The Express.
London, England, 1853-09-21 00:00:00

RUSSIA AND TURKEY.

The French papers publish various letters from
their correspondents at Constantinople, but their in-
telligence is for the most part anticipated by our own
advice& The correspondent of the Constitutionnel
states, as an evidence of the confidence which capi-
talists feel in the resources of Turkey, that "at this
very time (Sept. 5) several propositions for loans, the
majority of them to a considerable amount, are in the
hands of the Porte, which will not at present accept
any of them." The same correspondence mentions
a placard which had appeared at Constantinople, in
which, amongst other things, it is said, that at the
voice of the sovereign the soldiers of the redif
had quitted their families and their fields at the mo-
ment of the harvest, and that they would not return
to their homes without having fought to revenge the
insults offered to their country. The Egyptians,
who were on that day leaving for the camp of Omer
Dacha, declared to the Sultan, during the fete which
he gave to their officers, that they had come to fight,
and that they would not return to Egypt until they
had done so. The exasperation of the country
against Russia shows itself in every why, without
there appearing any means of appeasing it except
by war. It is added that the ministers themselves
were convinced of it, and had decided on incurring
the chances of it, hoping that Europe, which his
encouraged them in their resistance, would not aban-
don the Porte.
The Fraidifort Post Gautte, the Telegraphic Cur-
respondent, and the Deutsche Volkshalle publish the
following note :
VIENNA. Seer. 15.—Russia has formally declared, in
rejecting Reschid Dacha's modifications, that the army of
occupation shall retire from the principalities on the very
day of the acceptance of the project of arrangement unmo-
dified by Turkey.
A IYallachian correspondent writes :
BUCHAREST, Seer. S.
Prince Gortschakoff goes in a few days to the fron-
tier in order to inspect tho army corps of General
Luders, which is marching into the principalities,
and will make the third Russian army corps in these
territories. From all that we see and hear it appears
certain that the Russians are making preparations
for wintering here. Should the Czar and the Sultan
settle their differences peaceably still the departure
of the Russians before the advent of a milder season
will not take place. In Bulgaria, where, as is well
known, autumn and winter are always very early,
the Turks can no longer encamp in the open air.
In the principalities the tents must be exchanged for
barracks in a fortnight or three weeks at the most.
The French papers continue to discuss the pros-
pects of peace or war. The Assembh:e Nationale,
the faithful apologist of Russia, thus endeavours to
appease the public :

No human power can prevent the solution from being
pacific ; for, supposing the worst—namely, that renegades
and revolutionists who command the Turks on the Danube
should lead them to combat, and that the Russians should
reply by cannon shots, it would only be a collision, a
loco! incident. These cannon shots would not emperil the
peace of Europe, fur Russia would not take advantage of
that monkr to ask for an increase of territory. The Euro-
pean governments have obtained on the point the moat
positive guarantees from that power.

in another place the AarcinhMe Nationale alludes
to a report that the English cabinet had sent to Lord
Stratford de Redcliffe the order to make the English
fleet pass the Dardanelles, if necessary, in order to
ensure the Sultan the liberty which he may require
to sanction the propositions of Vienna when again
submitted to him. Upon this the writer remarks :
Aire do not want to dwell on the singular change of
attitude which this order of the English government
poses ceche English Ambassador at Constantinople, but
we think that it may be lo>ked on now as certain, that the
English squadron will go, at a given moment, to anchor
before Constantinople, and, as a matter of cosine, the
French sqoadron will sot allow itself to be left behind.
Assuredly this event is one calculated to astonish Europe,
pirticularly as there is reason to believe that it would not
excite either anger or surprise on the part of Russia, and
that on that day the Eastern question would be pacifically
and definitively brought to a termination.

The organ of 51. Guizot naturally enough finds it
very. strange that the people who pay for fleets and
armies should want to know what is going on. The
following extract from tho article before quoted
reminds one of the days of Louis Philippe, and must
have been written by the intriguer who presided over
the Spanish marriage plot :
There has been formed in Europe a public insatiable of
explaaations and news, and requiring constantly to know
what is passing in high political circles ; and that public is
composed of the persons who frequent the Stock Exchanges
of London, Paris, and other great financial centres. But
such persons ought to be aware that governments are not ab-
solutely formed to tell them what is passing. The espedienta
to which it will be necessary to have recourse ths phases
which it will be requisite to pass through, in order to arrive
at a definitive solution of the present ditliculty,belong to the
domain of diplomatists.

The Pays is still pacific and hopeful—that is,
hopeful that the Sultan will yield. But to do so
with safety, he needs a moral support. Unlike the
Debats, however, the Pays thinks that he should
receive this support from the moderation of the Czar,
and not from England's sailors and marines. Here
is the article. The Pays says :

Our private letters are exceedingly precise in the details
which they give of the situation of the Divan. The Sultan,
who is a fine character and of great intelligence, desires
peace; his confidence in the European powers, and particu-
lar:,' in France, is as great as his gratitude for ail the testi-
monies of sympathy which he has received from the govern-
ments of the West. Personally, he is exceedingly well
disposed to listen to their advice and accept their arbitra-
tion. The most eminent and the most enlightened of his
ministers, Reschid Facials, supports him in such views, but
old Turkish fanaticism does all it can to induce him to
adopt other ideas. The Sultan fears, in refusing war to the
powerful piety which demands it, to find himself a prey to
internal troubles of the gravest kind. He is consequently
not free, we repeat it, and his refusal to countersign the
note of Vienna, is only the result of the constraint which
he undergoes. Our letters affirm that is this situation the
Porte has leas need of a reason than of a pretext to give his
consent to the conference of Vienna. The modifications
which it has applied for are not considered as rigorously
absolute. It would suffice to have the note a little smoothed
down, for the Divan to consider itself authorised to accept
it. Will Russia Wan this concession, which is reduced
to a simple affair of form ? We still hope thst it will
not be so. The Cur is powerful enough not to be accused
of weakness, and he has shown sufficient boldness not to in-
dulge in a haughty obstinacy for a word or a phrases. Modera-
tion on hit side will be greatness of mind. Besides, it must not
be forgotten that he has acted wrongfully towards Tur-
key, in occupying the Danubian Provinces, in con-
tempt of every right. Should he be conscious of the wrong
which be has thus committed, it will impose on him more
re'ervo and prudence, for it throws on him • greater res-
ponsibility in the ulterior events which may spring from it.
In fine, although matters bear a very warlike aspect at Con-
stantinople, war Is not yet inevitable. To have it avoided,
Turkey at present only asks for a pretext, and Russia has
need only to acquiesce in an insignificant concession,
which, without altenng the real situation of things, disarms
Turkish fanaticism of its violent recriminations. Should
that concession be refused, we dare not say thst war will be
certain, hot we are apprehensive that peace will be very
difficult. Fortunately war would not have at present, after
the negotiations, the character which it would have had
before the conference of Vienna. The results of that eon•
ference are acquired, whatever happens to the peace of the
world which they assure, to the union of Europe which
they prove, and no the respect for treaties which they
I confirm.

The following letter is from the pen of an European
staff officer, who was sent to Sehumla by his govern-
ment to obtain information, and to prepare maps of
the country along the banks of the Danube :

BCIIUMLA, firer. 2.
I arrived here on the 20th of August, having been a
much longer time on my journey than I expected. The
greatest activity reigns here both as regards the preparation
of defensive measures and the instruction of the troops.
Omer I'acha is, if lam to give you my *pinion, well
worthy of the renown attached to his name. Ito takes ad-
vantage of every eventuality and circumstance, and has
made the most judicious dispositions. The army, which
now numbers 100,000 men, 10 regiments of cavalry, and
250 piices of artillery, is disposed in brigades of 10,000
men each, provided with artillery and cavalry, and
stationed all along the banks of the Danube, and in
many lines towards the interior; so that on what-
ever point the enemy should present himself, after
having forced the passage of the river, which is guarded
by hatter'es and fortifications, he would have to engage
with a Turkish force as strong as himself, which would be
rapidly concentrated to meet him. This is the main (Wilt of
the defensive operations of the commander-in-chief,