The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1855-06-19
Opinion of the Times ON the Recent
Successes

Opinion of the Times ON the Recent
Successes.
On the recent successes of the allies the
London Times comments as follows:
The victorious occupation OF the town of
Kertch by the allied forces, the command we
have thus obtained of the Cimmerian Bos-
phorus and the Sea of Azoif, and the establish
ment of our power upon another point of the
highest strategcal Importance in the Rus
sian territories, are events which angur
most auspicious!y for the success of the cam
paign upon which we are now about to en-
gage, and place in our hands another material
pledge for the triumphal termination of the
war. The satisfaction which this achieve
ment will excite in all parts of the world
where sympathy is felt for the cause of the
allies, is increased by the fortunate circum-
stance that this success has been obtained
without single casualty. In spite OF the
warning given to the Russians by the recall
of the first expedition nearly three weeks
ago, the result shows that they had not the
means to place the Straits of Yenikale in
an efficient state of defence; they evacuated
and destroyed the forts which guarded the
Sea of Azoff, on the arrival of the combined
heet; and the birth day of the Queen of Eng
land was worthily celebrated by planting the
standards of England and France upon the
hill which tradition has described as the
tomb of Mithridates.
This result is the more glorious and the
more extraordinary, as the Russians must
long have foreseen that such an operation
would sooner or later be attempted, and there
is no point in the vast dominions of Russia
the loss of which is more formidable to that
empire. Indeed, II the allies proceed no fur
Their than to occupy and hold the Straits of
Yenikale and the adjacent peninsula of
Kertch, which is easy defensible by any pow
er having the command of the sea, they
would remain in possession of the key to one
of the principal approaches to the Russian
territories. In 1851 no less than 1000 trad
ing vessels passed the Straits. Taganrog,
MarianopoI, Berdianski aud Kertch, ell COM
mercial towns, which it has been the policy
of the Russian Government to protect and
foster with the utmost care for the last severn
ty years, exist only by the freedom of trade
between the Sea of Azof and the Euxine.-
The whole exports of the valley of the Don
and it's tributaries, and the communication
between the Don and the Volga, which
places the trade OF that mighty stream in con-
nection with the markets Of Europe, all de-
pend upon this neck of the Sea of Azoff; so
that it is no exaggeration to assert that our
occupation Of Kertch will be felt in the en-.
terror of Russia, even to Kazan and Nishni
Novogorod. On the Asiatic shore OF the
Straits the Russians have also destroyed
their rtifcatiohs, so that both sides may be
occupied. and the allied forces will threaten
or blockade Ahapa, which is the key to the
whole Circassian coast. Kertch itself is .
hourishiDg town of about $4,000 inhabitants
built entirely of substantial stone houses
The inhabitants are chiefly Greeks and Tar
tars, and for the first time since the com
mencement of these operations, our troops
will find themselves in contact with wha
may be termed, by comparison, civilized
community. The climate, though cold il
winter, is healthy and genial in this season
The surrounding country, which is termet
by the Russians the district of Kertch- Eni
kolsk, is luxuraintly fertile wherever it i
cultivated; it is separated from Kaffa b.
about sixty miles of undulating plain, lyinj
between the Sea of Azoff and the Black Sea
and the isthmus dividing the Bay of Kaff
from that of Arebat is not more than twelv
miles in breadth.
A more favorable position either for mill
tary or commercial operations cannot b.
found, and in the fourishihg days Of tn
Crimea, both IN antiquity, under the Genoese
and even Under the Khan of Khazaria tn
chief seat of power and Of wealth was aIway
on this eastern extremity of the peninsula
These facts being known, it is difficult to ex
plain why this expedition was not made at
much earlier period of the war, for the force
which languished during last July at Warm
might have long since seized the forts O
Venikale. 1t is true that the soundings whic
have enabled Admiral Bruat to plan this sue
cessful attack, had not then been taken, an
the manner in which they were obtained
curious, A British naval officer, whose nam
has,unfortunately. not yet reached US, captur
ed a vessel having on board private carrieg
belonging to the Russian governor of Kertct
With his "material pledge" in his possessio
he sent in polite message to the governo
stating that the English cruiser was unwii