The Press.
London, England, 1854-07-08 00:00:00

THE WEEK.

THE foreign intelligence of the week is not decisive. No great move-
ment has taken place, but the din of preparation has gone on unceasingly.
The reply of the Czar to the urgent representations of Austria
and Prussia—a reply on which the great question of peace or war ma-
terially depended—has been received at Vienna and Berlin. Prince
GORTSCHAKOFF arrived at the former capital on the sth, and Colonel
MANTEL/FEEL at the latter on the oth July. Both are believed to bear
autograph letters from the Czar to their respective Sovereigns, but
the exact nature of their contents is not known. It is believed, how-
ever, that these letters, while conciliatory in tone, are decisive in
substance. The Emperor Nicaotss is willing to treat for peace, and
to evacuate the principalities. He will leave the Danube free, but
insists on holding some strong position in Moldavia as a guarantee
until terms are settled, or until the allies evacuate Turkey.
Some new light has been thrown on diplomatic movements by the
publication of the convention between Austria and Turkey, and also
of the " additional article " to the treaty between Austria and
Prussia of April 20 The convention is chiefly remarkable for ex
pressions favourable to the maintenance of the status quo ante, as it
is stated that the existence of the Ottoman empire in its limites actuelles
is necessary to the equilibrium of the States of Europe. The Emperor
of Annals. engages himself " to exhaust all means of negotiation " to
obtain the evacuation of the principalities, and if necessary to employ
arms for that purpose ; but his engagement with Turkey goes no
farther than to occupy the principalities until peace is concluded,
and to enter into no arrangement with Russia which shall not have
for starting-point the sovereign rights of the Sultan and the integrity
of his empire. The " additional article " regards the declarations
then recently made at Berlin by the Court of St. Petersburg as au
" important element of pacification, and declares that the Courts of
" Austria and Prussia are united in the desire to avoid, if possible,
" every participation in the war which has broken out between Russia
" on the one hand, and Turkey, France, and Great Britain on the
" other, and at the same time to contribute to the restoration of
" general peace." On the face of these documents Austria manifests
great reluctance to come into collision with Russia, but her forces
are on the point of entering the principalities, and a short time must
decide whether their entrance will be opposed by Russian arms. To
this point Austrian diplomacy has gained great advantages. The
convention establishes a kind of protectorate over Turkey without a
blow being struck.
The Austrian troops rest on the frontiers of the principalities,
waiting the word to advance. The lying telegraph reported this week
that the advance had been made, but the report was unfounded ;—the
Russian armies] are so disposed as, if the word be given, to dispute
their passage. The order of the day of General IlEss (June 25)
speaks of the armies " stationed near the frontier," and of " the
ancient and inexhaustible spirit which has always animated the
Austrian army." The clang of arms resounds through it—courage
and glory are magnified—though the word " wait" is carefully
avoided.
The new dispositions of the Russian armies are not known, but an
entire change of plan seems to have been decided on. That plan, it
appears probable, will now be to occupy strong positions and act on
the defensive. The Danube is now free ; Russia has lost—a great
loss—all hold on that magnificent watercourse ; and the line of the
Beth may now probably form the base of future operations. The
French and English allied army in the East continues to receive
reinforcements. Five divisions of the French army have already left
for Turkey; eleven transports, with artillery, have sailed from Mar-
seilles for the Black Sea since our last ; and other reinforcements are
in preparation. Another more important fact is the nomina-
tion of General BARAOUAY D'HILLIERS to the command of a division
destined for the Baltic. He was to leave with his force yester-
day, England providing the necessary transports. More troops are in
course of departure from our shores. The St. Vincent, 101, and the
Royal William, 120, are increasing the number of our active ships ;
and the Himalaya has been hired for transportt at a cost of nine
thousand pounds. The destination of the allied force at Varna, now
an army of 50,000 men, in the finest condition, still remains a secret,
though little doubt can exist that it is intended for the Crimea. The
division of General BOSQUET has left Adrianople for Schumla, probably
to effect a junction with the Varna force. The Russian armies are re
ported to be much discouraged. General Sea ILDERS has expired from his
wounds ; General SOLTIKOFF has died at Kalaraseh ; and PASKIEWITSCH
is still an invalid. The telegraph reports that in Asia the Russian
general, ANDRONIKOFF, has been completely defeated by SELIM PACHA,
with the loss of thirteen guns, several stand of colours, and the
*satirist of three camps. A better-authenticated item of Turkish success
is the defeat of the Greek insurgents under HAINI PETROB. The Turks
are said to have sent in six hundred heads to Larissa. Surely the in-
fluence of the allies might be employed to stop this barbarous practice
of mutilating the dead.
No further operations seem to have been undertaken by our fleet
in the Black Sea; but seven Russian steamers left the shelter of their
batteries at Sebastopol to engage three of our cruisers. The Furious
appears to have sustained some damage by their fire.
In the Baltic, Sir CHARLES, with his ships, has arrived before
Cronstadt. The finest fleet ever ranged under one commander is now
almost within gunshot of the fortresses defending the approach to
the Russian capital. Under date of Dantzic, July 0, we hear that the
fleet had anchored twenty miles from Cronstadt, and a police announce
meat. in St. Petersburg states that every preparation had been made
to meet the enemy should they venture on an attack.