Weekly national intelligencer., 1854-11-04


the influence of the same considerations which in
duce their friends here to adjourn success, to settle
the conclusion that the capture of the place by
imrractcabe and that the only mode Of reducing it
by siege and famine The facts upon which opinions
are to be based simply these The battle Of Alma,
though certainly great battle in view of the number and
gaanry Of the force both sides and the sacrifice Of
human life which sgnalized it, great battle in
view Of its effects promoting the ends of the campaign
1t not in other words, great victory In the terri
BILE conflict of physical forces which took place Goth
September the banks of the Alma the Allies proved
little the stronger they remained in possession Of the
field. The Russians retreated in good order, carrying
with them many of their wounded and all their artillery
(some Of which was heavy.) They took up position
few miles from the Of action in the interior whittier
the Allies did not deem it expedient follow them This
was by no utter and disastrous rout In the
absence Of thousands Of prisoners and hundreds Of
nons and numerous standards, which the usual
eria trophies Of great victories the Allies fecitat
ing themselves upon the profound Generalization ofthe
Russian forces which they to have been the chief
effect of the battle Of Alma The Russians forsooth are
utterly discouraged and dshearened and for those
material bagaeles Of prisoners cannons and standards
the Allies could have gotten any quantity Of them they
had only had cavalry and hose best troops in the word
vaunted Decentralization Of the Russian troops in the
Crmea is probably exaggerated is eyinced by few or
no authentic facts corroboratg the assertions of the gem
erals and journals Of the Allies Since the departure Of
the Allies from the northern side Of Sebastopo to Balak-
lava the SOUTH the Russians under Prince Menschikof
have returned and established themselves in force under
the walls Of Sebastopol the north. There they
awaiting renforcements and the operations Of the enemy
The Allies themselves, since the taking possession of Ba
akava have been busy engaged in preparations for the
bombardment Of the fortress Great quantities of their
heavy siege artillery like that which knocked pieces
the walls of Bomarsund in the Baltic have been landed
and placed in position. despatch from Lord RAGLAN,
dated October g. which reaches via Vienna states that
at that date these preparations in such advanced
state that it might be expected the bombardment would
commence in few days." The English and French pa
pers speak Of that capital operation of the Russians the
sinking Of large shpsowar at the mouth of the
port of Sebastopo thus making it impossible for the
mics fleets to enter proof Of the despair and demo-
ralzaton" Of the beseged. This to an impartial
observer most unwarrantable inference. The import
of st operation in military point of view de-
monstrated most papaby by the fact that it Immediately
deranged the Allies original plan Of attack causing it to
be totally abandoned for another Baak
va the opposite he southern side of the fortress
Besides it is believed that while ngress into the port Of
Sebastopo is made impossible for the Allied eets egress
by single passage, known only to themselves,
remains open the Russians But admitting the
passage be totally blocked up, that egress and ngress
alike impraccable still it must be considered not
act Of despair but one Of strict good policy indicating
resoue purpose to defend themselves gaant and the
last extremty for where after ALL would the Russian
ships that remain be safe in the harbor of Sebasto
pol? Ithey escaped from Sebastopol they could
cape from the Black Sea- 1t would be madness or
despair that would induce them to seek combat with
the superior Allied fleets If Sebastopo be taken the
Russian feet viii be sunk captured it is true but if
it could get out its capture and destruction would only
be delayed few days 1t would be smplya question of
time There is other port in the Black Sea that could Of
fordt protection The Allies would only put the
bic Of hunting it up and destroying it pecemeal Both
sides in the Crmea expecting reinforcements We
have daily troops and stores embarked for the
East from the south Of France. The English too are
vigorously filing by recruits and volunteers the nu
voids made in their gallant battalons by disease
and the enemy in the field. We have any reliable in
formation touching the actual number of the Russians
der Prince Menschiko the amount of that may
be sent to him. The garrsons abandoned forts
the coast of Crmea may certainly reach him and from
Odessa, whence the most important might be sent
to Sebastopol is but march of three weeks. So much
time has been consumed by the Allies in the preparatory
arrangements for the siege that renorcements may
rive in time to enable the Russians to seriously embarrass
their subsequent operations The taking of Sebastopol may
be retarded too if prevented by another fact, of
which Admiral DuNDAs informs in of his reports,
(that dated 23d September) The Russians not it
seems, in the Black Sea, they at Bomarsund in
the Baltic totally unproyided with those guns of long
range upon which much reliance placed One Of his
vessels, told off Sebastopol fred upon from
the fort while nearly 1000 metres 1.-TWO and half miles)
out to sea- and two balls passed her. The Russians
will hare time place all such guns that they have in pro-
proposition play upon besiegng ofthe enemy
that is ascertaned that nothing to be apprehend
ed from the sea- In ne it would be very surprising to
any but those who promptly and confidently welcomed
fortnight since those reports Of the fall of Sebasopol
if the 1s November witnessed the Russian flag still
floating over its walls.
All oil Paris is agog again, and my ears as write
being stunned again with the big guns Of the va
des. They are being fred however not account of
the fall Of Sebastopo but of him who expected be- and
who for few days believed to be- its captor These
funeral guns honor Of the late Marshal ST. ARNAUD
His body reached Paris this morning and now being
deposited beneath the dome Of the nvades with the mi
litary display and funeral pomp befttng his rank by
special decree Of the Emperor mentioned in my
last letter By the way ventured last week express
the opinion that though not struck by ball bayonet at
the battle Of Alma the Marshal Saint Arnaud ought in
justice to be mentioned among the killed and wounded of
that sanguinary battle; that the revusion Of feel
ing the disappointment consequent upon the conviction
there acquired that he not to enter Sebasopol in
umph he expected that overcame the strong