Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1855-01-27
New YORK, January. Is. IL!

NEW YORK, January, rs, 1855.
The Pacific is just in with seven days later
news from Europe. You will have received it.
There is one important feature in this intel-
gence deserving OF especial remark. The
minister of the Car, at Vienna, Prince Gort-
schakoA, is reported to have declared, that
Russia accepts +" the four points, of peace pro-
| posed by England France and Austria. The
concession is considered Yuse but still the
| report carried up the funds in London and Paris,
| from one to two per cent, which shows that
| the financial world are disposed to believe it
If the Gar has occupied or has accepted these
| "four points" he confesses that he is beaten
for what are these four points, pruned of
their diplomatic verbage? Here they are /:
First. Russia shall abandon her protectorate
of the Turkish principaities Of Moldayia and
Wallachia. This will be tantamount to sur.
| render of a good slice of territory back to
Turkey.
Second The navigation of the Danube shall
be free, subject to the regulations of the Five
Powers-England, France, Russia Austria,
and Prussia. Russia now holds the mouth Of
that river and dictates the terms of its navi-
CATION.
Third The navigation of the Black Sea
should be free, and the naval forces in its
waters should be regulated by the Five Powers.
| Russia, since lS4l, has considered the Black
Sea a lake of her own--the southern fsh-pool
Of the Emperor.T
Fourth. Russia should abandon her claims
Of sovereignty over the communicates of the
Russian Greek church in Turkey--eleyen mil
lions OF them> This is the point upon which
the war began, and its surrender is equivalent
to the surrender by the Gear of the cause,
in defense Of which he took the field.
The Allies also hold the right to appropriate,
the fruits, in the meantime, Of their military
operations in the Crimea, excepting any APP
preparation of territory, which they discaim.
To give an appearance of plausibiity to the
reported acceptance by Russia Of these condi-
tons of peace, these -four points," or rather
these FIVE points; it is said, that prayers were
being offered up in all the Russian churches
! for peace.
What do you think, gentlemen, of all this
Is Russia already humbled to these extremi-
ties2 No! The whole thing is stratagem Of
war, to gain time, to detach Austria from the
Western Powers, and to Keep Prussia from
falling into the hostile coalition.
Meantime, it appears that the withdrawal Of
Omar Pacha and his troops to the aid Of the
Allies in the Crimea, has brought down the
Russians again into the Principalities. This
is q diversion which will avail but little 10
weaken the Allies. All minor operations must
be surrendered to the main point, the reduc
ton of Sebastopol. The Russian march, there
fore, into the Prncipaites, if true, is injudi-
cious on their part. The troops thus detailed
in side movement are wanted by Menschi
kof, and to his relief, we rather suspect, they
are really moving.
The Allies were being rapidly furnished with
comfortable huts, clothing, provisions, &c. A
continuous assault Of those Black Sea storms
rain, hail, snow, renders the arrival Of the
aforesaid substantials, more useful than a rein
forcement Of twenty thousand men to the be-
segers. The mountains and muddy steppes
or plains Of the Crimea, on the other hand,
were operating TO delay the supplies Of men
and munitions to the Russians The position
Of Omar Pacha at Eupatoria was also calcu-
lated TO arrest the march of renforcements
down from Perekop to the garrison Of Sebas-
topol; but let him look sharp.
i The Iac;aoary cc CaIoa.n,o1 - ct;l Ok.
ing upon the defensive The Russians con
tinue their night sorties, and their firing upon
the allied entrenchmenis steadily increases.
If MenschikoH, however, is deceived by the
com paratively feeble fire Of the Allies, he is not
the old soldier we think him to be. The Allies
are closing mp their lines Of decentralization.
| 1t is important that they should reserve their
strength, while it is equally important TO the
Russians, that on their part, they should main
tain deadly fire TO retard the closing up Of
the enemy's parallels against the wall Of the
town.
Upon the whole, my impression is that the
Allies, with an immense loss, win carry the
place, only to find the Russians transferred to
| their fortified works on the north side OF the
harbor. From those heights and Notifications,
they, in turn, may compel the Allies to evacu.
ate Sebastopol, and to the necessity of another
siege on the opposite shore Of the bay. It is
well known that the Russians there are en-
trenching themselves for the most desperate
resistance. But il the town is carried, the Al
lies may blow up the works and the feet, aban-
don the place, and move around to the north
side, where, by the simple process of starvation,
the garrison may be brought TO a surrender
for thus invested on that side, the Russians will
be cut off from all supplies and reinforcements.
If there be any truth in these reports that
Nicholas is willing TO concede the four points,
he does it, not because he is incapable Of a pro-
longed resistance in the field, but he does