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

THE TVAR IN THE CRIMEA.

( From Galignani's Messenger.)
The leading columns of the Paris journals of this day
have more interest than for some days past. The Assem-
blee Nationale has a long article on the war with Russia,
which has for object to show the excellent organisation
of the French army. In the course of the article, the
writer speaks of its superiority in this respect over the
English army, and quotes, in support of its statements,
the authority of the English journals. We will not
attempt to deny that much of what has been said on this
subject by the English press may be tree. It is not
surprising that in a country which has been, since the
peace of 1815, under the influence of the partisans of ego-
nomy to such an extent that no Ministry could hope to
remain in power except on the hondition of reducing
the means of national defence, the organisation of
the army should have been neglected ; and the
only wonder is, that after so long a period of neg-
ligence, the army should have been capable of
the great deeds that it has accomplished since the com-
mencement of the war with Russia. Nor is it surpris-
ing that the French army, which bad been kept up on
nearly a war footing, and for which, in succession, full
occupation was found in Algeria, should have acquired
a vast superiority in the organisation of campth, the sup-
plies of materiel, and the means of supporting privations
which are as essential for the success as the skill and
courage of the soldiery. The Assemblee Natioftale, how-
ever, should make some allowance for exaggeration in
the accounts given in certain English journals. It is
impossible, after reading the letters which have been re-
ceived from officers of the French army before Sebasto-
pol, to pace implicit belief in the statements of news-
paper correspondents as regards the condition of the Eng.
lish army. The French letters show that, if more care
and intelligence have been manifested by the persons
charged to carry into execution the orders of the French
Government than have been displayed by the agents of
that of England, and if more foresight has marked
the conduct of one Government than has been shown
by the other, the privations complained of as respects
the English army have been to a certain extent the un-
avoidable result of circumstances against which no fore-
sight could provide, and which no care could remedy.
Nor must we believe what has been said in some of the
newspaper letters from the Crimea, about the discou-
ragement, and even despair, of the English soldiers; We
have the authority of a French officer for declaring that
the English soldiers have borne their privations with
fortitude, and even with cheerfulness. This officer
says, " The English soldiers grumble a little (it is the
privilege of an Englishman to grumble), but they bear
everything with courage, like noble fellows as they
are," and then he goes on to mention facts to show that
the English soldier laughs even when he grumbles. The
Assembl6e Nationale says :
" Far from us be the idea of taking anything
from the glory which ',the English army has gained
in the campaign, and at so dear a cost. -Under
the fire of the enemy, in presence of more consi-
derable forces, our brave allies have bad in the trophies
of the Alma and of Inkerman a share which awe appre-
ciate at its just value ; but if their bravery is equal to
ours, we want no other testimony but theirs as to the
excellence of our military organisation. It is they who
every day cry up with admin Con and envy—non equi•
dem invicloo, minor magis—the spirit and organisation of
our army. It is they who have shown us the French
rioldier, as ardent in the charge as firm before the as-
saults of the enemy; as courageous against sickness and
as patient in the midst of sufferings of every kind as
intrepid on the field of battle ; always animated with the
same spirit, always full of resources, always ready to
devote himself, and penetrated with that chivalrous emu•
lation which constitutes the force of great armies. It
is the English journals which have informed us that
whilst, in coni,equence of privations and illness, a sort of
disorganisation was creeping into the ranks of their
army order and abundance were to be seen in the
French camp, and that when once the French soldiers
hail purfoimcd their share in the common task their first
care was to g•o to the assistance of their allies, to repair
their roads, to construct new ones, to transport and
take care of their sick, and to insure their supplies."
The amstitutionnel has a resume of the last accounts
from Sebastopol. It is useful as a warning not to attach
credit to the rumours which arc gnt up, and which are
totally inconsistent 7,ith the real state of things. One
would have thought that the famous canard a la tart care,
as the that rumour of the taking of Sebastopol has been
called, would have made the public more cautions,
but people are so willing to believe what they desire
that every fresh rumour of the taking of Sebastopol finds
a certain degree of credence. The Constitutionnel
says :

" The inactions of the Generals-in-Chief, which our
correspondents in the Crimea, ignorant as they are of
the news from Europe, found it difficult to understand,
is easily explained. Before striking the decisive blow,
the Generals are waiting until the Turkish army shall
have entirely disembarked at Eupatoria, and shall have
combined its movements with theirs. What is the
obstacle which has hitherto rendered the capture of
Sebastopol impossible ? It is that the Allies have not
been able to invest the place, that the latter could
obtain supplies without difficulty, and that the garri-
son was incessantly renewed from the supporting army.
The Russians, since the battle of Inkerman taught
them that they could not cause the siege to be raised,
have done nothing but endeavour to prolong this state
of things. The Allies, on their part, have determined
to put a stop to it. Eupatoria has been re-occupied by
a European division; officers of artillery and engineers
hay. been sent there to throw zip works of art and forti-
fications, in order to make it as strong a position as
Balaklava, and as such the point d'appui of an army of
operations. This army must now have arrived there ;
it consits of the Egyptian division and of the best troops
of Omer Pacha; and is commanded by the Turkish
generalissimo. We have said that Eupatoria is to be to
the north of Sebastopol what Balaklava is to the south.
That fact will suffice to show in what a situation the dis-
embarkation of Omer Pacha will probably place the
Russian army it will be placed between two fires. One
of two things will happen ; either the Russian army will
endeavour to crush the troops whose basis is at Eupa-
toria, with the certainty of being immediately attacked
in the rear by the Anglo-French army ; and the de-
struction of the Russian army would deprive Sebasto-
pol of all hope of making a successful resistance ; or,
in the second place, the Russian army, in order not to
accept battle in such a disadvanta,cous position, and
with such adverse chances, will retire from the banks
of the Belbeck, as it has retired from the banks of the
Tchernaya; will concentrate itself on Bakshi-Serai, or on
Simpheropol ; and will abandon Sebastopol to its sole
resources and to the chances of an assault. Such a re-
treat of the Russian army would, in fact, be immediately
followed by the complete investment of the place, and
the denouement would not be waited for long. Thus,
either a great and decisive battle in the most favourable
conditions for the Allies 'or the retirement of the Russians
without combat, and Le immediate assault of Sebasto-
pol—such was the situation of things in the Crimea at
the end of the year. Let us be certain that the year
1855 will have well commenced for the arms of France
and her allies.