The Shasta courier., 1855-11-03

We are almost overwhelmed and driven out
Of the editorial columns this week, by the per-
feet flood OF startling aud thrilling news brought
by the Sonora. However, it is no great incon-
Senience for US to retire for one week. In fact
we rather like it.
We publish in another column the report
Of the party Of gentleman, who recently made a
Reconnaissance of the line of the proposed wa
gon road leading from thi: place to Yreka. rio
the Sacramento river. 1t will be observed thai
the report asserts the perfect practicabili,y of
the road, although at a cost considerably over
the sum anticipated. For ourselves we have
never for moment, since visiting Dog Creek.
entertained the idea that the proposed road
could be made for less sum than fifty thousand
dollars. The report very wisely, therefore, ar
rives at the conclusion that the undertaking is
one of a magnitude altogether too great to be
accomplished by means of private subscription
Hence it recommends the formation of stock
company. and the application for charter at the
next session of the Legislature.
-" Sebastopo has falen." was the thrill
Ing announcement made. in style rather exul-
sant, by the French Emperor about one year
ago. The usurping nephew of his uncle"
however crowed before he was entirely out of
the woods, Thus furnishing food for Russian wits
for tiinnrlis Now the words, Sebastopol has
fallen"-so big with long train of important
conseqnences-may be uttered with the most
perfect assurance that there is no Tartar in
this affair." there in the celebrated "sell''
Of year since. Sebastopol has fallen, but
alas, how the philanihropic heart bleeds while
contemplating the tremendous price in human
blood required for the privilege of making this
announcement. The bom5ardment of Sebasto-
pol was a glorious ,tlnrI of glorious army The
storming Of the Malakoff Tower was a dashing,
gallant affair, and covered the young eagles
of Louis Napoleon with immortal renown-
The taking of the Redan by the English also
shed additional lustre upon the British arms
The fire poured upon the imperial city, was
of character terrible, so tremendous, that
the annals of nations furnish no parallel to it, In
short the English and the French, and the Turks
and the Russians, have performed deeds Of war
around Sebastopol, never surpassed by men
deeds that will forever render that city IA
nous in history and song. But terrible appal-
ling, is the price paid for all this glory and fame.
Seventy-fve thousand able bodied men slaugh-
tered outright, during this siege of eleven
months duration and about five times that mum.
Der destroyed by frost, heat, famine, Asiatic
cholera. and the diseases incident to a camp life
in that climate AT least four hundred thousand
lives sacrificed for the "glory" of taking Sebas-
topol.
And yet Aall is not lost" of Sebastopol The
Russians still have possession of the northern
portion of the city, and the Sebastopol drama
has by no means been played out. There is yet
another act to perform, and it remains to be
seen whether the Star fort will prove second
Malakof Tower, and cost as dearly to place the
eagles Of France npon its battlements
But what has been gained by the allied army,
beside "gory," in return for the loss of two hun
dred Thousand Engishmen, Frehchinan and
Turksl Well, they have taken Sebas,opol, "a
heap of blood-stained ruins and with it an i'm
mense lot of damaged artillery; they have gain
cd possession Of the Key of the Euxine, struck
. tremendous blow at Russian prestige, annihi-
lated her pet Black Sea squadron; secured COM
Portable quarters for the besieging army during
the approaching winter season-and, at last &C.
counts, thought they had the Russian army in
trap. and that by throwing sufficient force on
the Tchonger road and isthmus of Perekop, they
would have the entire Russian army secure be-
yond all peradventure. For all of which they
have paid two hundred thousand as brave hearts
sswere ever sacrificed to appease the names of
grim visaged war.
THIEVES Asour.-We have been assured by