The Sun.
London, England, 1853-11-12 00:00:00

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LONDON, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1853.

We have recently had " wars and rumours of
wars." More " latest intelligence from the
Danube." New determinations of the CzAn, and
further movements of the diplomatists. From
Vienna we heard that there was to be a Confer-
ence of the Representatives of the Great Powers
held at London, in which the Turkish and Russian
Ambassadors were to participate ; that there had
been numerous skirmishes between the troops
under Prince GORTSCHAKOFF and OmER p
ACHA
with various success. At one moment the Turks
being retreating, at another the Russians, and
again, both armies remaining in statu quo. In one
place it was announced that NICHOLAS repudiated
the interference of the Western Powers, though
not averse to consider any proposition that
might emanate from the Turks themselves :
while elsewhere it was as confidently affirmed that
" the terms of adjustment of the Eastern Question
had been virtually arranged." The mind was
bewildered between the various statements, all
authoritatively put forward, until it became abso-
lutely impossible to place reliance on any non-
official statement. Sufficient has, however, at
length appeared to show that there has been one
or more collisions—that a contest has taken place
on an extensive scale, and that hitherto, to say
the least of it, the Turks have not been worsted,
but that, on the contrary, victory has for once
attended the side of truth and justice. These facts
may be gleaned from the reluctant admissions of
the Russians themselves—from the parti-coloured
statements emanating from the aggressors—which,
although not deserving of credence, so far as they
may prove favourable to those whose interest it is
to distort the truth and colour facts, may yet be
safely admitted so far asthey tell againstthe narra-
t°re themselves. We may thus, as we remarked
on. "iv.
galls edoengeasaed i
day, hesitate as to the number of Rus-
probableresinn the struggle, as well as to its
e
ta) believing that both were mate-
rially unddoubt that a
o rstatoend a.;
tbut there can be no reason to
has taken place, in which the
Turkish troop, maintainedh their ground and the
ofta tirde forces
losses. We may doubt
Mthuesdcoisvpiatersityslis
We
haces, but not the fact of a
Moslem victory.
had
dvbe had it announced from
Vienna that there
battle, and that
testers were killed "
t, fourteen superior Runianeon a
of the field, and
that "the Turks remained :eel's
the Russians were retreating on Bucharest,"
account of that
This
we may credit as but a more exact
w_
which appeared in The Sun
of ednesda •
that "on the 2d and 3d of November Y' ,
the Turk
crossed the Danube from Turtukai to Oltenitza, to
, 3
the number of about 18,000 men. On the 4th
General Parloff attacked them with 9,000 mon,
and, after a brisk cannonade, a combat with the '
bayonet took place between the two armies. The
Turks maintained their positions at Oltenitza, and
have fortified them. The combat lasted three
hours. In it the Russians lost several officers
and 136 privates killed, and 6 superior offi-
cers, 18 subalterns, and 479 privates wounded."
If, as we are told, the comtat "lasted 28
hours," it is difficult to conceive why reinforce-
ments. i. 7 did not arrive to the attacking force during
N. the continuance of the protracted encounter, nor
11' can we understand why it was that the Russians
should have taken the initiative under very dis-
-, •
*
. VI- -›. advantageous and inauspicious circumstances. It 1-
.., . 7
.., -
14,i,v
....