The Sun.
London, England, 1854-05-01 00:00:00

present war cannot be both popular and dynastic.
Kings must choose, and choose promptly. Nor-
way, Denmark, and Sweden are said to be on our
side—the mass, we mean, of the inhabitants. Our
fleets have really been received with acclama-
tion. One hundred and thirty-seven Finland sailors
taken on board of Russian ships have been released
on parole. The , expediency of this step seems
doubtful—the men will be compelled to serve.
The Emperor's promises are " bandages of straw."
It seems that the Russian Minister here answers
for them. What security is that ? Better far pay
the cost of maintaining these sailors in England.
That Russia can spare no sailors, is evident from
the fact that large bodies of seamen were some time
since conveyed from these waters to the Black Sea.
People speak in warm terms of the admiral com-
manding the fleet, and praise the salutary discipline
exercised therein. It is thought there will be
no dangerous rashness, but that, after due delibe-
ration, Sir Charles will strike home, and in a mode
not expected. We hear that the first batteries in
approaching Cronstadt cannot be approached more
closely than half a mile. If our large ships could
get within 200 yards, it is said no known masonry
could stand their shock. The way to bring war to
a speedy conclusion would be to give Prussia and
Austria a week's law, in which period they should
be definitively required to choose their line. If
they declare against us, let us go to war at once,
confiding in the certain and enthusiastic support
of Hungary, Italy, and Poland. By acting on any
other policy, we shall materially impair our pro-
spects of eventual success.

ST. PETERSBURG.
EXPLOSION AT CRONSTADT.

A letter from the Russian provinces of the Baltic,
dated the 20th, in the Moniteur, says :—" The
news of the signature by Prussia of the last pro-
tocol of Vienna has produced a deep impression at
St. Petersburg. All the information agrees in re-
presenting the Emperor as very much cast down.
iThe state of the weather is such that the Gulf will
be clear of ioe before the end of April. An explo-
sion of 10,0001bs. of powder in a laboratory at
Cronstadt a few days since, caused by imprudence,
cost the lives of 44 workmen."
A letter from St. Petersburg, 20th, states that
orders have been given that the English vessels,
the Anna Weicester, and the William Broderick,
the former in the port of Cronstadt, and the latter
at Revel, shall not, from military considerations,
be allowed to leave those ports for the present, but
will be set at liberty as soon as possible.
A letter from St. Petersburg says :—" The Cau-
casus newspaper contains an appeal to the popula-
tions under the Russian domination in the Trans-
caucasian provinces in four languages, the Russian,
the Grusinian, the Armenian, and the Tartar, ex-
citing them to take part in the war against the
Turks. The same journal gives besides an order
of the day of General Read, which declares in a
state of war not only the districts adjacent to the
Transcaucasian provinces, but also the region on
the coast including Mingrelia, Usurghel, &c., and
which places them under the orders of Prince An-
drovikoy, commander-in-chief of the Gurea, the
Achalzigh, and the reserves in Surain."
JASSY, APRIL 14.—Prince Paskiewitsch, on his
arrival here, was present at a Te Deum. The same
honours are paid to him as to the Emperor. The
corps of Greek, Bulgarian, and Bohemian volun-
teers is reduced to 70 rank and file. At their first
halting-place the chief fled, carrying with him
2,000 ducats.

CONSTAN TINOPLE.
According to advises from Constantinople of the
20th, 10,000 men of the combined French and
English force had reached that city.
The 33d, 41st, 49th, 77th, 47th, and 88th Eng-
lish regiments of the line were stationed at Scutari.
A first instalment of the loan of 20,000,000 f.
lent to Turkey by France and England had been
received at Constantinople.
On the Sunday before the Patriarch published
a proclamation to the Greeks, in which he advised
them to remain tranquil.
There was some talk of the return of Mehemet
Ali Pasha to the Government as Minister of War.
The 44th, 50th, 93d, 4th, and 28th English re-
giments, with the Rifles, were still at Gallipoli.
The journals confirmed the presentation of an
ultimatum by the Allied Powers to the Greek Go-
vernment, and accuse King Otho of having re-
ceived money from Russia.
General Allonville is commissioned to buy 3,000
horses in Asia.
CONST.ANTINOPLE, April 17.—Lord Carlisle, who
has been on a visit to the squadrons in the Black
Sea, returned here from Varna the day before
yesterday. The French General Bosquet has
gone to Varna. This leads to the belief that the
request of Reschid Pacha, that that place should be
occupied by an Anglo-French force, shall be com-
plied with. The Turkish and British soldiers stare
at one another with unfeigned astonishment. One
of!the former said he thought our men very fine
fellows, and so very neat ; " but what is the use of
all this ?" said he ; " they cannot speak." They
were eagerly looking about for something in the
shape of a public-house—a thing that does not
exist at Scutari ; but many had installed them-
selves in the coffee-houses, and were solemnly
sucking the chibouk, and exchanging ideas
with the Turks, by signs over a glass of raki.
Constantinople is very quiet, and the arrival of the
troops seems to have made a generally favourable
impression. It is now expected that a force will
be sent to the scene of action. The news which
came the day before yesterday from the Black Sea,
that only a small detachment of steamers had been
sent to Odessa, and not the whole squadron, has
rather disappointed our expectations, after the
shameful reception given from the Russian bat-
teries to the boat's crew of the Furious with a flag
of truce.
GALLIPOLI, April 15.—Last night two men of
the 93d Highlanders died from cold and the effects
of the brandy of the country. The last two or
three nights water has frozen in the tents, and
to-day we had a severe snow-storm. In England,
it may be imagined we are encamped in orange-
groves, with bright sunshine by day and night-
ingales by night—our breakfast table covered
with fruit—a perpetual pic-nic, in fact. Instead
of this, more than one gallant gentleman may be
met returning to his camp, after a walk of 20
miles, with his pockets and haversack full of the
necessaries of life ' - after which he has probably to
wait for hours till the tough ration of beef has been
boiled down to flavour some soup. Fuel is very
scarce, at least for the English, as the French
have demanded of the Turkish commission all
that comes from Asia, and all that the country it-
self produces. It is to be hoped that the two
armies will continue on a friendly footing, but
really the French are rather inclined to seize more
than their share of everything. Some of their
arrangements are excellent. They have their
own mills and bakehouses, for instance. De-
tachments of Zouaves are encamped here and
there, making a road to Boulahir. The other day
Sir George Brown rode out to the north to see if a
river marked on the map really existed. He found
the French had traced the road toward Adrianople
several days before. It should be generally known
in England that letters must be prepaid if sent
by Malta. People coming out here with return
tickets to see a battle cannot do better than to pass
through Vienna, Pesth, and Belgrade, thence
to Shumla and Varna, providing themselves with
horses in Hungary or Transylvania. A mare
luxurious route would be via Piccadilly, calling at
Fortnum and Mason's, thence by cab and rail to
Southampton. At Gibraltar, a capital horse can
be got, the sail of which in Turkey would be very
profitable.