The Sun.
London, England, 1854-01-13 00:00:00

SULTAN CALIPH,

it would appear that the Russian

division was defeated in an intrenched position
not far from Kalafat by an inferior force of the
Moslem armament. Together with this incident,
moreover, must be remembered another scarcely
less notable—the signal repulse at Tchetali of a
Russian reinforcement advancing from Karaul,
evidently with the intention of effecting the pas-
sage of the Danube higher up than Widdin,
and of so ultimately turning the Turkish
position at Kalafat. It is consequently admitted
even by those who are accustomed to depreciate
the 'achievements of the Ottoman army, that these
two successes—the defeat, on the 6th instant, of
the Russian division near Kalafat (a defeat sig-
nalised, it would seem, by a terrible slaughter of
the Russians), and the discomfiture, at Tchetali
of a powerful Muscovite reinforcement—are, all
things considered, incomparably the most remark-
able of all the military exploits of the Moslem
troops since the first breaking out of these sanguinary
hostilities. It is worthy of remark, also, that the
intelligence of these advantages to the cause of
Turkey had reached the German authorities at
Belgrade four days after their accomplishment,
and that it has since then been carried rapidly
westwards, in spite of the vigilant quarantine
maintained by Russian influence along the bor-
ders of the seat of war, with a view, of course, to
the effectual interruption of all accounts favourable
to the credit of the Moslem, ever since the me-
morable twin-battles at Oltenitza.

Intelligence of a very exhilarating character
would seem to be crowding day after day
upon the imperial councils at St. Petersburg !
There are the accounts, for example, of this
twofold defeat of the Russians at Tchetali, and
in•the vicinity of Kalafat. There is information
of the entrance into the Black Sea, exactly upon
the turn of 1853 and 1854, of the combined
fleets of France and England. There is the inti-
mation, pleasant enough, no doubt, to the pride
and ambition of the CZAR, that all his haughty
demands upon the Sublime Porte have at last
been actually followed up by the transmission
of an 'ultimatum on the part of Turkey and of the
allies of Turkey to himself, as Imperial Chief of the
aggressive Government. For the final proposi-
tion emanating from the patched-up Vienna Con-
ference would so appear to have been actually
brought at length within the limits of a definitive
ultimatum for the acceptance or the refusal of the
Russian AUTOCRAT—the Collective Note of the
sth of December having been responded to by the
Porte literally thus : by the acceptance of the
proposals of the Four Powers by Turkey, on con-
ditions now well known, conditions which have
been acknowledged as reasonable by the Allies of
Turkey, but which can never assuredly be deemed
admissible by the Cabinet of St. Petersburg.
Added to all which that same Cabinet will have
to receive the gratifying announcement of
the .withdrawal of the SHAH of Persia from
the partially accepted complicity with the
CZAR, as opposed to the Turkish Govern-
ment. Thanks to the vigorous course recently
adopted by Mr. THOMSON, the British Charge
d'Affaires at Teheran, coupled with the advance
of 13,000 men towards the North-western boun-
dary of our dominions in Hindostan, to act on
the defensive if requisite against any aggressive
movement on the part of DOST MAHOMMED, there
is now little probability whatever of any attack
being adventured upon by Russia, directly
or through the aid of Persia, upon any portion of
our Asiatic possessions. Under this combination
of sinister and unpropitious circumstances in re-
gard to the designs of the Cult., Western Europe
has now to await the signal either for War cr
Peace from the lips of the Emperor NICHOLAS--
the signal whicli may become audible in all like-
lihood in the next intelligence received from St.
Petersburgh.

The operatives at Preston are " not tired of I
playing yet !" Notwithstanding the inclemency
of the weather, the dearness of provisions and
fuel, and the stringent privations they have been
undergoing for nearly four months past, they still
persevere with a determination and steady resolu-
tion of purpose worthy of a better cause. The
offers made by the mill-owners, chiefly from com-
passion for the sufferings endured by the hands,
have been almost unanimously rejected. Well-
intentioned experiments proved total failures, and
inasmuch as they were ascribed to totally different
causes from those really in operation their effects
were very different from what had been antici.
pated, being regarded as signs of weakness, and of
kindliness of disposition.

The fact is that the Preston operatives, at this
moment, are taught to believe that the " destinies
of trade" are depending in the balance, and that
the result of the contest between labour and
capital—the final victory in the struggle—mainly
depends on their firmness. And there are ample
grounds for this impression. They find that they
are sustained with funds from many different
quarters ; not merely from men of similar occupa-
tions to their own, in the surrounding districts,
but from the unions of several trades, who vote
considerable sums from the funds collected for
other purposes to support the men of Preston in
idleness. From these facts it is seen that the con-
flict is no longer merely local, but that it has
assumed a national character, and that, so far as
the working people are concerned, the men of
Preston are regarded as the vanguard of the
" labour army," on whose unflinching resistance
and maintenance of their position the ultimate
victory must mainly, if not altogether, depend.

But while so much is doing on one side, what
counteracting influences are at work on the other?
What support is afforded to the men who arc
bearing the whole brunt of the encounter ?
Nothing, literally nothing, has been done to
sustain the masters who were compelled to close
their establishments in order to prevent the ori-
ginal plan devised by their opponents from being
carried into operation, and individual firms, or
even the masters of an entire district, from being
conquered in detail, and compelled to submit
seriatim to any conditions, however stringent and
humiliating, which the -victors might choose to
dictate.
Early in November we pointed out
the true state of the case,
and the vital im-
portance
of speedily adopting counteracting
measures adequate to the emergency. We
showed that the question was " not merely
one of wages," but that there was a deeper orga-
nisation, and that the objects of the strife were
far more important than was generally known.
An energetic and vigorous demonstration in the
first instance would have sufficed to crush the
combination or conspiracy. But there was no
appearance of a general and organised. defence.
Those more immediately concerned were left to
meet the onslaught as they could. The manufac-
turers of Preston should bear the attack, not
merely of the operatives of Preston, but of those
of the entire Duchy of Lancaster, and, as if that
were not enough, of the various tra des' unions
throughout the length and breadth of the land.
It is true that tardy assistance has been promised.
Even at the eleventh hour it is stated that certain
millowners have agreed to pay five per
cent. on the amount of wages paid to
their respective hands to an auxiliary fund