The Sun.
London, England, 1854-04-08 00:00:00

of action, as it is the general belief that the Rus-
sians will endeavour to strike a blow prior to their
arriyal. Mr. Colquhoun, hdr Britannic Majesty's
political agent for the principalities of Wallachia
and Moldavia, leaves on Monday next on a mission
to Bosnia and Servia.

The subjoined is extracted from another corres-
pondent's letter of the 25th March :—" The last
accounts from England and the prospect of ener-
getic measures being Adopted against the enemy
have raised the spirits and the hopes of the English
community. Notwithstanding the extreme impro-
bability that a British force would be content to
take upon itself the mere performance of garrison
duty, many were inclined to believe that the defence
of the Dardanelles and Bosphorus would be
committed to the Anglo-Gallic troops, in de-
ference to the advice of a high authority,
and that their active services would be re-
quired only in the event of a march on Con-
stantinople. It is felt here that unless we drive
the Russians from the provinces we do nothing, and
it is further believed that the enemy have not the
most remote intention of undertaking a laborious
march across a pathless country, over lofty moun-
tains, with a wide stream behind them, the sea com-
manded by their opponents, and their most power-
ful neighbour avowedly pledged to resist such an
invasion. 'We are 50 years from Constantinople,'
is a saying attributed to a Russian of rank and po-
litical experience, and the height of folly would be
to waste time in preparing for an attack which
wil never be made, while the real object of Musco-
vite ambition is attained in the acquisition of 400
miles of the Danube's banks, with perhaps the
Bulgarian territory and strongholds, the passages
of the Balkan, and the port of Varna. Besides this,
it must be considered that whatever may be the
opinions of Western Europe, the spell of Russian
invincibility is not broken among the populations
of the East. They look to her hitherto invariable
success, her skill in escaping from the greatest
dangers, and in extracting from defeat advantages
which others have failed to gain from the most bril-
liant exploits, and they augur a similar conclusion to
the present struggle. That come what may, Russia
will by some means or other gain her ends, is a
feeling not confined to the lower classes, or even
to the Christian communities. Even among the
Turks there are many who look upon their old
enemy as the predestined accomplisher of an irre-
sistible destiny ; who forebode that the Osmanli
are again to quit that Europe in which, to use an
expression of their own, they are encamped, and
that the Caliphate must revert to Damascus or
Bagdad. The Moslem has his ancient prophecies
on the subject as well as the Muscovite, and the
vaticinations of both point in the same direction.
This species of fascination can only be broken
by a heavy blow, the effect of which shall be great,
immediate, and undeniable. As yet the undoubted
success of the Turkish arms have been scarcely
credited by those subjects of the Sultan whom it is
most desirable to influence. The Ottoman has risen
immensely in the estimation of Europe ; but no
such change has taken place in the public opinion
of the Rayahs. Unfortunately this is a country
of rumours—false, or with a grain of truth en-
veloped in vast masses of exaggeration. So.many
accounts have reached the capital, and, after re-
ceiving a record in official columns, have proved to
be fables or misrepresentations, that the real
achievements of Oltenitia, and Citate have not re-
ceived their due acknowledgments. Some great
and striking success on the part of the allies would
produce an effect almost incalculable, whilst hesita-
tion or timidity can only fix more firmly in the
popular mind the feeling that, compared with the
Northern Empire, the nations of the West rank
only as second-rate Powers."

A private letter from Constantinople of the 27th
ult., published by the Patric, mentions that the
combined squadrons were to anchor at Kavarna, a
port of Bulgaria, 25 miles distant from Varna,
which is considered as a good point of observation.
The report that a Russian naval division, coming
from Sebastopol, had lauded men and stores in the
Dobrudscha, is without the least foundation.

THE WAR IN ASIA.

The special correspondent of the Morning
Chronicle in Asia writes from Erzeroum. on
March 1 : " The Armenian' subjects of the
Ottoman empire are as desirous of the suc-
cess of the Russian arms as are the Greeks. I
except, of course, a few enlightened men, who,
while they are vexed at heart at the abased posi-
tion their race occupies in the empire, yet are aware
that their condition would not be improved under
the despotism of the north. I will also except the
numerous bankers and money-lenders of the Arme-
nian creed, in whose books and ledgers the names
of so many pachas figure on the wrong side.
These cannot wish for the triumph of the Musco-
vite, for, in that case, what would become of their
debtors ? But the middle and lower ranks of Ar-
menians are Russian at heart. Their sympathy
will avail the cause of the Czar but little, for
though they are industrious and well-behaved,
at the same time they are the most arrant cowards
imaginable. After the late disaster sustained by
the Turkish navy at.Sinope, the secret joy experi-
enced by the Armenians in this city, the ancient
capital of their kingdom, was delirious. It was
reported that they secretly offered up thanksgiving
to the Almighty for the Russian success in their
cathedral church. The rumour(perhaps unfounded)
of thanksgiving in question soon oozed out, and
came to the ears of the Turks, who were not over
pleased, as may be understood. The Pacha was
soon informed of the occurrence, and sent for the
head of the Armenian hierarchy here. This ec-
clesiastic vowed there was no foundation for the
report, and that, if the thanksgiving in question
had taken place, it was without his knowledge. The
Pacha dismissed him with a few words of warning,
and recommended him most strongly to remove
the effects of the thanks on the following Sab-
bath. The few words of significant warning had a
potent effect on the mind of his grace ; conse-
quently, at the first opportunity, the prayers of
thanksgiving were officially revoked and cursed,
so that the minds of the Turks could be set at ease.
I have been unable to ascertain if the thanksgiving
did take place or not ; at all events, the denunci-
ation and curse did. The Armenians and Turks
inwardly detest each other,.and from other reasons
than those of religion and creed. In former times
the poor Armenians suffered greatly from the bar-
barous cruelty of their masters, the Turks, and
their social degradation was extreme ; but during
the occupation of Armenia in the last war by the
Russians, they took an eclatant revenge, and sorely
humiliated the arrogant Mussulman. The Turk
has forgiven, but
.not forgotten ; and now that
the old Russian feud has commenced, the
conduct of the Armenians in his hour of
defeat haunts him like a spectre. The com-
mon people, the most turbulent of the Turks,
now mutter deeply, You are still safe, but
beware if the Muscovite gains the day, and soils
our land with his tread ; then you, Armenians, at
least, shall not be here to triumph over us once
more.' I have spoken with several Armenians,
and they all expressed great anxiety for their posi-
tion, and great dread of the conduct of the irregular
troops, in case of a total defeat. Let us hope their
fears are exaggerated, and that the latter contin-
gency may be avoided. False reports and silly
rumours fill the town, and the good people swallow
them with the greatest gravity. The lies can be
traced to two parties—the Russian, consisting' of
Russian subjects, of which there are 80 or 100
established here, and the old Turkish party.
Each one fibs against the other with hearty good-
will, and I am uncertain to which the palm should
be awarded. I fancy the Russian excels with
regard to quantity, but for fertility of inven-
tion it must bow before the Turkish party.
It is right the weakness of the Turkish army should
be made plain. Last autumn the Turks had on
the frontier a numerous army, animated with fiery
patriotism and eager for the fray. The province of
Georgia stretched out her arms in loving welcome,
and Schamyl thundered down from his mountain
heights to the very feet of Tiflis. The Russian
was unprepared, and in numerical force far the
inferior. Prince Woronzoff, a host in himself, was
stretched on a bed of sickness. Therefore, every-
thing conspired to assist the Turkish commanders,
and lead them to an easy triumph. How did they
avail themselves of their advantages, of their oppor-
tunity ? By over-running and liberating Georgia ?
then concentrating their forces, and, in conjunc-
tion with Schamyl, storming Tiflis, and driving
the Russian invader from the regions of the Cas-
pian Sea ? No ; but by temporising they gave the
enemy time to prepare, and through their imbeci-
lity or cowardice they sustained defeat after defeat
from an inferior force. Of the army that in the
autumn was stationed at Kars not 19,000 returned
after this disastrous campaign. The remainder had
fallen or dispersed. Of the troops that returned,
one-half were sick, all discouraged. The disband-
ment commenced, and shortly not a man would
have remained to protect the frontier or oppose the
advance of the enemy, when, fortunately, an Eng-
lishman, with genuine English pluck and energy,
arrived, and in the face of every difficulty inspired
the troops with confidence in him, and kept them
together. lam not going to repeat again all the
exertions General- Guyon has made to alleviate the
sufferings of the army and bring it back to disci-
pline. Suffice it to say that he has succeeded, and
that llaireddin Paella will adopt measures to place
the army, with the large reinforcements shortly ex..
pected, on proper footing to commence operations
in the spring. The Turks have profited by their
autumn defeats, and will take their -revenge in
May. They. will commence the campaign under a
good commander, Zarif Paoli% and with European