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Maboh 24, 1855.] THE lEiPlB. 269
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THE VIENNA CONFERENCES. Great secrecy is...
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THE PROTEST OF THE PRUSSIAN REPRESENTATI...
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PRUSSIA'AND THE FORCES OF THE FEDERATION...
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THE WAR. The week, with respect to the w...
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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The Sebastopol Committee. At The Meeting...
human beings could desire was sent out in a month or so . As regarded the number of medical officers , he Btated , in answer to Mr . Drummond , that nearly double the number had been sent , out that had before gone with any army from this country . Having been told of the way in which the medical department was to be reorganised , he had said he could not consent , to hold his appointment under thenew state of things . It was his conviction that the whole medical staff of the army should be under the control of one department , distinct from , not subordinate to , the War-office . Until lately there had been a dispute as to exactly what articles the purveyor to an hospital was bound to supply on the requisition of the medical officers ; but now the regulation was that whatever was ordered by the medical officers in the hospitals the purveyor was bound to furnish . That regulation , however , did not come into operation unti libout October or November of last year .
Maboh 24, 1855.] The Leiplb. 269
Maboh 24 , 1855 . ] THE lEiPlB . 269
The Vienna Conferences. Great Secrecy Is...
THE VIENNA CONFERENCES . Great secrecy is observed with respect to the proceedings at the Conferences , and nothing is yet officially known ; but scraps of information ooze out , and conjecture supplies the gaps . The Congress , as we announced last week , met on the 15 th inst ., and Count Buol , it is said , addressed a conciliatory speech to the representatives of the Powers . The protocol of December 28 was then read and laid on the table , and tlie memorandum of January 7 was produced . Prince Gortschakoft" and M . de TitofF having intimated their readiness to treat on the basis of the four points , the first of these was agreed to en bloc . It runs as follows : —
" Art . 1 . Abolition of the exclusive protectorate of Russia in Moldavia and Wallachia , the privileges accorded to those provinces by the Sultan being placed under the guarantee of the five Powers . " The above is , in substance , the account given by the Times Vienna correspondent ; but the Morning Post , which claims to be peculiarly informed upon the subject , denies much of the foregoing , and says : — " The discussion of the Four Points will be proceeded with , as we have stated , seriatim ; but before they are l l
entered upon , there are , we beieve , severanecessary preliminaries to be yet agreed upon . On Saturday , the protocol of Thursday ' s proceedings , recording the Four Points , and our interpretation of them , was signed by the Plenipotentiaries ; and the Russian Ambassadors h ip affixing their signatures , did-so ,- . reserving' always the dignity of the Russian Empire from any detriment . Since this , a protocol of Saturday ' s proceedings has been signed ; and in this form , from day to day , the labours of the Conference will be recorded . " The great difficulty is expected to lie in the third Article relative to the destruction of the Russian power in the Black Sea .
The Protest Of The Prussian Representati...
THE PROTEST OF THE PRUSSIAN REPRESENTATIVES . The committee of the Second Chamber of the Prussian Parliament , appointed to examine the bill relative to the war estimates , has proposed an Address to the King , from which we extract the following spirited paragraphs . They show that the heart of Prussia is on the side of honour and freedom , whatever may be the tendencies of its monarch and its diplomatists . After asserting that the Prussian nation fully appreciates the blessings of the forty years' peace , the Address proceeds : — " But the faithful people of your Majesty knows also that there exist blessings of a higher order ; and if , in the complications with which the future is pregnant , the country should behold in danger its honour , its independence , or its position as a great Power , the Prussian people would place itself with full devotion , with its traditionul fidelity , irresistible , with its blood and its possessions , by the side of your Majesty , to face all the chance of destiny . " In placing at the foot of tho throno the assurance of our unshaken fidelity , of our unlimited devotion , wo have also another sacred duty to fulfil . " We cannot refrain from expressing the anxiety with which your Majesty ' s faithful people have followed during tho last ten months tho policy of the Royal Government in the great European question .
" It has seen with sorrow Prussia leave the community of tho great Powers represented last year at tho "Vienna Conferences , and thereby renounce the most oflicacious means of assisting , by a firm attitude , which would exclude every doubt , tho speedy attainment of tho object so ardently desired by the wholg country—a peace offering durable guarantees against tho renewal of tho disturbance of established order in Europe , in n manner conformable equally to tho dignity , tho interests , and tho position of Prussia as a Power , as also to tho declarations , made at tho commencement of tho year by tho Government of your Majesty concerning ita future lino of policy . " Wo know how to appreciate to thoir full oxtont tho
difficulties of the present situation ; but in the presence of those anxieties we must express the respectful conviction that , whatever may happen , we behold the most essential-and the most indispensable guarantee of the future of Prussia in a firm and consistent line of policy . "
Prussia'and The Forces Of The Federation...
PRUSSIA ' AND THE FORCES OF THE FEDERATION . The question of the mobilisation of the Federal forces , and the suspicion , openly expressed by Austria and France , that Prussia desires to create a force that shall threaten the French frontier , as a balance to the Austrian project of menacing Russ 4 a , has drawn forth from Prussia a circular dated the 8 th of March , and addressed to the Prussian representatives at the different German courts . From this we cite the subjoined paragraphs : — u You will find hereto annexed a copy of the confidential despatch which I addressed on the 2 nd March to the Minister of the King at Paris . As you will find , I was led thereto by the circumstance that the attitude taken by the Envoy of the King , at the sittings of the Diet , had become the subject of criticism of a foreign government , which the government of the King considers incompatible with the dignity and independence of Germany . " The . motives of the resolution of the Diet of the 8 th February are clear and evident . If , then , at a later period , it was attempted not to ignore them , but to give them another signification—in other words , if a measure , the object of which was to strengthen Germany at home aud abroad , without making any demonstration for the moment , was interpreted later as a demonstration in one sense only—it was necessary in principle to contest the right of efforts made in that sense . This is what the Royal Envoy did at the German Diet . Does that constitute a demonstration in another sense ? Not the least
in the world . Matters would be far gone indeed in Germany if a call for the safety and independence of the German Confederation , at so threatening a moment in Europe , should be interpreted as a provocation against a foreign state , and reproached as a crime . For our part , at least , we are of the opinion that such a call was far too highly conformable to the dignity of Germany to need a corrective , and especially one resulting from treaties with which the German Confederation had nothing to do , and the practical bearing of which it does not-understand at the present moment . "'
" We have reason to believe that many of our German allies share this view of the subject ; without this , probably the motives of the resolution of the 8 th February would never have been adopted either in the committees or in the Federal Assembly by a majority which borders on unanimity . If , later , a foreign interpretation had not been given to those motives , the Royal Envoy would not have found himself in the necessity of re-establishing them in their primitive generality , which did not contain a demonstration in any sense whatever . "
The War. The Week, With Respect To The W...
THE WAR . The week , with respect to the war , has been for the most part a week of conjecture and rumour . We have been conjecturing about the Vienna conferences , and to but little purpose ; and we have been conjecturing whether the Emperor Alexander will declare himself for peace or war , and a Babel of contradictory statements has been our answer . It may be said , however , that the major part of our information with respect to his acts and words goes in favour of the supposition that he will prefer the sword to the olive-branch . With respect to the condition of hostilities in the Crimea , Rumour has talked of a very grave defeat of the Turks at Eupatoria ; but it appears now , even upon the showing of the Russians themselves , that the old lady has , as usual , overshot her mark , and that the affair was not nearly so serious as at first supposed . The firing of Sebastopol by the French , which we noticed last week , has also melted down very considerably ; and we do not seem at present to be any nearer to the reduction of the fortress , though the Times corresponde nt hints mysteriously at pending
operations . On the other hand , the Russians are not idle , nor do they confine themselves to mere defence , but are now engaged upon forming counter-approaches towards those of the Allies , apparently with tho design of besieging tho besiegers . The French are said to be rather uneasy at their position over Inkermann ; and our right being menaced by the Russians , the whole of the 9 th division of tho French army has been moved there to strengthen tho position . Tho French attack on the Malakhoff Tower arose out of the new Russian manoeuvre . It was gallantly executed , but failed .
Tho stale of tho allied camp has greatly improved ; -and the clothing , . hutting , & c , for want of which the men perished by thousands in the winter , are now to be found in abundance . Tljo defensive lino over Balnklava haa been strengthened ; and
Balaklava itself is quite transformed , and , it is said , greatly improved by the progress of the railway .
DESPATCH FROM LORD RAGLANS A despatch from . Lord Raglan , dated March 8 , has been received by Lord Panmure . We quote from it the annexed paragraphs : — . . " My Lordj- ^ -The enemy continue to manifest great activity in preparing the work' which I mentioned to your lordship in my despatch ( No . 187 ) , and are now bringing up platform timber and guns for the equipment and armament of it . " Vast convoys are daily observed arriving on the north side of the town ; and I learn , from information entitled to credit , that the road leading from Simpheropol is covered with waggons laden with provisions and munitions of war .
" This morning three British guns , placed in a battery overhanging the Tchernaya , opened upon two small steamers anchored at the head of the harbour , and , after a fire of about an hour , obliged them to take refuge behind a point . One of them appeared to have sustained considerable damage , and is supposed to have been deserted by her crew . "
THE FRENCH ATTACK ON THE MAtAKHOFE TOWER . The subjoined is the account given by the Daily News correspondent : — " Since the French have taken a share in the right attack , they have been considerably advancing the works destined to act against the shipping in the Great Harbour . To counteract this aggressive advance , and to protect the ships , the Russian engineers , with great alertness , had contrived to throw up a redoubt and covered way between the shipping and French batteries . They were extending this work across the brow of the hill by flying sap , and the intention was manifest of connecting the whole , by works across the ravine known as the Right Ravine , with the batteries around the Malakhoff or Round Tower . The enemy was thus in turn advancing upon the ground which we held in possession . The necessity was obvious of interrupting , if possible , these engineering operations .
"Between two and three o ' clock a . m . on the morning of the 24 th > the French force , between 4000 and 5000 strong , consisting of two battalions of the 2 nd regiment of Zouaves , one battalion of the 3 rd regiment of Zouaves , and a body of the Infanterie de Marine , ^ advanced in two columns against the enemy . The night was dark , "Ehe sky being obscured by clouds , but quiet . Orders had been-given that not a shot should be fired ; and , to ensure this being carried out , the French general had caused all the firelocks of his men to be uncapped : they were to drive out the enemy at the point of the bayonet . After marching for some distance in front of the French advanced works , they came upon a cross ravine , running nearly east and west ; this they descended , and succeeded
in mounting to the opposite side without meeting any opposition . Having formed ready for the charge , they soon came upon some of the Russian sentries , who at once fired and fell back . The French troops rushed upon the work , which they entered , but the enemy was found prepared and in immense force . A tremendous fire of musketry was poured into the assailants , and kept- up with- wonderful -steadiness .. and ..: vigour . _ ., _ The French troops dashed against their enemies with the bayonet ; but it was at once evident that the numbers opposed to them were too great to be driven away , and the order was therefore given to beat a retreat . At the same time there was a tremendous discharge of shells
from the works around the Malakhoff Tower , from the lunette battery on the west side of Careening Bay , from the ships below , and also from the batteries near the Inkerman west-light . The air was illumined by the discharge and the bursting of these missiles . They were thrown in every direction along which it might be supposed reinforcements were coming to the French troops . The Russians kept up for some distance tlieir fire of musketry , the shells and round shot passing harmlessly over their heads . The French succeeded in ascertaining the direction and nature of tho work , and also destroyed it in part ; but their loss has been very great . The number of casualties , in killed and wounded , is stated , to
bo about 400 . " The correspondent of the Morning Post says : — " I am told that electric lights were placed on the attack as a guidance to tho batteries and shipping which played on the French , among whom it caused considerable confusion — the light being thrown occasionally upon them , and then taken off , in the one case dazzling tho troopB , and in tho other throwing them into a darkness which might almost bo felt . This was very unfortunate , as tho French had just imported a similar invention which was not quite ready for adoption . Tho Zouaves are greatly incensed against tho Marines , who retreated , it is said , with such precipitation fti . d panic that they actually fired into the Zouaves * Rumour speaks of a disclosure of the French plan of attack by spies ns ono * of tho mam causes of failure . The Times , in a summary of the
Attack , says : — , "Tho Russians wercs 10 , 000 strong , and tho unfortunate Zouaves foil into a regular ninbuHoodo . Novertheloaa such was tho dauntless valour of these troopu that
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), March 24, 1855, page 5, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_24031855/page/5/
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