The Express.
London, England, 1855-01-10 00:00:00

a. • • .

CI it

'i i t , : •

THE EXPRESS, WEDNESDAY EVENING, JANUARY 10, 1855.

equal fights, more groaned to range over, and better
quarters, all this savagery of the first campaign will
pass away as the ugly shapes of a disempered
dream. Once in Sebastopol, and masters of the
Crimea, we shall be more meek, manneey, and
demure than it is possible to be in the mud and mire
, of our desolate camp on Sebastopol heights, where we
I must needs keep our Christmas holidays as best we
can. Bad will be the brat way, for most probably we
.hall have rain pouring down, and Russian batteries
firing upon us and Russian sorties at nights ; snd just
now when all is glee and merriment, and fe tire pre-
paration at home, our pickets are doubled, our half-
rotten tents unable to resist the slightest shower of
rain; and, worse than all, at this season of feasting
and rejoicing, our fresh meat transports have failed,
the army will have to make their Christmas dinner, on
salt junk and dry biscuit. Rely on it there will be
grumbling. loud and deep, and sighs for the fleshpots
of Egypt, and sad repining. and jealousies, since even
the paupers at home aro better off than we are. Oh
for workhouse beef and pudding to cheer up the heroes
of Alma, Balaklava,and Inkermann on Christmas-day.
Oh for the sheds that shelter the vagabond navvy
on his tramp; the bright fire and sanded floor of
the humblest cottage, or even the tiled root and the
stout strong walls which protect the convict from the
wintry blast. Such grumbling. are beard already,
and they will wax louder and louder in a day or two ;
but because they are rife, do not, for God's sake, be-
lieve that the army is disheartened, or moody, or
reluctant to fight the battles of England on Crimean
soil, no matter what the hardships and privations
may be. I will venture to say that there is not •
man in the camp, who, if the choice were left him
between staying here or returning home, but would
turn away from home and it. hearth and the loved
faces that surround it, and cling to his muddy lair on
this barren heath, to his scanty rations, and tho long,
deadly vigils in the trenches. For though every one
feels and sees it clearly, that through ignorance of
war, we have been made to bear much more than the
real necessities of the case required, still each man
feels that, living or dead, hie fate is a proud and his
doom a glorious one—that since death is the common
lot, death cannot be fairer and sweeter than on Se-
bastopol heights or Balaklava plain, or in the in.
trenchmeots of Baktchi Betel, with the death march
sounding in the bugle calls, and volleys deep and
long, and the thunder of artillery marking
the soldier's fall, and honouring his corpse as though
it were the body of a nation's hero, borne to his grave
by the army of the nation. And to live through this
protracted 'lege, and the still longer campaign that
mast follow it; to be one of those that laid siege to
Sebastopol and entered the fortress; to be among
the conquerors of the Crimea, is a privilege now and
in after years, for the asks of which a man may well
bear up against hardships, privations, and fatigues,
and, with a good grace, stomach wenn* of fasting,
especially if nothing else can be found to stomach.
Thus while our present position, exposed to rain
and winds, and reduced to the merest necessaries of
life, is as wretched as can be, we look forward to
greater @neonate and a brighter existence. England
is alive to our necessities and perils ; reinforcements
are arriving each day; and though long delayed,sooner
or later the order mast to given which unleashes our
storming columns against Sebastopol. That that the
order must be given ; that we must take Sebastopol
or perish; that we cannot go back, even if those in
power wished to take us back; these are
perhaps the most promising features in our present
position. We did not burn our ships on landing, but
the elements), by destroying part of our transport
fleet, have in a manner dons the work for us. No
timid counsels, no vacillation, can now prevail, and
each day's sufferings and labours are accompanied by
the consoling reflection that our past sufferings and
labours have not been in vain. We admit the possibi-
lity, though we scat cely dare to hope, that Sebastopol
may be our., even in these last days of the year
1854.

BALAKLAVA, Dec. 23.
The news that parliament met on the 12th of
this month has productd a joyful sensation in the
army. It is confidently expected that many subjects
of halcas.t. 1. the !swop* is the Crimea will itw
discussed, and measures taken to increase our com-
forts and ensure our success.

The two mentionable facts in the history of the
siege since the last mail left are a reconnaissance
and a sortie. The reconnaissance was made on the
morning of Wednesday, the 20th inst., by our
French allinabout 2,000 of whose cavalry,Cuirasaiers
and Dragoons, rcde up to the Russian position in
Balaklava plain. The Russieas have some time ago
left their ounp in the rear of the Turkish batteries,
although their vitiettes still hold the bills on which
those batteries were constructed. The French
cavalry, who are in excellent condition, relieved out
inefficient and hill-starved horses from scouring the
plain; they marched out with trumpets sounding
and standards flying, u if for a gay field day, and
soon by their advance drove in the Russian videttea.
They then passed the Turkish batteries, and beyond
them spread over the plain. The Russian cavalry
came on', and as they advanced, the French, skir-
mishing admirably, retreated, and, forming again on
one side of the plain, returned to their quarters. The
result of the reconnaissance was that it was ascer-
tained that the Russians in force still occupy the
hills at the further end of Balaklava plain. This
cavalry manoeuvre, executed with all the
pomp, pride, and circumstance of glorious
war, had also the good effect of giving
our men fresh hopes of active operations, and show-
ing them that war is not altogether that dirty work
and beastly butchery which from our short experience
we take it to be ; that horses can live on Crimean
hills, even in December, and that an army in the
field need not of necessity discard the pomp of out•
ward appearance, or go into battle without the
exciting, soul-stirring clang of military music.
The sortie, which I mention because it differed
from tke nightly sorties against the French lines and
our own, came off on the morning of Thursday. At
two o'clock, protected by the darkness, a strong
Russian force succeeded in getting up to Chapman's
battery and entering it. They had no time to spike
the guns or destroy the battery, for they were almost
immediately dislodged by supporting parties of
the 3Sth Regiment. Of the exact manner how
these accidents occur in the dark it is difficult to
obtain authentic information. Those who know best,
or ought to know, do not choose to tell tales
and those who believe they ought to know, make
rash assertions. Two versions of the affair are
current—one, that the officers and most of the men
of the support were asleep; and the other, that, as
the Russians advanced, one of them cried out, in very
goad English, "Do not fire; we are French." Now,
in the armies which I have seen, that plea would not
have availed them. The reply would have been,
"Staid! for your lives! One man forward !" And
the imposition, if an imposition were practised, would
soon be discovered. But since no harm was done to
the gone, and sines Soar men sent the Russians
" weeping to their beds," it is hardly worth while
making a fuss about the affair, which, by the bye,
cost us three officers. Accidents will happen, espe-
cially when, u in our army, a parole is hardly given, ,
if ever.

FRANCE.

-..••-.•

THE NEGOTIATIONS AT VIENNA.
(31110 H THZ CO&IILIIPUNDEXT OF THZ DAILY News)
PARIS, TURBIDLY DIMINO.
I cannot tell what farce may be now enacting at
Vienna; but I send you, as of more value than any
conjectural comments, a copy of all telegraphic de-
spatches that have been published in Paris to-day.
You will see from them, Every one of which, it must
be barns in mind, is entitled to just as much credit
as any other, how unsafe it would be to repose con-
fidence in the statement accredited in London yes-
terday, that Russia had accepted the four points
without reserve, sod accoding to the interpretation
of the Three Powers.

VIkWNA, Jaw. 8 —Runk having accepted the Four
Prepositions without reserve, Count Boot has invited France
and England to proceed to ulterior negotiations for peace.
VIINNA, MONDAY EvetriNu.—At a conference which
took place yesterday, and ,at which Prinee,Gortchakoff was
present, as understanding was, it is said, MISS to on the
basis of a treaty of peace intended to facilitate new negetia•
lions. The funds have risen considerably; Fives from 62j
to 831 ; Futrrand•asalt from 71i to 721.
VIIINNA, MONDAY EVSNINO, JAN. B.—At the Bourse,
to day, it was announced that Russi► had accepted nego-
tiations on the basis of the lour points with insignificant
modifications. In the conference which took place otter•
day, at which Prince Gortchnkeff was present, it is said
that an understanding was come to as to the basis of a
treaty of peace destined to facilitate fresh negotiations.
The Austrian Metall/ques have risen greatly.
VI/I(NA, MONDAY E%ENINO, JAN. B.—A semi•olßcial
article announces that in the conference held yesterdev
between the representative' of Austria, France, and
England, an understanding WM come to as well reeseding
the sense as the bearing (le sena et /a pwle.,e) of the fund'.
mental points for the re-establishment tot the peace of
Europe.
Prince Gortchakog has bad another private audience of
his Majesty the Emperor this afternoon.
These despatches are not mere inventions. That
something of immense importance is in the wind, for
good or for evil, is certain. It is stated here in
Court circles, that Russia has really made proposi-
tions of a nature wholly unexpected. The great
thing now is to know what is the Intl rpretation of
the Four points recorded (as it is supposed) by the
Three Powers in a protocol or note of De-
cember 28. The Cologne Gazette pretends to
know that this interpretation does not re-
quire either the demolition of Sebastopol or the
diminution of the Russian Beet in the Black Sea; but
on the other hand, the Paris Patrie of this evening
says the revision of the treatieo of 1841 must neces-
sarily imply the destruction of Sebastopol and a limit
to the number of the Russian fleet. On this assump-
tion, the Patric says it cannot readily believe that
the new attitude of Russia can have any other object
than that of gaining time, and eluding the vigilance
of Europe.

At the Bourse there has ban very great fluctua-
tion. In the morning, the peace party felt so con-
fident, that the Iteate was run up to 6sfr. 50c., being
lir. 50c. higher than the closing price of yesterday,
but a sensible reaction set in later, and the closing
price was 67fr. 75c., being a rise of but 75c. Moat
of the railways were from sfr. to 10fr. higher. Bank
of France fell sfr.

After Bourse hours, there was a fall of from 40c.
to boe. on the Boulevard/.

The first draft of the Imperial Guard ordered for
the Crimea, will leave Paris at 9 o'clock to-morrow
evening. Tlps first column will be composed of
grenadiers and a section of the company of engineers.
The second column, formed of voltigturs and four
companies of foot chasseurs, will march the next day,
Thursday. The artillery batteries of the guard will
follow a few days later. Time picked troops will
travel with extraordinary speed. They will go by
rail to Lyons, where they will halt fur a
short time, and then proceed some to Mar-
seilles, and other' to Toulon, to embark.
Brigadier-General Uhriele is the commander-in-chief
of this force. This morning the Emperor reviewed
the splendid troops about to depart, in the Tuileries
gardens.
Lord John Russell has arrived in Paris. Lord
Mato hu been iu Paris some days, on his way to
Nice, whither he was about to take Miss Elliot, fur
her health.

SPAIN.