New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-08-04
WAR PROSPECTS,

at our last advices there was lull in the
warlike operations in the Crimea. No more
assaults had taken place; the guns we're all but
silent; and but for the rihe-fring carried
on constantly between the two lines of ntrench-
ments, for the sappng and mining by which the
Allies were pushing on toward the Malakof
hill, and for an occasional sorte by the Russians,
we might suppose that hostlities had been
suspended. But this can be nothing but the
calm that precedes the storm; and ere this, that
storm must have burst. There is every proba-
bility that struggle more savage than mixer
mann, the Mamelon Vert, or the assault of
June 1s, has already been consummated at Sc
vastopOl.
In fact the month of August must to certain
degree decide the result of the campaign BY
this time the great part, if not all of the Russian
reenforcements must have arrived, while the
ranks of the Allies cannot but be thinned by sick
ness. If they hold their ground on the plateau of
the Chersonesusit will be as much as they can do.
That they will not take the south side of Sc
vastopo this year is notion abandoned now
even by the British press. They are reduced to
the hope of knocking the place to pieces bit by
bit, and if they manage to proceed at the speed
they have hitherto exhibited, the siege will equal
in duration that of Troy. There is no reason to
expect that they will do their work with in
creased rapdty, for we are now all but officially
informed that the vicious system hitherto fol-
lowed is to be obstinately continued The
Crimean correspondent of the Constitutional
of Paris, man Of high rank in the French
army, and believed TO be Gen. Regnault de st.
Jean d'ADgely, Commander of the Guards, has
announced the fact that the public may spare
themselves the trouble of making speculatiOns
as to field campaign and eventual investment
Of the north side of Seyastopo Under present
circumstances, he says, this could not be done
without raising the siege and abandoning to the
Russians the entire plateau; and therefore it
has been decided to knock away as hard as pos
sible at the position already attacked, until it is
completely destroyed. Now, the announcements
of this letter may be relied on, as there is every
reason to believe that the French Emperor not
only approves, but even reyises every letter from
this source before it is printed, and as Regnault
is one Of his special pets.
What is to be the consequence of all this we
can easily discover. The Russian army at and
about Seyastopol now consists Of the third and
fourth corps, two divisions of the fifth and one
of the sixth corps, beside marines sailors, To-
cal troops, Cossacks and cavalry-presenting a
force under arms Of $50 battalons, or 80, OO0
infantry, with 10000 artillery and cavalry, be-
side about 10000 sick and wounded. Even
the French MoRiteur estimates their effective
strength III der arms at 10000 men. Now the
whole of the second corps go battalions, 30
squadrons, 96 guns) and two divisions of grena-
diers, with one division of cavalry GA battal-
ions, % squadrOns, ~ guns,) are on the march
or already at SevastOpol, representing an addi-
tional force Of $1,000 infantry, 10000 cavalry
and Cossacks, and 5000 artillery. The Rus
SLAMS thus will shortly have concentrated
force of at least l75, 600 men or considerably
more than the Allies can have left after their
recent losses by combats and disease. That
with these the Russians should be able at least
TO hold their own, particularly as they can con-
stantly relieve the garrison by fresh troops after
the old ones are exhausted by fatigue, is GER
tainly the least that is to be expected from them.
The Allies, on the other hand, have no chance
Of receiving similar resnforcements. They now
number 81 divisions Of infantry, (l2 French,
English, Turkish, Piedmontese,) or about
100 battalionsi divisions of cavalry, Il French,