The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1854-12-23
Interesting Letter from France.
Letter from an intelligent and highly reYccm,
5le american syowning im France

prospects, They are much worse than ap
pears in the published accounts, both official
aud private. The losses of the Allies arc fear
fuI, particularly III the British army. The
Russians single out the latter in their attacks
avoid lis much rs they can the French; speak
well of the latter, and diSparagingy Of the
former.
A general bclsef already prevails that the
Allies must soon SOUND a retreat, when the
Russians will avl with great vigor, and shall
not be surprised to see 4 second Moscow
There is no sea in the world worse than the
Black, wtirh its name indicates. The fleet
muSt soon return to C"nstantinope. How it
can do 81 without bringing back the army, or
protecting it 10 Farna, no one can tell. Ii the
latter movement is attempted, the losses will
indeed he dreadful, MS the Russian army is al
ready rather superior in numbers, and will
soon be very much 50, as they are receiving
large renforcements, and are much encouraged
by the presence of the two sons of the Elm.
peror which convinces all that their danger
was not near SO great rs represented by the
English papers.
France is sending forward very large rein.
forccments Forty thousand men are en-.
barking at Toulon and Marseilles, with batter-
ing and siege artillery, which is proof they
do not expect to take Sebastopol this season;
and they are sending also munitions of war in
quantities as if for another Russian campaign
like that undertaken by the great Napoleon.
So pressing is the call for r"inforcemcnts that
the private steamers in the Mediterranean arc
chartered at very high rates and sent off as fast
as they arrive in port with from 400 TO 900
troops each, besides as many munitions of war
as they can carry.
The best blood in England is being poured
out in the Crimea, and their losses as we'll as
those of the French, are frig ighfully severe
| Welliniormed persons assert that, including
the ravages of the cholera, the Allies have al
ready lost $4,000 men since they entered the
Black Sea. The expenses are appalling. A
new and heavy loan must be made in this
county, and new conScription on large
scale which fear will create great dissatis
faction.
The Russians will soon have on their side
that most dreadful, unreeling, ncversparng,
all conquering general, Hinter-icy winter.
The Allies will suffer dreadfnlly- miserable
tents, not even rin.proof for their winter
tenements, and with almost impossible roads ;
and if they commence i retreat it would he as
fatal as that of 1912 from Moscow. If they
even took Sebastopol they could not retain it,
and could only destroy the city and fleet and
then abandon it; for the greater forts domi.
neer over and command the town, and against
these forts not a shot has yet been fired. The
forts thus far attacked arc only those in ad
| vance.
Originally, the Allies only intended to pro.
tect Constant;nople. They did not intend TO
invade the Crimea. Bu; the want Of success
in the Baltic and the failure nfthe p R-.--;...i-
before SiliStria, induced them to attack Scbas.
topo, which they thought would be an easy
and Il valuable conquest. They could have
done more against the Russians on the Danube.
The victory of the Alma was like that Of Phyr.
rus over the Romans. Now, the Russians are
receiving their reiuforccments by tens Of thou
sands-and il is only the beginnings. 1t u.s.
fear, but the prelude to a general war over all
Europe, which will convulsc the civilized world
destroy thrones, create new kingdoms, llu,
sorry ana momentary republics, vandalism,
taxes, loans; paper money, general distress,
and ruin and horrible carnage. Hoarding Of
gold has already commenced, both in Great
Britain and on the Continent.
! Ru<si: virtually is inaccessible. No Power
| or Powers can enter and remain on her ice
bou:d and snow-covcred territory. She says
| TO the world: Come with small force and
| will ovcrwhclm you; come with large one,
ard you will overwhem yourselves" Sup.
pose Croasadt and Sebastopol both were to
fall, of what consequence would it be to Rus.
sia? Not so serious loss as the lombard
ment of New York in case Of a war with Eng
land or France. The above two (ortrcsscs
could soon be rebuilt. There is no wealth in
either as in New York. True, the capture of
those places would destroy the Russian Fleet,
which England greatly desires, for fear at
future day, it might join that of France against
her. This, in reality would be loss to France.
Russia, however, has all the resources and
means to rebuild her fleet in a very few years,
even if it were thus destroyed. The fleet,
however, will not be dcatroyed, and if Eng.
land calculates on the capture, next spring. it
will result pretty much as it did with Sir Char
ley, when he said that in fifteen days he would
be in Cronstadt or Heaven. His chance, at
any-rate, for the former, was and is very re-
mote; [ venture no opinion as to the latter.
Prince Napoleon, the heir to the throne, has
returned to Cons,autinople, owing, it is said
to i'll health.
see but Little in this contest to interest the
feelings of an American in the success of eth
er. There is something for him to regret and
something the contrary, whichever may be the
victors The above details are merely given
as matters of fact or Of opinion, and not as
Indicating either my hopes or wishes. The
cause OF humanity, | think, would gain, or
ra In. ,rnnld suffer Lss by the nrcseut succrss