Washington sentinel., 1853-11-16
The Eastern Question.

1
| The news from the east is important, but the ac-
| counts so uncertain and contradictory that II
is difficult TO decide what is the real aspect OF the
case. We give below extracts from the English
papers, which will show the progress and changes
| Of affairs from day 10 day.
The Reported Battle between the Turks
4 and Russians.--Some time since Omar Pacha
sent notice TO the Russian commander that, if
armed Russian vessels approached TOO near the
| Turkish batteries, they should be fired into. To.
| this message Gortschakof returned for answer
that il the Russian vessels were fired into, they
| would return the fire. Accordingly, on the 23d
ult, Russian hotilla, consisting OF two armed
steamers, towing eight gun.boais, attempted to as
cend the river, from the Sulina basin TO higher
point of the river the declaration Of war by Tur-
key, and the avowed intention of Omar Pacha to
| cross the Danube having rendered their presence
necessary to support the main body of the Rus
| slams.
| On coming abreast OF the Turkish battery they
| were summoned to stop, but not needing the sum
mons, were promptly fired into, and as promptly
returned the compliment. As before mentioned
| some ten or fifteen Of the Russians were killed
and fifty more put hors de combat. The Turkish
| loss is not stated, but was probably few or none,
| although stray shell set fire TO the fort. The
| steamers crowded on steam, and badly damaged,
managed TO make their way up the river beyond
| the range Of the Turkish missiles. lsaktchi is
| midway between the point of confluence of the
Pruth and Danube and that part where the latter
river divides into the branches that enclose the
| neutral territory.
/ An account says that the fotilla when fired into
was from Ismael, and was attempting to place IL
1 self in communication with lbraila, a port in Wal
lachia, situate on the left bank of the river.
1 THE REPORTED ARMsTIcE.-The following is
the dispatch upon which the report was founded:
| ''VIESA, Friday Epening, 2ssh
"There is reason to believe that an armistice
| has been concluded between the Turkish and
/ Russian armies. The intelligence of Russian hos.
| tile operations on the Lower Danube, on the 23d,
is contradicted by the Oesterrechtsehs Corespo',-
1 denx.n
| The Patrie careful TO say" We mention
this report, subject TO every reservation" 7" All
| the information and all the correspondence that
has reached Paris conlradcts this dispatch, which
i we only mention on account of the importance
that has been attached 10 it. In fact no one can
i trace the rumor further than Vienna.
| The London Morning Chronicle puts the dis
| patch in this yet more important shape " Con-
stantnople, Oct. 2lst.-The Porte having heard
| of new project Of compromise being negotiated.
has suspended the commencement of hostlties
| for the present"
! To this is added, under date Vienna, Sunday,
| Both. Yesterday the new projet arrived here
| from London, and was sent to Constantinople. II
| consists Of the Vienna note deprived Of the OBJ
jectonable passages, which, remodelled render
| the Turkish notifications superfnons, and being
| agreeable TO the Olmutz concessions, will satisfy
| Russia. The present armistice has been obtained
IN connection herewith, Turkey is expected to
Il .
The London Daily Nescs is possibly near the
/ truth in saying:
g In all possibility, instead Of any formal armis-
tice few days more were, at the instance of the
Sultan, allowed to Prince Gortschakof TO receive
orders from st. Petersburg, before Omar Pacha
was finally advised to begin offensive operations
on large scale. That is our Interpretation of the
armistice story"
This view Of the case is strongly corroborated
by the following telegraphic dispatch, the mpor
tance Of which appears TO have been overlooked
but which is Important and true" The Turks
hare crossed The Danube. This highly important
information is telegraphed crcumstantially to an
/ extra Of the London Morning Chronicle Of 1st
instant.
Thirty thousand infantry and four hundred
cavalry under the orders of Omer Pacha, passed
the Danube at Kalafat on the 27h October.
great number more were in the act Of crossing
From ortova another dispatch mentions that the
I Danube had been crossed.
4 "And from other sources we learnthat the Rus.
SLAMS had evacuated Kalafat, evidently with the
4 intention OF drawing the Turks from their strong
j position, and bringing them to battle in the open
plain, with the Danube in their rear"
--latest Inteligence-By Telegraph from Lon.
4 don to Lire,pooL-The following important tele-
| graphic despatch was brought over by the purser
Of the Baltic, w. H. A. Carey, and was received
in Liverpool, from London, at the hour of the Bal
tics sailing:
i LONDON, Wednesday, Norember 2, 1853
The Times, in leading article, says: "There
is no reason TO doubt, that on the 9th Of October
5000 Turkish infantry and 2,400 cavalry crossed
the Danube and occupied Kalafat, and that q large
number of troops were still passing over in barges
when this news was dispatched.
4 "The Russians were gathering on the point at
tackled and il was expected that collision would
take place on the 2sth. For the moment there is
an end to notes and diplomatic conference. Omar
Pacha's movement appears the extremity Of rash
ness, but he is probably forced TO move in order
to preserve the authority of his relation to the
troops" After the ferocity Of the hostile nations
has been satisfied by the sanguinary offering of
useless and objectess battle, il may perhaps be
possible to reassert the claims of justice and hu-
manity. Whatever may be the result of this con-
test it cannot alter the duty of the western pow
ers in this emergency.
4 "Whsther Omar Pacha be successful or whether
he driven back, we are equally bound 10 maintain
the rights of Turkey, Let the war go as il will,
4 England and France can never permit Russia to
reap the fruits of her duplicity and violence Il
will not discharge France and ourselves from the
duty of preventing these fine countries from falling
under the heavy yoke and graspng ambition Of
the Gear. Victors or vanquished, the Turkshave
still the same right and claim on the western
! powers and we do not doubt continues the
| Times, that the same language will be held by
| them whether the first operation Of the war shall
| terminate in victory or defeat to our allies.
/ 1--WE sincerely trust that the efforts which will
no doubt be employed to light from this con1agra-
| ton the fame Of civil dscord throughout Europe
| may fail of success, and that diplomacy may ex-
tingush the fire before it be the means of setting
| the continent in blaze.
| s'At any rate shall have the satisfaction of
thinking that no efforts on part have been
wanting to stem the tide Of hostile passions, and
if we are forced at last to enter the conflict our.
selves it will only be after having used every
| conceivable means TO avoid it."
| The other morning papers contain a dispatch
from Semlin, (obscure0 received in Paris stating
| that 10000 Turks crossed the Danube on the 2Sth
October, near Widdin, and occupied Kalafat
which had been evacuated by the Russians. No
encounter took place
Bribery In Russia.--In work, Nordisrhen
Biide,,, by Edward Osenbruggen, just published in
Germany, there is curious story, illustrative Of
the course OF Russian justice, Of which the follow
| ing is a translation
"a young man, in the department at Moscow
became heir to,a large manor. neighboring pro.
prietor took advantage of the young mans inexpe.