Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1854-10-24
THE RICHMOND ENQUIRER.
TURsOAv, OCTOBER -, 1871.
CONTEST IN THE CRlMEA.

IA CltN1ESl 1N
The contradictory rumors ahoa' throughout L."
rome, will scarcely justify any very positive /" P.'"s
,,a,.n.ut Of the exploits and relative lo'''io's vi lit
b,lI;o.rent armies in the Criu,aa. IL IL c'''ccueo una
N. story q: the unparalleled successes "i Inc a'"eS
,nd the fall of Scvastop"l. il fabulous OUT Tile re-
,uctapce of the British Press to retreat from theH
,r,,d position of boas.ful conidonce, and to dispci
the visions of glory which frscinGte the popular mind
of ENGLAND, and sustain the fortunes oil II sinking
Ministry, leaves Ills still in doubt rs TO the further "le'
rations and probable issue Of the campaign. a care
full comparison Of the tatement from various sources
and an analysis OF the most authentic iHteiIisehec'
satisfy u. that the achievements OF the allies anu tue
Losses of the Russians have been ludicrousiy cSaSSe-
rated.
We must hear in mind that nj the tateInen are
es partc, and that even the official deSpa'cheS u Il
French and British commanders, arc c"ioreu ny
vanity and prejudice, and adapted 10 polticai pu:-
noses. The proverbial inc.edihhity of bulletins should
teach Ia caution in accepting the brief anu gcner"i
messages of Raglan AMI st. Arnaud. lhey cSasS'r-
ate their exploits and say nothing OF rererses' WHEN
,hs accounts OF both parties are before us we Ha!
approximate the truth, bu: here we have the s1"'c-
ueut only of one side. We must therefore suspend
our iui-ment, or else make up n corjcctural OPINION
WI Su 49,
by careful analysis of conflicting rumors, and by II
large reduction from extravaganza statements.
According to our Interpretation of the intelligence
ny the africa, th:. is the s:cte of things in the Crlinea.
On the 2J:h of September, the allies drove the
Russians from their entertainments on the heights "'
the Alma, after u desperate struggle, in which the loss
ON the one side was about equal to nint al Tie "'her'
The Russians effected their retreat with order and de-
liberation III tue direction of Scvnst"p"i' Inc A''ts
advanced, and, perhaps, gained other successes 'hous"
OF no very decisive character. Alter throwing re-h'
force,nep,, into Sevastopol, Menschituf, with the rest
OF his army, fell back into tho interior, With the view "i
harassiug the enemy during the pr"gre's"i The siege
Meanwhile the Allies proceeded to invest Se'astopo'
and possibly they have cut of all communication be-
tween Mensch;kotf and the garrison. \" ship had
beca DESTROYED, 10 redoubt taken even, much less
has any fort capitu!ntel. JUDGED, no assault was
mode upon tho place, il being the manifest design Of
the Allies, not to attempt a comp de man, but TO reduce
the fortress. by regular scige. This We take to be the
actual posture Of affairs on tho 18th OF September
ina date Of the latest intelligence from the theatre OF
war.
As to the probable result Of the seige, we dissent
toto colo from the prevalent opinion that Seras'opol
will be taken during ;iie campaign. The Russian
Government was advised Of the contemplated eXpe-
dition 10 the Crimea months before the sailing OF the
Allied feet from Varpa, and it is absurd IL suppose
that snv precaution essential 70 the defence OF Seves-
topol has been neglected.. The place is!ally cnrrisoned,
and provisioned for q lols seige. lis defence IL IN
trusted to Prince Meuschikoi, the aOiest and mos,
resolute lnsu in the Russiaa service. The battle Vi
the Alma, US Represented by British writers. at,ests
the courage and fidelity Of The Russian army. The
patient endurance and iavireib'e resolution Of the
Russian soldier will be signally illustrated III defend
ing the soil of his country FROM suhjugation by
a foreign army. 1t is manifest that Menschikotf has
adopted the wisest aud most effective method OF de-
fence; for, by dividing his forces, lac will diininirh the
draurht On the resources OF the garrison, while he
will interrupt the operations CT the enemy by bang
ing upon their rear and cutting of their supplies. a
Co,sack Hoffman and the garrison of Anapa, are
marching TO his relief; and if it be true that Luders
and Ostcp-Sacken have entered the Crlnlea with titty
thousand troops, The allies will he forced to raise
the siege and reti-e to their feet, II indeed they Will
n, able 10 eG.c, a retreat and enbarkation with such
an immense pressure upon their rear. Tho fact that
the allies have drawn upon Earna for achievements
aud have requested Omer Pacha 10 move in the d-
rcc,ion of the Crimea, shows that they regard their
position as critical and unsafe.
We know that some British writers speak lightly
of the defsnces Of Sevastopol but Hi American gen'
,lemsn of reputation and high position VIII" examined
irs FORTH cations in the course of the last summer, pro-
nounce. them to be almost impresnable. That they
will withstand the assaults Of the enemy until the gar
rison is relieved by reinforcenents, is quite as Proba.
bio as that they will be captured by the allies. The
fall of Sevastopol would involve not only the loss OF
the Crimca, but the overthrow Of Russian power III
the East. We may be sure, therefore, that every en-
ersy OF the Russian character and every resource OF
the Russian empire, will be brought to bear in its de-