The Press.
London, England, 1854-04-22 00:00:00

RUSSIA.

The Journal de St. Petersbourg of the 12th inst.
contains a semi official article, in which it is said
that the substance and tenor of the secret cor-
respondence published in London by the British
Government was long before communicated to the
Sovereigns of Prussia and Austria by order of the
Emperor.
A supplement to the St. Petersburg Gazette of
the 13th contains a declaration to the following
effect

" That after the summons by which England and
France have left their system of disguised hostility to.
wards Russia, and in presence of the pretension by which
they demand the evacuation of the Danubian provinces
without exacting anything from the other belligerent
power, silence was the only reply compatible with the
dignity of the Emperor, and that it only remains for him
to accept the situation that has been made him, and to
defend himself with energy and determination.

" The Imperial Goverillient deems it, moreover, super-
fluous to renew a discussion relative to the motives
alleged before Parliament by the English Government to
justify their taking up arms. It refers to its recent
memorandum of the 18th February, which suffices to
demonstrate that the initiative of the provocations belongs
to the two powers.'
The declaration concludes by stating that the
real motive of the war is to destroy the influence
of Russia, and that the responsibility of the evils
that may result therefrom must fall upon those who
declare war, and not upon him who was compelled
to accept it.
The Grand Duke Constantine has personally
assumed the command of the Russian fleet at Hel-
singfors. He hoisted his flag on the Ist instant.
Incessant activity in completing the war prepare•
tions prevails in the Russian ports. The Emperor
has had a heavy 60-gun frigate placed at different
ranges off Cronstadt, to ascertain the effect of shot
and shell upon the forts at the greatest distance.
Several thousand rounds have been fired.
The whole line of road from St. Petersburg to
Helsingfors is black with every kind of vehicle trans-
porting an endless military materiel. Cannon, esta•
fettes, hay.waggons, powder-tumbrils, &c., pass each
other perpetually.
Guns and troops continue to be transported from
the Aland Isles. The Czar has also ordered that all
the pilots and the greater part of the male popula-
tion shall be carried away to the Finnish mainland.
The least opposition is punished with the knout., or
with Siberia.

Before leaving Aland the Russians were guilty of
the greatest barbarities. They seized one man in a
hundred for the Russian army, and burned all the
ships, boats, and barques existing in the islands.
Hereby the inhabitants are entirely ruined, for they
subsisted by fishing and the coast trade.
The Czar has addressed an autograph letter to
Rakatowsky, the Governor of Finland, full of cora-

APRIL 22, 1854

pliment for the excellent reception given him by
the Finnish people on his late visit.
Lieutenant-General Nordenstam is to command the
staff of the troops in Finland.
The Russians have succeeded in bringing over
about 30,000 more men across the Danube, making
altogether a total of 45,000 or 50,000 men, as nearly
as can be ascertained, for there is great want of ac-
curate information. They have advanced to Baba-
dagh, and hold all the country of the Dobrudscha as
far as the Kara-su, whence a nsur d'orillon and an
old Roman wall extend to Kostendje, on the Black
Sea.

The Russians are constructing two forts which will
command the entrance of the southernmost (St.
George's) mouth of the Danube.

AnAu;itrian paper has the following telegraphic
despatch
" The important frontier town of Fokshan, in Wallachia,
which had just been fortified, has been destroyod by tire.
All the Russian stores, provisions, arms, clothing, ammuni-
tion, and all the military hospitals, have fallen a prey to the
flames."

Accounts from Bucharest mention that a Mr.
Biagini (Englishman) and a M. Duprat (French-
men) had been dogged by the Russian authorities
for having spoken disrespectfully of the Emperor
Nicholas.

Odessa letters of the Bth state that most of the
opulent families there were leaving town, and re-
moving to their more distant country seats, in order
to he out of the immediate vicinity of the casualties
of war. The actual garrison is computed at 30,000
men. The present stock of corn stored in the place
is estimated at 800,000 tchetwerts.