The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1855-06-29
NOTES ON THE LATE EUROPEAN NEWS.

be carefully read and as carefully pondered
NOTES ON THE LATE EUROPEAN NEWS
The late from the Crmea it appears, has been
ceved with great exuaton in Great Britain and raised
the pulse of the stock exchange beats 1t came
also just in time Parliament to adopt Sir Francis
Barng resolution to stand by her Majesty in the prosecu
ton Of the war to an honorable peace-,,em.
The principal event in the progress of the siege of Sebas
topol is the stormng and capture of trench lately dug
by the Russians concerning which Prince Gortschako
his despatch Of the 23d of May briefly says "The hard
Of the ground prevented digging the trench
deep enough This appears to have been most OBJ
snate contest The Frcnch-for the English troops
appear lately in the character of aoa-combaansfve
times in succession drove the Russians from the trench
from which they five times driven in turn,
but of which they finally retained possession General
Pelssier in his account OF this affair." states that the
losses of the Russians least four times own
aud learn from another account that these amounted to
1900 killed and 1000 wounded. 1t is remarkable that
this is the old story told in all the engagements before Sc
bastopo The loss of the Russians is invariably stated
least double and frequently three four times greater
than that of the allies the Of which is as uni
tormy most discreety withheld Without however, inn
peachng the authority of General Peisser, we win sim
such disparity of loss would between two armies
each alternately placed in the position towards each
other both evidently conending with equal galantry and
skill, and of them finally retreatng without being
pursued? We believe that the annals of generally
show Tat assauling army, where the defence is de-
tormincd and skly conducted almost invariably suffers
most unless in the Of ST. Sebastians during the
Peninsuar war; takes place. and the garrison
tn tbpa Noth If III nd
this occasion. The Russians finally reeaed from the
trench without being pursued nsomuch that hear not
word of prisoners We must therefore, be excused for
doubling such extraordinary disparity Of loss on this
as well many previous encounters commemorated by
telegraph and anonymous correspondents.
We cannot but surmise too that the late successes of
the allies not only before Sebastopo but in the sea Of
Azo have been greatly exaggerated by the British and
French presses which have Of late had little to boast
that they may be held excusabe for making the most Of
small matter As yet they have made little or no impress
sion the original permanent defenccs Of ebasopo and
all their efforts have been directed towards those erected in
advance since the Of the ve 10 the very
face of the besiegers The place thu oment stronger
than at first by the construction Of new works, from
whence the allies have been able to isodge the Rus
SLAMS and the utmost the former boast is that thus
of sdof sebasopol the cost of some fifty or sixty
thousand men, who have persisted by pcsticnce famine
and the sword Judging Of the future by the past should
they finally succeed in its capture they will pay dear for
the whistle.
The immediate and ultimate consequences of the exped
ton against Kertsch ALSO we believe greatly exagge
rated In the number of vessels as well ms the guam
hty OF provisions and munitions of war DESTROYED not
he
the Black sea has heretofore been the hands Of the ta
ians, Germans Armenians, French English Maltese and
Greeks Of Peoponasus and the onan isles These have
been the great carriers Of the wheat of Odessa and the prd
ncts Of the countries bordering the Black sea- and we
do not believe that Russia possessed the number
vessels on these waters stated to have destroyed at
Kertsch AT all events the two admrals must have
ed all sorts Of small craft most of them without decks
which ply in the shoa of the sea Of AzoG and all
the fishing boats employed in catching sturgeon on the
river Dom
learned and distinguished Britsb-.rayeller who Wis
tied Taganrock and other places about the Crmca
some years ago, thus describes this famous sea:
The inhabitants of all this part Of the sea of Azo main
tain that It's waters annually diminish remarkable phe-
nomenon occurs during particular seasons, which affords
very orcbe proof OF the veracy Of the Scriptures
During the violent winds the in so
able that the people Of Taganrock able TO effect
passage on dry land to the opposite coast distance of 20
versts about IA miles but when the wind changes which
IL does sometimes very suddenly the waters with
such rapdty to their woned bed that many lives lost
In this also small vessels stranded We saw
the wrecks Of which had good soundngs
the coast, but Unexpectedly swamped upon
sands"
Speaking Of Taganrock, he says;
1.-THE water il is shallow that haven could poe
sby have been constructed except by forming canals
expense beyond all calculation. The ships
lie oil at distance OF ten miles; and all drawing
from eight to ten feet water only approach within
versts of the town. Taganrock formerly contained seventy
thousand inhabitants, but in consequence capitalization
made with the Turks was entirely razed I revival bears
date from the establishment Of the Armenian colony
Nackhtshyan 1t numbers about thousand nhab
itans."
II would sesm from the preceding sketch that the
mand Of the sea Of Azon, which in fact was together with
the whole Of the Black virtually in their possession
previous to the atcsxpedion, just much it is now