The Sun.
London, England, 1855-03-03 00:00:00

( Rrom the Daily News of this day.)

Nicolas Paulovitch is dead ; but the Emperor of Russia
lives still. Boundless as was the ambition of the late Em-
peror, and relentless as was his will, he was less formidable
as an individual than as a part of the Muscovite system of
government. Though he has gone to his account, the spirits
of Peter the Great and Catherine 11. continue to animate the
Cabinet of St. Petersburg. The Muscovite party—headed by
Menschikoff, Siniavin, and the Patriarch of Moscow—which
overpowered the remonstrances of Nesselrode, and goaded on
the Czar himself to his aggressions on Turkey, survives with
undiminished strength and unaltered principles. The death
of the Sovereign cannot but give a momentary pause to the
operations of the Russian Government. The Muscovite and
German parties may possibly try their strength iu
nary struggle to decide who is to be the Emperor. Constan-
tine, the second son, is the favourite of the former ; Alexan-
der, the eldest, of the latter. From what is known of the
feelings and wishes of Nicholas, it is very unlikely that he will
be found to have nominated, like his predecessor, the younger
brother heir to the Crown, in preference to the older. But
in Russia a preponderating party would not shrink from the
fabrication of spurious documents; and the milder Alexander
may be obliged to make way for the engrained Russian Con-
stantine. Until it is known for certain who is Emperor of
Russia, and by what councillors he is surrounded, it would be
rash in the Western Powers to assume that there will be any
immediate change in their relations to Russia. On the con-
trary, the doubt and hesitation which the death of Nicholas
cannot but instil into the councils of the Russian generals iu
the Crimea will present a favourable opportunity for a home
blow at the Muscovite power in that peninsula.
The balance of parties in Russia is understood to be some-
what as follows :—There is among its influential statesmen
what is called the German party, of which Count Nesselrode
may be considered the leader and " representative man."
This partyinclines to act upon those principles of international
law which are recognised by the other European powers, and
to aim at the assimilation of Russia to the rest of Europe.
Opposed to this is what is called the Russian, er Sclavonic,
party, of which, as we have said, Mensclaikoff, Siniavin, and
the Patriarch of Moscow, may be considered as the leaders
and " representative men." This party is animated by a
desire to preserve and strengthen all the peculiar
characteristics of the Russian people, and to extend
the conquests of the empire and the ascendancy of
the national faith. Except among the nobles of the
Baltic provinces and the merchants of St. Petersburg and
Odessa, the German party has few retainers in the body of
the people. The Russian party possesses the sympathies of
the Russian race, in so far as they ever trouble their heads
about public matters. Nesselrode, the only man of note or
ability among the Germans, possesses considerable tact and
t skill in diplomatic intrigue, but has been always too much of
courtier to pay " "to any xiah ?f wder. 17ao Rug.