The Sun.
London, England, 1855-10-22 00:00:00

RESULTS OF VICTORY.

(Prom the Examiner.)
Though still without means of judging clearly of the
field operations in the Crimea, or their chance of success,
we are not without other intimation of some results of
victory. Already the fall of Sebastopol tells on the gene-
ral politics of Europe. There is hardly a country in
which some signs of shifting or unsteadiness may not be
perceived. As you see a fleet at anchor moving rest-
lessly with a sudden turn of the tide, it is now with the
nations of the continent. Though the movement is
hardly voluntary, an approaching confusion is perceptible
enough.

The impregnability of Russia was become in fact the
creed of Europe. Whatever doubts were entertained of
it before siege was laid to Sebastopol vanished as the
stubborn defence of the place became apparent. And a
feeling in consequence arose which soon spread far and
wide, and has nowhere declared itself with a more naive
impudence than (of all places in the world) at Bucharest.
The Hospodar was absent when news reached his go-
vernment that the Russian stronghold had fallen. But
his son was acting in his stead, and this respectable
young potentate refused to believe the intelligence. He
would not permit a gun to be fired or a candle to be
lighted in honour of an event so manifestly apocryphal.
Such is the family to which the Allies have up to this
time committed, and are besought to continue, the rule
of these unhappy Principalities 1 Stirbey himself, in-
deed, soon returned, and did his best to correct the mis-
take of his son. He prostrated himself before the English
and French Consuls, and ordered no end of Te Deums.
Now, this is pretty much what has also been going on
at all the small Courts of Germany, of which little
Bucharest and the Hospodar is no bad type. Almost all
of them are on the absolutist tack, in which they yet
feel perseverance would be dangerous if Russia were
really losing power. Sad, therefore, has been the per-
plexity of the principuli since the news of the Bth of
September broke in. We cannot, indeed, relate details
very particularly. A press completely gagged does not
let much ooze out. But already there is a total change
of the Hesse Cassel Ministry, and the detested Hasse n-
pflug has resigned. His Majesty of Bavaria, too, has
been wildly rushing to exchange speech with the Emperor
of Austria at Ischl. And the Ereutz Zeitung, that here-
tofore much-favoured journal whose ultra-Russian mani-
festoes have enjoyed infinite popularity at Potsdam, has
bad a sudden and severe reprimand from the Cabinet of
Prussia for an unmannerly diatribe against England and
France.
The failure of Russia in defending her own territory
must in truth alarm Prussia more than any other power.
Exposed to the rivalry of Austria, and regarded coldly
by England and France, where has she a friend if not in
the Czar ? She is not a first-rate power, and now, with-
out a single hold on German sympathies or support,
could not bring the half of an Austrian, or the third of a
Russian army into the field. Her only true strength is
in the intelligence of her people, against which her Go-
vernment has set its face. But the new posture of affairs
already begins to restore influence to the constitutional
party in Berlin. Only the other day the electors of Berlin
chose Bunsen to represent them, and although he may
prefer not again to enter the Chamber, it is clear that
the genuine liberals, the men who held aloof from the
last election in disgust and despair, will once more form
a party in the Prussian Parliament. They are to a man
(Schwerin among them) English and anti-Russian, and
here lie yet the elements of German freedom, and Ger-
man force and independence.
In the courts of Southern Europe, however, with even
more immediate and startling effect than in Germany,
have certain results of the victory been perceptible. Does
any one believe that his Majesty of Naples would so
promptly have dismissed his brutal and infamous police
minister before the Bth September? Yet more remarkable
is the case of Spain. Before the fall of Sebastopol was
known the Ministry of Espartero and O'Donnell had
fallen into most imminent danger. The Queen was
openly hostile, the courtiers in rebellion, the Papal
Nuncio blowing the coals, and capitalists had no money
to lend to Ministers so threatened with instant expul-
sion. Add to this that the Orleanists were making no
secret of their Russian leanings, the Duke of Montpen-
sier had openly visited the Count of Chambord, and the
Journal des Debats was denouncing or laughing at Es-
partero and the constitutionalists of Spain- What now
is the condition of affairs ? The Queen has become to-
lerant of Espartero ; the conspiring chamberlain's and
court ladies are dismissed ; the finance minister is sud-
denly found capable and capitalists are helping him ; the
Duke of Montpensier is on his good behaviour ; and the
Debats is turning its sarcasm of Espartero into lauda-
tions of his genius and virtue. And all this in the little
interval which has passed slice the capture of the Mala-
khoff !

Strangely enough, indeed, it is out in the Crimea it-
self that the results of victory are as yet least apparent.
But there is no need to be impatient or despairing. The
belief we last week expressed that an advance would be
made to cut off the enemy's communications on the Bel-
bek with Simpheropol and the north-eastern road has
proved to be correct ; and a large force of English under
Sir Colin Campbell is now at Eupatoria to co-operate
with Marshal Pelissier on the Belbek. The result of
such movements vigorously carried out can scarcely be
doubtful.

FATAL ACCIDENT.-011 the evening of Wednesday last
an accident occurred at Forestmoor, near Wigtown, by
which a man's life was lost from so trivial a cause as to
render the event peculiarly distressing. On that even-
ing Elliot Craig, wood-forester to the Earl of Galloway,
was cutting up a cheese with a common clasp knife.
While he was forcibly pressing the instrument down, the
blade slipped off the cheese and entered his thigh with
such force as to cut the femoral artery. In the course
of an hour and a half the unfortunate man bled to death.
Dr. Snowdon of Wigtown was sent for immediately, but
before he could reach Forestmoor all was over.