The Sun.
London, England, 1854-11-21 00:00:00

THE SIEGE OF SEBAST )POL.

The Siecle of yesterday has the following on the
siege of Sebastopol :

"In spite of our well-known military sympathies, we
have replied impartially to the reproach which might be`
addressed to the Generals of the Allied troops for not
having, before laying siege to Sebastopol, endeavoured
to finish completely with the forces of Prince Menschi-
koff. The advanced season of the year did not allow
the principal object of the expedition to be neglected for
a single instant. They hurried there, and history
will record that in a few days an army, long ex-
pected by the Russians in their richest province, on
flair strongest point, obtained there—notwithstanding
these four enormous results—a most succes4ul landing ;
a first victory which opened the country to it ; the pos-
sibility of passing through it from the North to the
_South, from the Alma to ,Balaklava ; and the faculty of
commencing the siege of Sebastopol with perfect secu-
rity. It is a repetition of the veni, vidi, vici, of Cm sar ;
but, unfortunately, these prompt results gave such an
impulse to public opinion that in the eyes of a great
number the expedition assumed all the character of
a coup de main. Successes were hoped for which
would have been little short of prodigy. In Eng-
land as in France, where the remembrance of
Mezieres, Valenciennes, Lisle, Mentz, Toulon, and
Genoa, ought not to have been forgotten, no exact idea
was formed of what the conquest of a fortified place of
'the first rank ought to be. No one took the trouble of
thinking what efforts would be accumulated, if Ports-
month or Brest were attacked. The general feeling
which thus prevailed was, we repeat, a misfortune. A
first act of a most wonderful effect rendered the spec-
tators difficult to be pleased with the rest of the
piece, and the persons who are anxious about the
glory and honour of their country behold with grief,
in England and France, a heavy fall in the public
funds greeting bulletins announcing victories, but not
coming up to all the ardent desires of public opinion.
As we have already said, from the plan of campaign
which has been adopted, and which consists in takine.
Sebastopol, in spite of the Russian forces in the field,
the Anglo-French arrriy has a double task to perform
—to keep in check a powerful army fully master of its
actions, and to obtain possession of a fortified place of
immense extent and tremendous strength. Everything
has as yet proved that the Anglo-French army is not be-
low the level of its noble task. Not only has it worsted
the Russian army, though reinforced from the Danube
and from the North, but each day of the siege had been
marked by a step in advance ; the fortified wall had been
at the date of the last accounts nearly reached at. Sun-
pose now that they who have so well accomplished this
double task receive, like the Russians, considerable rein-
forcements ; suppose that by meansof thedivision Mayran
from Athens, which left Constantinople on the sth, and
must have already arrived ; that by means of reinforce-
ments from Oran and Malta ; by means of the divisions
of the camp of the south, which must at the present time
be at sea ; and by means of Turkish troops sent fie=
Varna and the Bosphorus, the generals-in-chief of the
Allies may in their turn form an army for the field cf
-Which the forces already so ably handled by General
Besquet should serve as the nucleus—suppose all that,
and matters at once change their appearance. The army
of the siege has only the task of carrying the town, and
the forces of Prince Menschikoff, in place of disquieting
the besieging army, are forced to defend themselves.

THE NATIONALITY OF POLAND.

(From the Journal des Debats.)

It is not difficult to show, history in hand, that when-
ever Poland has appeared to hope for her resurrection from
the hand of the revolution, she has at the same moment,
found all Europe, which desires the maintenance of social
order, united against her. There is, then, an opposition of
interest between the Polish cause and the revolutionary
cause. Compare for a moment what Poland may ex-
pect from the revolution, and what she may expect from
the question of European
equilibrium. The revolution
would only give her a war of insurrection, without re-
gular support, without monarchial allies, a war which
would instantly cause all European social order with
its kings, its princes, its armies, and even its peoples,
1-,ho would soon be tired of anarchy, to coalesce against
Poland, and to hasten to seal up anew the stone
which causes her tomb—blaming the whole crime
of partition, but finding that the reparation of the evil
would become- itself a great evil. Look, on the con-
trary,t at what the war of equilibrium, and not a revolu-
ionary war, would give to Poland. Itwould give her allies
or powerful and friendly supporters. Her name would
naturally enter into the calculation of European equili-
brium, instead of as heretofore forming a portion of the
alarms of social order. She was a danger : she may become
a remedy. This is an immense change. This change of
situation must necessarily lead to an analogous ehange
in Polish opinion. It was naturalthat a good many Poles
should entertain sympathy for revolutionary opinions,
when they believed that the revolutionary party could
and would alone re-open to them the gates of their
country. Experience has shown them that this party
could not do it, arid that it would not do it. The
chiefs of the revolution of 1848 were not favourable to
the Polish cause to the extent of declaring war against
all Europe in favour of Poland. Far be it from us to
blame those chiefs for their prudence ; on the contrary,
we praise them for it ; but the Poles, no doubt, thought
that the revolution of 1848 would be less circumspect,
and that it would not faithfully follow on that point
the policy of King Louis Philippe. The revolu-
,2: of 1848 was then a first lesson for the Poles.
W can, however, understand that this lesson has
not sufficed
sympathies.tec'ure some Poles of their. revolu-
tionaryadva.ntage—composed Revolutionary parties have this
who replace one an generally of several regiments
has not done,
it
is hoped
what the first regiment
do. But as we just soaPded that the second will
can promise to Poland nnt,h. the revolutionary party
social order cannot give moci,l h the party of
surely. A revolutionary war has better and much more
is worth what is offered by a
anrotfhing to offer which
the Poles convince themselves ofothsquilibriurn. let
them at the same time understand that truth, and let
of rendering the war favourable to Poland
dhies sole means
to continue
to keep it free from any revolutionary
idea. They may have formerly believed that emotion or
the war might be revolutionary, the more it emore
be Polish ; but the contrary is and be the cave
would
at present. The more the war may remain political,
the more it will become Polish. It is by the modifies:
tion of European equilibrium, and not by the revolution
that Poland may be partially or wholly resuscitated.
We have always admitted and maintained in this journal
that the position of Poland was the gravest encroach-
ment on European equilibrium. But as lose as it was
believed, erroneously it is true, that Poland, to re-
pair that equilibriiim, wished to destroy social order,
the cause of Poland was only supported in Europe by
hot-headed people ; it hal the support neither of capi-
talists nor statesmen. At present, however, by a con-
junction ef unexpected events, an opportunity of
modifying the European equilibrium, without endanger-
ing social order, has arisen ; it is an unexpected piece of
good fortune for Poland.

The New York Crystal Palace has been converted
into a transient auction mart, where all exhibitors have
the right, within certain to scil their goods,
restrictions,
for t •
ufty days, to the highest bidder.
Tina EDINBURGH COUNTY MILITIA is fast filling up.
If recruits continue to come forward as they did last
N"'eli, it is expected the number will be completed before
all their stations are visited. Numerous .steady farm-
servints are presenting themselves, and their employers
!feria to evince a desire for them to enrol under the
-Duke of Bucclouch,—Courant.