The Sun.
London, England, 1854-01-06 00:00:00

LATEST FOREIGN NEWS.

RUSSIA AND TURKEY.

ORDER TO THE COMBINED FLEETS TO

ENTER THE BLACK SEA.

The Moniteur, of this day, contains a circular,
dated Dec. 30, addressed by the Minister of Foreign
Affairs to the legations of the Emperor in foreign
countries on the Eastern question. This document,
which is very moderate, but very firm, after nar-
rating the different phases of the question, declares
that France, England, Austria, and Prussia, have
recently by their agreement concerted at Vienna,
Etolemnly recognised that the territorial integrity of
the Ottoman Empire was one of the conditions of
their political equilibrium.
The affair of Sinope took place against all pre-
visions, Russia having declared that she only desired
a material guarantee for the fulfilment of what she
demanded.

To prevent the Ottoman territory or the Ottoman
flag from being the object of a new attack on the
part of the naval forces of Russia, the French and
English fleets have received the order to enter the
Black Sea.

The circular terminates by expressing the hope
that Russia will not expose Europe to new con-
vulsions.

A more detailed and correct account of the last
negotiations at Constantinople is given by the
Paris correspondent of the Morning Chronicle,
under date of yesterday.
There appears, lie says, to be a very general
misconception as to the precise facts of the recent
negotiations at Constantinople, which it may be
well to correct, though the matter may not, prac-
tically, be of any considerable importance. It is
an error to suppose that those negotiations have
had any reference to the Note agreed to by the re-
presentatives of the Four Powers at Vienna on the
sth of December. All the recent discussions at
Constantinople have had reference to a Note origi-
nally framed, a considerable time ago, by Lord
Stratford de Re,dcliffe, avid which, after being mo-
dified and approved by the Western Governments,
was presented to the consideration of the Sultan's
Ministers. When the collective Note of the sth
December reached Constantinople, the ne-
gotiations on this scheme of Lord de Redcliffe
were so far advanced, and were proceeding so
favourably, that it was wisely resolved by the am-
bassadors of the Four Powers not to break off, in
favour of a new project, an arrangement which had
already nearly reached maturity. Accordingly, by
the concurrent determination of the four ambas-
sadors, the Vienna Note was withheld, and tIAS
negotiations on that of Lord de Redcliffe were con-
tinued. It is, therefore, this Note of Lord de
Redeliffe's which Turkey is said to have accepted,
and which, if finally agreed upon, will be presented ,
to Russia with the sanction of the Four Powers. It
is understood, however, that Austria considers that
the chances of the project being accepted at St.
Petersburg would be greatly improved, were it pre-
sented to the Emperor by Austria and Prussia
alone ; and, as the Western Governments have, it
is stated, after some discussion, acquiesced in this
view—being, a mere point of form—it will be pre-
sented by the two German Powers only. It is
considered, however, highly improbable that this
or any other proposal to which Turkey and the
Four Powers can accede, will meet with the accept-
ance of the Czar ' • and before the Note can reach
St. Petersburg, the question of peace or war will,
in all probability, have been already decided.
It may he right to state, lest unfounded infer-
ences should be drawn from the decisive orders re-
cently sent out do the English and French ambas-
sadors, that the physical obstacles to the effective
action of the fleets in the Euxine at this season of
the year are far more serious than is commonly
supposed; and in executing the instructions of the
French and English Governments, much must of
course be left to the discretion and judgment of
the ambassadors and admirals. There is, how-
ever, every reason to believe that the instructions
recently sent out were of so positive a nature
as to leave little room to doubt that the fleets
must, by this time, have entered the Black Sea
—unless, indeed, the weather has been so tem-
pestuous as absolutely to prevent them from
leaving the Bosphorus, which, it will be well to
bear in mind, is, besides Sebastopol, the only port
in the Euxine in which ships of war can find refuge.
In the meanwhile, the Governments of France and
England were never more cordially united than at
this moment, nor were they ever more firmly de-
termined to offer efficient and active resistance to
Russian aggression on Turkey. The persevering
attempts of the partisans of Russia, in the press and
in society, both here and in London, to create dis-
trust between the two powers are perfectly under-
stood ; and all these miserable fictions and innuen-
does which are intended either to disunite the
French and English Cabinets, or to stir up jealousy
between their respective Ambassadors or admirals,
only prove how much and how justly the Emperor
Nicholas dreads the powerful alliance of France
and England, and the formidable combined arma-
ment in the Bosphorus, which, with the most per-
fect good understanding between officers and men,
is eager to be summoned into decisive action.
The following is from Constantinople, of Dec.
25 :—On the 22d the resolution adopted on the
18th by the General Council convoked to deliberate
on the Note of Conference, and composed of all the
members of all the Ministries, Viziers, -Enemas,
Pashas, Ministers of the Army and Navy, and other
dignitaries of the empire, was notified. This re-
solution, unanimously adopted, shows that the
Sublime Porte, having chosen war to save order,
her rights, and integrity, will not reject peace if
these conditions are guaranteed for the future.
This notification adds that communication of this
decision has been made to the representatives of
the Four Powers, that the state of war still con-
tinues, and that not even au armistice has been
concluded, and that despatches, announcing what
had passed, had been sent to the commanders of
the armies in Europe and Asia, that no stop should
be put to the military operations. This proclama-
tien has calmed the public mind.
The insurrection of the previous day had decided
Government to fetch from Beycos three Turkish
steam-frigates, and a division of the united fleet.

During the night of the 21st a Russian war-
schooner, the Aloupka, driven by a gale into the
Bosphorus, had been captured by Mustapha Bey,
commander of the fort of Anadoli Karak.

M. Kenikoff, director of the Political Chancellory
at Teflis, has departed for Persia and Affghanistan,
as Ambassador Extraordinary of the Czar • he is
accompanied by a General and Russian staff officers.
He was expected at Teheran on the 30th of Nov.
Mr. Thompson, the British Charge d'Affaires in
Persia, has succeeded in terminating the difference
which had existed between that country and
England. Ahmet Effendi, Turkish Charge d'Af-
faires, satisfied with the explanations of the Persian
Government, did not think it right to interrupt his
relations with the Shah.

The Consul-General of England had left Bu-
charest, and gone to the head-quarters of Omar
Pasha at Rustchuk.

A letter from Odessa announces that the camp
formed towards the end of the summer at Vasno-
censk, at about five leagues from that town , has
been broken up, on account of the extreme severity
of the season. The troops which compose it and
the reinforcements newly arrived have been divided
between the garrisons of Ismail, Sebastopol, and.
Odessa, where the corn warehouses have been con-
verted into barracks.

The Journal de St. Petersburg of the 24th ult.
gives the following intelligence from the Turkish
frontier of the district of the Caucasus
"The supplementary news received to-day from
Prince WoronzofL respecting the combats which have
taken place on the Turkish frontier, show how profound
an impression the victories gained by the Russian troops
at Akhalzick on November 26, and at Basck-Ladyk-
Lara, on December 1, have made on the inhabitants of
the Turkish provinces. The defeat of the corps of the
Seraskier of Erzeroum had for immediate result that the
strong Turkish detachment which was proceeding from
Bajazet to the province of Erivan, did not even wait
that the troops sent on the line of its communications
by General Prince Beboutoff should commence their
movement from Alexandropol, but withdrew in all haste.
As to the main Turkish body, defeated on December
1, it fled at once towards Kars with such haste that
it threw away everything that could retard its re-
treat. Our detachments of cavalry sent after it
succeeded on December 2,3, and 4, in seizing on
a considerable quantity of various kinds of stores
belonging to the enemy. On another hand, the con-
sequence of the victory at Akhalzick, was that the in-
habitants of the Sandjack of Poskhoff-Tchai applied to
General Prince Andronnikoff, and supplicated him
earnestly to take them under his protection.
The Invalide Russe publishes the following re-
script of the 10th of December, addressed by the
Emperor of Russia to Vice-Admiral Nachimoff :--
"By the destruction of tee Turkish squadron at
Sinope, you have illustrated the annals of the Russian
fleet by a new victory, which will be for ever memorable
in the navy. The statutes of the military order of St.
George point out the recompense which is due to you
for this exploit. In executing with rear joy the pro-
visions of the said statutes, we appoint you Chevalier
Grand Cross 2d class of the order of St. George, re-
maining, with our Imperial friendship, yours affec-
tionately, " NICHOLAS."
The Patric of Wednesday, in its latest intelli-
gence, quotes a letter from Malta of the 30th,