The Sun.
London, England, 1854-10-09 00:00:00

This was a good inauguration of the campaign.
It was the "sight of blood" that aroused the sleeping
lion, and excited them to the deeds of "derring
do" never surpassed by Englishmen on any pre-
vious occasion. The trial, although comparatively
trivial to what had to be sustained on the follow-
ing day was yet increased by the intense heat and
the feverish thirst by which it was accompanied, and
is thus briefly, although graphically, described :
" The day's march had been most wearisome and
under a burning•sun, the absence of water, until
we reached the insignificant but welcome stream
of the Bulganac, made it to be severely felt."
Both Armies moved towards the Alma the fol-
lowing morning, and it was arranged that Marshal
ST. ARNAUD should assail the enemy's left by
crossing the river at its junction with the sea, and
immediately above it, and that the remainder of
the French divisions should move up the heights
in their front, whilst the English Army should
attack the right and centre of the enemy's position.
This "right and centre" was, indeed, a difficult
position, and it clearly proved the high sense of
British valour entertained by our Allies, that
they accorded to our troops a place for
which they themselves would have sacrificed
much. The situation of the enemy is
very clearly and beautifully described. The point
to be attacked was about two and a half English
miles from the bold and almost precipitous range
of heights, of from 350 to 400 feet, that from the
sea closely border the left bank of the river, and here
ceases and formed their left, and turning thence
round a great amphitheatre or wide valley, termi-
nates at a salient pinnacle where their right rested,
and whence the descent to the plain was more
gradual. The front was two miles in extent.
Across the mouth of this great opening is a lower
ridge at different heights, varying from 60 to 150
feet, parallel to the river, and at distances from it
of from 600 to 800 yards.
The river itself is generally fordable for troops,
but its banks are extremely rugged, and in most
parts steep ; the willows along it had been cut
down, in order to prevent them from affording
cover to the attacking party, and in fact everything
had been done to deprive an assailant of any species
of shelter.

In front of the position on the right bank, at
about 200 yards from the Alma, is the village of
Bouliouk, and near it a timber bridge, which had
been partly destroyed by the enemy.
The high pinnacle and ridge before alluded to
was the key of the position, and consequently
there the greatest preparations had been made for
defence. •

Half way down the height and accross its front was
a trench of the extent of some hundred yards, to
afford cover against an advance up the even steep
slope of the hill. On the right, and a little retired,
was a powerful covered battery, armed with lwavy
guns, which flanked the whole of the right of the
position.

Artillery, at the same time, was posted at the
points that best commanded the passage of the
river and its approaches generally.
On the slopes of these hills (forming a sort of
table land) were placed dense masses of the enemy's
infantry, whilst on the heights above was his great
reserve, the whole amounting, it is supposed, to
between 45,000 and 50,000.
Such was the powerful line of defence which
the allied troops were required to assail. And it
speaks trumpet-tongued in their favour to say that
they succeeded, in less than three hours, in driv-
ing the enemy from every part of the ground
which they had held in the morning, and in esta-
blishing themselves upon it.
We have quoted thus largely from the
despatch of Lord RAGLAN, for it would be im-
possible to give a more distinct and lucid
description of the scene of strife. Scarcely
had the troops deployed into line before " the
village of Bourliouk, immediately opposite the
centre, was fired by the enemy at all points,
creating a continuous blaze for 300 yards, ob-
scuring their position and rendering a passage
through it impracticable." They neverthe-
less persevered, and at length succeeded in
carrying a redoubt that had caused
serious damage during the advance. After
this, by continued exertions, they gained the
heights, dislodged the adversary with immense
slaughter, and finally encamped on the spot which
the completely routed foe had previously occupied.
Here we must pause. The want of cavalry—
a large proportion of which -remained with the
reserve, ardently desirous of participating in the
labours of their comrades—prevented them from
annihilating the RusF;ians, and "leaving MENSCHI-
Konr without an army." The subsequent pro-
ceedings will soon be known, and doubtless they
will be worthy of so brilliant a beginning !

Arch-deacons seem made to pester Arch-bishops.
The latter naturally love the otium cum dignitate,
but the dignity of the former seems to be just
enough to generate that mechanical impossibility,
perpetual motion. We all know that if, when
comfortably seated, book or newspaper in hand,
opposite the fire, our foot involuntarily seeks the
fender, there is one position above or below
which there is rest for the sole thereof ; but that
position gained, the slightest impulse will origi-
nate an increasingly violent oscillation. It is the
position of unrest, and aptly figures the arch-
diaconal Church position. With exceptions few
in proportion to their numbers, the " in-
ferior clergy " preserve the quiet of eccle-
siastical fear or hope. The " superior clergy "
also in modern times have not rattily HENRY
EXZTERS among them ; the busiestauthority,
of
othisrto
order
being generally trimmers to
and
vigorous resistance, as we
neighbours at Oxford will readilytestify.
ofLondon our
The
arch-deacons, on the contrary, can never be still ;
two of them just now are troubling the repose of
their venerable mother ; one beards his archbishop
with protests from the " Vale of Taunton ;" the
other ascends Mount Hor, puts off his Anglican
vestments, and investments too, and bids his
superior of York to put them on some one who
is content to wear the livery of the QUEEN over
the robes of the priest. This latter one is a son
of the late philanthropist, and a stiffly evangelical
Churchman, WILBERFORCE, and a brother of the
present Bishop of Oxford, of Tractarian notoriety ;
also brother to HENRY WILBERFORCE, who consis-
tently laid aside concealed for open Romanism,
and who has for some time been an active member
of the Papal Communion.

The Church and State Gazette of Friday last

Mr. BROOK is, of course, sadly grieved ; he expos-
tulates at great length with his Primate forgiving up
proceedings without consulting those with whom
he was acting, and " begs to ask whether his
Grace has legal grounds for accepting the resigna-
tion of Archdeacon WILBERFORCB after proceed-
ings had been commenced against him." The
Archbishop curtly replies—" I acted according to
the best of my judgment at the time. My
opinion remains unchanged." Mr. BROCK, how-
ever, though snubbed, could argue still, and re-
cords his protest against the Archbishop's evasion
of a judicial decision in a full column of our con-
temporary from whom we quote ; and there the
matter, we suppose, will now rest.
In the details of these elerical squabbles it is
impossible that the public should feel much interest.
Clerics always did dispute, and always will. To some
of the more general bearings, however, of these
controversies none of us can well be indifferent.
Mr. BROCK appears but little of the Christian in
wanting to compel his brethren to go to law ; the
Archbishop, on the other hand, seems but a timid
defender of his own faith. When Mr. BROCK
would stand on the technical ground, " once a
priest always a priest," he is but reviving the
mean subterfuge by which HORNE ToOKE was ex-
cluded from the House of Commons, and Mr.
SHORE so intolerantly dragged to gaol by the
Bishop of EXETER. Notwithstanding the legal
dictum of a learned Judge, common sense coincides
with general practice in permitting a very differ-
ent license to the clerical servants of the State, and
those which belong to the warlike professions.
Desertion is fatal to the conduct of the latter,
and can never go unpunished. But in the Church
a man's whole worth depends upon his honest ac-
ceptance of her Articles and Formularies. If Elie re-
nounces them in heart, we are compelled to com-
mend rather than to censure his withdrawal ;
indeed straightforward Englishmen complain of
Tractarians chiefly for remaining in the Church,
not for leaving it.
It strikes us also that the Evangelicals have not '
acted a very dignified part in insisting, since the
GORHAM decision, so strenuously on.theß,oyal Head-
ship of the Church. Before that event they used
to apologise for the fact, and to explain it away
as best they might. Now it is the main point
in their ecclesiastical creed. It is but a poor
decision for them. It barely tolerates them in
the Church, while it affirms the doctrine of their
opponents. In our judgment, and we avow it
openly, the controversy between Evangelicals and
Tractarians is rapidly forcing both into false posi-
tions with regard to the National Church ; and
if the combatants have only as much sturdy theo-
logical honesty as their brethren on the' other
side of the Tweed, it will, at no distant day,
force them both out of her communion. In fact,
the belligerents are, in our opinion, doing what
neither of them desire—they are disposing men's
minds to look without repugnance on the idea of
separation of Church and State.

LATEST NEWS.

THE CRIMEA.

PARIS, MONDAY MORNING.
The Moniteur confirms the intelligence of the
death of Marshal St. Arnaud.

It also contains the following despatch from
General Canrobert :

BALAKLAVA, SEPT. 28.

Marshal St. Arnaud, seriously ill, has handed
over to me the command of the army, agreeably to
the orders of the Emperor.

This morning I am preparing provisions at
Balaklava, and this evening I shall commence my
march towards Sebastopol. _ _ _

The enemy not having shown himself since the
victory at Alma, our march, turning towards the
south of Sebastopol, has been effected without diffi-
culty.

When I am established on the heights which com-
mand Sebastopol, I shall take steps for receiving
my provisions and siege guns from the bays of Cape
Chersonese.

We have received the following from our corre-
spondent at Berlin :

BERLIN, SUNDAY EVBNING.
The following official despatch was published ai
St. Petersburg on the 6th :

" Prince Menschikoff has advanced his army corps
nearer to the North Fort.

" The French have left the north side without a
contest, and embarked to join the English, who
have landed at Balaldava.

"Up to the 30th no fresh battle had been
fought."

A. private despatch from Odessa, of a not very
trustworthy character, which has reached Berlin,
states that nothing decisive had occurred at Sebas-
topel up to the 4th of October.

VIENNA, OCT. 7.

Marshal de St. Arnaud died on the 29th of
September, on board the steamer that was to bring
him back.

General Canrobert, as senior officer, has suc.
ceeded to the command.

The investment of Sebastopol was to be corn
pleted on the 29th September.

VIENNA, SATURDAY, OCT. 'T
Omer Pacha received orders on the 2d inst. to
commence offensive operations immediately.

Prince Gortschakoi received orders on the sth
to recross the Pruth, if the Turks crossed the
Sereth to attack Bessarabia.
Russian accounts state that the Allies invest
Sebastopol—that they are well provided with pro-
visions and water, and only await their siege
artillery from Balaklava,.

A despatch, published at St. Petersburg, con-
tains news from the Crimea, of the 30th ult.
Prince Menschikoff's division had approached
the northern fort of Sebastopol.
The French retired from the northern side, with-
out fighting, to join the troops at Balaklava.

VIENNA, SUNDAY, OCT. 8.
The Vienna papers contain the following :
"An English man-of-war has brought 840
wounded Rmtsians to nu onko ff

" No further engagement had taken place in the
Crimea up to the 2d inst.
66 From Thoodosia (Kaffa), Kutch, and Perokop