Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1855-10-13
Destruction of Sebastopol.

Fl r e2 A - H E Fn
After a siege of nearly a year, endured BY
the Russians with great obstinacy and with q
command of resources which has surprised the
world, and nobody more than the besiegers, the
Allies are victorious. For three DAYS a. terri.
bic rain Of iron and fire, from land and sea,
was poured on the place, and assault after as
satlt made upon different parts of the strong
hold OF the Russians, till at length when the
Russian commander saw the Malakoff tower
indlsputably in the possession of the French,
lie gave his troops the signal to commence the
WORK OF destruction, setting fire to their own
ships, blowing up their own magazines, and
withdrawing to the north part of the town,
leaving q vast interval of black and bloody
ruins between their present station and the
works of the besiegers. The carnage is rep
resented as having exceeded in extent and hor-
ror all that has hitherto been recorded in the
bloody annals of this war. s
The siege of Sebastopol has lasted so long,
and was the object of such general interest,
that people in this country were divided into
two parties respecting the issue-those who
maintained that the place was ~impregnable, and
those who held that sooner or later it must
fall into the hands of the Allies. One party
was expecting, with almost every arrival, to
hear the news that the Allies had abandoned
the siege-the other that Sebastopol was taken.
One party relied on the skill and perseverance
with, as the Allies reinforced their means of
attack, the Russians strengthened their de-
fences the other party remembering that it
is the fate of almost any place perseveringIy
besleged to yield at last, unless the besierers
can be compelled, by q more powerful force. TO
leave the ground. They saw the two great
powers which were at first leagued against
Russia drawing the smaller powers into their
alliance, overdrawing those governments which
would naturally side with Russia, and keeping
them neutral or inactive, while from all other
parts of Europe troops were assembled to 90
against Sebastopol, and it inferred that it could
not hold out against them.
The events of the Sth of September have
decided the question, and from that day the
war wears a new aspect. The advantage of
supposed invincibility is no longer on the side
OF the Russians it passes over to the side of
the Allies. The Russians are unfortunate. and
of course dispirited The Allies are victori.
Gus and e%xultant. The popular dissatisfaction
which was so strongly felt in England at the
conduct of the war, and which, in all probable
ity, smouldered under the surface in France.
will have been appeased by a brilliant and de-
cided success. The Russians have lost every
sail they had in the Black Sea, and the mu-
nitions with which their stronghold was stored.
The Allies will doubtless follow up the advan-
tage they have gained, either by instantly as
saulting them in their new position. if it pre-
sents any weak points-for the natural impet-
uosity of the French commander will incline
him to give the blow when it can be given with
the greatest effect, while his troops are in the
of victory and the enemy in the de- |
spondency of Dictator they will attempt,
what they have never yet thoroughly accom-
pllshed-to cut off their supplies from the in
terror, and force them, by famine and the grad
waste OF their munitions, to purchase life
by an unconditional surrender.
In the meantime let us avail ourselves of
the opportunity of saying that the spectacle
presented by this bloody conflict, in proportion
as 1t proceeds, becomes more and more sad and
revolving. 1t has been said that as the ages
roll on, as mankind becomes more and more
civilized, war is gradually Invested of its hor.
and that even the invention of new and
more destructive engines of death has the eff
to make the actual carnage less. The his
tory OF events in the Crimea for the last year.
unfortunately for those who take this view,
does not show that war has become less waste
full to human life, or that men have become
more reluctant to pursue war to its bloodiest
extremities. A long interval of peace had led
those who hoped well for the human race to
that the day of such conflicts as devas-
tated Europe in the early years of the present
century would never return. The instinct of
brutal ferocity, it was thought, had been weed
I'd ont of the human heart, at least to such a
iegree that the peacefully disposed would al
ways be able to hold in check the fiercer spirits
who painted for war. The events of the last
year have broken up this delusion. All the
horrors of the time when wars were prosecuted
or ends of conquest have come back upon us.
Wan is still, in spite of the boasts of civiliza-
a beast of prey. At Sevastopol, tigers
md wolves have been springing at each others
,hroats, and tearing each other in pieces
They are just so far tanned as to obey their
who hold them in leashes, and lead
hem up TO the horrid combat.
The war in the Crimea is not yet ended, and
is closing scenes may be as bloody as those
which have just preceded them. The Russians
ire yet behind intrenchments from which they
ire not likely to be easily ~dislodged. Until
his is done, the victory of the allies will be
Incomplete and that region, we suppose, will
to be the seat of wal. Y. Ere.
Post.