New-York daily tribune., 1854-09-08
THE STATE OF EUROPE.

From Our OWN Correspondent
LONDON, Friday, Aug. 25, 1854.
The capture of Bonarsund is one Of those
mysterious epi,odes in which the present war
abounds. Eight thousand French soldiers disem-
bsrk on the Aland Island on the Sth; the Ru''
slams offer but slight resistance and retire into
the fortress without sauy serious loss; the bonn
bardment of the two outv orks Is commencedscn
the 18th; 10 trenches are dug, no breach is bat
tered, but one of the outwOrks is taken on tho
18th, and the garrison, above 1000 men, surren.
der on the following day at discretion and give
up the fortress of BOmarsund with all the stores
of provisions and ammunition, sufficient for one
wear, and the heavy armament Was 1t cow
ardice Was il treason on the part OF Bodisco.
the old Russian commander Since 1907, when,
after the battle of jena all the important
fortresses Of Prussia opened their gates to the
triumphant French army without any resistance
we have not seen such lamentable exhibition -
now at BOmarsund which must strike us so
much the more after the gallant and protracted
resistance of the Turks at Silistria u 10 true
that the Russian General had no hope Of relief.
since the attempted reinforcement Of the gar
rison previous TO the landing of the French
troops did not sueceed-about 600 men. who
crossed the sea from Finland in fat-bottomed
boats, only reached one of the small islands
which form chain betwse Aland and the main
land, but could not enter BOmsrsund. They VIII
probably now try to return to Finland, but must
be lost If they have missed the opportunity to do
il while the attention Of the feet was riveted on
the fortress. The Aand Islands, as q military
position, are of no value whatever fOr England
and France. They do not threaten any important
portion of the Russian coast; there are no
fortresses On the west shore of Finland which
is defended by the poverty Of its soil and tho
scarcity of inhabitants. BOmarsund does not
close the Bay Of Finland, which 10 important,
but the Gulf of Bothnia which is Of no value
for the Car. The Notifications Of the Aland
Islands were only important for Russia as threat
enDg Stockholm; it was a. aggressive, not do
fensive position. Still, Sweden is not at war
with Russia; Sweden is not the ally Of the west
ern powers and Sweden would scarcely accept
the islands as a present from the allied powers.
since the receiving of su,h small addition to
the Swedish territory would be accompanied BY
the eventually of Russian war; it would be .
breach of the treaty Of 1893. The English pub
lie begin to feel all this and therefore there is no
| public rejoicing at the news Of the hrst victory
| Of the fleets. 1t is barren triumph, which
complicates the crisis and does not lead TO any
serious result. The Russian trade is meanwhile
not crippled at ALL the export Of tallOw aud
hemp continues as before; the price only bss
risen by the cOstiness Of the land transport; and
the English buyer is therefore the loser, not the
Russian producer or merchant; while the profits
of the land carriage from the interior Of Russia to
Nemel are q clear gain to the Northern Empire
The French seem TO be very anxious to patch
up peace, in order to be ready for the Spanish
emergencies Kossuth has put the conditions Of
peace in the proper light before the public. and
Urquhart, whom all England believed to be a
msdmsn when he predicted that the allied ar.
mics were going to the East not TO fight Russia,
but to destroy Turkey, is now looked upon 10
quite a different way. The expedition 20 the
Crimea seems again to have been postponed on
account of the virulence of the cholera at the
camp on the marshy shores Of the Lake OF Devns.
| The losses Of the Anglo French army have risen
| to full 1000 men, More than 100, 900 soldiers
Russians, Turks, and English aud Freuch-have
fallen victims to disease in the frat year Of this
tLsm war, without having achieved anything
worthy Of any sacrifice. The Turks alone can be
proud of their victories; still, II they submit to
the conditions laid down as the basis Of peace by
their precious allies, they will haze lost more ~
the treachery Of their so-called friends than they
could have lost in submitting to Prince Menshi'
koa's proposals. 1t seems, however, that 10
spite of Lord RedcIifs the Divan still shows
manly determination, and protests against the
negotiation opened by the dispatch Of Drouyn 90
pHWs. without consulting the Minister OF tho
Sultan. And indeed, is ii the task Of the allies
N make peace, and to damage Turkey, wltnou'
ever informing the Divsn of the prope''aon'
made to the prejudice Of the interes" Of is',e''
or to act thus before the allied armies na'o o0"'
ANYTHING for the integrity and Independence u
Turkeyl Indeed, il is shameiui u'H,s'"cI'
from the beginning TO the end Inc h0sl.a
C.h;rs, h,. .eized the opportunity Of the present
war in order to consolidate the tosterihs p0"o,
"s ;a.ni,ic Austria: to destroy the prestige Of
p.o,.,,.n, Prussia and to lower its inhaence In
ns,m.nv. to do as little harm to the Russians q.
o"..bI.. while running the Turkish empire anu