The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-02-22
foreign Sffairs.
FOREIGN CORRESPONDENCE.

eDo not fill your ranks with outcasts of so
.sty." was one of the many excellent counsels
ubich Bonaparte embodied in his farewell adj
1ras, on the 18th of November, 1897, to the
C;,alpine Republic. Had England applied to
her army this advice, coming as it did from the
most competent Judge Of military affairs that
arer existed, she would have spared herself the
J.ap modification. which she evidently feels, at
,La seandalous and at the same time deplorable
.nsctacle exhibited in the British camp before
S.bastobol, which is the more humiliating as
bsing the very reverse of that presented in the
p-ench camp at the same place. The indigna.
ion of the English people is reused, and the
In fish journals direct no measured reproach-
>. against the commander-in-chief, against the
o6cers generally, and against the department
ri war; but while these reproaches may be
veil deserved, they ought to be extended to the
.1ldiers too, who, according to many impartial
s,,,rifaesSes are liable to the severest censure,
l..cause their cruel sufierings have, in a great
measure. originated from their own improvi-
dsnce. carelessness, and immOderate use of ar
dent spirits Deprived of their usual comforts,
aud subject TO many hardships necessarily ac-
c)mpanying prolonged siege, especially at this
season of the year, they have lost all patience
and elasticity of mind, and, instead OF contri-
wing means to ameGorate their condition, they
have abandoned themselves to dependency, and
sought for consolation in brandy and whisky,
vith which they have been more abundantly
,appIrd than with food. The French soldiers,
on The contrary, have the whole time preserved
eht-,rialness, and taxed their natural ingenuity
70 the utmost, in order to employ the small
means at their command in the best ways pos
,ble for their own health and comfort. They
IL g. Al
officers and Government, than their English
romradeS; still we find, according to all impair
,al reports. that the British soldiers, by imita-
ting the praisewOrthy example of their French
Trends might have greatly improved their con-
lition. aud spared themselves many sufferings
the only radical remedy against the evil
which have now pointed out, as besetting the
British army-consists in not filling its ranks
s.h the outcasts of Great Britain. But in or
DER to induce better class of men to offer
themselves to the military service, the English
Government must first abrogate corporal pun
shment in the army and fleet. l cannot for
lear here to add, that the Emperor of Austria
has lately ordered that this sort of punishment
i henceforth not to be applied to Austrian sol
dipr', except in very aggravated cases. This
measure is very honorable to that youthful mon
arch. aud might be taken as an evidence of his
desire to elevate his soldiers to moral stand
lag comparable with that of the French and the
Prissian.
IN a note dated the 18th instant, directed by
Count BuOl to the Austrian ambassador at Ber-
hn, in order to be communicated to the Prus-
saa Government, the demand made in the
Austrian note of the 9th December, upon
Prussia, for the stipulated aid of 100000 men
against Russia, is repeated, and enforced with
still stronger arguments in support of the
alleged necessity of this request. Still the Cab
met of Berlin continues to maintain the reverse
opinion as to the danger of any premeditated
attack upon Austria by Russia, while, however,
resolved to submit, should the majority of the
members of the German Confederation decide
IN favor of the views of Austria
NJ. DrOuin de rIIuyS, the Minister for the
Foreign Affairs of France, has, meanwhile,
directed to the French ambassador at Berlin
note, IN which he is very severe upon the Prus-
sian Government for the course pursued by it !;
bat while showing how firmly resolved France
Is to humiliate the Car, he is not altogether
Just toward the Court and Cabinet of Berlin,
because he looks upon the interests of Prussia
IS being identical with those Of Austria, which
they are indeed not. But the French Minis
ter is very right in supposing, as he intimates
that he does, that the people Of Prussia sympa-
taize with the Western Powers, in their strug-
gle against Russia, and consequently that the
Prussian Government is acting against the
wishes of its subjects, in not taking a decided
stand against Russia
Prince Gortschakon did, in behalf of the
Gar accept the foHr conditions, in the follow
Ing terms:
/. The abolition of the Russian protectorate
over Moldayia and Wallachia; the privileges
which the Sultan has conceded to these provin-
ors, to be placed under the guaranty of the
five Powers
:. Free navigation upon the Danube, accord
az TO the principles adopted by the Congress
Il Vienna, and embodied in the article concern
IA water communications. Control to be eXer-
osed by a mixed commission invested with the
power necessary to remove the obstacles now
EXISTING al the mouths of that river, as well as
those which might hereafter arise.
:. Revision Of the treaty of the 18th of July,
lslI, Tor the purpose of confirming still more
ihe existence OF the Ottoman Empire and the
equilibrium of Europe. At the formal confer
enceS OF peace, do not refuse to listen to the
means which the three Courts may propose. in
order to put an end to the so-called preponder-
ance OF Russia in the Black Sea; but on the
nothing is to be found which might affect the
sovereign rights of my august master aoithin
hs 0;cH tcrritorg
}. Collective guaranty of the five Powers as
substitute for the exclusive PATRONAGE which
some OF them possess at presently for the conse
Grafton and observation Of the religious privi-
tse' oi the different Christian communities,
Without any distinction of creed, on condition
una the realization of the solemn promises
made IN the face of the world, by the five great
e' Powers of Christendom, shall be grave
'Hl CONSCIENTIOUS deed, and that the promised
protection shall be etiicacious, and not mere
empty word
ms Is the verbal translation of the French
'I' employed 10y Prince Gortschakoff.
Is evident that the third point, as framed
q" ulr russian ambassador, cannot be ac-
c'P'ea ny the Western Powers, unless their
forces should meet with the most UNEXPECTED
l''trseS. If Sebastopol were not to be RACED
aud the Gar not to be prevented from increas
ing al pleasure his fleet in the Black Sea, then
neither the Allied Powers nor Europe at large
would have gained much bv all the human
A'eS lost IN consequence OF the Crimea expe-
dlilon and Russia might indeed boast of bav.
ihs' by diplomatic art, saved what she could not
protect by her arms. As to the 4th point. as
proposed by Prince Gortschakolf, it is alto
sether to the advantage of Russia and Prussia,
ana might also be objected to. At least we
may safely conclude that the negotiations 60
li's On at Vienna will lead to no speedy peace,
should not the Gar deem best to accept the
-''r conditions, puriSsinaa, as he will hardly do
a. ,ghg as Sebastopol remains in his hands,
Inc lately ordered division of the French
",e before SebaStopol, in two corps dd1mee,
under the separate command of Generals Pelis-
5 late Professionally Governor of Algeria)
SHd bognet, is not to be construed as token OF
General Canrobert wSo , rema;ns before conn %
I'1hder-ln-chief Of the whole, but solely as a
hIeaSnre calcnlated To facilitate the execution