The Liverpool Standard, and General Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1854-11-21 00:00:00

was not effectei

vat as, under the circumstanc

however, that the resources at his command were
inadequate for the defence of the lower range,
withdrew his forces, and concentrated them on the

precipitous heights, thus making a narrower bu

more defensible line of communication between the

besieging operations and the head-quarters, near

Laklava

On the following day (the 26th), the garrison

attempted a sortie, and a large Russian force,
including cavalry, infantry, and artillery, amount-
ing, it is said, to about 7,000 men, moved out of
Sebastopol and attacked the second division of the
English besiegers, under Gen. Sir D. EVAN s.
The latter was speedily assisted by the batteries of
the first division, some regiments of the fourth
division, and also a party of French; and after a

smart engagement the Russians were completely
defeated, and pursued in their flight towards the
head of the bay, leaving 80 prisoners in the hands

From the 26th of October until the sth c

November we have no certain intelligence, except

such as is afforded by telegraphic messages, until
the despatch of Lord RAGLAN, which has also
come by telegraph, relates briefly the events of
that day. It would appear, however, that the
firing of the besiegers continued until, according
to some accounts, Sebastopol was reduced to a
heap of ruins, the defence being conducted with an
obstinacy of determination not to surrender, and a
sistance.for which we were not inclined
Russians credit. It is stated that
Captain FELLOWES, with a flag of truce, had an
interview with General GORTSCHAKOFF, in the

vigour of

valley of Balaklava, on the 28th of October. The
object was to ascertain particulars of the los

if the Russians would allow him to communicate
with the English prisoners. He was also in-
structed to obtain permission to bury the dead who

might have been left in front of the Russian lines.
The Russian officer only acknowledged to having
two British officers captive—Lieut. CLOWES, of the
Bth Hussars, and Cornet CHADWICK, of the 17th
Lancers, both of whom were wounded, though not
To the latter part of the missive the
Russian replied that they were Christians, and
had buried the dead. We are also informed by

seriously

another despatch, received through Paris, that it
had been decided that the assault on Sebastopol
should be made on Sunday, the sth of November,
the day on which the engagement took place with
an enormous body of Russians, who were com-
pletely defeated with the loss of many thousands

of men, as mentioned in the telegraphic despatch
from Lord RAGLAN. This engagement took place
with Russian troops which had been brought up
with the Archdukes MICHAEL and NicrroLAs,
with the view of compelling the Allies to raise the
siege ; but, notwithstanding the disparity of num-

barism. Subsequent reports confirm the impres-
sion that the discomfiture of the enemy had been
so complete as to paralyse their exertions for seve-
ral days, during which the French were actively
engaged in fortifying their position and erecting
fresh batteries.

It would appear, from all the accounts we have
received, that the Russians have displayed a brute
energy of action, coupled with a certain amount of
military skill, which have rendered the capture of
Sebastopol by no means an easy task. There is also
this consideration, that the EMPEROR OF Russia
has, in all his warlike operations, displayed a reck-
lessness of human life which, combined with his
immense resources as far as numbers are con-
cerned, will, as reinforcements can be made avail-
able, render the losses they experience in battle a
minor calamity to that felt by the Allied Forces,
whose men are more valuable. We are not in-
clined, however, to endorse the desponding tone
assumed by The Times, which enters into a laboured
hypothesis in order to show that a series of vic-
tories, in which the numbers of killed and wounded
should be at the rate of two Russians to one of the
Allies, would, by the end of the year, annihilate the
latter. We are not content even to estimate pro-
babilities after this fashion, though we would not
wish to underrate the importance, and, indeed, the
necessity of despatching powerful reinforcements
to the Crimea, a course which the Government
seem to be adopting with all convenient speed, as
the best of our merchant steam-ships are being
taken up for the transport of troops, and, for the
first time, the regularity of the Cunard line of
steamers from this port to New York will be inter-
fered with. It should not be forgotten that,
however numerous may be the hordes of human
machines which make up the Russian army,
the means of conveying them in any con-
dition to the extreme of the Crimea is far more
difficult, and requires much longer time than the
means possessed by the Allies, who have the com-
mand of the ocean, and the best of steam-ships in
almost unlimited number. Long before the Rus-
SIAN EMPEROR could move a body of troops, with
the requisite materiel; across his unwieldy empire,
we could people the Crimea with soldiers ; and the
great secret of success is, to do this so effectually
in the first instance that the issue of the contest is
placed at once beyond a doubt. The greatest
difficulty with which we have to contend is the
magnitude of the pecuniary burden, which is felt
by all ; but so thoroughly are the people of this
country embued with the conviction of the impor-
tance of humbling the ambitious pretensions of
Russia, that an appeal to the vox populi by uni-

versal suffrage would result in an overwhelming
majority, for prosecuting the war at any cost, and
at any hazard, until complete victory be achieved.
We must not, however, lose sight of the fact

that, while the pecuniary resources of Great Britain
may be considered almost inexhaustible, both
money and credit being ample, despite all the
complaints of tightness in the money . market,
France has considerably greater resources in men
well practised in military exercises. In this, how-
ever, we are not deficient ; for if the call were
made to raise an army of gentlemen volunteers,
the ranks would speedily be filled up ; but France
can raise thousands to our hundreds. It is,
therefore, a question worthy of consideration,
whether arrangements might not be made by which
England should furnish transports, ammunition,
and other necessaries for contingents of French
troops, and thus unite in supplying the resources
according as each nation possesses the

of wax
abundance.
The contest has now been brought such a

the conveyance (

d the British a

American Royal Mail Steam-

.ularity of the communication with

aterfered with, in Ord,

of the puhl

has, for some time, bee
vice. The Europa I

East. The Niag

soon as

New York

ided for

le refitted, be disp

destination ; and the Arabia, w

Saturday next, has

This large draft upon t

ly led to an alt

to the United States

ation o:

vessel of tl

The Cambria

th troop.

I to ti

,e Cunard Company until t

when the America will be dispatched to Halifax and
Boston. It will also be seen that the arrangements of
the Collins' Line are to be altered, so that, after next weel
their vessels will sail to New Y
days with the Cunard vessels to Halifax and Bostm

k on at

this means the Government will ha
am-shins ; and ti

verd powerful st

ate Satur-

I arran