The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1855-06-15
The. SIGNS IN THE. EAST,


intelligence from The sent Of wac or IN tie
political indications at home. brought Us BY
the PncIfc to-day. The prospects in the Crit
mca are gloomier than ever; and the stirring
Of the democratic and discontented elements
In England are even more portentious thun
the increasing army Of the Gar. The Brit.
ish Qneen, after having stopped 10 buckle on
the garter Of. the Emperor Of Fsancr, has
deemed Il polite and prudent to bestow n
few honors upon ~me of her poor private
soldiers; but even this marked cendescensiop
Of royalty will hardly concilinte the masses
at honc, who atc taxed to sustain this vim.
diciive and inglorioos War in the East, or
the poor soldiers in the trenches, who nrc
digging their own graves ia the great necro-
pclisof the Crimea. p.
And then there is growing discord among
the British ministry; and the balls Of Parlia.
mcut are beginning to ring with the eIoqucnce
ola long suffering opIc. The overture to
Sweden is met by an order Cor arming the
militia and while tho forces Of the allies are
wasting away before the bullets Of the cne-
my, and from diseases engende-cd by an at
mosphere tainted and thick with Death, the
Car is calling fresh levics into the field.
showing that his resources Of money and men
are as incxhaustiblc as his determination to
fight il out Is inexorable.
III the Meantime Cpnrobcrt resigns his
command Of the army, virtually conlessing
that there are no laurels to be gained in these
barren victo,ies-these harmless showers of
"heavy metal" upon the impregnab!e walls of
Sebastopcl; and even the proud Emperor Of
France, who boasts Of bearing az charmed
life" and whose name would be "a tower of
strength" to the forlorn hopes Of his thinncd
ranks In the Crimea, talks no more Of plac.
ing himself aud his inspiring Chapcau tete
d arnee.
In this dilemma what can the allies do p
With the people Of their respective realms
murmuring against the Ruling Powers at
home; with the disconnected soldiers despair.
ing and dying abroad; with an enemy whose
name is Legion, forever multiplying before
tte'n--thc question may well be asked, what
shall the end Of these things BE-! The only
rational, philosophical, moral, humane, or even
polite answer would be: let them waste no
more "leaden rain and iron hail" in attempt
ing to storm Srbastopol; let the red rivers of
human blood that have been poured out as
fruitless sacrifice be stayed; let treaty Of
mutual concessions be made, even though It
gail the pride Of Empetors, Queens und Par.
Iianents let Russia have the outlet for her
commerce, to which her vast dominions en-.
title hcr, even though she insist upon Con.
stantlnoplens her principal e,urepoi; and let
the dirty Turks fulfil the inglorious destiny
ola lazy, cruel idolatrous race.
The Despotsm Of the East IL but the
counterpose of the RepublicaIism Of the
West. II is more honest and more humane
than the mongrel inonarciies, under wl,ose
hypocritical governments the liberties of the
people nre betrayed by q kiss, and where
freedom, personal or political, is but the hol.
low mockery ofa name. Between the egit.
innate, downright Dcspotisii Of tie Gar Of
Russia. and the false and ilesitima,e lmpe.
rinIi.m Of the Usurpef af France, an honest
man would have no difficulty in choosing.-
The one is practical, tangible, indubitable
TAcr--as unqucstionabls verify us the
earth itself. The other is n decci,ful, delu.
sive, evaneseent SHAM, dependent for its du.
ration upon single human breath-held to.
gsther by the brittle thread of mortal life
that "breaks at every breeze" Louis Napo.
leon will fall hefire Sehastopol is taken; and
taen-wbo will bless his memory for all this
wanton wastc of blood and treasure--tllis
crimson and golden deluge that is only en-
riching the hills and valleys If the Cri-
mca |! ts ,.F