NEWS OF THE WEEK.
ACCORDING to an article from Bucharest, the anticipated re- treat of the Russian army from before Shumla has been sadly realized. The bodies of their sick and wounded cover the roads, mingled with the carcasses of horses and the materiel of war. The living suffer incredible privations ; each soldier having scarcely two ounces of bread per day, with half a pint of water.
On the same day that the Russians commenced their ketrograde movement, Hussein Bey also left his entrenchments at the head of seventy thousand men ; but there are no accounts of his pro- gress, though he is said to threaten the communications of the Russians with the Danube.
Nothing is known to have occurred at Varna, of a nature which can in any way counterbalance this disaster. The Russian fire had indeed reduced the town to ruins, and the Turks are under- stood to have offered to treat for a capitulation—perhaps only to gain time ; but it is certain, that down to the 22d of September they were defending their ruined position, and no assault had been even attempted by the besiegers. The Grand Vizier was marching from Adrianople to the relief of Varna.
The force under General Roth has been nearly annihilated by a sally made from Silistria by a strong body of Turks, who cap- tured thirty pieces of cannon and an immense booty. The Paella of Widdin, too, has been making fresh incursions into the. ter- ritory occupied by the Russians ; and General Giesmar who is opposed to him, so far from being able to act on the offensive, is fortifying himself against surprise.
In the mean time the waste of life in the war has been such as to oblige the Emperor to recruit his army by new levies. An ordi- nance issued from Odessa calls for an immediate levy of four men out of every five hundred liable to serve ; and the sufficient reason given is, that the "obstinacy "of the Turks calls upon him to "adopt new measures for the honourable termination of hostilities." The Turks are proceeding vigorously with their warlike opera- tions at Constantinople. Every Mussulman who either gives quarter to a Christian, or accepts of it, is' to suffer death. Under this barbarous law, the Pacha of Brailow has suffered, though lie defended his fortress with the greatest bravery.
The Ministerial journals have been amusing themselves at the expense of those prints which apprehended that Turkey would be swallowed at a mouthful by the Autocrat, and were in immense distress because we did not go to war in defence of our supposed helpless old friend. We must confess that the laugh is fairly against some of our liberal contemporaries, who carried their fears to an excess on one side, as we suspect the Ministerial jour- nals are now carrying their exultation to excess on the other. The Tories should bear in mind the sublime admonition of Lord Castle- reagh on a former occasion, and "not holloa till they are out of the wood." It still remains to be seen whether Turkey can bear the pressure of the superior Russian resources. The Russians per- haps calculated on a mere military promenade, instead of which they have certainly had a very disagreeable walk against the wall of Shumla ; but they are a people of a good deal of dogged de- termination, and have shown that they can take a prodigious al- lowance of beating, and be able to beat again after it. The Emperor Nicholas may sing the stave of the Duke of Argyll after a disas- trous rebellion.
"If it was not well bobbit, well bobbit, well bobbit ; If it was not well bobbit, we'll bobbit The first jump has failed; but this great game of bob-cherry al- lows of more than one spring. For which reason, we should re- commend the Government prints to restrain their laughter till the end of the play, as the French proverb truly says that he laughs well who laughs the last. An united and invaded nation is, we agree, a thing about as pleasant to handle offensively as a hedge- hog ; nevertheless, where there is a vast power in resource on the one hand, as well as a noble spring of resistance on the other, it is prudent to postpone our lo pcean for the event.
The Globe alone of the daily papers has kept its judgment un- warped, and its views clear, from the beginning of the contest to the present hour. It has the habit of seeing things without the distortions of prejudices or predilections, and never riots in a fool's paradise or groans in a hypochondriac's hell.
