The Sun.
London, England, 1853-10-28 00:00:00

LONDON, FRIDAY-, OCTOBER 28, 1853.

The frnost intense anxiety is manifested on
every sicle to receive further intelligence from the
seat of 'war, as it may now most assuredly be
termed. We know that the challenge given at
the time the invading, force crossed the Pruth
has, although tardily, been accepted ; that the gage
of battle, so haughtily Hung down by the insolent
aggressor, has been unwillingly lifted up by the

insulted Moslem. To all intents and purposes 1
there is war between Turkey and Russia
—a war in hich the Western Powers
are necessarily implicated, from which not
even ABERDEEN himself, even if backed by a
Cabinet selected from the leading members of the
Peace Society, could now wriggle out. It is even
more than probable that active hostilities have
been already commenced ; but where or how the
first collision may take place is a point still in-
volved in mystery, and which will probably re-
main unsettled for some days yet.

From all the circumstances that have as yet
transpired, it does not appear probable that Prince
GORTSCHAKOFF will take the initiative. He has
clearly made up his mind to remain in his present
quarters for the winter, while active preparations
are making to send further troops to his assist-
ance, to commence the campaign with the greatest
vigour. He is also well aware that the result of
a contest a l'outrance with the earnest and en-
thusiastic army under OMER PACHA wOcUeleddil!neglayt
least doubtful, and that it would be ex
difficult, if not altogether impossible, to avoid
the serious consequences of a defeat. He
knows, likewise, that delay would be almost
as prejudicial to his opponent as the most
decided overthrow. Everything, in fact, tends
to show that the Fabian policy is in the present
state of affairs best calculated to promote the ob-
jects of his master. He has, also, in answer to
the demand for the evacuation of the Principali-
ties, declared his intention of standing on the de-
fensive. We cannot, therefore, suppose that he
will do anything to bring on the collision which
can possibly be avoided. He will not then again
cross the Danube, or endeavour at present to carry
the war still further into the enemy's country.
OMEN, PACHA is, however, very differently cir-
cumstanced. There are as many causes exciting
him to action as there are to induce his adver-
sary to rest on his arms. His troops are ani-
mated by the consciousness of a righteous cause.
Their passions are inflamed not merely by the un-
warranted invasion of their territories, or the un-
blushing insolence of the demands put forward on
the part of the CZAR, and the contempt exhibited
towards their SULTAN, but their religious enthu-
siasm has been worked up to the highest pitch—
the Moslem fanaticism has been excited to a de-
gree that cannot easily be extinguished or
even mitigated. We cannot wonder at the
intensity of feeling by men who know that they
are about to fight for their " hearths and
altars," that not only the safety of their houses
and families, but of their religion itself is in-
volved in the result. Such an army would
scarcely submit to remain in a state of inglorious
inactivity for the entire winter, if a battle could
be forced on anything like equal terms. OMER
PACHA, who has already addressed so many
urgent remonstrances to the Porte, on the state
of quiescence in which he was unwillingly placed,
is not the man to suffer this ardour to die away
or to cast away the advantages which offer them-
selves for his acceptance. We believe that he will
make a vigorous and determined effort to expel
the intruder, and that the attempt will not be
long postponed. He is too sick of the procrasti-
nations of diplomacy to indulge in any further
delays, now that the matter rests in our hands,
and is placed at his own disposal.
If these conjectures be well founded, the Turks
will attempt the passage of the river without a
moment's delay, and it is by no means improb-
able that the opposing troops may have already
met, and that a decisive action has taken place.
If so, we cannot permit ourselves to doubt the
result. We believe that " right" will for the
present, at least, triumph, and that present suc-
cess, and the decision exhibited, will, in place of
further complicating the dispute, tend towards its
early and satisfactory arrangement. We only
hope that England and France will not hang back
—that the combined fleets will not remain inac-
tive in the Sea of Marmora, but that they will
enter the Black Sea, and, so far as the
season may permit, co-operate with the forces
of our ally. Russia has earned for herself the
discomfiture she must experience. We can-
not sympathise with the wounded pride of
the despot who finds that he has precipitated the
crisis on which he had long determined, that he
endeavoured " to pluck the pear ere it was quite
ripe." NICHOLAS is alone to blame for the pre-
sent untoward state of affairs, and he may con-
sider himself well off if he has not to make other
and still greater sacrifices, if he be not compelled
to surrender some of the powers which he has so
grievously abused, if he be no longer enabled to
persevere in his iniquitous course of self-aggran-
disement, and to be obliged to give up his cherished
designs to render Europe subservient to his sway,
to spread the principles of despotism throughout
the globe, and carry into practical execution the
dreams of his predecessors by establishing the
Universal Empire of the Cossacks.

We are not quite allowed to forget the subject
of Parliamentary Reform amid rumours of war,
famine prices of wheat, and strikes both of masters
and men. We have been rather quiet upon the
subject of late, partly because, amongst topics so
much more exciting, we could scarcely hope for
an attentive hearing, and partly because the time
when the Leader of the House of Commons may
be expected to break his official and natural re-
serve, and let out his little scheme, after a large
speech in the House of Commons, is yet remote.
There is, hcwever, not too much time for that
public discussion of the subject on which ought to
depend in a great measure the shape and form of
the promised Reform Bill. Some of our contem-
poraries have begun to illustrate particular
parts of the subject, and we have been re-
minded, and we think with truth, that even if
called to endure the hardships consequent upon
war, we shall only so much the more need to con-
vince the masses that we seek their political co-
operation in national objects, and not their exclu-
sion from the pale of that constitution to maintain
which they are asked to battle either with taxa-
tion at home or the foe abroad. Evincing political
confidence in
the working classes will go far
towards reconciling them to privations inflicted by
the direct hand of PROVIDENCE, and even to those
which the wanton wickedness of the great Northern
Despot may yet entail upon them.
We have just now, however, a special reminder
duties by the Liberal Demon-
stration our reforming
oTuesday week at Derby. Not only
the speeches speeches on the occasion, but the very
occasion itself, wakens up the good old
feeling in every Liberal reader. Messrs.
Moss and MADELEY were honoured by their
fellow-townsmen for their diligence, determina-
tion, and skill in perhaps the most successful ex-
posure of bribery ever made without a commis-
sion. So complete a detection of apparatus, sub-
ordinates, and master-mover in the scene could
hardly have been hoped for, as were furnished to
the public by the " Good and safe man," by PRAIL
and MORGAN, and finally by "W. B." himself.
Probably his imprudences, with those of the late
Secretary to the Admiralty, have been more injurious
to the party they were meant to serve than even
the tactics or abilities of their opponents. In
modern times Members of the Government haVe
not been caught so completely flagrante delicto,
and it must have been a strong Government indeed
which could bear such a shock. Not that preced-
ing Governments have not been every whit
as corrupt if the truth were known, but the truth
was not known, not formally known, and that
makes a prodigious difference.

\The meeting: reminds us explicitly of one of the
oldest points of our political creed, and one in
which our belief is stronger than ever—the Ballot.
It was a meeting convened to celebrate vigorous
efforts in the cause of purity of elections, and, of
necessity, the Ballot could not be forgotten in con-
nection with electoral purity. We think now, as
we have always done, that in the New Reform Bill
it is the first thing which the people should de-
mand. We think it is not presumption to say,
that we have so candidly considered and met every 1
argument against it, whether adduced by friend
or foe, that we are entitled to consider our
case fully made out, that independent voting
shout, 1 be the commencement of all electoral re- I
form. Had we less confidence than we have in the. arguments we have used from time to I