The Sun.
London, England, 1854-10-05 00:00:00

PRUSSIA.

BERLIN, Oct. 2.—The extraordinary supplement
published by the National early yesterday after-
noon, containing divers telegraphic despatches, all
confirming the total defeat of Prince Menschikoff
on the Alma, and for the most part insisting upon
the surrender of Sebastopolitself, produced the most
profound, and upon nine-tenths of the population
the most joyful impression. For the haughty, intem-
perate, and unskilful Prince Menschikoff, who has
proved himself as utterly incapable in the field as
upon the waters and in the Cabinet, no pity what.
ever is felt, even by the Russian devotees.
The battle on the Alma, at which the despatches
received by the Russian legation admit that he was
compelled to abandon the field, and " to retire,
after a combat against superior numbers," is con-
sidered by strategists here as a further proof of
Prince Menschikoff's failure in strategical and
tactical skill. He is condemned, and was con-
demned beforehand, for taking up a position
parallel to Sebastopol—a position which crippled
his left flank movements, and exposed that flank
and its reserves to the guns of the fleets ; whilst it
proportionately favoured the right flank movement
of the allies, which enabled the latter to extend
their own left, and operate upon and probably turn
the Russian right, and, as would seem to have been
the case, oblige them to fall back without fighting ;
or, if defeated, cut them off from all resources but
to crowd for protection under the guns of their own,
entrenchments on the heights immediately con-
tiguous to Sebastopol. The position which the
Russians ought to have taken up, it is said, after
having with unparalleled laxity permitted the
allies to land unmolested, should have been dia-
gonal that is, with their left leaning towards
Sebastopol, their right stretching northwards,
and their front towards the sea. By this their
flanks and rear would have been secured, their
communications with the north and east would
have been kept open ; and the allies would
have been compelled to bring up their right shoul-
ders, to change their order of battle, and to move
with great caution, lest their own left flank and
the lauding-place should be turned and left open
to assault. Such a position, appuye by its left on
Sebastopol, would have enabled the Russians to
fall back, if defeated, in any direction they pleased ;
and, if successful, to have made a rush upon Old
Fort and Eupatoria, so as to cut off or embarrass
retreat ; whereas the position they took up exposed
them, if routed (as they have been routed), to crowd
together into a gradually decreasing front, whilst
that of the allies continued to extend, and me-
naced the fugitives with being enveloped if they
stood their ground on the KaCcha or Belbek rivu-
lets ; or, to avoid this, to fly into their last en-
trenchments.

FRANCE.
(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

WEDNESDAY EVENING.

Not the slightest intelligence has yet reached me
relative to the fate of Sebastopol. Indeed doubts
are now thrown on the authenticity of the news.
The instant I receive news of any importance you
shall have it, "via electric." Till then your readers
must have patience. There is nothing of much
moment in the French journals. They are few in
number, and consist only of a summary of the ac-
counts which have arrived from different sources
relative to events in the Crimea.
The fact I communicated yesterday of the Em-
peror of Austria's personal congratulations being
conveyed to the Emperor Napoleon is confirmed in
the illoniteur of to-day in the following manner :
" His Majesty the Emperor of Austria has charged
Baron de Hubner to convey to the Emperor of the
French his sincere congratulations for the brilliant suc-
cess of his arms in the Crimea, and to add that he most
heartily joins in all the hopes connected with it."
The Emperor of Austria and his Government,
must have consider the Czar to be utterly helpless,
or they would not have dared to take such a step.
The following private telegraphic despatches
have been received :

"VIENNA, Oct. 3.—The official news, relative to the
fall of Sebastopol, is hourly expected.
" It is rumoured that Prince Meeschikoff has stir-
rendered on condition of being allowed to retire freely."
"MADRID, Ist.—Serious disturbances have broken out
at Malaga, Logrono, and Jaen. A republican conspi-
racy has been discovered. It is said that the Infante
Don Henry has been sent to ithe Balearic Islands. The
Queen has returned to the Prado. The bulletin of the
cholera gives 6 new cases and 4 deaths."
The German journals which arrived this morn-
ing contain some information from the Crimea,
which was omitted in the accounts sent to Paris
by private telegraphic despatch from Vienna, and
which is of interest, as it enables us to form a bet-
ter judgment as to the probability of the news of
the fall of Sebastopol. I give the articles of the
German journals as they appear, although some of
the facts are already known, for in their entire state
they will prevent confusion. It will be seen that the
prGcedings of the alliedarmies up to the 23d ult. were
known at Bucharest two days before the arrival of the
courier with despatches from Constantinople for Omer
Pasha. At that time the fall of Sebastopol was re-

ported, but this news was evidently premature.
The courier in question must have brought news
three days later in date than that received in Bu-
charest on the 28th ult., for he could not have left
Constantinople before the 28th, and it does not re
quire much more than 30 hours for a steamer to
run from Sebastopol to Constantinople. The Lloyd
of Vienna of the Ist says :

"According to an authentic despatch from Bucharest
of the 28th ult., Princa Menschikoff has been attacked
in the plain of the Katcha by the allied troops, and com-
pletely beaten in a sanguinary battle, and pursued up to
the entrenchments of Sebastopol. Sebastopol itself is
seriously menaced, and no longer tenable. A second
despatch of the 28th states that on the 23d the allied
troops took the forts on the left bank of the port of
Sebastopol, and a report was current that Sebastopol
had surrendered."
A telegraphic despatch from Vienna of the Ist,
in the New Prussian Gazette, says :
" Since yesterday several accounts have arrived here,
announcing a defeat of the Russians on the Alma, and
the fall of Sebastopol. There appears to be no doubt
that the troops have occupied the heights of Sebastopol.
As to the hews of the surrender of that place, it is at
present premature. In Russian circles, it is said that
Prince Menschikoff had retired on Sebastopol after an
attack' from the allied troops far superior to his own.
The left wing of the Russian army is said to have been
exposed to the fire of the fleets. The Turkish ambassa-
dor has communicated to the Austrian Government a
despatch announcing to him the fall of Sebastopol."
The Cologne Gazette has also the following from
Bucharest, dated the 28th ult. :
" On the 22d, the allied troops fought a desperate
battle with the Russians, near Kalantai. It lasted
several hours, and Prince Menschikoff was completely
routed. The day after Sebastopol was taken. Kalantai
is a town on the right bank of the Alma, six leagues to
the north of Sebastopol, and half a league from the sea."

I learn by the provincial journals that the news
of the victory of the Alma, and the report of the
fall of Sebastopol, have been everywhere received
with enthusiasm. Some of the towns regarding
the account of the taking of Sebastopol as certain
have not waited for the official confirmation of it
to make public manifestations of satisfaction.
The camp in the South, which at present con-
tains about 7,000 men, is about to be increased by
10 new battalions, which will nearly double its
effective.

A floating steam-battery, consisting of 16 guns
of 50, is being constructed at Cherbourg. It is
flat-bottomed, and is on the screw principle. It is
destined to be employed in the spring against tho
Russian fortresses in the Gulf of Finland.

The Phare de la Manche of Cherlourg, Ist inst.
states that the greatest bustle and activity prevail
at that port. The Cleopatre, frigate, arrived there
on the 28th ult. from the Baltic, and landed 600
men belonging to the expeditionary corps, who are
quartered in town. On same day two English trans-
ports arrived, and landed further detachments, and
sailed again the following day on their return to
England. The Virginie and Poursuivante, frigates,
are fitting out for the China seas. The Sirene
and the Cleopatra are preparing to take troops on
board, and when ready will proceed to Brest. The
Tilsitt is about to enter the docks to take on board
her lower deck guns which had been lauded to make
room for the conveyance of troops.
A letter from Calais, 2d, says that the tele-
graphic despatch announcing the fall of Sebastopol.
was posted up on Sunday last at the Hotel de Ville,
and produced the most enthusia,tid emotion. In
a short time after the town was completely hung
with flags, and in the evening the majority of the
houses were illuminated. On the following day,
the Municipal authorities invited the inhabitants
to attend a Te Denm, which was sung at the
church of Notre Dame. The procession to the
church was headed by M. Mayer, the Mayor of
Calais, and M. Benham, the English Consul, and
followed by all the principal inhabitants. The day
was kept as a complete fete, and at night there was
a second illumination, which was succeeded by a
grand display of fireworks.
The Muster of Marine has received a report
from Vice-Admiral Parseval, dated Kiel, the 30; h
ult., in which he says—

"I had the honeur of transmitting to your Excellency
by the Reine Hortense an account pf the serious event
which, for two hours, made me fear fer the fate of the
Austerlitz. That vessel, to whose assistance I despatched
the Darien has suffered little or nothing from her
grounding. Under the natural influence of his first
alarm, her commanding officer sent me an account which
I am happy to say has turned out unfounded. The
vessel, it is now found, does not make any water, and
her machine works well, and has only required a few
trifling repairs, which were readily made at sea, not-
withstanding the rough weather."

The Three per Cents. closed yesterday at 76f.
50c. for the end of the month ; the Four-and-a-
Half per Cents. at 99f. 20c. ; and the New Loan at
76f. 25c. ; Orleans Railway Shares, 1,255 f. ; Rouen,
987 f. 50c. ; Havre, 605 f. ; Great Northern, 875 f. ;
Strasburg, 841 f. 25c. ; New Shares, 655 f. ; Paris
and Lyons, I,olof. ; Lyons and the Mediter-
ranean, 862 f. 50c. ; Western of France, 675 f. ;
Bordeaux and Cette, 623 f. 75c. ; Great Central
of France, 525 f. ; Lyons and Geneva, 542 f. 50c. ;
Bank of Credit Mobilier, 762 f. 50c.

THE BALTIC.

INTENDED OPERATIONS - RETURN OF

THE _FLEET COUNTERMANDED.

COPENHAGEN, Oct. 3.—Since the receipt of the
news from the Crimea the order for the return of
the fleets has been countermanded.

Steamers have been sent to fetch back the ships
sailing homewards.

The Cumberland passed the Bolt yesterday.
KIEL, Oct. I.—H.M.S. Ajba sailed this morning.
The French steam-frigates Darien and Aigle, and
the Emperor's steam-yacht La Reine Hortense, are
here coaling.
The French line-of-battle-ships Austerlitz, In-
flexible, and Le Tage, are lying at anchor in the
outer port.
An immense influx of strangers from the sur-
rounding parts has taken place to-day to pay a
visit to the French squadron. Colonel Hodges,
the British Chargé d'Affaires at Hamburg, arrived
here this afternoon, bringing with him the news
of the great battle and defeat of the Russians on.
the River Alma, as published in an extra supple-
ment of the Hamburg Correspondent.