The Sun.
London, England, 1856-02-25 00:00:00

LATEST NEWS.

MARSEILLES, SUNDAY.

The Thabor has arrived from Constantinople ;
her dates are—from the Crimea, the 12th ; Con-

stantinople, the 14th inst.
The firman conceding their rights to the Chris-
tian subjects of the Porte has been signed, and
will be speedily published.
A commercial and financial crisis was much feared
in the Turkish capital. The Journal de Constanti-
nople asserts that the panic is ungrounded and
exaggerated. There has been an enormous fall in
merchandise of all sorts among the wholesale
dealers. Many articles have fallen 50 per cent. in
the retail price.

The Presse d 'Orient says that the people de-
mand a State Bank for the regulation of the ex-
change, which has fallen 15 and 20 per cent.
The Divan has not yet arranged the Rothschild
affair.

OA the 11th of Feb. Fort Alexander (in Sebas-
topol) was blown up and entirely destroyed.
In the Crimea the weather was mild, and the
health of the troops excellent.

Marshal Pelissier is about to return to France.
General Martimprey had arrived.

The Northern forts keep up an ineffectual fire.
Several gunboats, from Kinbourn, which bad
sustained damage from the ice, have come into
Kamiesch for repairs.
The English army is much dissatisfied at the
prospect of peace.

Ismail Pacha is sent into Asia to replace Omer
Pacha, whose conge is reported to be decided on.

An order of the day by Sir William Codring-
ton, dated Balakiava, orders all officers to prepare
their equipments in marching order.
Mr. Murray is said to be at Bagdad.

COPENHAGEN, SUNDAY.

The Great Belt is free from ice.

THE BRITISH ARMY IN THE CRIMEA.
(From the Special Correspondent of the Morning Herald.)
CAMP „BEFORE SEBASTOPOL,
TUESDAY, FEB. 12.
DESTRUCTION OF FORT ALEXANDER.
The post leaves for England to-day, and the in-
ward mail is hourly expected at the English head-
quarters. Will the news be peace or war ? Such is
the question in every one's mouth ; and, I assure
you, the most intense anxiety is felt on the subject.
Meanwhile, the sound of heavy guns rings in our
ears ; the Russians have everywhere increased their
fire of late, and the allies have not been idle. I rode
into Sebastopol yestorday with Lieutenant Andre,
of the French Artillery, and then had the pleasure
of seeing another Russian fort mount heavenward.
Yes, Fort Alexander—which faces Fort Constan-
tine at the entrance of the harbour of Sebastopol—
was destroyed yesterday, as Fort St. Nicholas had
been but a few days before, as well as the docks.
These are three very heavy blows for the Musco-
vites, and a fourth is probably in preparation.
Looking into the harbour from the Greek Battery,
the English occupy the right or east shore, and the
French the left or west. These shores are con-
nected by a floating bridge. At the west end
of this, and lying on the strand, are hundreds
of l'ood anchors, which yesterday the French were
removing by all sorts of means and appliances.
'Twas a difficult job, but they managed it well.
The Russian guns had already been taken out of
the town, and many of them subsequently shipped
at Kamiesh for France. The anchors are now to
follow, and then little will remain on the French
side worth removal. But our allies point to the
east side, near Fort St. Paul, in ruins, and ask why
the goodly range of buildings yet standing there
are not blown up by the English ? I cannot, of
course, answer the question,,but in that particular
quarter there are certainly many edifices it would
be well to level with the earth. The French have
yet another explosion to effect ; that of the orenel-
lated wall, forming the most westerly encieute of
Sebastopol. They, are at work upon. this ; and
down it must come in a day or two. The appearance
of Sebastopol will then puzzle its oldest inhabitant
when permitted to return to it. He will be a
clever Russian who can discover the ruins of his for-
mer abode. Such a scene of wreck was probably
never witnessed before. Stones and bricks still
remain, it is true ; but roofs, rafters, doors, floors,
window frames, stoves, grates, hinges, andiron in
every shape, have all disappeared, to bo worked
up in camp, as required, for the huts or feuts of
the soldiery and their officers. While on the sub-
ject of Sebastopol, I regret to have to record that
M. Charles, the late Commandant of Artillery in
that place, an able and popular officer, has, after
so long escaping the shot and shell of the enemy,
fallen with his horse on the Kamiesh road, and
unfortunately had his leg broken. He is doing
well. I may here add, that when Fort St. Nicholas
was blown up the other day, the Russians opened
fire from the north side, and a shell bursting
through the roof of a house killed two English-
men, who were assisting in removing rafters for
fuel. These accidents occur not unfroquently.
I am strongly of opinion you will shortly hear
of a little serious fighting on the Tchernaya, and
near Traktir. The French expect the Russians to
make a strong sortie in that direction. The enemy
has certainly erected another battery, under the
Mackenzie Heights, which must be taken at the
point of the bayonet, or the French second division
(Gen. Camou's) must shift its quarters, and fall
back. The Russians have already thrown shell
among the tents of part of this division. This
coming attack on the Russian battery is not a mere
rumour. I have excellent authority for announc-
ing it ; and another week of improving weather,
such as we have experienced yesterday and to-day
will enable troops to move, effectively. Our Cri-
mean mud is fortunately decreasing " for a time."
Not a single case of cholera exists in the army at
this moment, a very agreeable fact to record. The
men are amazingly healthy.
Balls and amateur theatricals tend to increase
their enjoyment ; and by amusing the mind keep
up the health of the body better than any medi-
cines, whether prescribed by Hall or Holloway.