The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-12-06 00:00:00

or not

IF the question were asked of the most attentive
reader of the daily reports from the seat of war be-
tween Russia and Turkey, of the present state of
affairs between those belligerent powers, he would
find it difficult, if not impossible, to frame a satisfac-
tory answer. The tenor of many of these de-
spatches may be thus stated :—" A telegraphic de-
spatch has just been received from Vienna, with in-
telligence from the seat of war, contradicting the
report which was received yesterday." At one
time we are told that a Russian steamer was at-

tacked b 3 a Turkish ship of war in the Black Sea,
and captured after a smart encounter ; and a day
or two after we are gravely informed that the ad-
venture did take place, but that it was a Turkish
steamer which was captured by the Russians.
Again, the news arrives of a great victory gained by

the Turkish troops under OMAR PASHA over the
Russian artily ; shortly afterwards it transpires

that the Turks were fighting with sharpshooters
behind entrenchment

cl in a few days mor

have the intelligence that the vict

evacuated all the province of Wallachia, with the
exception of Kalafat, and that the defeated Rus-
sians are in full possession of the field. This has

barely made an impression on English credulity

when we hear once more of the advance of the

Turks, and fierce contests for the possession of an
island in the middle of the Danube, ending in the
Russians retaining it. The intelligence as to ar-

rangements for future operations are in no way
more satisfactory. One day the EMPEROR. of Rus-

SIA. is anxious for peace, and willing to listen to any
reasonable proposals, and the next he is sending to
the northern extremity of his empire for immeuse
reinforcements, determined to overwhelm his
infidel opponents, and make himself master of
Europe. Perhaps the safest course, amidst such a
Babel of contradictory intelligence, would be to

believe in none of it, but attribute all the despatches
marked " important" to some ingenious writer of
fiction at the other end of the .telegraphic wires,

who is amusing himself by supplying the English
people with " news" at this dull season of the year,
when there is nothing moving but stagnation. We

may, however, give so much credence to the reports
as to believe that several skirmishes have taken
place between the advanced posts of the Russian
and Turkish troops, with various success, the Turks
having found themselves unable to expel the Rus-
sians from Wallachia, and yet strong enough to
prevent the enemy crossing the Danube to the
Turkish side ; a movement, however, which the
latter do not seem to have yet attempted. In the

mean time, trade is carried on as usual under
neutral flags, and the principals in the affair may,
perhaps, be quietly negotiating the terms of settle-
ment, without reference to a question of such minor
importance as the loss of a few soldiers. The
EMPEROR OF RUSSIA is not very careful of the
lives of his troops where he has an object of political
ambition to gain ; and it is well known that the
SULTAN OF TURKEY was prevented from conceding
the note agreed to by the Conference at Vienna, on
account of the warlike enthusiasm of his Mahometan
soldiers, who left him no alternative but a declara-
tion of war or abdication. He has gratified them
so far without any sacrifice of political power, and
when their rage has been sufficiently cooled by the
blood-letting of Russian bayonets, and an immense
amount of indignation has been wasted on the
apathy of England, in not rushing at once into the
fray, and involving all Europe in the horrors of
war, we may hear that the good offices of the
EMPEROR OF AUSTRIA have been accepted, that
the SULTAN OF TURKEY has agreed to such a note
as will satisfy his sense of national honour, and
that, thereupon, the EMPEROR OF RUSSIA has con-
sented to withdraw his troops from the Danubian
provinces.

;lations

the other emar

from these. coml

lumiliation

disco 4(

ait, and. further. degradation. What, even while