The Sun.
London, England, 1854-07-25 00:00:00

LITEST

THE WAR.
THE DANUBE.

The Moniteur confirms the reported action near
Giurgevo. General Buturlin and the Hetman of
the Cossacks were wounded.
General Luders is concentrating his strength at
Obiliesti, east of Bucharest. Prince Gortschakoff
comiauci2 to lead back his forces towards the
Danube,
The Turks are entrenching themselves at Giur-
gevo, According to letters of the 19th from
Bucharest it would seem that Omer Pasha wishes
for the present to avoid a pitched battle.

NNEWS.. England. Mr. I. A. Cary, mate of the Magi-
cieune, has been (1;4n1i.,p-.e,3 Oe ~,,rvice LI, s, ,t.;,i,,, .r,
of a court-martial hoiden on board the Neptune on
the lith inst.

ALAND UNSUITED FOR THE WINTER
QUARTERS OF THE ANGLO-FRENCH
EXPEDITION.
We extract the following from a Stockholm
letter of the 18th July :
It is now stated, on creditable authority, that the
first and immediate object of the new expediti,-
is the capture and occupation of the Aland r''
and that the gigantic, double-banker'
battery of Bomarsund, affordinv
for 00,000 men in comfort
will be the pivot of the e-
the Let of the Rua-'
granite walls
be olear

in
-siands,
casemated.
accommodation
.01e winter quarters,
..,suing operations. From
fleet skulking behind the
Cronstadt and Sweaborg, it must
~.uat this year's campaign in the north can-
'. Oe designated by the appellation of a naval
warfare, and that it will be restricted to the
operations of Admiral Plumridge in the Both-
man Gulf, the blockade of the rest of the coast,
and, on the arrival of the allied troops, per-
haps the capture of Bomarsund. But the
events of 1808 show the impracticability of keep-
ing possession of that place in the winter, for
the Russians in that year crossed over the ice
to the Swedish Holms, and had to contend with an
enemy accustomed to the rigour of a northern
winter, which the French troops are not. The
Sound between Abo and Bomarsund, which is
about fifty. miles wide, is generally covered with
ice, even in moderate winters, which is very sel-
dom the case with the much narrower straits be-
tween the Aland Islands and the Swedish coast at
Grisselhamn, although the distance is not more
than one-half. In the winter campaign of 1808
the Russians proved their superiority in being able
to withstand the rigour of the climate and the
hardships and privations attendant on war in the
cold season, much better than the Swedes, or even
the Finlanders. Contemporaries, who are still
alive, and no friends of the Russians, confess
this openly, and add that in spite of the tyran-
nical and even' brutal conduct of their superiors,
the Russian soldiers are most patient and obedient
in the execution of orders in spite of the
elements and other trials, and that they go gaily,
like the Romans, of old, to meet with certain death,
that theyare the more formidable as enemies, as they
have no will of their own, and obey blindly the
orders of their officers ; that they.are more adapted
to winter campaigning than any other nation, as
they can subsist cheerfully on roots., berries, and
grasses,. where other troops must n'acessarily starve.
The Swedes have a saying with reference to the
Finlanders, that "none but devils can fight with
troops who can live orl wood ;" and this is still
more applicable to the Russians. Now let your
readers fancy what chances our gallant Gallic
brethren will have when harassed by a body of
Skidla.ufers,* who think nothing of marching,
manoeuvring and fighting, with the thermometer
at 30 deg. below Zero, and who can bivouac on the
snow as composedly as in a corn-field. All these
discouraging circumstances ought to be known to
those Governments in whose hands the di-
rection of the operations for securing the liberty
of Europe is placed. Whether they are acquainted
with them or not, is a question. If they are aware
of these facts, it can scarcely be expected that they
will run such risks as taking Bomarsund, and estab-
lishing a footing there for the winter. It is only by
the possession of Sweaborg and the co-operation of
the Fins themselves that Finland is tenable in the
winter. Any other plan of campaign must be at-
tended by the most disastrous consequence, and
frightful loss of life. It would be the greatest folly
for- the French to expect any pitched-battle fight-
ing from the Russians, any inure than we may an-
ticipate the Muscovite fleets coming out from Sebas-
topol and Cronstath to measure their strength
with our ships. The French surely have not for-
gotten the campaign of 1812, and will profit by
their dearly bought experience. The Swedes, who
are acquainted with all these facts, cannot there-
fore be brought to believe that the French land
troops are intended for the occupation of so unim-
portant and (in the winter) untenable a position as
Boinarsund, but rather that the attack of Svea-
burg and Cronstadt (taking the bull by the horns)
is the immediate object in view. The almost total
abSence of troops in Finland is taken as a sign that
the Russians entertain no fear of an invasion in that
quarter.

* The Skid is a long narrow kind of flat snow shoo, about
three feet in length, slightly turned upwards at the ends, with
which the wearers are accustomed to move with astonishing
rapidity over the uneven surface of the snow, and in which
they can cross without danger places where anybody else
without them would sink in and be lost. In the Norwegian
army is a regiment of Skidlaufers, armed as riflemen, who
are a most formidable body for winter warfare ; and the Rus-
sians had a similar corps in the Finnish campaign of 1808,
who were used as irregulars like the Cossacks.

SPAIN.
THE SPANISH INSURRECTION.

Telegraphic advices from Madrid of the 22d have
been received from that capital.
General Evaristo San Miguel has been named
Minister of War.

The day had passed over quietly.
The nomination of San Miguel had been received
with enthusiasm.

The Infant Don Fernando, brother of the King;
had died.

The Madrid arrived at Southampton yesterday,
with Peninsular mails. At Vigo, July 21, it was
believed that the Spanish insurgents had been
joined by the troops of Valladolid ; that their forces
now amount to 13,000 in infantry, 300 cavalry, and
500 artillery ; and the brother-in-law to the king
had aided them. Vigo appears to be ready to de-
clare for the same side.

BAYONNE, July 19.—The insurrection is spread-
ing over Spain. Saragossa has pronounced, Queen
Christina has fled from Madrid, and Espartero has
been received at Saragossa m ith joyful acclamation,
as the chief of this national movement. Events
are hurrying on with rapidity, and either Queen
Isabel will remain on the throne, because she can
scarcely be replaced without provoking a civil war,
or her daughter will be proclaimed, with a regency.
Thus you see that the remedy is as bad as the dis-
ease. This morning all the troops left St. Sebas-
tian, with General Zavala at their head, to proceed
to Pampeluna by forced marches, and assist the
pronounced garrison of that place in reducing the
citadel, which holds out for the Government. I
regret to say that some lives have been lost at Pam-
pellina. After reducing the citadel, General Zavala
will collect all the troops he can, and join Espartero
at Saragossa, from whence it is expected that they
will march upon Madrid.
PERPIGNAN, July 24.—General Blaser has fled
to Portugal. The names of O'Donnell and Espar-
tero figure iu the proclamations at Madrid.
Saragossa, Barcelona, and all the other towns
are tranquil..