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Leader (1850-1860), 14th October 1854, Edition Country of 2, Page 12

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      England In The Crimea. If The Battle Of ...

      several 32 and 24 < -pounder 3 , enfiladed the front of the Russian position , and swept the slopes to the Alma . On both flanks the Russians stood in dark masses ; but their centre , although studded with artillery , was "weak in numbers and position . The plan of attack adopted by the Allies was extremely simple . While Marshal St . Arnaud occupied the attention of the centre , Generals Bosquet

      and Canrobert , in concert with Sulieman € ? acha , were to turn the Russian left ; when ¦ t his manoeuvre had succeeded , simultaneously with an attack on the centre by the troops under Prince Napoleon and Sir De Lacy ; Eyans , Sir George Brown with the Light Division , supported by the Guards and Highlanders tinder the Duke of Cambridge , was to turn the Russian right .

      This plan , was frustrated in the execution . It is tx'ue that General Bosquet carried the Zouaves and regular infantry on to the crests of the cliffs , from which the shells of the steamers had driven the Russians ; it is true that Prince Napoleon led his brigade over the Almaj drove out the [ Russian riflemen from the gardens , and menaced the centre ; "but the advance of the ! Bnglish centre , on the contrary , was delayed by the firing of the village of Burliuk , through which they

      ¦ were to march ; and when , Sir George Brown arrived on the banks of the Alma , he found that the Russians outflanked him , that the difficult ground in his front had been rendered more difficult by the trees that had been felled and strewed about ; and that his only hope lay in a direct advance and a storm . The -Light Division , closely sustained by its support , crossed the river at a bound , and was soon entangled in the vineyards on the other side . Detaching three regiments

      to the left , Sir George charged up the steep in his front with the Seventh , Twenty-third , and Thirty-third . The slaughter was terrible . The men , however , entered the redoubt or great battery , but were forced to give ground , so great was the loss of this brigade . At this crisis up came the support ; tlie Highlanders , exhorted by their chief ; the Guards well handled , and as steady as on parade—still the same Guards

      as those who dressed at IFontenoy—pressed up the hill with a force and coolness which nothing could resist , their advance cohered by the judicious firing of two guns brought up and placed by Lord Raglan himself . It was now four o ' clock ; the Russian left had been swept off the field , the centre had been split in two , the last charge of the QJ unrds and Highlanders on the right had fairly overwhelmed the enemy , and he fled , carrying off" all his guns but three , and having lost some six thousand killed and wounded

      in this terrible encounter . Alike outmanoeuvred and out-fought on their left , snapped in the contre , and ovei' -bonxe on their right , the Bussian troops ran from the field , covered by their cavalry , partly in the direction of Baktschi-Serai , and partly toward Sebastopol . Unfortunatoly the Allies were deficient in cay airy , and \ yero thus prevented from converting the retreat into a rout . The skill subsequently shown by the gonerals proved their worthiness of such an army . Arrived on the Bolbelc , they found that tho field-works on the northern shore of

      Sobastopol eommandod the landing-place , and thus at onco wore they doprived of one "base ot operations . " Without any delay , Lord Kaglan suggested a flunk march on Balaldava ; and tho idea thus daringly conooived waa" as rapidly executed . On the 2 'Jbth tho Allies were on tho Katcha ; on tho 25 th they had turned Inkerman , struggled through a mountainous and wooded country , defeated a Russian corps of 15 , 000 men ; and on tho 26 th they wore masters of Balaklava . Tin ©

      Russiansj demoralised and dispersed , offered no resistance . On the 28 th the siege train was landed ; on the 4 th of Octoher the guns in the siege batteries opened on Sebastopol . Eighteen days before those splendid troops stood at Old IFort—perhaps at this moment they hold Sebastopol itself !

      S 972 The Leader. [Saturday,

      s 972 THE LEADER . [ Saturday ,

      The First Footstep Of America In Europe....

      THE FIRST FOOTSTEP OF AMERICA IN EUROPE . The first step towards a great event in Europe , which we were probably the first to predict , has already taken place . The Ministers accredited to the principal cotirts on this side of the Atlantic have met in conference in a neighbouring neutral country , for the purpose of considering tlie present state of European affairs , with a view to tbe

      ultimate participation of America in any consultation to revise the treaties regulating the territorial relations and maritime jurisdiction of Europe and the world . We have long said that the stripes and stars would be seen in Europe as tlie standard of freedom : the diplomatist only comes first ; and the flag" , hoisted at the residence of the Ambassador , may supersede the necessity for arms . " We know well how difficult it would be to

      enlist an American , army for the support of an abstract principle ; but America ' naa acquired , too : many" interests in Europe to leave them unvindieated ; she will assert them . ' at first with lier word ; but if her word he denied- ——There are , of course , innumerable subjects which will liave to be handled by the American Ministers , whether in conference or

      separately . America has already determined some of those points : her commerce must be protected . ; wherever it appears . Eastern Asia must be left open for American trade , or for emigration . Cuba naust form part of the federation , by the wish of its inhabitants . These are a few amongst the points already determined ; and America -will know how to distinguish her allies from her enemies . ISTor can any countries on . this sidle of the Atlantic find it safe to exclude from their

      councils one whose interests are so bound up with theirs , one which constitutes already a JPower in . the world . In the affair of Cuba itself there is substantial ground for calculating that the manufacturing interests of England and France would be greatly benefited by breaking up the prohibitory system which the Spanish G-overmnent maintains in the island . The benefit to Cuba from such

      change would bo manifest . Spain herself might gain , by being released from a delusive reliance upon supplies which have not kept her quit of insolvency , extricated from complicated differences , and set free with a round sum of money in hand . Tho trade ot America has by this time extended to the farthest recesses of tho European seas , and it is already a fixed American conclusion that , the Black Sea must not remain a Russian lake , The "Western Powers of Europo profess to have come , independently , to tho same conclusion ; and they cannot take it amiss if they find a powerful ally ready to

      support them . If wo anticipate © von tlio most favourable turn for events hi tho sequel of the great contest now extending on tho Contiuowt , wo cannot but foresee sorious difficulties at more than ono stag © . Supposing thnb Austria is honest , we cannot anticipate perfect facility in bringing her over to acquiesce in a necessary recognition of tho rights of nations , or of n truly liberal policy . Yet now that tho bonds of Europe have been cast loose by tho violence of Russia ,, when a general war compels all tl > o powers to hazard their iqfluonco , i f not their existence , in tho mSUe it will bo

      impracticable to silence or keep down nationalities which have rights of their- own to assert . "We may pi-each the policy of alliance , the general interest of Europe , the virtues of moderation ; but Italy cannot forget the wrongs of centuries , nor can Hungary overlook events which have filched her constitution from her . If Hungary has duties to Europe , ^ Europe forgot the reciprocal duties when she permitted Austria to put her thumb upon Hungarian rights . Since Austria has been betrayed by the accomplice that then made her

      bold , Hungary may perhaps perform a generous part , and forbear to strike in return ; but she will expect to recover her own ; and it will be necessary to make Austria comply with the expectation . It will really be a circumstance of no small account for the Western Powers if they secure the support of America in practically enforcing that counsel . On the other hand , should Austria betray us , and evade the dues after she has gained her point , the support of America would not be less valuable .

      The councils by which the policies of Europe have been determined have , indeed , been bodies of the most anomalous kind . The arbitrary . Governments have enjoyed an overwhelming preponderance . " Vfhile it is war time , England can make good her stand , and defend her own . On the field of battle her steel and iron votes have often carried the day . But when the battle is over , and it is peace , the subject of debate is referred to a

      Congress ; and then constitutional England gets outvoted . Or she does worse—being outvoted , she conceals lier want of power by truckling , and appears to connive at spoliation which she detests . She did so , Lord Aberdeen tells us , when she surrendered so much to Russia on Turkish ground in 1829 . Let us hope that she did no worse when she surrendered Poland for partition . At all events , England would no longer willingly consent to the same surrenders now . But

      she miglit he outvoted . At such a time , then , the support of America would be doubly valuable in regaining for liberal or constitutional England the confidence of liberal and republican parties in Europe , and in counterbalancing the extreme of Absolutism . The diversities of the Congress would bo neutralized by increasing tlie variety . It would no longer be constitutional England , solitary amidst arbitrary Qovernments : but

      in the Congress we should have represented arbitrary Austria , if still arbitrary , doctrinaire Prussia , absolute Russia , absolute and yet popular France , constitutional England , republican America . The ilag which represents tho nationality of the world could not fail in that assemblage to afford shelter for a new spirit of European nationality . That tho peoples can have power would be evidenced by the representative iu Congress ; and let us add , that it might be no misfortune for the " Patriot" party on the Continent if Republican principles happened to bo offended in the person of tho American representative .

      War As A Moral Exercise. This War Is A G...

      WAR AS A MORAL EXERCISE . This war is a groat moral exercise , without which this country would havo boon in a condition neither hcaltliy nor safe . Until wo were engaged in it , wo wore in a fool ' s panidiso , "believing that oivr ponce would never be interrupted , chattering about i \ return to tho military system of . 1 . 887 , and learning to thinlc that so long aa wo romnmod clever in trade and politics we need never four the barbarians . There was some notion that wo might rely upon " moral force , " though how moral force was to operate upon tl » a contumacious nobody could over explain . So groat was tho rolianco of tho doctors upon their nostrum , that three of thorn tried the treatment upon .

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Oct. 14, 1854, page 12, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_14101854/page/12/