The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1855-05-29
THE DAILY DISPATCH.
AFFAIRS IN THE EAST.


feature TO the military intelligence from the
East. The allies are still said to be making
progress, but the period of the assault re
mains as indefinite as ever. 1t might be
se, down as a certain thing, that the assault
uould never come off, but for the fact
that the allies are, as it were, between
two fires, it being the opinion of the best
military authorities, that they have no alter
native EXCEPT conquest or destruction. An
st,amnt 70 retreat, il is declared, would lead
IN terrible disasters, if not annihilation.-
Their present attitude they cannot retain IN
safety, for they are inensced by more for
nidable enemy than Menschikotfs famous
generals, January, February and March. 1t
!, feared that the heat of summer, acting up
on the great charnel house of the dead, will
engender the pestilence in its most fatal FORM
and cause far greater destruction among the
two hundred thousand allied troops than the
storming of Sebastopol, If they remain
where they are they die if they retreat, trey
die; if they assault Sebastopol, they can but
die; and we may therefore conclude that the
latter alternative will be adopted,
1t seems to be now regarded as reliable
fact, thst vast insuuectionary plot had
been formed, extending throughout all Eu-
rope; for the development of which, the as
sassination of Louis Napoleon by Pianori,
was to be the signal The success of that
attempt, it is believed, would have thrown
France once more in the furnace of revoiu-
ton, and throughout Italy, Hungary, Prussia
Poland and Spain, the elements OF bloodshed
and anarchy would have been unclaimed
All Europe is slumbering on volcsno. On
the brittle thread of one mans life, its peace
aud tranquility are suspended. A precarious
tenure, and one which an assassin of strong
er nerve and surer aim than Pianori, may at
any time sunder. Selfish and hollow hearted
tyrant as Louis Napoleon is, his death would
be calamity to France, which is totally I'M
ct to govern herself, and has in her present
ruler a wise and lenient master.
The Baltic fleets are again approaching
their former theatre of operations, but the
experience OF the last summer, and the stur-
ay manner in which Sebastopol has held out
against its enemies, have satisfied the public
that the operations of the feet will be limit
ed to blockade of Russian forts, and that
no serious attempt will be made upon Cron-
stadt and the other powerful Baltic fcrtresses.
If the most perfectly equipped army that
Great Britain and France ever sent to the
field, backed by formidable squadron, can
not conquer SebastopOl in six months, how
long will it take a feet, with no land force at
all to demolish Cronstadt, Sweaborg, Revel
and Helsingfors? The cold weather would
set in again before they had fairly commenc
ed operations, and they would have to retire
as they did last fall, amid the ieers Of the
Russians and the laughter of the world. The
only hope of the allies is vague report that
old Admiral Dundonald has made discove-
ry which, somehow or other, is to destroy the
Baltic fortresses in double quick time. For
nearly half century," it is said Lord Dun.
donald has professed to possess the secret OF
more terrible means of destruction than any
heretofore employed, against which no de-
fences in the world can avail A favorable
report concerning the efficacy of his inven-
ton, is said to have been made during the
reign of George "; but that monarch re-
quested him, for the benefit of mankind, to
carry his knowledge with him untold into the
grave. A scientific committee, including
Messrs. Farraday, Playfair and Graham, have
once more, under the pressure of public OPT
Nj foH hu ba liuh
ment to test Lord Dundonsld's plans; and
should their report confirm the accuracy OF
his views, they will doubtless be carried into
execution, in a manner which many are san
guine will effect the most immediate results
and change the whole aspect of the war;
The public, however, will look with some
Incredibly upon this statement, when they
remember the great number of devilish en-
gines which it was said the last Baltic fee
had carried out. Those balloons that were
to sail up in the air and drop ruin and death
on all the towns, villages and fields of Rus
STA; those floating serpents, that were to fol
low ships through the most sinuous and mar
row channels, and fasten their fatal fangs il
their sides-what became of them? We
suspect Duudonald's invention belongs tC
the same class of fabulous war monsters and
that there is no more chance of "blowinp
Zempor Russia sky high this year than
there was last
The change in the French ministry is be
lieved to indicate continuance in France
Of the war policy. The reasons for the with
drawal of that able diplomatist, NJ Drown
de pHuys, are not fully known, but it is
thought that his policy, az Minister of For.
eign Affairs, has been too pacific for the
French. Emperor. The N. Y. Journal of
Commerce remarks that, if his withdrawal
had occurred, as was rumored, simultaneous.
ly with the resignation of Count BuoI at vi
emma, it might have been surmised that the
two Emperors of France and Austria h, d
concluded upon some decisive line of policy
ut variance with the views of their two min.
listers. M. de Persigny and Count Walewski.
says the Journal, belong to the young
France school of politics, as far az is con.
sistent with Imperialism both Of them DOS.
sess strong Polish sympathies, and their &C