The Sun.
London, England, 1855-02-26 00:00:00

RUSSIA AND SARDINIA.

The following is a translation of the circular ad-
dressed by Count Nesselrode to Russian agents in
foreign states, notifying that Russia is at war with
Sardinia :

" ST. PETERSBURG, FEB. 17.
" The Court of will, we doubt not, share the
opinion of the Emperor upon the policy of his Majesty
the King of Sardinia, at a moment when that Sovereign,
without any ostensible motive, without any legitimate
cause of complaint, and without even the shadow of the
smallest infringement upon the direct interests of his
country, has placed at the disposal of England a corps
d'armee of 15,000 men for the invasion of the Crimea.
_ _

"In taking this step the Sardinian Government ap-
pears to have left it to the care of the public journals to
warn us of an aggression which it has not thought fit
to justify by a declaration of war.
" We understand the motive of this silence.

" The Court of Turin, we admit it, would have had
some difficulty in conciliating its policy with the na-
tional sentiment of its country ; it would have expe-
rienced equal difficulty in making its present conduct
harmonize with the ancient 50UVC22,113 of the house of
Savoy.

"In consulting the annals of its history it might cite
the incident of a Russian army crossing the Alps ; but,
it is true, it was to defend Piedmont, and not to in-
vade it.

"In the Councils of the Cabinets of Europe, in the
reign of the Emperor Alexander, of glorious memory, it
is again Russia who lent her faithful support to the in-
dependence of Sardinia, when the house of Savoy was
reinstated on the throne of its ancestors.

" Must we finally recal to mind that, at the same
period, if Genoa was re-united to the kingdom of Sar-
dinia, it is because the Imperial Cabinet recognized the
necessity of assuring at the same time the commercial
prosperity and the greatness of the country which the
arms of Russia had contributed to deliver from a foreign
yoke ?

"To-day, sinking in oblivion the lessons of the past,
the Court of Turin is about to direct against us, from
that self-same port of Genoa, a hostile enterprise, which
Russia has the conscientious satisfaction of knowing was
not provoked by her.

"The attitude thus assumed by Russia, without a
formal declaration of war, as we have stated, would
make us doubt what name we ought to give to the auxi-
liary troops destined to invade our frontiers under the
flag of a country with which we have hitherto been Jiving
in peace. _ _

"However, if the Court of Turiu loses sight of the
principles and customs consecrated by the law of nations,
as the immutable rule of the international relations of
States, the Emperor, for his part, is resolved to observe
them.

" With this intention his Imperial Majesty feels it in-
cumbent upon him to declare that peace is de jure and
de facto broken by this flagrant act of hostility, the
whole blame of which recoils upon the Sardinian Go-
vernment.

" We leave it to bear the entire responsibility thereof,
in the face of the opinion of its country and of all
Europe.
" It behoves especially the Allied Powers to appreci-
ate the conduct of the Court of Sardinia when it kas
deemed it opportune and loyal to turn its arms against us
at the very moment when the Imperial Cabinet entered
into a deliberation at Vienna, destined to open the path
to the re-establishment of peace.

" The wishes which tend towards the accomplishment
of that work of pacification seems to have been strangely
misunderstood by the Cabinet of Turin. In fact, whilst
the Governments of Central Europe wisely interposed
their legitfneate authority to prevent one of the bellige-
rent Powers from recruiting its legions in the states who
insist on having their neutrality respected, the Sardinian
Government, less chary of the blood of Italy, consents
to pour it out for a cause foreign to the political and re-
ligious interests of its nation. For, in good faith, it
cannot be pretended that by unfolding her banner by
the side of the Crescent, Sardinia fancies she serves the
cause of Christianity.
" Nor can it be affirmed that she seeks to defend the
weak against the strong when she joins her arms to
those of France and England.
. .

"It is this latter Power, if we are rightly informed,
which takes the Sardinian troops under its command--
we will not say in its pay, as we wish to abstain from
wounding the national feelings of a country with which,
to our regret, we arc about to be at war.

"Notwithstanding this necessity, the Emperor will
still afford protection to the private interests of Sar-
dinian subjects, who entertain ancient eammercial rela-
tions with Russia. They shall not suffer from the errors
of their Government. They are at liberty to remain in
the empire in full security under the protection of our
laws as long as they do not infringe them.
"But the Sardinian flag will henceforth caase to enjoy
the prerogatives accorded solely to the mercantile navy
of neutral States.

"A term shall be fixed for the departure of Sardinian
vessels that may be actually in Russian port . The Gee-
quatur will be at once withdrawn from Sardinian eon-
suls in Russia.

"The Russian agents at Genoa and Nice will also re•
ceive orders to suspend the exercise of their functions,
peace between the two countries having been broken by
the Court of Sardinia from the moment it acceded to the
treaty of alliance concluded on the 10th of April, 1854,
between Great Brita'n and France.

"The Emperor has deigned to charge me to commu.
nicate these determinations to all friendly Power.:.

(Signed)

" I‘tESSELRODE."

THE MEDITERRANEAN.

MARSEILLES, FEB. 22.

General De Sparre reviewed to-day detachments
of the 2d, 3d, 6th, 9th, 12th, 17th, 19th, 23d, 31st,
34th, 35th, 36th, 38th, 41st, 44th, 61st, 63d, 64th,
66th, and 67th infantry regiments, the Ist Battalion
of the Chasseurs of -Vincennes, and the 3d Regiment
of Artillery, previous to their embarking to join the
head-quarters of their respective regiments in the
Crimea. They presented an effective force of about
twelve hundred men. They were equipped in
complete marching order, and appeared to be
better calculated to support the fatigues of a
Crimean campaign than many of the youths 1
have seen lately embarked for that destination.
There exists a difficulty at present in finding ships
to transport them. The Government has chartered
all the commercial steamers to be had for money,
some even of doubtful character :as to seaworthi-
ness, and some lately launched and not yet ready
for sea. Notwithstanding all their exertions, how-
ever, there are at present in the dock only a few
sailing transports. There remains on the quay a
vast quantity of material for the army in the East,
and among it a huge pile of timber, intended for
the construction of huts for the army before
Sebastopol.

Our letters from Scutari inform us that Miss Nightin-
gale has been attacked by fever, but, we are happy to
say, she has nearly recovered her health.
BOOKS, &0., TO SOIITII AUSTRALIA.—GeneraI Post-
office, Feb., 1855.—0 n and from the Ist March next, the
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