The Express.
London, England, 1853-12-21 00:00:00

expressed in some quarters, bet cherished in more,
that the disaster at Sinope would discourage them
and render them willing to accept a peace incom-
patible with the honour and safety of the Ottoman
state, are already shattered. The excitement and
indignation (say our correspondents) are indeed great
in the Turkish capital, but no one betrays fear. In-
deed, the heroic resistance of the Turks at Sinope to
an immense superiority of force, has only inflamed
the martial ardour of the nation. In this temper
the courier bearing the Vienna Protocol and Notes
would find the population of the Ottoman capital.

A ministerial contemporary has stated that, in
the conference held at the British embassy at Con-
stantinople, on the receipt of the news from Sinope,
Admiral Dundee strenuously urged that the cum-
bined fleets should instantly. set sail, in order, if
possible, to intercept the Russian fleet before it could
beat back into Sebastopol, and that this opinion was
overruled by General Baraguay d'Hilliers, the French
ambassador. It is added that " this is not the first
occasion on which the movements of the British
squadron have been controlled by deference to the
French officers." It is to be presumed that an asser-
tion of this kind cannot pass unnoticed by the French
government. It would be interesting to know
whether the proposed movements referred to were
to have taken place in the Black Sea or only in the
Bosphorus.
Whatever steps the admirals commanding the
French and English squadrons in the Bosphorus may
take, it will be remembered that the English govern-
ment has given assurances to Austria that they shall
not assume an attitude hostile to Russia until the
diplomatic experiment of December 6 shall have
failed.
CONSTANTINOPLE. Dec. 3.
The delays which France and England arc stu-
diously causing in the settlement of the quarrel with
Russia are making matters much worse. The
posture of affairs at present is, in truth, somewhat
carious. No sooner had the news of the defeat of
°Realize arrived than the mediating powers exiled
for an armistice, which was one of the most bare-
faced attempts on record toprevent a victorious gene-
ral from reaping the fruits of his triumph. While the
English people are being flattered by their rulers with
the notion that in conjunction with France they are
saving Turkey, defending liberty, and humiliating
Russia, the Turks can hardly persuade themselves
that we are not in a league with their
enemy. There is a report current in Constantinople
at the present moment—l mean, of course,
amongst the Mussulmans, that Lord Aberdeen has
been bribed largely by the Emperor Nicholas, and is
now merely acting a part, to prepare the way for a
final act of treachery. This is implicitly believed by
the masses; and not only so, but it was repeated in
sober earnest in the room of a functionary of high
standing at the Sublime Porte, by a well-informed
and intelligent Osmanli, and in the preseuce of an
English gentleman who has resided for thirty years
in Turkey, and from whose lips I have the story.
The tale has received a curious addition in the
cafes over in Stamboul. It is there solemnly
told amongst the bearded patriarchs, who discuss
the affairs of the nation over long chibouks, and
scowl through the windows at the passing giaoar,
jewellery
and such is Queen Victoria's fondness for
and inability to procure it by more legitimate means
that she has lent her countenance and support to
Lord Aberdeen's policy in consideration of a diamond
necklace had and received from one of the Russian
grand duchesses. In the meantime, while the
English sailors are everyday disgusting the inha-
bitants of Galata by their beastly drunkenness and
riotous conduct,:and the officers are pursuing game
at Therapia, the Russian cruisers are scouring the
Black Sea and Turkish vessels are afraid to show
themselves outside the Bosphorus.

The Turkish steamer to Varna has ceased running.
One of the boats has already been captured, and
rumours were afloat yesterday that Varna itself was
in a state of blockade. Thu, however, I do not
believe fur many reasons. Six hundred Asiatic re-
inters were brought across the Bosphorus on Thurs•
evening, and yesterday morning set out for
Adrianople. The men are fine, tall, hardy looking
ifellows, but the horses are small. Ido not doubt,
however, that they will prove a match for anything
of the same kind Russia can bring into the flea.
The government have resolved upon organising two
seeps of Cossacks, one on the Danube, and
eat in Asia. The former is to be placed
ander the command of Zodek Bey, and an
Irish officer, named O'Reilly, who has served
in the Piedmontese and English cavalry leaves
this on the 9th inst. for Adrianople, to assist
la drilling and training them. A Pole, who served
kr fourteen years in the Russian army in the Cauca-
Ins, and retired with the rank of Captain on deco-
ration, but became involved in the troubles of '4B,
has already started for 'frebizond on the same mis-
sion. Very few, if any, of the other refugees have,how-
ever, received employment, owing, I have heard, to
the fear that their reception into the Turkish service
might furnish Austria with an excuse for throwing
aside her neutrality. Guyon is still at Damascus,
with the rank and emoluments of a Pacha, but no
authority, and Klapka is residing here at Pere, but
preserves a strict incognito.
I have conversed with two English odious who
witnessed the Russian attack at Oltenitsa from an
emiuence on the left bank of the river, in anipally
with Omer Pacha and his staff, and they &earths it
as displaying not merely want of military skill, bat
of common sense. The Russians advanced from the
village about three miles distant, in which they had
been quartered during the preceding night, in three
close columns, leaving the cavalry to their left, out of
ranch of the fire ; and withqut making the slightest
&sage in their order, or once attempting to
:toll, commenced to fire as anon as they came
range, and kept it up for two hours and a
half, while the Turks raked them with musketry
and grapeshot, and pounded them with the heavy
artillery from the other side of the river, almost
without having to take the trouble of aiming. Every
shot of course told with murderous effect upon dense
masses of men standing in the one spot, and with-
out shelter of any sort. There were two short
intervals left open in the flanks of the entrench-
ments, from want of time to finish them, but no
attempt (and perhaps wisely) was made to effect an
entrance. The force of the Turks was known to be
2,800 men ' • that of the Russians was estimated, ex-
clusive of the cavalry, at between 7,000 and
8,000. One boatload of troops was ' sent
across by Omer Pacha as a reinforcement
when the news of the Russian advance was
first received, but after this nothing could be
done on the Turkish side of the river, except by the
artillery. The action began at about 12 o'clock, and
was kept up with uninterrupted vigour till half-past
two. The Russian officers were observed striking
the men with the Rats of their swords whenever any
hesitation was shown in advancing, or in filling up
the tremendous gaps which the huge round shot
every moment made in their ranks. From the very
commencement, the whole plain between their rear
and the village appeared dotted thickly with
wounded men, painfully struggling to reach the
shelter of a house. At last, even Russian stolidity
and endurance found a limit. The attacking columns
gave way, and, in spite of the efforts of the
officers, ran for fifty or one hundred yards
in very disorderly style. It the Turks could
have poured cavalry on them at . this moment,
few would in all probability have escaped. As
soon u they got from under fire, however, they
fell into their ranks, and marched off steadily but
slowly, leaving about an immense number of tilled
on the field. Nothing is known of the number of
their wounded, bat it must have been very great.
The bodies of the dead were all those of very fine
men, tall and well made ; but the features appeared
hollow and the cheek bones high. It is hardly
fair to infer, however, that this was the result of
want or starvation, as it is in some degree a national
characteristic. They were all in heavy marching
order, and each man carried several pounds of
black bread. Many wore medals, some of which I
have seen, commemorative of the campaign in Hun-

gary and Transylvania in 1849, and several images
of the Virgin, or of some saint, most likely
as charms or amulets to protect the wearers
against the bullets of the " Pagans." Poor fellows,
they at least had not to undergo the mortification of
outliving their faith.

Viewed in reference to the effect which it has had
upon the Turkish people and soldiery, and which it
must have had also upon the Russian army, the battle
of Oltenitza is of immense importance. I have been
credibly infdrmed that the news of the engagement
reached the Russian public in the shape of a gloriotut
victory, and that it has formed the subject of balls,