The Press. — London, England, 1856-01-19 00:00:00

JANUARY 19, 1856. , . This is intelligible. Without waiting to analyse the moral, it may be, welt to examine the amount of a-quirement in eistory and geography exemplified by theAustriar, advocate. When du the Russians emigrate from the wilds of Asia? They were a portion of the Scythi; but the fir..c authentic account of them is A.D. 822, under tituik, Grand Duke of Novogorod. The Mongol Tatars overran the country A.o. 1200, and held it in subjection until 1540, when Ivan Basilowitz, with the tit'. of Czar, or Great King, drove the invaders from his d.ominions, and once morn established a Russian in' l .tependence. It is the Mongol interregnum of 350 years that the Cabinet historians of Austria mistake for an Asiatic Russia, forgetful at the same time that the Sclave race is distinctly European and properly Russian, without Tartar and Mongol ad mixture. The Russian proper is Caucasian, and of primary organisation; and the Tartar is Mongolian, .or of secondary organisation. A wilful error of this nature is an absurdity that surpasses belief. It is but common justice to give the spirited reply of Le Nord : As to a e importance of Russia as a European power, she will maintain it in spite of her deadliest enemies, for this importance does not depend on any syatem of foreign policy, but in her elements of internal force and prosperity. She can then, in an attitude of repose, allow events to take their coarse, and wait. To know how to wait is the great secret of great States as of great men. To be able to wait is a proof of force and power, as much as the reverse shows the wai.t of it. The delay of a European settlement is not favorable to Austria or Germany. They cannot afford to wait. Austria has defied Russia, Prussia and Germany have challenged France. Peace may yet be'tnade. if peace be not concluded the respon sibility will rest with Austria, I'russia, and Germany : with Austria for perfidious delay and consummate selfishness; with Prussia and Germany for short comings, indecision, and an empty bravado of France. J. E. L. ottign anti (colonial Intelligence. FRANCE. The race between the Paris journalists for the daily dozen of their telegraphic despatches upon the absorbing question of peace or war has this week been exciting. Statements, counter-statements, con tradictions, affirmations, false reports and fabricated facts, authenticated rumours, and positive lies have followed one other with such speed that the public, bewildered and nauseated, have not known what to regard as probabilities or truths. One day, Russia bad refused to give up an inch of territory ; negotia tions were "detinitivAy closed ;" Count Esterhazy was ordered to quit St. Petersburg at once, and Pnnce Gortschakoff was packing up his diplomatic portmanteau at Vienna. The next, that Russia, agreeing to all the other terms proposed, consented, if not to the actual cession of the territory required, at least to a new demarcation of her frontiers, to be fixed by a European congress; then, that she would cede not only the delta of the Danube, but Ismail and other fortresses; and finally, that the real reply of the Russian Government had never even reached Vienna, that Count Esterhazy yet remained at St. Petersburg, and Prince Gortschakoff continued to have daily interviews with Count Buol at Vienna. The return of Baron Seebach to Paris also offered a wide field for speculation. The Patrie, on " special information from Germany," denied that he had ever undertaken any diplomatic mission at all; while the *Constitutionnel affirmed that his arrival in St. Peters burg created a marked change in the tone of Russia, and that he was now so far in possession of the sen• timents of M. de Nesselrode as to be able, on his return to Paris, to mark the extent of concession Russia was disposed to make. Of Baron Seebach's reception at St. Petersburg, the Constitutionuel gave an elaborate account, declaring that. he was sup ported in his moderate and conciliatory policy by M. de Fenton, late Russian Minister at Hanover, who, on his side, brought from Warsaw the earnest advice of Prince Paskiewitch, conjuring the Russian Cabinet "to accept readily any proposal of peace that might be made." In the midst of all these speculations and rumours the official announcement, that Russia had uncon ditionally accepted the Austrian proposals as a basis for negotiation, has for the moment silenced rumour, and left Europe in breathless expectation. • The despatch announcing this fact was received at Paris on Thursday morning, and immediately posted up at the Bourse by order of the Minister of the Interior : Vienna, Jan. 16, 11.15 p.m. The Minister of France to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Count Esterhazy writes to-day from St. Petersburg that M. do Nesselrode has just notified to him the uncoil• 'Jitional acceptance (l'aceepialion pure et simple) of the propositions contained in the ultimatum, which proposi tions are to serve as preliminaries of peace. A remarkable article in the Moniteur, by M. de 1a Guerroniere, administering a reprimand to the Legis- THE PRESS. lative Senate, has excited considerable attention. Those distinguished men, who enjoy 30,(X)0 francs a year, as part of their " high and serene mission," are urged to take an initiative from which they have hitherto abstained, and not to ape the importance of the old Chamber cf Peers, instead of attending to their own peculiar duties. The specific object of the Government inflicting so marked a castigation upon the "First Power of the State," as it is designated by the Pays, is not clearly understood. The Constitu tional says it was less to enlighten the Senate than to inform the public of the "logic and harmony " which prevailed in all the elements of the Constitu tion; while the Pays sees in it only "a wise and splendid exhottation " to that august body to profit with resolution by their attributes, and accomplish all possible good in their sphere. The general feeling in Paris is, that some great constitutional change may be shortly expected. The report of the Minister of Finance on the general financial position of France shows a dis posable total of 535,000,000 francs balance, to meet the necessities of 1856. The sum actually in hand amounts to 120,000,000 francs, which, added to the 415,000,000 francs yet to be received from the two last loans, gives the total of 21,800,0001. sterling. 111. Magne congratulates the Emperor upon the sound financial state of the country, and concludes his report, which is of great length, as follows : To sum up, Sire, this simple résumé of the principal financial events of the past year shows us a commercial activity without a parallel ; unheard-of progress in con sumption ; two immense loans, paid up with the greatest regularity, and in a great measure before the payments were due ; besides the loans, more than 135000,000, a sum which had never before been known to have been em ployed in the purchase of renter, for the departments ; the direct contributions paid by anticipation, and almost without expense; a well-balanced budget; the floating debt reduced ; and all this despite the war, despite the crisis in the high price of food, despite the serious outlay which accidental circumstances have imposed upon us. What greater proof could be given of the vitality, of the wealth of the country, and of all that France is capable of under a popular Government, with such resources wisely employed? Extravagance alone might be feared. Your Majesty will know how to obviate that danger by your high prudence, by firmly opposing the inconsiderate temp tations of speculation, and by adjourning, in the interest of the enterprises already commenced, all those which do not bear the evident manifest characteristics of urgency. (Signed) P. filsorrz. Paris, Jan. 15, 1856. The grand military spectacle on Tuesday excited an immense enthusiam among the troops and the people. His Royal Highness the Duke of Cam uridge, accompanied by the Emperor and a brilliant staff, reviewed the Crimean corps now in Paris, and, in the name of our Queen and Government, distri buted medals for distinguished service in the East. The whole ceremony was most brilliant and impos ing. At the moment of presentation, the Duke, dis mounting, entered the circle of officers, and spoke as follows : Her Majesty the Queen of England has deigned to charge me with the office of presenting to the generals, officers, and rank and file of the French army, my brave and worthy comrades, these medals as a token of the cor• dial esteem and friendship which exist between the two nations, and of the admiration of which her Majesty and the English nation have fell in seeing the glorious feats of arms performed by the army of the East. It was in the great combats of the Alma, Inkermanu, and Sebastopol that the alliance of the two nations was ratified by the two armies. God grant that this great alliance may always continue for the advantage and glory of both nations ! As for myself, my dear comrades, the honour which has been conferred on me is the greater that I have served with you, and have seen with my own eyes your bravery, your great military qualities, and the devotedness with which you have supported so many fatigues and so many dangers. I s 4 ncetely thank the Emperor for his kindness in allowing me to have the honour of distributing these medals in his presence. AUSTRIA. The suspense as to the tenor of Russia's reply to the Austrian proposals has subsided in Vienna. The intense activity of the diplomatic world, the constant despatch and arrival of couriers, first resulted in the semi-official announcement of the Austrian Corre spondence, that the substance of the Russian in tended reply to the proposals had been communi cated on the 12th to Count Buol, and, though not unreservedly accepting the propositions, expressed peaceable sentiments, leading to the hope that suc cessful negotiations would ensue:— The answer of the Imperial Russian Cabinet (says the Correspondence) to the well-known proposals which Austria, sating in concurrence with France and England, caused to be delivered at St. Petersburg, as the fundamental condi tions of the conclusion of peace, has been communicated by Prince Gortschakoff, the Russian Ambassador, to the Imperial Royal Minister for Foreign Affairs. - - The Russian answer is, we understand, couched in a conciliatory spirit, and expresses peaceable sentiments ; still it does not contain the full and unreserved acceptance of the propositions, which alone guarantees the peace. But as the objections raised are to a great extent of a formal nature, we adhere to the hope that the object aimed at is still to be attained. 55 That these counter-propositions were at once rejected by Austria the Times Vienna correspondent of the 13th assures us ; and the subsequent unconditional acceptance by Russia of the original proposals, as a basis for negotiation, would seem to have resulted from the statements Prince Gortschakoff made to his Government upon the actual position of affairs. On Wednesday evening the despatch from Count Esteihazy, announcing that all his points were accepted, arrived at Vienna, and was immediately published. The Emperor of Austria is reported as having displayed great firmness, insisting on the uncon ditional acceptance by Russia of the terms proposed ; but in the event of Russia's refusal, and the continu ance of hostilities, Count Buol informed the ambas sadors of France and England that Austria would not take the field this year. PRUSSIA. The prolonged sojourn of Colonel Manteuffel at Vienna was regarded at Berlin as proof of the desire of Prussia to aid the effults of the Western powers to bring about peace, or at least, should negotiations fail, to prevent Austria from actually entering upon hostilities against Russia. Baron Werther, at St. Petersburg, bad received instructions to represent to Russia that she cannot refuse the concessions demanded without making a general European crisis, and that the high tone she had hitherto held must be lowered to meet the real state of the case. The princes of the Germanic Confederation were about to assemble at Berlin, for the purpose of dis cussing German interests in connection with the great question at present agitating Europe. RUSSIA. Little authentic information has been received from St. Petersburg during the week. The rumours circulated in the French and German papers, the descriptions of the reception of Count Esterhazy and Baron Seebach at the Court of St. Petersburg, and the circumstantial details given of the various con ferences held by those high functionaries with Count Nesselrode and the Emperor of Russia, are possibly manufactured in Paris, Vienna, and other minor German towns. Thus much appears certain, that Russia at first replied to the Austrian proposals by counter-propositions, admitting the neutralisation of the Black Sea with modifications, offering Kars in exchange for the ground won by the allies, and rejecting any rectification of frontier in Bessarabia —beyond restoring the delta of the Danube—as well as those special conditions restricting the erection of fortifications on the Aland Isles. The decided re fusal by Austria to entertain these counter-proposi tions appears to have led to the unconditional accep tance by Russia of the Austrian proposals. Preparations for a vigorous defence of the Baltic coast are still continued. The Baltic army is to be raised to 100,000 men, while the vast fortifications of Revel, Riga, Dunamunde, and St. Petersburg, are being greatly strengthened. Archangel, also, was not for gotten, and forty-two guns of heavy calibre were about to be transported at once on sledges to insure its safety. A semi-official letter in Le Nord, referring to the recent treaty between Sweden and the Western powers, defines the boundaries between Russia and Sweden, and denies that Russia ever contemplated a naval or military establishment on the Frozen Ocean. The letter is addressed specially against a recent article which appeared in the Paris Constitutionnei. TURKEY AND THE PRINCIPALITIES. The Turkish Government has published a report upon the defence and fall of Kars. The document is lengthy, pays high tribute to the bravery of the garrison, but explains that the intentions of the Im perial Government for the relief of the town unfor tunately could not be carried out until the fall of Sebastopol set the Turkish army free to act in Asia. The document then describes the operations under taken by Omer Pacha, and attributes to " unforeseen circumstances which it was impossible to control" the delay in the concentration at Batoum, whereby the operations destined to save Kars were drawn to such a length "that the garrison could no more count on this means of relief." Omer Pacha is believed to have tendered his re signation, which the Sultan refused. The Bucharest correspondent of the Times has this week forwarded extracts from reports of the local authorities of these unhappy countries, detailing the outrages committed by the Austrian soldiery since their occupation. Murder and robbery constitute the common crimes of these " protectors," while every species of indignity and assault is committed with impunity against men, women, and children. PERSIA. The Rouz-Nami, official journal published at Teheran, contains the following explanation upon the present state of our relations with that Court : The Government much regrets the interruption of the relations between Persia and the Minister of England, occasioned by the persistence with which Mr. Murray proposes unacceptable arrangements; but this diffilrence