The Sun.
London, England, 1854-10-06 00:00:00

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LONDON, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1854.

The Fall of Sebastopol has not been confirmed.
Nay, more, it has been distinctly and positively
contradicted. The public disappointment is as
intense as the joy and exultation had been un-
bounded. But the regret is largely mingled with
indignation at the infamous hoax, the perpetra-
tors whereof may yet be discovered. Never was
BO atrocious a falsehood so craftily planned, or
deliberately carried into execution. Many parties
must have combined to obtain for these menda-
cious statements the circulation and credence
'which they received, and which deceived even
the best-informed persons,. who, from their posi-
tions, had ample opportunities of detecting
any i-

Re. The Turkish Ambassador
at Vienna was one of the deluded, and even
FRANCIS JOSEPH was numbered among the
victims. The former transmitted a telegraphiC
despatch to the Turkish Minister in London,
stating that "the French Embassy and Austrian
Government had received from Bucharest a tele-
graphic despatch, announcing the arrival of a
Tatar from Constantinople with despatches for
OMER PACHA , which had been forwarded after his
Highness to Silistria, but the purport whereof
had been communicated by the bearer, who also
announced the intended illumination of Constanti-
nople for ten days." A copy of this despatch was
forwarded with a polite note from the Minister to
a Morning Contemporary, in which it was stated
that it afforded " an unquestionable confirmation
of the fall of Sebastopol." There could be no
doubt after this of the complete belief of the re-
presentatives of Turkey at Vienna and London
in the too flattering tale. The Minister of
Austria, too, was induced to cast aside
his cautious policy, and to order M. DE
HUBNER to congratulate the French Govern-
ment, in the name of the Emperor of AUSTRIA,
on the "glorious successes that had attended the
French arms in the Crimea." It may be said
that this applied only to the victory of Alma.
But, in the first place, it will be observed that
the "plural" is used, and "successes" spoken of.
But far beyond that was the intrinsic evidence
supplied by the decided conduct of FRANCIS
JOSEPH, who cast aside the mask and brought
upon himself the permanent animosity of NicHo-
las—a matter which his previous conduct proves
he would never have ventured on, unless confident
that the power of Russia in the East had been
effectually paralysed. The Austrian EMPEROR
was therefore palpably hoaxed, and the deception
may therefore prove in one respect productive of
useful results, as it may induce him. to aban-
don the treacherous and disgraceful neutrality
which he has so perseveringly displayed hitherto.
We need only add that the entire population of
Vienna, save the concocters and parties to the
scandalous fraud, were likewise gulled, and that
au the intelligence transmitted to France and
England from friends and correspondents lent
additional corroboration to the glad tidings. .

It is certain that parties at Bucharest must have
been concerned in the vile scheme. We trust,
however, that a careful and searching investiga-
tion will bring the names of the real criminals to
light, so that condign punishment may be. in-
aided where it has been so richly merited,
and also that stringent regulations may be
adopted to prevent the electric telegraph from
becoming worse than useless—the means of propa-
gating the most infamous lies, in place of giving
reliable intelligence. From remote antiquity, the
st spreading false rumours," in time of war, has
been accounted a very serious offence, and public
consternation was frequently allayed by the sum-
mary punishment of the bearer of unpalatable
tidings, even though they afterwards turned out
perfectly accurate.
Let us turn, then, from these a pleasu•
g illusions,
which have been so completely dispelled, that,
"Like the baseless fabric of a vision,
They leave no trace behind,"
and now look to the simple facts, so far as we
can gather them from the rather meagre despatch
of Lord STRATFORD DE REDCLTFFE. This we pub-
lished iu car impression of yesterday ; but as we
were then unable to accompany it with editorial
comments, from the lateness of the hour at which
it was received, we here repeat it :
Translation of the exact copy of a telegraphic
despatch, received October 5, 10 a.m., and
transmitted by the agent of England in Wal-
lachia, at Bucharest, the 30th of September,
1854, 31 p.m.
Lord Stratford, Constantinople, to Lord Claren-
don, Minister of Foreign Affairs, London.
September 30, at 9i p.m.
The Allied Armies established their basis of