The Sun.
London, England, 1853-11-16 00:00:00

LATEST FOREIGN NE Wo

RUSSIA AND TURKEY.
DEFEAT OF THE RUSSIANS

The following startling despatch is from Vienna.
The source whence it is derived is excellent, but
at the same time the intelligence is of so extraor-
dinary a character that it must be received with
caution.

" VIENNA, WEDNESDAY MORNING.
" The Turks have already passed Bucharest,
which is in flames in three places.
" The Russians are retreating on Cronstadt.
" Fifteen thousand Turks have been despatched
to intercept them through the Principality of
Servia.

" The Austrian Government have ordered an
army corps to be immediately concentrated in
Croatia."

Cronstadt, in Transylvania,, is situate in the direct
line of retreat from Bucharest, supposing the Rus-
sians to have been cut off from their communica-
tions with Moldavia.
An official despatch from Vikina, dated yesterday
(Tuesday) evening, says :
"The Russians dislodged the Turks from the
island opposite Giurgevo, but it was immediately
retaken by the Turks.
" The Turks repulsed the attack on their position
at Oltenitza on the 11th."
Advices from Bucharest of the 9th inst. state
that for several hours a heavy cannonade was
heard, whether from Oltenitza or Giurgevo was
not known.
All the Russiati pontoons had been sent to
Giurgevo.
From 5,000 to 7,000 Russians had taken up a
strong position on an eminence near Frateschi
(between Bucharest and Giurgevo).
A despatch was received at Paris yesterday,
stating that the Russians lost 3,000 men in the
battle of the -4th inst. From that clay to the 11th
there were no military events of importance. The
hostilities were confined to some skirmishing of
the outposts.
The Russian Government has appointed a go-
vernor for the two Danubian Principalities.
By telegraph from the seat of war, we learn tha
there were heavy rains on the 10th and 11th ; the
Danube is greatly swollen ; the roads are impass-
able, and operations are impeded.
Simultaneously with the action of Isaactcha, and
Dschurgia, the Turks, between the 27th October
and 3d November, passed across the Danube, by
way of Kalarasck, 50,000 men, who forthwith took
up a position on the left bank of the river.
Advices from Constantinople, of the 3d, state
that the fact of the passage of the Danube, and the
success in Asia, where the Turks had taken the
fortress of Schafkatil, had been announced to the
troops now in the capital.
The Greeks had offered to advance money to the
Porte by way of loan.
The Turkish forces at Oltenitza consist of 17,000
regular infantry, 3,000 Bashi Bozouks, and 4,000
artillerymen, commanded by General Prim. Re-
port says that Klapka will supersede him.
Ismail Pacha commands 24,000 Turks at Kalafat.
The Russians have concentrated 35,000 men at
Budeschti (between Bucharest and Oltenitza), and
established head-quarters there.
The Journal of St. Petersburg contains the fol-
lowing official declaration :—" No embargo will be
put on Turkish ships in Russian ports until the
22d November, but after that date they will be de-
clared fair prizes, if even their cargoes be not
wholly Turkish property. Neutral flags shall
enjoy perfect liberty throughout the continuation
of hostilities."
The following despatch arrived at Paris yester-
day :
" The Ottoman Ambassador at Vienna to the
Ottoman Ambassador at Paris.

" VIENNA, Nov. 15.—The communications from
the theatre of war are to the 11th inst. At that
date nothing decisive had taken place." (It n'y
avait rien de decisif.)
The Paris correspondent of the Times, writing
yesterday, 6 p.m. says :
"Accounts have been received from the seat of
war to the 11th, from which it appears that the
Turks repulsed, on that day, an attack made upon
their entrenchments by Prince Gortschakoff. A
despatch from Vienna states the loss of the Rus-
sians in the battle of Oltenitza at more than 2,000
killed and wounded, instead of 1,200 ; and another
account carries it to 3,000. The accuracy of either
it is impossible to guarantee. It is beyond dispute
that Turkey has exhibited a decision and courage,
moral and material, for which few gave her credit
some few months since. Her energies only slum-
bered, it appears, and she herself was merely in a
lethargy, but the breath of life had not passed
from her. The insults of her aggressor, and the
gross wrongs he was preparing for her, have given
her renewed existence. In the long struggle
she maintained she was, it is true, nearly
thrown to the earth, but, like the hero of the fable,
the moment she touched it she rose with a vigour
which astonishes her friends, and, prhaps, checks
the arrogance of her hereditary foe. The impor-
tant fact is now patent to the world, and no future
ill success can affect it. Turkey still has c'aims to
be counted among the nations of Europe in a ma-
terial as in a moral point of view. In her long
diplomatic encounter with her, enemy, she has not
shown herself deficient in skill, in moderation, or
in dignity. Her language suffers nothing by com-
parison with that of one of the most accomplished
and wily statesmen of the day. Her superiority is
incontestible in negotiations, as in the justice of
her cause ; up to the present, at least, she has not
shown herself inferior on the field of battle ; and
her conduct throughout this great trial proves that
she is less deserving of the pity than of the respect-
ful sympathies of Europe—of its intervention as
au arbiter, than of its tutelage as a protector. In
any future negotiations Turkey will have earned a
title to respect which was not believed to have
existed.

The gist of the various letters of the 31st, from
Constantinople, is as follows :—The news of the
successful passage of the Danube most agreeably
surprised the Turks. At Turtukai, opposite Olte-
nitza, the Arnauts led the way, and were speedily
followed by the Egyptians, who swam across the
river. This, however, was merely an experiment,
as both detachments soon returned to the right
bank of the river, laden with booty. Mention is
made of a battle near Batoum, between Selim Bey's
troops and 5,000 Russians ; the latter are said to
have had 230 men killed, among whom were 22
officers. The Turks, who have yet to learn how to
make bulletins a la .Russe„ lost 195 men, and had
380 wounded. The attack is said to have been fur-

thered by some diversion made by Shamyl on the
flank of the Russians. As soon as the news of the

occurrences in Bulgaria reached Constantinople, it
was communicated to the representatives of France
and England, and they advisedthat the war should
be continued. On the 29th, M. de la Cour waited
on the Sultan, and in the name of his Emperor
placed the French General Bosquet at his disposal,
with six other officers of rank, who would arrive
on the 2d of November. During the audience
mention was also made of 40,000 French soldiers,
who would be landed wherever the Sultan might
be pleased to direct. Lord Stratford, on his side,
declared that the English fleet would enter the
Black Sea and act on the coast with the Turkish

vessels. A corps of from 15,000 to 20,000 men
will be kept in readiness at Malta, "to occupy
Greece, if that country should attempt anything
against the Porte."

Letters from Vienna, of the 12th inst., announce
hat Omar Pasha had crossed the Danube in per-

son, and was at the head of 35,000 men, ready to
receive Prince Gortschakoff, who threatened to
attack the Turks in their position.
Private letters from Erzeroum, of the 25th ult.,
announce that the Turks had concluded an alliance

offensive and defensive with Schamyl, and with the
Mussulman tribes of Mingrelia, Imeritia, Gouriel,

and the other independent tribes of that part of
Asia. Those countries can furnish 80,000 warriors,
well practised in mountain warfare.
The garrison of Sebastopol had marched against
the Circassians. The garrison was replaced by
_ _

15,000 men from the camp of Odessa, which were

replaced by troops from VOccsenck.
Medical advices from Giurgevo, Oltenitza,
and Kalarasch, state that above 3,000 wounded
men have been taken to the hospitals at Bucha-
rest. The fortress of Shefkatil is a few

miles north of Batoum, and just within the Rus-
sian territory. The Egyptian reinforcements of
10,000 men, and 30,000 muskets, are expected soon.
The Tunis squadron of 18 sail, on its way to Con-
stantinople, was seen at 'Cauea, in Candia, on the
21st October.

Prince Stirbey has received a private hint that
it would perhaps be better not to prolong his stay
at Vienna too long. He goes to Paris.
We hew; that aalatz has been declared, i a otate