigned for crime, drunkenness,
A prop o s of horses: an incident occurred the other outbreaks and disturbances, and all sorts of infrac-
day, which throws rather a disagreeable glare of tions of statute and municipal law.
light upon our woful ignorance of the first rudiments Bat the evil did not stop with the trouble which
of campaigning. It will be recollected that one of these pauper classes brought directly upon the
the great drawbacks to life on Sebastopol heights country. Two other elements of danger must be
was, from the first, the want of good wholesome taken into the calculation. Such is the looseness of
water. What few springs there were, were brackish, our naturalisation laws, that foreigners, by the hun-
and some of the divisions, more especially the 3rd deed thousand, of the lowest condition, are enabled to
and 4th, had to send several miles to vote in our elections, almost as soon as they land
draw their water from one of the sweet springs. That upon our shores. Two inauspicious agencies here come
was a grievance which no one could help—at least, into play. First, unprincipled political demagogues,
it was thought so. Of course, when complaints arose who want nothing but votes to secure power ; and
of a scarcity of water on the ground occupied by second, intriguing catholic priests and Jenks, who
these divisions, it was assumed that those who manage stand ready to offer the votes, which they
these matters had tried the open ground for water can control, to these demagogues who, on
and found it wanting. Now, several officers of the being elevated to power by such influences, are
Third Division have of late commenced making stone ready, in return, to enact such laws, and push through
huts, and for the purpose of erecting these huts, it such measures as best satisfy the purposes of
the
was found necessary to dig a foundation. The Porn- Roman catholic hierarchy. Through these agencies
dation for the first house was dog, and the stones several Presidential elections have been decided
collected and piled up according to the rules of while local elections have thus been swayed in every
primitive masonry, and to the satisfaction of all state in the union. Things had gone so far, two or
parties concerned. But judge of the pliant*, or three years ago, chat ism potions of our very beet

The Russian vedettes still hold their position on the
Turkish battery hills. But beside these vedettes, no
forces show in the plain. The last deserters have
again announced an attack upon Balaklays, which is
to come off at a very short notice. Since the 23th of
October we have had these announcements at least

once every fortnight. The Russians will doubtlessly
make another attempt, and the cry of " wolf!" will
one day or night be followed by the bodily appear-
ance of the animal. But, considering the season and
the circumstances, we are not likely to have the
second battle of Balaklava very soon. Up to the
present, General Liprandi has made his demonstra-
tions against Balaklava only when the Allied troops
exercised an inconvenient pressure upon Sebastopol.
It is generally believed that the first battle of Bala-
klava prevented an assault upon the fortress, which,
if made, would doubtlessly have enabled me to date
my letters from the head-quarters at Sebastopol It
may be assumed that the second battle of Balaklava
will be fought when we put the fortress to sorer
straits then it is at present in oar power to do.
The post-office for the forces is still wofully defi-
cient. Letters are tolerably safe, but loud and angry
are the complaints of the logs of newspapers. This
grievance must remain until more assistance is
given to the officers in charge. The loss of news-
papers is unavoidable so long as soldiers, sergeants,
and sailors are permitted to volunteer as sortere.
The Trent, which arrived a few days ago with •
general 'ergo of necessaries and luxuries, ha by this
time sold off the whole of her stock. The arrival of
the Tiger, printed bills of whose cargo have been
issued, is daily and anxiously expected, more espe-
cially as the antlers have now fairly been turned out
to make room for government stores, and for Messrs.
Crockford, who have likewise issued price lists of the
wines they offer for sale.
We have no news of the fleet, nor is there any
news of Omer Pacha's army at Eupatoria. Assistant
Commiasary-General Gardiner, who some time ago
came up from that town, brought intelligence of a
large amount of the Czar's property—it is asserted to
the value of 400,000!.—which has'been found in Eu-
petoria, and will be realised for the benefit of the
allied armies.

AMERICAN AFFAIRS.-THE " KNOW-

NOTHINGS."

(111011 Till III'ICIAL

OP :II DAILY