The Sun.
London, England, 1855-09-18 00:00:00

LONDON, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1855.

" The AUTOCRAT is resolved never to make
peace on so serious a defeat as he has sustained
in the capture of Sebastopol." Such is the asser-
tion of the pro-Muscovites, who would, if possible,
deprive the Western Powers of the legitimate
fruits of the glorious victory attained by so lavish
an expenditure of blood and treasure ! The
parties who previously considered Sebastopol per-
fectly impregnable, who delighted in uttering
gloomy vaticinations as to the certain discomfi-
ture that awaited the Allied Arms, are now
striving to prove that, having succeeded, we should
be contented with what we have accomplished,
and reopen the negotiations for peace, on such
terms as the AUTOCRAT may deign to accord.
If we credit these interested witnesses the
CZAR is more terrible in defeat than in the hour
of triumph. At the latter time we may hope for
favourable terms from his magnanimity ; but woe
betide those who encounter him in his savage
mood, when irritated by the failure of his plans
and the discomfiture of his troops. Their only
hope is to make immediate submission, so that
the victors of yesterday may become the suppliants
of to-day !

Should the rumour prove to be well founded,
and the CZAR have really put forward such a de-
claration, it may be regarded purely as a vaunt
to secure the good offices of " the Angel of
Peace," and to induce the good " Cligicot" to make
further exertions to avert so fearful and protract-
ed a contest. The old fable tells us that the
fox proclaimed the grapes placed far beyond his
reach to be sour, and utterly worthless ! And it is
by no means impossible that ALRZAVRR 11. may
put forward these vapouring asserttns, because
he well knows that he has no chance of obtaining
terms which will allow the maintenance of the
traditional policy of the Empire which he so
recently professed his inflexible determination to

pursue.

But whether true or false—or, if the former,
in whatever light it may be regarded, it is the
more incumbent on the Allies to follow up their
glorious victory with vigour and energy. They
must not rest for a single moment until the whole
of the Crimea is in their hands ; nay, more,
until the boasted legions of Russia have made un-
conditional submission, and yielded themselves as
prisoners of war to their victors. This may easily
be accomplished, if the Western Powers be only
true-4o themselves, and their commanders display
the qualitiei suitable for the position in which
they are placed. Sebastopol is, to all intents and
purposes, our own. The moro possession of a
few forts on the northern side, which cannot pro-
tect even a single Russian vessel, or be rendered
available for auy of the purposes for which the
stronghold was originally eonstructed, but very
slightly detracts from the value of our important
acquisition. Even they must speedily yield with-
out the firing of a single shot. The privations to
which the garrison must necessarily be exposed,
more particularly since the troops who have so
recently evacuated the south side are also to be
fed from these stores, will alone enforce a capitu-
lation, and the relieving army will have quite
sufficient to do on their own account, without en-
deavouring to create'a diversion in favour of the
half-starving garrison, or supplying the provisions
of which they are themselves deficient.
There is nothing now to prevent us from
blowing up the sunken wrecks, and thus gaining
admission for our ships into the harbour, who,
unless We are grievously mistaken, could speedily
dispose of the Northern Forts, The great point,
however, is to place the troops between two
flifts, and thus compel them to lay down
their.' arms, and accept such terms as the
*tors may think tit to impose. The
minveinent on Eupatoria is manifestly that
Ahli.''svi/Leomplete the important 'work we have
undertaken, which will inflict'a heavy blow and
fiscat. discouragement on the aggressor, and render
him only too anxious to become a humble suitor

The Santhal Insurrection furnishes an additional
proof of the risk incurred by the appointment of
incompetent persons to offices of importance. It
is pretty generally known that our sway in India
depends largely on opinion, and that if our prestige
•f superior intelligence and power to put down
promptly, and with the strong hand, any attempted
or actual rising against us were destroyed or seri-
ously diminished, the most disastrous results
would inevitably follow. Yet, hero we have a
formidable and bloody insurrection breaking out,
taking the Bengal Government by surprise, and
finding them utterly unprepared, though for two
months previously the Santhal chiefs had gone
about from village to village, calling upon the
people to rise and drive the English out of the
country.
Thousands of armed men are in motion, village
after village is being plundered, massacre after
massacre committed, and the smoke of burning
bungalows rising to heaven, with the shrieks of
slaughtered zemindars, before this blessed Govern-
ment fairly awakes—and then all is hurry-scurry,
impotency, and confusion. Troops are ordered
off by rail, and no orders sent to the station to
receive them ; the plundered zemindars are called
upon to supply them with food, because there is
no commissariat ; ammunition is wanting in one
place, stores in another, and while 160 veterans,
eager to be led against the insurgents, im-
patiently wait at Berhampore for arms that cannot
be supplied them, a number of European recruit?,
just arrived in the country, are despatched to
the spot. A pretty strong indication of mal-
administration and imbecility this ! No wonder
that the insurrection should assume a formidable
aspect, and that a powerful effort should be ie-
quired to put it down. We have reason, indeed,
to be grateful that the insurrection has not ex-
tended further, and that there is some prospect
of the insurgents being speedily dispersed. If
the other provinces of the Empire are not better
governed, our rule in India is in a most precarious
state.

The origin of the insurrection does not clearly
appear. From what we can gather, however, it
would seem that over-taxation has prepared the
way for some ambitious impostors, for fanaticism,
and love of plunder. Four brothers, residents of
the village of Bhugnadihee—KANOO, SEDU, CHAND,
and BHYRUD—aII Manghees, are said to have
instigated it. Two of these, SEDU and CtrAND,
went about the villages about two months ago,
and told the Manghees or Muudles of the villages
that a THACOOR. had descended on their houses in
the form of a flame of fire, and, therefore, all
should bring a cupful of milk and present it as an
offering. Some trickery was resorted to, and the
requisite impression being made, SEDU showed
the villagers two printed books, two pieces of
paper, and a small knife, sent, he said, by
THACOOR, who had said that the brothers should
be King ; that only one anna should bo paid for
each oxen plough, and two annas for a buffalo
plough ; that their creditors should not be paid,
and that in future only one pice per rupee per
annum should be paid as interest; that the Eng-
lish were to be driven out of the country ; and,
by way of encouragement, that only water would
come out of their guns. The imposture succeeded
amazingly, and in a brief period upwards of 10,000
Santhals were in arms at Bhugnadihee. The
Darogah of Dighee having received information
of this went to Panchkattea with eight or ten
police, and was met by 500 Santhals under SEDU,
and questioned and murdered by that chief, who
immediately proceeded to plunder the villages and
murder all who would not follow him. Then came

' a career of plunder and destruction well adapted
to the notions of the Santhals, who, though em-
ployed as labourers, arm, as our readers doubtless
ara aware, a predatory tribe belonging to the hill
country to the south of Bengal. By the latest
accounts, however, it would seem the insurgents
—who by the way had completely defeated a deb
tachment of the 56th—are thrown back, and will
in all probability soon be encountered and dis-
persed.

Their Royal Highnesses the Hereditary Grand Duke
and Grand Duchess of Mecklenberg-Strelitz have taken
their departure from this country for Germany.
The Duke and Duchess of Beaufort, with their youth-
ful family, are at present staying at Beaumarie. The
Earl and Countess Howe arid the Ladies Curzon have
been staying with their noble relatives.
The Marchioness of Ely has returned to town from
Balmoral, from attending her duties as Lady in Waiting
on the Queen.
Viscount and Viscountess Palmerston entertained at
dinner last evening, at their mansion on the Terrace,
Piccadilly, the Duchess of Inverness, Lady William
PRussell and Mr. Russell, CountZamoyska, Sir William
olesworth, Sir George Grey, Sir George Shee, Mr.
inn'lllr.anMdaMcg;se.gLoranMe
traveller),Dr. Barth (the African
The gentlemen composing the suite of his Imperial
Highness the Prince Napoleon have left the Brunswick
Hotel, Jerrnyn-street, after a short visit to town.
THE MEDITERRANEAN SUBMARINE TELEGRAPH.—
' CAGLIARI, Sept. 7.--The English ship Result has ar-
rived here with the cable of the submarine telegraph,
which is to connect Spartivento with the African coast.
Mons. de Salamanca has left the Brunswick Hotel,
Jermyn-street, on his return to Paris. The Count de
Calderon remains in town.
Baron Le Clerc has left the Brunswick Hotel, Jermyn.
street, for Paris.
The Marchioness of Ormonde, with the young marquis
and her ladyship's other children, arrived at Kilkenny
Castle, from Annestown, county Waterford, on Sa-
turday.
The Countess of Longford and Lady Louisa Paken.
ham are at present sojourning at the Royal Hotel,
Kingstown.
The Earl of Limerick John hawsarriveendaetdy,s,Rth
aVaenedeeier:
kiste Esq.'s, from s
His lordship has taken Shelbourno House, North-strand,
Limerick.
have
drraivnedd
at
Lady Ashdown C
n and the Hon.. Miss Trench
Lady
doyf
Colonel
lonSgtio John
s Btolaclekaedr, to Esq.,the hymenealpi of
TiquilYhoennatleD2aoiltyl;
i nst. , Frances, the m
e eldest v
t andan
deaciceoumrl altar,h.
Ld. a daughterndL
Vandeleur, of Kilrush House. The ceremony
is- to be
atp Kerforimruesdh:by the Lord Riversdale, Bishop of Killaloc,

DEPARTURE'S PROM TUE PORT OF LONDON.—The de-
partures from this port for the Australian colonies
during the past week have comprised seven vessels—two
to Sydney, two to Adelaide, one to Port Philip, one to
New Zealand, and one to Swan River—with an aggre-
gate capacity of 4,946 tons. The rates of freight have
not recovered from the late depression.
DEATH OF LIEUT.-COLONEL UNETT.—lntelligence has
been received in Birmingham of the death of this distin-
guished officer. He was reported "severely wounded "
at the late assault upon Sebastopol ; and on Saturday
night his family in Birmingham received information of
tbe fatal result. The gallant colonel was much beloved
by his regiment.
DR. BA.RTR.--.The following letter has been received
at Marseilles from Tripoli, dated 29th August :—" All
willo be
rsdre.l delighted to hear rh ofas thepas arrivalsseadfefive
years from
n pueet
lEiiumrob
accomplishing this dangerous journey."

' for that peace which he now affects to despise, and
anxious to obtain it, on far more onerous condi-
tions than those which his representative so con-
tumeliously rejected at Vienna, or which were
contemplated at the time of the framing of the
milk-and-water " Four Points." Nothing was
demanded at first beyond the mere withdrawal of
his absurd and extravagant pretensions. Subse-
quently he was required to enter into his personal
recognisances to keep the peace. Now he must
give material guarantees, together with an ample
indemnity for the expenses of the War, into which
the Allies were forced by his unconscientious
proceedings ; and should he still perversely per-
sist, he may have to submit to other restrictions
and securities far more serious than any that have
yet entered into his contemplation, or that of his
German sympathisers. Let him be assured that
the Western Powers will stand firm to their just
demands and not allow any insidious interference,
and he will speedily make the unconditional sub-
mission, which sooner or later is inevitable.