The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-08-18


too few todeend the immense line extending from Baak
lava to the assuming that the latter had
been captured 1t is improbable that the condition of the
town was so oe&nceless as is represented by the
Russian government for had its garrison been SO feeble
II not TO be presumed that Prince Menschkof would
have withdrawn his battalions as was the case
The energy and intelligence displayed by the garrison
Of sebastopo in constructing the fortifcaons which
have defed for above eight months the efforts of the
allies do not admit Of denial, any than does the
formidable nature of the earhworks which III adj
vance OF the menaced town. II by the influence Of
magic.
The genius of Todeben and of the Russian engineers
has however encountered those exaggeratons always at
tendant upon success In creating the works of earth
which subsequently assumed the gigantic proportions
possessed by the Redan the Malako the Quarantine
FORTS the Russians only obeyed the dictates Of necessity
and cannot most certainly lay any claim to having dis
covered system Qualifications In the of
stone they erected works of earth similar of ST.
lisra schuma Kars, Odessa, and hundred other open
places
The present formidable nature of the sebastopol de-
fences must be attributed to the prolonged nacon of the
strength Of the garrison, which employed in the
months Of wnsr and spring in the
few available allied troops were occupied in
guarding the feeble line Of attack from sorties,
in defending the flank and Of the camp from the
menancing attitude of Menschikof and Lprandi. The
first and second weak and unsustained bobardment of
Sebastopol whilst nfictng but slight injury the
gineers to the weak points Of their works which they
consequently strengthened In proating by this expe-
rence the Russian engineers only performed what the
der the circumstances and therefore decline joining
in the unbounded admiration daily expressed for the GO
of the Redan and of the Maako works consists perhaps
more in the immense quantities of wood employed in
their construction than in the resisting power of
earth and in the works of the captured Mamelon the
great service derived from that matera-whch abounds
in the neighborhood of the town-was glarngy
hibited.
The rea strength Of Sebastopol consists in its geo.
graphical confguraton; for whilst the whole energies Of
its garrison devoted to the defence of the south side
NJ o1p
with the interior Of the country remain uninterrupted
1t ia this circumstance that the organ Of Russian
datss IN samphant and nnor
plies and munitions of pour without cessation into
the besieged town. but in single day the whole gar
rison can be changed and army of fresh troops
place those whom fatigue sickness has 1t
is easy, says the palide Russe to replace a sin
gle night hundred dismounted cannon as to change
the bayonets which form the garrison with fresh
troops On the lines Of communication with Russia
Perekop, from Eupatora to Balaklava strong detach
space Of time TO concentrate any point and thus swell
into large army" There can be no doubt that
great deal Of truth is contained in the above
ed strength of the Russian forces in tn e field
and in sebastopol 1t is however, evident that whilst
the fall OF the town alone be effected by its complete
investment that operation has been rendered
almost practcable. 1t is to be supposed that the Rus
encamped on the Bebex have not been idle in
erecting redoubt and breastwoks the many heights
over which investing force would be compelled to fight
its way and thus the task Of completely bockading the
Happily the fate of Sebastopo will not be decided before
that town. and the allied governments have at length
awoke to the necessity ofadoptng plans and of
nencing fresh operations.
Notwithstanding all the arguments of the hrcal
Russo and in spite Of the formidable deences of sebasto
pol which it joyfuly enunerates, firmly con-
WINGED that the fate Of the Crmea is rreyocaby sealed
We believe that disasters still undreamt ofAwait the Rus
sian empire and that operations which will outshne the
painful interest now concentrated on Sebastopo will
long establish the superiority Of the allies.
The preparations silently conducted in France beto
ken the intentions of the Allies, and before two months
have elapsed powerful army will have gained victo
rous footing IN some unexpected part OF the Russian
domnions. The French government has chartered all
the available river steamboats, at Marseiles amounting
to some two hundred which have received a powerful
armament, and will be so arranged to embark each
force Of two hundred soldiers. An army may thus be
landed on many points which the enemy have hitherto
believed unassaable from the shaowness of the water
The Putrid Sea, the Danube Ncolaief, the Bal
tic provinces may in time be visited by formidable
host which by the rapidity ofts movements will deaden
all resistance, and completely battle the Russian
manders. On this contingency the Russian government
had evidently not reckoned, and the Inpdlde Russo
which glOats with triumph the anticipated fail
Of the Allies before Sebasopol will shortly its
former occupation Of sofening down defeats magn
ing apocryphal victories.