New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-06-19

lies into Sebastopol If they had pushed siralgnt Oh
after the Alma OF if four days later on tne Stn VI
September, they had marched against inc hor'n'
defenses of the TOWN. or if on arriving at Balaclava
tbev had delivered an immediate ASSAULT or If at the
close of the cannonade on the 18th OF OCTOBER they
HAD launched their waiting columns against the shat
tered earthworks of the Redan; they would nave
been masters of the place. 1t Is seldom that the
commanders of an invading force have found means
to commit within so brief a s. ace such series OF
follies. On the morrow of the Alma the allied
Generals had to decide what use they would make
of the victory which the valOr of their troops aud
the incompetence of the Russian commander had Sc
cured 10 them. When the fl Int was done on the
afternoon of the 10Th of September Lord Raglan's
desire to pursue the retreating enemy had been Ie-
sisted by Marshal st. Armand on the ground that he
was unwilling lengthen the distance between the
French and their knapSacks But victory is
nothing miles followed upaS we so often learnt III
our own cOntest-and those who are familiar with
the history of war accustomed to say that IL Is
moro unvonuon TO find general able to take adj
vantage his c esSes than to find one able to win
a great battle. Lor Raglan, there is no doubt, was
eager to get on. He urged upon the French Marshal
at once to advance on the Bebec, cross that river,
and then assault the Ort csS. In reply st. Amaud
said that his troops tired, and that 1t could
not be don ord Raglan could not understand this
answer for he knew he said that the troops could
not be tir d, that there must besome other rea-
son for the arsAals answer"
There was reason TO be found in the difficulties
Of the case The battle Of the Alma being once
gained, the pn Teal obstacles which interposed be-
tween he victorious Allies and the town of Sebasto-
pol. wiich Wa, the object of their campaign, were
few. The distance between the Alma and the north
side Of Seba,top.l wa not much more than 20 miles
Two rivers crossed hcit path. the Katscha and the
Belbcc The EuSSian retired behind the katScha on
the night of the jatte, and it was undefended Al
the mouth of the Brlhec they threw up asght earth
work Between the Bclbec and the north shore OF
the roadstcad Srhastopol there was fertilization
of 10 great .rath, called the Star Fort which was
not work designed against invaders coming from
the Belhe.!... .. Itch would be commanded both by
fire from the ground on which the Allies would APP
proach and from the feet against which II had but
twelve gun, Lat could be brought to bear Lord
Raglan and sir Edmun Lyons. then Rear Admiral
agreed in thinking Oh ere was no obstacle which ought
10 battle a victorious army of from 5OOJ to O0oJO
men. aided by the GETS Time has proved that they
were tight. 1t shown also, that Prince Ments-
clRod. the Ru sian commander, had not only with
drawn 10 the south OF SebasOpol, but had delibcr-
ately renowned tue idea of venturing his army IN
any encounter on the north o. the TOadStcad The
far weicbEer e.. mon of Gen. Todlebeu ailirmS that
to the instant advance of the Allies upon Sebastopol
from the north the existing deienses could have
offered no ser ouS hiUdernce. Nay, Gen. IOdleDen
declares that AT this time the situation of the de-
Tenders notwithstanding all the had done, and not
withsandiug their heroic resolves, was nothing less
than despeIate :" and he adds that if the Allies had
made use of means of observation they must
have La.n'D that the attack wa feasible The
thing which umed ia, mind Of Marshal ST. Anaud
against al advance seems to have been the discovery
of the earthwOrk at the mouth of the Belbec But
says Nh kim axe, with touch OF wholesome scorn.
the Use of the spade and the ickax has been so long
In wn in the world, and the crust Of the earth has
lie N so frequently used by man means Of shelter
ing him in his efforts to harm his aSsailants, that
the Allies were to turn aside from well-weighed
plan of cam align at the sight Of newly-made bat
terry they would not only disclose flexbity scarce
consistent with the pretensions of aggressive States
but would be conceding to the power of the Defense
as compared with the power of the Attack, an
ascendant which does not belong to it," Sir Edmund
Lyons when this objection to The Bebec earthwork
was urged by Marshal st. Armand, put himself on
board a small steamer ran Csc in and ascertained
that the new work was not even armed lie reported
Shis to the French commander, but could not over
come his reluctance to attack Il.
The Allies then, ha 1t in their power to seize the
north side of Seba,topol, to execute the main pur-
pose of the invasion b destroying its naval estab
Ishments and the Black Sea fleet then lying in its
harbor and, b merely occupying point on the road
to Baktch serai to compel the surrender OF the
south of Sebastopol and bring the camp align to end
The victory OF the 9th of September, SAYS Mr.. King
lake, "gave Scbastopol to the Allies on condition
that they would Jay instant hands on the prize That
condition Mar a st. Armand rejected By refusing TO
60 on again, the northern defenses of the place
We shall have to make a reckoning of the lost occa-
sions which followed the battle OF the Alma. This
one stands a, the first"
The crisis had arrived which changed the of
the Crmean campaign. Marshal ST. Armand had
nothing to suggest in place OF Lord Raglans pro-
posal. and for while says Mr. KingaEe the pause
of the Allies was not a mere halt. Tie enterprise
stopped"
The pause continued from the afternoon of the goth
of September to the morning of the 23d During all
this time the burial OF tn dead and the removal of
the wounded went on but the delay was not caused
nor excused by the need of performing these duties
Had the armies Oninued their advance along the
shore toward the north side of Sebastopol, detach
ment left on the Alma would have protected suffi-
GENTLY the embarkation of the wounded 1t was
only when the plan of quitting the west coast was
resolved on that the delay of the whole army became
unavoidable, except by abandoning the wounded to
the enemy. Now the number of disabled men in the
French army was much less than in the English.
When the French sick were all on board the ships the
English were still toilng hard at their task. Then
Marshal st. Arnaud whose refusal to advanceby
the easy and natural road had made the delay neces-
sary suffered himself TO write: The English not
yet ready and am kept back just as at Batchick,
just as at cid Font. 1t is true they have more
vvounded than have and that they are further from
the sea. What slowness is our movements! War
can hardly be carried on In this way The weather
is admirable and am not pr0fitlng by IT, rage"
l. Ar,,n,Il,. Lnn1Lh nt