The Sun.
London, England, 1856-03-13 00:00:00

THE SU t,ON DON, THURSDAY
,EVEN IN 0, MARCH 13, 1856,

despots overreach itself, and the short-sighted
policy of humanitarians ends in greater sufferings
than those it seeks to avert. If the whole brood
of perjured despots, upheld at present by each
other's standing armies, die quietly in their beds
for fifty years longer, it will be evidence of a
future state of retribution enough to convince the
most sceptical. There must be a place somewhere
for such incarnations of the attributes appropriate
to perdition. PnOVIDENCE appears, however, to
deem it necessary to vindicate its present equally
with its future reign. Hence our hope that the
handiwork of Vienna and Paris negotiations may
be shattered before the eyes whick witnessed its
construction.

The monthly Report of the National Sunday
League, adopted on Friday last, and given in
another column, is deserving of thoughtful con-
sideration by all who are iutererted. in the libera-
tion of the working classes from the Judaical
trammels which, alike unwarranted by Revelation

and reason, deprive them of the means of much
innocent enjoyment and intellectual cultivation

by closing the doors of a number of our nationa'

institutions on the only day on which they have

an opportunity to visit them.
The principal lessons to be learned from the
Report are the necessity of greater and more com-
bined effort on the part of the 'masses, and the
nature of the opposition with which they have to
contend, which is shown to be of the most un-

scrupulous sort. Wherever public meetings have
been convened by the League, their success, it will
be seen, has been complete ; and wherever the
Sabbatarian party have been confronted at public
meetings on the subject on anything like fair
terms It has been subjected to defeat. Thus
at Bermondsey ; CALDwEn's Assembly Rooms,
Dean-street, Soho ; and at the Philpott-street
Institution, Commercial-road East, where the
League held important meetings, they carried all
before them. So at Newcastle, Leicester, New-
port, and other places in the provinces.
Oa the other hand, the Sabbatarians were de-
feated at their own meetings in Kentish-town,
Chelsea, Bermondsey, Islington, Farringdon-hall,
City, Hackney, and the Borough. While at
Dover, Huddersfield, and Durham, where the in-
telligent working classes spontaneously encountered
them, resolutions were carried by large majorities
in favour of the objects of the League. A con-
vincing proof of what success might be achieved
throughout the country, if ordinary pains were
taken to give expression to the wishes of the po-
pulation.

As a set-off against these facts, the Sabbatarian
party point to the small number of petitions in
favour of the opening of the British MUSOIMI and
National Gallery, and the comparatively few
signatures attached to them, contrasting these
with the multitudinous petitions and signatures
against it. The fallaciousness of their conclusions
on this head is, however, sufficiently obvious,
even at the first blush. He would indeed be bold
who would undertake to say that Rot more than
18,548 individuals are to be found throughout the
kingdom favourable to the objects of the League,
while the small number of meetings to promote
them palpably testifies to the want of organisation.
On the other hand, when the agencies put in ope-
ration, and the means employed to get up meet-
ings and obtain signatures against the motion of
Sir JOSHUA WALUSLEY are taken into account,
all surprise must cease at the success of the Sab-
batarian party. It was no:c against a spontaneous,
but an organised movelftent—not against fair ar-
gument, but misrepresentation—the League had
to contend. Clerical gentlemen in London, who
carry about w;.'ch them the consciences and the in-
telligence of, the respective religious organisations
to which they bolong—at least in such matters—
took counsel together, and having concocted a
tissue of misrepresentations, despatched secret in-
structions to their tools throughout the country,
and straightway from every pulpit denunciations
were fulminated against the sons of perdition
who dared to menace the sanctity of the Sabbath,
while from every platform where a public meeting
could be packed, arose the cry that the working
man's day of rest was in danger, and if he did not
bestir himself he would shortly have to work on
a Sunday as well as on the other days of the
week. This, however, was not all. Not content
with obtaining a host of signatures by false pre-
tences and intimidation, the children of the Sun-
day schools were invited to record their deliberate
opinions on the motion ; and, in some instances,
there is reason to apprehend, where the result was
unsatisfactory, the fabrication as well as duplica-
tion of signatures was resorted to. A triumph,
however signal, obtained by such means, can only
herald an ignominious defeat. Lot but the ope-
rations of the League be extended, and the nature
of the objects they have in view be brought fairly be-
fore the people, and the tyranny of the Sabbatarian
party, we are persuaded, will speedily be overpast.
Already the interest excited by the poorness of
their case, the means adopted to promote it, and
the signal majority they obtained, is leading the
general public to inquire more deeply into the
subject, and. to the result of that inquiry, if pro-
perly directed, the friends of the League have
every reason to look forward with the utmost
confidence. It requires no extraordinary for.-
sight to recognise in the signal triumph of Sab-
batarianism this session the elements of as signal
a defeat in a succeeding one. Evermore beaten
in argument the weight of numbers will not much
longer servo it.

the exchange wan effected, the of lontiltig, as I
thought, rathat ruefully- after his departed cravaclie,
and Aotnewhat contemptuously at the shabby but
characteristic stick and thong he had received for
it. The signal thus giVoli the *hip trade soon ac-
quired ghat activity. Probably some of the
officers present were ready enough to give a tole-
rably good whip for a bad Cossack one, as a souvenir
of-the day's proceedings and of the commencement
of the armistice. It had been expected that vi-
, dettes would be placed, and that very little freedom
of intercourse would be allowed beyond the bridge
of Traktir, and people at first thought themselves
fortunate in getting over the bridge and having a
good view of the Cossacks and a chat with some
stray Russian officer. Presently, however, as the
morning, which had previously been cold and raw,
advanced, and the sun shone bright and warm, and
the dry, grassy, and shrub-grown plain of the
Tchernaya looked tempting for a canter, officers
began to get restless, and to move away rom the
bridge across a small stream or ditch, and up a
strip of level ground leading to a sort of monu-
ment, a square pedestal of rough stones sur-
mounted by a d •varf pillar, of no particular order
of architecture, and concerning whose origin and
object the Russians, of whom inquiry was made,
could say nothing. Some more Sardinian and
French officers had by this time come down,
but, besides those engaged in the conference and
attached to General Windham's Staff, Ido not
think there were a dozen English officers on the
ground. The general disposition of all seemed to
be to move outwards in the direction of the Rus-

sian lines. People did not know how far they
might go, and accordingly felt their way, cantering
across a bit of level ground, and up a hill, and then
pausing to look about them and reconnoitre the
country and see whether there was any sign of ob-
stacles to further progress. The soil was of a
lighter and more sandy nature than it generally is
found to be within our lines ; in some places it was
rather thickly sprinkled with bushes, saplings, and
tall weeds. Several brace of red-legged partridges
were sprung, some of them so near our horses' feet
that a hunting-whip would have reached them. As
the morning advanced the field grew larger. A.
French General was there with his Staff and seve-
ral French Hussar officers. Numbers of Sardinians
came, but the English were detained in camp by a
muster parade, and many also had been misin-
formed that the meeting of the Generals was not
to take place until 12 or 1. By this time we were
getting far on towards the Russian lines and bat-
teries, when the field began to spread out, some
taking to the right, and getting very near to a COE•
sack vidette, who seemed rather puzzled to account
for the presence of so many strange horsemen with-
in musket shot of his post, and who, after once or
twice beginning to circle in signal fan enemy's
approach, received a reinforcement in the shape of
another Cossack, who rode down the hill as if to
warn the intruders off forbidden ground. An-
other party of gallopers went close up to the
battery known as No. 49, and held communion
with some videttes, with whom they smoked an
amicable cigarette, until a Russian officer came up
and politely informed them in French that his
orders were to allow no one to come any further,
and that he hoped they would retire, which they of
course did. More to the left, a numerous body
of horsemen, followed by a straggling array of
Zouaves, Chasseurs, Bersagheri, and other in-
fantry soldiers, who had made their way to the
ground, rode up to the ridge just-below the spur
of the hill to tho south-east of Inkernian. Hero
they were very near the Russian pickets, and,
within particularly convenient shot of various bat-
teries, had these thought proper to open, and there
most of them paused, for to go further really looked
like abusing the good-nature of the enemy, who
thus allowed us to profit by the conference to enjoy
a ride further into the Russian territory than any
one has been since this camp was formed, and to
take a near view of their positions and defences.
Only half-a-dozen adventurous and inqusitive spirits
pushed ahead, and seemed as if they intended
charging a Russian battery, and the videttes began
to move uneasily about in this direction also, when
up came a Sardinian Staff officer at full speed, his
blue plume streaming in the wind, and gave chase to
the forward gentlemen, shouting to them toreturn.
They, seeing themselves thus cut off in the rear,
and perhaps to avoid a rebuke, made a retrograde
flank movement, escaped their pursuer, and rejoined
the main body ; and, as orders were now given
that no one should go further, a return towards
the bridge became pretty general. The horses,
long accustomed to sink to the fetloch in horrid.
Balaklavan and Sebastopolian mire, seemed to en-
joy the change to the firm, springy turf beyond
the Tchernaya ; more partridges were sprung, to
the immense tantalisation of some there present,
who would have given a month's pay for a day's
shooting over such ground; some 'hares were also
started, and one of them was vigorously pursued
by a subaltern of a sporting turn, whose baggage
pony, however, was soon left far in the rear by
puss's active bounds. On reaching the bridge a
halt was again called round the group of Cossacks,
and all eyes were fixed on the two neat blue and
white-striped tents, with awnings over their en-
trances. Some of the generals were standing out•
side, and it was evident the conference was draw-
ing to a close. A short delay ensued, which I per-
ceived that the Cossack corporal availed himself of
to exchange his Sardinian whip for a much better
French one, the receiver of the former doubtless
imagining he had secured a genuine Russian
article. Then cocked hats and feathers were seen
moving among the horses near the tents ; or-
derlies and escorts mounted ; the Cossacks did the
same, and presently English, French, Sardinian,
and Russian Generals and Staff rode over the bridge
and between a double line formed by the spectators.
General Tirnoieff, a soldierly-looking man of agree-
able physiognomy, rode:first, and smilingly returned
the salutes with which he was received. General
Windham was close beside him, a little in rear.
There was an escort of French Chasseurs-a-Cheval
and a small one of the 11th Hussars, and the, big
horses and tall well-fed men of the latter strikingly
contrasted with the puny, although hardy steeds,
and with the meagre frames of the Cossacks, who
seemed to regard them with some wonderment,
while the Hussars glanced at them as if they
thought that one squadron of theirs would have an
easy bargain of half a dozen sotnias of such antago-
nists. The cortege proceeded a short distance into
the plain, and then the allied portion of it took
leave of " nos amis les ennemis," and retraced
their steps to the bridge. They had passed over
it, and the crowd of spectators was following, when
they were met by a throng of officers from the
English camp, coming down to see the fun, which,
unfortunately, was over. Nevertheless, they were
pressing forward across the bridge, and would
doubtless, had they been allowed, have ridden
up to the Bilboquet battery, or across to
Mackenzie's Farm, for it is an axiom out
here that nothing will stop an English infantry
officer, mounted on his favourite baggager ; but a
French staff captain, seeing what was likely to ensue
ordered the sentries to allow no one to cross the
bridge. As WO rude up the ravine between the two
mamelons which witnessed such sharp fighting on
the 17th of August last we met scores more of
English officers coming down, only to be turned
back. There were still a great number of the allied
officers and soldiers scattered over the valley, but
doubtless they will all have returned to our lines
without annoyance, judging from the indulgence
and courtesy shown throughout the morning by
theßussians to ramblers somewhat beyond bounds.
The General officers who met to-cloy were—Gene
ral Thnoieft, Chief of the Staff of the .4:th Corps of
the Russian army, which is in front, and furnishes
the advanced posts ; Generals de Martircprey and
Windham and Colonel Count Petitti, Chiefs Of the
Staffs of the French, English, and Sardinian armieSe
The three latter were deputed by their Generals-in-
Chief to present the proposals of armistice which
these had discussed and decided upon. Their mis-
sion extended no further, and General Timoieff,
not being authorised to accept those proposals,
without referring them to his General-in-Chief,
merely took a copy of them, which he will trans-
mit to General Luders, who is said to be now close
at hand. It is probable, therefore, that there will
be another interview for the definitive arrange-
ment of the terms.
Altogether there were a good number of Russian
officers at and near Traktir-bridge to-day. Some
of them were strolling by twos and threes in the
fields at a short distance beyond, and when these
were descried there was usually a register charge
down upon them by the allied officers, eager to
make their acquaintance. Their manner was
generally grave and rather reserved, but they cos -
versed readily, and all had the tone and appear-
ance of well-bred men. Some of them were very
young. There was one youth of 18, who named
to us the regiment of Hussars in which he was an
officer, and seemed knowing about horses, pointing
out the English ones from among the French,
Italians, and Arabs that stood around. All—ca-
valry as well as infantry, and the General an his
Staff—wore the long uniform great-coat of a d soli
of brown and grey mixture, and seemed to have
no other insignia of rank than the different colours
and lace of the shoulder strap. There was also a
difference of fineness in the cloth of their coats
from that of the soldiers, but this at a very short
distance was not apparent. The Staff wore white
kid gloves, and I noticed some of them with smart
patent leather boots--elegances rarely seen in our
part of the Crimea.
To return to yesterday's explosions :—The White
Buildings blown up were formerly barracks, and
form the north and west sides of a- square, whose
third side is merely a wall. Within this square (to
which the forth side it wantipg) were buildings of
'