The Sun.
London, England, 1855-01-10 00:00:00

!W2 BALTIC.

The following letter has been received from Kiel, dated
Jan. 6.—" Communications from hence, now that there
is no fleet here, will be comparatively little cared for.
At home all eyes continue to be directed to the Crimea,
and all interest in the war is concentrated in the in-
telligence from the Black Sea. The time, however, is
not far distant when what is to be done in the Baltic
will be the question on the lips of all, and it is to
be hoped that the answer will now be at once satisfac-
tory and decisive. A month has elapsed since in one
of my letters I drew attention to this subject, but hither-
to we see no indications of preparatory movements in
this quarter. The English Government are true types
of those men in whose minds room can only be found
for one idea at a time. The present occupant of the
Ministerial mind appears to be the Militia Bill, there is
not even a corner to spare for the enrolment of the
Foreign Legion, and I fear that by the delay which has
occurred the favourable opportunity of obtaining efficient
recruits in Holstein has already been lost. Russian
emissaries have been at work ; the epithets bestowed in
Parliament on German mercenaries have been dilated
upon ; the pride of the best men has been touched, and
that which, if undertaken at once, would have been suc-
cessfully accomplished, could now only with difficulty
be achieved. If, therefore, one of the two urgent
measures of the late "extraordinary" session is thus
virtually left in abeyance, it is not to be wondered
at if the preparations for the ensuing Baltic campaign
are not yet even thought of. Such procrastination may
be productive of serious consequences.
The navigation here continues to be perfectly open.
There is not the :lightest appearance of frost either in
this bay or in the adjacent waters, and a sudden or tem
porary breaking up of the ice in the Gulfs of Bothnia or
of Finland, which is not so unusual as to justify its not
being guarded against, might set free some of the
Russian cruisers, so that English vessels might be ex-
posed to capture or annoyance, not only in the lower
parts of the Baltic but in the North Sea and elsewhere,
before any British force could be found sufficient to
protect them. It is true that the ships of the squad-
ron which lately left the Baltic have been dis-
tributed among the various ports on the coasts of Eng
land and Scotland, and this, so far as it goes, is a good
arrangement, but something more was required. As
long as the bay of Kiel was open a man of war of
some force should have remained here, and a chain of
swift war steamers should have been formed in con-
nexion at Copenhagen, Nyborg, Elsineur, and Wingo
Sound. As there is now instantaneous communication
by electric telegraph between all these places, a small
force, although divided, would have been sufficient,
as they could have been easily united, and the com-
mercial marine of England, which has under present
circumstances to compete at some disadvantage with
neutrals, would have been protected as they ought
to cave been in the exercise of their legitimate enter-
prise. While it would appear that it was considered
hazardous for her Majesty's steamers to remain in the
Baltic, the owners of a mercantile steam-vessel have not
thought it too late to send her here with a cargo, with
the intention of loading another in return. The Bal-
moral, an iron screw, left the Frith of Forth after the
arrival of the portion of the Baltic fleet, which is ,now
anchored there, has now discharged her cargo, at;d
will also sail with another on her return to Leith
early in the ensuing week. The navy lose their
pre-eminence by such contrasts.; but the truth is,
in no department of Government do the officials
appear to have kept pace with the increased ad-
vantages which science and skill have placed at their
disposal. They consider that they do all that is re-
quired if they adhere to precedents established upon the
antiquated system, and they treat with neglect, if not
with scorn, the natural suggestions of practical men,
who zealously, point out to them the mode in which the
improved means which they now have at their com-
mand might be used with advantage in the service of
their country. There must be a change in system and
that speedily. The preparations now making by Russia
in the Baltic are well organised and gigantic, and unless
corresponding or greater judgment and energy be ex-
hibited by England in making ready for the struggle the
days of her naval supremacy are numbered.

IS THE EMPEROR OF RUSSIA SINCERE ?

The following is extracted from a letter received this
morning from Paris :
"The favourable rumours which were afloat yester-
day have been confirmed to a cei tain extent. Intelli-
gence was received in official quarters last evening that
Prince Gortschakoff had announced to the Austrian
Government the acceptance by the Emperor of
Russia, not only of the four guarantees, but of the
interpretation given to them by the three Powers.
This, of course, ought to be the best news
we have received for a long time. It is so con•
sidered, at all events, at the Bourse, and the effect
is what any one may suppose. If the declaration thus
wrung from the Emperor of Russia be sincere, it may in
truth be said that the war is near its close. I do not
think, however, that the French Government, and per-
haps-the same may be said of the English, repose un-
limited confidence in Russia oven now. I mentioned a
few days since that the same Prince Gortschakoff had
intimated to the Austrian Government that the
Emperor had rejected what it now appears he
accepts. This is strictly correct ; and it is the
sudden, and, so far as we yet learn, the unac-
countable change that has taken place in the mind of
the Czar, that prevents us here from believing that lie
really means all he says. But then it is asked what ob-
ject can he have in declaring his acceptance without
reserve of conditions which he so lately pronounced as
humiliating and dishonourable ? Can it be a last despe-
rate attempt to detach Austria from the alliance, or to
enchain Prussia still more irrevocably to his side ?
Or can it be with the hope of obtaining an armistice
from France and England in order to gain time,
augmenting to an extraordinary amount his forces in
the Crimea, drive the Allies into the sea, save Sebasto-
pol, and then turn round and say, that as his position
has altered for the better, he demands much more
favourable conditions ? The Emperor of Russia thinks,
perhaps, that even if Sebastopol were destroyed, harder
conditions than the present could not be imposed on him,
and he may desire to take his chance of a more favourable
turn. These considerations have, I have reason to be-
lieve, occurred to this Government ; and, whether the
Czar be sincere or not, (and, I repeat his sincerity is
much doubted,) they will not relax their efforts ; no
armistice will be granted ; and hostilities will not cease
for a day until Sebastopol be destroyed or taken. In-
deed, the opinion in official quarters is that, by this
time, one or the other has taken place, and Omer Pacha,
who has already left Varna for Sebastopol will have, it
is said, about 40,000 men under his command. The
Turkish Government will be invited to name a plenipo-
tentiary to act with the Conference of the four Powers
negotiating on the basis already mentioned, and it is pro-
bable that despatches have already been sent to Con-
stantinople for that purpose.

Letters from Constantinople still speak of a new Am-
bassador for Paris. There are four candidates spoken
of, viz.—Mehemed Ribrisly Pasha, ex-Grand Vizier,
and formerly Ambassador to London ; Ahmed Vefik
Effendi, ex-Ambassador to Persia ; Mehenied Bey, sou
of Redschid Pasha, and Chamberlain to the Sultan ; and
Fuad Effendi, who is too well known to require descrip-
tion.

THE GREAT FLOOD AT HAMBURG.—Without mtich#
exaggeration one may readily assume the general injury
done in the city alone at between 3,000,000 and 4,000,000
of marks. It was mentioned that in one store alone
7,000 bags of coffee, and 1,000 cases of Brazil sugar,
bad been under water, and in another place in Altena
again 5,000 sacks of wheat carried away, which had
been placed on the landing-wharf of the Kiel Railway,
from the country, ready for shipment, to save which
was impossible, during so unexpected an irruption of
the tide in the night-time.
VALUABLE NEW YEAR'S PRESENTS.—The best thing
to give your enemy is forgiveness ; to your opponent,
tolerance ; to a friend, your heart ; to your children, a
good example ; to your father, deference; to your
mother, conduct that makes her proud of you ; to your-
self, respect ; to all men, charity ; to God, obedience.

THE WEATHER IN SPAIN.—The cold has commenced
in Spain before it has been felt in this country. On the
31st ult., at Madrid, workmen were occupied in remov-
ing enormous pieces of ice from the surface of the canal.
" If the administrators of the Buen-Retiro had ordered
the great lake to be filled with water," says the Clamor
Publico, " skaters could now enjoy their fine exercise."
Sevillano, the Spanish Minister of Finance, has paid
out of his private funds several debts due by the State,
particularly 2,000,000 of reals to the household of the
Queen, 5,500,000 which remained due of the half-year's
dividend of July, and nearly 3,000,000 which were due
to the troops of Navarre. It is said. indeed, that the
total he has advanced for the public service amounts to
no less than 14,000,000 reals; and that the committee
on the budget have resolved to propose a reduction of
500,000 reals in the allowance of the Duchess de Mont-
pensier.

A gentleman of Lyons a few days ago betted with
another I,ooof. that his horse would go from La Mula-
tier to Rive de Gier, a distance of 8 post leagues (the
French league is rather more than two miles and a half),
in one hour and 50 minutes. The horse did the dit-
tance within seven minutes of the time. It was agreed
between them that if the horse were to die from fatigue
the sum of 500 f. should be paid,
A PREACHER FOR SALE.—James W. Mullan adver-
tises in the Louisville Courier :"A negro man named
James Howell, belonging to the heir of Lewis Howell,
deceased," and after giving his age, height, Scc., adds :
"He has a pass to Louisville and back, dated October
14 to return on the 18th, and a license from the Baptist
church at Simpsonvilla to preach."
ACCIDENT ON THE SOUTH WALES RAILWAY.—An ac-
cident happened the other day on this railway, near
Carmarthen. The up evening train, on its way to Glo-
cester, had arrived at the embankment approaching the
river Towy, when the engine and tender ran off the rails,
followed by a third-class carriage; but the driver (groves)
finding something was wrong, had already shut off the
steam, and the engine, after tearing up the road for
some distance, became half embedded in the ground,
and was stopped. The driver was thrown off the en-
gine and fractured a leg, but the passengers, among
whom where the Earl of Cawdor and Viscount Emlyn,
escaped unhurt. A surgeon, Mr. Rowland, happened
to' be riding along the turnpike road, and saw the
accident, upon which he at once galloped to the spot,
and was serviceable in attending poor Groves. It ap-
pears that the cause of the accident was the engine
becoming out of gear. It had got off the line the same
day between Haverfordwest and Carmarthen, but had
jumped on the rails again. Groves is going on as well
as can be expected, and the line was fit for traffic the
game evening,

LA T Falf S T NEWS.

THE SIEGE OF SEI3ASTOPOL.

(From the Third Edition of the Morning Post. )
CONSTANTINOPLE, JAN. 1.

The Russians are making a bridge (of boats ?)
connecting the town of Sebastopol with the

northern forts.

The French are making a large road from

Kamiesh to their camp.

Omer .Pacha has gone to Balaklava to concert

movements with the Allies.

He will have an army of 50,000 men, and 60

guns.

THE EMPEROR OF THE FRENCH AND

THE IMPERIAL GUARD.

PARIS, WEDNESDAY MORNING.

The Emperor, in giving their flags to the de-
tachments of the Imperial Guard, wha leave this

day for the East, made the following speech :

" The French nation, by its sovereign will, has
resuscitated many things which were thoUght for
ever dead, and to-day the Empire is reconstituted;
intimate alliance exists with our ancient enemies ;
the flag of France waves with honour on those
distant shores where the bold flight of our Eagles
had not before ventured; the Imperial Guard, the
heroic representation of military glory and honour,
is now befo're me, surrounding- the Emperor as
formerly., wearing the same uniform, carrying the
same flag, and having, especially, in their hearts
the same sentiments of devotion to their country.
Receive, then, these flags, which you will follow to
victory, as your fathers'and your comrades have
followed them. Go to take your part in what
remains of danger to be surmounted, of glory to
be acquired. You will soon have received the
noble baptism that you thirst for, and will have
aided to plant our eagles on the walls of Sebas-
topol."

The following telegraphic despatch has been
received from Marseilles :

" MARSEILLES, JAN. 9.

"The Tamar, which left Constantinople on ,the
26th, has arrived. She does not bring later news

from the Crimea.

" The Duke of Cambridge had arrived at Malta,
where he landed with some sick officers and

soldiers.

" The Britannia, Neptune, and Gorgon had

arrived at Malta.

" The Thabor, which left Constantinople on
the Ist, is expected at Marseilles, but has not
arrived."

The following despatch was received in Paris

last night :

" MARSEILLES, BTH.
" A fearful tempest has been raging along the

coast at Stora.

" Twenty-two vessels, chiefly French, laden
with wine, and about the same number of coasters,
have been wrecked, but only two lives were lost.
Ten vessels have run ashore in other ports of

Algeria.

"The Tage arrived at Algiers on the 2d, from
Brest,, and will be followed, it is said, by four
other vessels, to carry troops to the Crimea.

Ton thousand Turks had, landed at Eupatoria
on the 26th. The entire corps with which Omer

Paella is to operate will have landed, it in ex-
pected, before the end of another week. It was

reported that General Osten Sacken was hastening
with a powerful corps to attack the town before
the Turks should be in force, and so prevent an