The Sun.
London, England, 1855-01-04 00:00:00

TBE ENCROACHMENTS OF RUMSIA.

(Pion the Conaitretionncl.)
The third condition contained in the guarantees of
August 8, and the unmodified adoption of which Austria
requires from Russia, before entering into negotiation
with her for peace, is the revision of the treaty of July
13, 1841, called the Treaty of the Straits. But what is
the value of the treaty of IS4I with the well-known
tendencies of Russia ? It ensures to the Czar the pos-
sibility of surprising Constantinople, and the certainty
of seizing on it by a vigorous coup de main at come well-
chosen moment. It has been seen that one of the pre-
tensions put forward by Russia, under the Empress
Anne, was the free navigation of the Black Sea,
Bosphorie,s, Hellespont, and Mediterranean, by Rus-
sian vessels. Forty years' war was required to
oblige the Turks to yield on this point ; and even
in submitting at Kainardji, on July 21, 1774, to the de-
cision of the Empress Anne, repeated by Catherine, the
sultans accorded the passage of the straits only to Rus-
sian trading vessels, and then, on condition of being
visited. Ships of war were not comprised in the treat),
without doubt, because the Czars, lately arrived in the
Black Sea, had not yet had time to found there military
establishments. By degrees, ports were built and ar-
senals founded. Kertch and Jeni Kald were obtained
1774. Klierson arose in 1778, Sebastopol in 178 G,
and Odessa in 179th Amapa, on the AsiatL: coast, was
taken 1791, and Poti was obtained in 1829 by the treaty
of Adrianople. A. feverish activity peopled these mew
ports with vessels of war, armed these citadels, and pro-
visioned these arsenals ; and the moment arrive-I for the
Russians to obtain, for their vessels of war, as for
their trading, craft, the right of passing from the Black
Se. into the Mediterranean. That increase of power
which neither Anne, nor Catherine herself had dared
demand, ;vas obtained by the Emperor Nicholas in
1333, and then the maps were adorned, to use Catherine's
expression to Voltaire, with a commnnication from
Corinth to Moscow. After the European Powers had
arrested by the treaty of Kutayeh, en March 14, 1833,
the march of Ibraham Pacha on Constantinople, Russia
which had landed troops on the shores of the Helles-
pont, at Unlsiar-Skelessi, succeeded in deceiving the
Porte as to the sentiments, disinterested as they were,
of the powers, and by ruse or by terror, obtained OR
the Bth of July a secret convention which insured to
her for eight years the passage from the Black Sea
to the Mediterranean for her vessels of war, to the
exclusion of nll other navies. That situation of
Russia, so audaciously selfish, feigning to protect
the State and the city which she coveted, produced
a deep sensation in Europe, when known. At the
expiration of the treaty of Unkair-Ske!essi in 1341,
Russia was obliged to renounce her privileged navigation;
but, in accordance with that short-sightedness which,
for a century and a half, made the European powers the
accomplices of the Czars, which enabled them to acquire
the frontier of the llneister by the aid of Austria, rouse
up Greece to insurrection by the aid of England, and
destroy the Ottoman navy at Navarino by the aid of
France, the treaty of July 13, 1841, in interdicting the
Russian navy from navigating the straits, extended that
interdiction to the vessels of war of all the other
I powers ; so that the fleets of Sebastopol could
always menace Constantinople by the Black Sea,
without the fleets of Portsmouth and Toulon being
able to go to its aid by the Dardanelles. The treaty
of July 13, 1841, was, therefore, at least as m3ch
as that of July 8, 1833, a triumph for Russia, The
first, it is true, permitted the Russian vessels of war to
enter the Mediterranean from the Black Sea, but these
vessels had nothing of importance to do in the Mediter-
ranean, in face of the French and English fleets, at least
as long as she di not possess Constantinople ; whereas
the treaty of July 13, 1841, which interdicted the ves-
sels of war of all the other powers from entering the
Dardanelles, hut which allowed to Russia the exclusive
navigation of the Black Sea, left Constantinople at the
mercy of a coup de main, and permitted the squadrons
of Sebastopol to annihilate, as has been seen at Sinope,
the Turkish squadrons of the Black Sea, whilst the
Allied fleets were kept by that same treaty outside the
straits. These are, therefore, immense advantages, long
desired, long prepared, and cleverly obtained, of which
Austria calls fur the absolute abandonment by Russia,
as a preliminary to every negotiation for peace.

The " Era " Newspaper (illustrated) commences the
New Year with Gratis Supplements, which will be con-
tinued every week until further notice. Nearly 100 co-
lumns devoted to news from the Seat of War ; Original,
Political, Foreign, and Theatrical articles ; important
information for Licensed Victuallers ; Literature, Music,
and general news. The " Era " forms two distinct ❑ews-
papers : one for the family, and the other comprises all
the Sporting News of the day. Among the contribu-
tors will be found the first talent of the day, as well as
"The Old Actress" and "Touchstone," who prophesied
125 winning horses the past year ; he this week writes
of the Derby, 1855, cotnutencing with John Scott's lot.
Order of all news-agents, or send she postage stamps to
the Office, 3, Catherine•street, Strand.—The best New
Year's Gift is to pay 2 tis. for 52 papers, and a share of
the " Era " Derby Gifts of 5001. Post office orders
payable to Messrs, Wm, Willott and Frederic Ledger,_