Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-01-08


have today heard very curious story-most
interesting Y true--And story which, although Il
can hardly have been made public without breach
OF confidence, and therefore must be received with
certain amount q mistrust, find confirmed up
on inquiry In 80 many quarters, that cannot rc-
sst the belief that there must be some truth in IL.
/ am informed that an extraordinary council was
eonyoked by the Emperor on Friday Last 10 consid-
er the question: whether II might IA 1t be expedl-
ent, under existing circumstances to revise the
constitution, with view 10 increase the popuari-
ty Of the government by calling upon the sation 70
take more active part in public affairs
Al this council all the ministers were present. ex.
cept M. Bineau who is ill., There were also presa 1T
MN. Troplong and Mesnard, the president and vice
president Of the Senate, NM. Barochc and Rouher,
president and vice-president of the Council Of
State, M. de Morney, president OF the Corps Lcgis-
latif, and NJ. Pieti, the Project of Police. The
Emperor opened the proceedings in terse speech,
which seemed TO have been learned by heart He
said In substance that the gravity Of the situation
induced him to ask their frank opinions. He be-
ieyed peace to be probable, almost certain, but II
was, nevertheless, necessary to make material and
moral preparations for war t.ts
He desired to be advised whether in case the
war sh0nld go on, II would be desirable to intro
duce some notifications into the constitution Of
the empire favorable to the liberty of the tribune
and the liberty Of the press. He wished also that
the supposition of apeace being concluded M.
Troplong forciby and almost violently argued that
no change should be made. He maintained that
the safety of the government md OF society de-
pended upon the maintenance Of the dictatoria
system inaugurated in December, 1851
NJ. Billault took the lead on the other side. On
the suggestion of a member of the council, 1t was
decided by the Emperor that the two questions he
had put should be considered together, since he
believed on reflection, that the internal regime
which might be good in time of war would be
equally desirable in time of peace. On division,
the council resolved, by majority Of 8 against g.
that some alterations were desirable that t.ere
was something to be done. The members WHO
voted in the minority were MN. Troplong, Foulds
Mesnard, Morny, and Magne s
The Emperor, it is said, listened patiently, ashis
wont is, to all the observations that were made,
and, at the end Of the sitting, thanked the mem
bers of the council for their advice without giving
any indication Of his own opinion You will re-
member that when Lord Palmerston was in Paris,
rumor was current that he had suggested to the
Emperor the advisability Of considering the ques-
ton now said to have been mooted at the council
Dreadful Condition Of the Turks. !
The Turks are employed in making road--ac-
tually making road at last! It's course win be
from the town, past headquarters, up TO No. 5,Bat
terry. They are also employed In handing on shore
and ping shot and shell. It is arnuAing to watch
the miserable gravity and indifference with which
these poor creatures work. Standing in rows, the
men pass the shot from the fiat to the beach with
lazy air, which Is only disturbed when an unusu-
ally big fellow turns up for transmission Then the
groans, the rolling of eyes, the conclusive srug-
ges, the grunts which pass like electric shocks
from man to man with the 68-pound shot IF l3-
inch mortar, are really astonishing; but at last the
globe of metal seems TO acquire heat and is dropped
in the mud like hot potato by a suffering Nus
sulman They really are weak and wretched, not
naturally but owing to sickness and bad living
As to the town of Balaklava itself, words cannot
describe its filth its horrors its hospitals, its dead
and dying Turks, its crowded lanes, its noisomc
sheds, it's beastly purleus, or its decay. All tho
pictures ever drawn of plague and pestlence, from
the work of the inspired writer who chronicled the
woes of infdel Egypt down to the narratives of
Boccoccio, De Foe, or Moltke fall short of indvid.
ual "bitsn of disease and death which any one
may in half dozen places during half an hours
walk in Balaklava. In spite of all our efforts, the
dying Turks have made of every lane and street
clodca and the forms of humane sfering which meet
the eye ut every turn and once were wont to shock
u.s. have now made US calous, and have ceased
even to attrnct passing attention. Raise up the
piece of mating of coarse rug which hangs across
tho doorway of some miserable house, from within
which you hear loud wailings and cries Of pain and
PRAYERS to the Prophet, and you viii see in one
spot AMI in an instant mass of accumulated woes
that viii Aerve you with nightmares for lifetime.
The deao. laid out as they died, are lying aide
by side with the living, and the latter present a
spectacle Devon d all imagination. The commonest
necessaries of an hospital are waiting; there Is not
the least attention laid to dccency or cleanliness.
The stencil is appalling; the frtid ar can barely
struggle out to faint the atmosphere, save through
the cRinks in the walls ant roofs and, for all can
observe, these men die witho ut the least effort be-
ing made to save thcm Thef,e they lie Just as
they were let gently down on h.' ground by the
poor fellows, their comrades, WHIT drought them
on their backs from the camps with the greatest
tenderness, but who are not allowed TO 4 enan win
them. The sick appear to be tended by the SICK
and the dying by the dying
SrEAN--A MrRAcLE---Sir Ralph Woodforo told
us that when his steamer was first started, lin Tn
idad, he and large party, as mode of pstroniz,
ing the undertaking, took trip Of pleasure In her,
through some of the Bocss Of the main ocean. Al
most every one got sick outside, and as they re-
turned through the Boca Grande, there was no one
on deck but the man at the helm and himself
When they were in the middle of the passage,
small priyateer, such as commonly infested the
gulf during the troubles in Columbia, was seen
making all sail for the shore Of Trinidad.
Her course seemed unaccountable; but what was
their surprise, when they observed that on nearing
the coast the privateer never tackled, and finally,
that she ran herself directly on Shore the crew at
the same time leaping out over the bows and sides
Of the vessel, and scampering off as IL they werc
mad, some up the mountains and others into the
thickets. This was so strange a sight, that Sir
Ralph Woodford ordered the helmsman TO steer for
the privateer that he might discover the cause Of
it. When they came Close the vessel appeared
deserted.
Sir Ralph went on board Of her, and after search
ing various parts without finding any one, be at
length opened little cabin, and saw man lying
ON mat, evidently with some broken limb. The
man made an effort to put himself In a posture Of
duplication He was pale as ashes, his teeth chat
tered and his hair stood on end. Msericorda
msericordisl Ave Marial" faltcred forth the Co.
lombian Sir Ralph asked the man what was the
cause Of the strange conduct Of the crew. Mis-
cricordiai" was the only reply.
Sdbcis gsien soyf7
"H--sl-0 senor misericordiai 4ve Ma
ria r answered the smugger
Itwas considerable time before the fellow could