The Sun.
London, England, 1854-09-14 00:00:00

THE WAR IN THE BALTIC.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.

Sir,—Your leader in the Times of this day
reports that the Baltic) fleet is about returning to
England, and very properly exposes the folly, or,
something more, the wickedness of the order. As
you were good enough some weeks since to give
insertion to a letter under the signature of
" Baltic," explaining the description of gun-boats
used in that sea—a flotilla of which said gun-boats
I see at Abo in Finland have received honours for
beating off our ships, all of which, and Abo with
them, might, and aught to have been destroyed—
the question now appears to be, Has the Admiralty
received orders or not to spare the Czar ? Admiral
Berkeley said in the House of Commons that the
Admiral had full powers to act as he thought right.
Is that so now ? My object, Sir, in addressing
the Times is to corroborate every word said in this
day's leader respecting the fine weather in the
Baltic. In September and October I have found
it just as hot as it is nosy in London. The winter
may be said to commence the middle of November ;
but, even at that time, and to December, there is
no reason why the fleet should quit those waters ;
every officer who has served in the Baltic well
knows that under Bornholm there is excellent
anchorage. I have been at anchor there with 700
sail of convoy for days, blowing hard, and waiting
to take them through the Belt. Again, under the
Isle of Samsoe I have been at anchor with 30 sail
of the line, and good holding-ground ; and under
Anholt, in the Cattegat, north tide, a fleet might
safely anchor. Then, again, Wingo Sound is a
second Spithead. You may depend upon it, Sir,
that, if our ships return before the actual winter,
a squadron of Russian frigates will be through the
Sound—which they can at all times do—go north
about, and get into the South Seas. Aud what a
pretty mess we should be in, on hearing next sum-
mer. that 10 or 12 frigates were cruising in the
track of our Australian and China trade !
I have no hesitation in saying, from my own
knowledge, that the fleet may safely stay where
they are for the next 10 weeks ; and, even after
that time, we must leave a strong squadron in
Wingo Sound to watch the entrance, and so seal up
those seas. Myself, with others now living, were
in command of ships of war and cruised the whole
winter in the Cattegat and off Norway. We had
no screws then of any sort, but did the work like
British seamen.

Let us all remember that, nearly 50 years ago,
Nelson said to his fleet " England expects every
man will do his duty."—l remain, sir, &c.,
Sept. 13. BALTIC.

RUSSIAN INVESTMENTS.

TO THE EDITOR OP THE SUL

SIR, —Lord Aberdeen is not the only friend of Russia
in this country. Our law of partnership fir the last
40 years has been causing large sums to be sent to
Russia for investment, to say nothing about the British
capital that has gone into the Russian funds. The
creditors of Russia are naturally anxious to save Russia
from defeat and consequent dismemberment, which
would be fatal to their property, and are unquestionably
acting on the least patriotic members of the Administra-
tion. Give our fleets and army a chance, and they will
do their duty, but they must have the co-operation of
the press and people at home, or the friends of Nicholas
will prevail.—.l am, sir, your obedient servant,
w. J.

THE RUSSIAN REPLY TO THE AUSTRIAN
AND PRUSSIAN NOTES.

lam now (says the Berlin correspondent of the
Independance) able to acquaint you with the de-
tails, more circumstantial and not yet published
by the journals, of the reply of the Cabinet of St.
Petersburg to the notes of Austria and Prussia,
which were intended to support the four conditions
of peace proposed by the Western Powers. This
reply is contained in a despatch from Count Nessel-
rode to Prince Gortschakoff, who was charged to
bring it to the knowledge of the Cabinet of Vienna.
Tile Prussian Cabinet has received a copy of this
despatch, accompanied by a letter which intro-
duces the reply to the Prussian note of the 13th
August.

The despatch of Count Nesselrode refers, in the
first place, to the negotiations which have taken
place since the Austro-Prussian sornmcstions
" Russia," it says, " has assented to the greatest part
of the concessions demanded, solely out of regard to the
interests of Austria and Prussia. In acceding to the
evacuation of the principalities she has abandoned her
military position in Turkey in Europe, which permits
her enemies to employ their. forces against her in Asia,
and upon the territory of Russia. She has not put for-
ward any reciprocal claim ; she has been'content with
expressing the views she entertained when Austria indi-
cated the guarantees which she was able to offer, on her
side, to Russia. She is convinced that it was not pos-
sible for Austria to give to her the assurance of an ar-
mistice, but she did desire to know beforehand if, after
the evacuation pf the principalities, Austria would or
would not separate herself from the coalition which has
been formed fur the purpose of humiliating Russia.
Further, Russia has declared herself willing to negotiate
upon the basis of the protocol of Vienna, of the 9th of
April.
"Austria has not made any direct reply to Russia in
relation to these propositions ; but she immediately ad-
dressed herself to the Western Powers, upon whom she
made her decision to depend, although it could not be
expected that they would be ready to enter upon the
path of conciliation, seeing that they have allied them-
selves together in order to enfeeble Russia by a prolonged
war. This has been confirmed by communications made
by the Austrian ambassador to the Cabinet of St. Peters-
burg—that is to say, by the Austrian note of the 10th
of August.
"The conditions required by the Western Powers are
unacceptable in respect to their substance (teneur), as
well as in form, principally because that, according to
the avowal of the French Government itself, what they
exact, with the ostensible purpose of maintaining the
European equilibrium, is nothing less than the destruc-
tion of the establishments of the Russian marine, and
the power of Russia in the Black Sea.
"Austria, in recommending these conditions, has
added that the Western Powers have still reserved the
right to make others,_ which renders it perfectly useless
to submit them to a detailed examination. Besides, even
if they should not be changed, their acceptation would
lead it to be supposed that Russia is reduced by war to
the last degree of exhaustion. Although the Emperor
has adhered to the principles enunciated in the protocol
of Vienna, he cannot enlarge the meaning of it as much
as others have done, because the immense sacrifices
which Russia has made in the interests of Austria and
Prussia would remain without any compensation. In
the place of finding in those concessions a motive for re-
deeming those obligations, Austria has drawn closer its
alliance with the enemies of Russia.

"Consequently, the Emperor infinitely regrets that he
has not been able to accept the last overtures made by
Austria. He considers that he bas made every con-
cession compatible with the honour of Russia, and as he
has not withdrawn any of these advantages, it only re-
mains for him to do the same as his enemies—that is, to
try the eventualities of war in order to arrive at some
solid basis of negotiations for peace.
" The Emperor leas directed his General-in-Chief to
repass the Pruth with his troops from strategic motives,
and Russia will keep herself upon the defensive within
her frontiers, until more equitable conditions are offered
to her. The Emperor, on his side, will avoid increasing
the complications of the war, but he will repel with the
greatest energy all attacks against him, from whatever
quarter they may proceed."
Another Berlin letter on the same subject, in
the Cassel Gazette, says :
" The despatch of the Cabinet of St. Petersburg, of
the 26th ult., rejects the propositions of Amara in these
terms :—We find ourselves under the sad necessity of
being obliged to reply to the last propositions of the
Cabinet of Vienna by an absolute refusal. The Austrian
Government has already been informed that the motives
which caused his Majesty the Emperor tp withdraw his
troops behind the Pruth are only a consequence of our
strategic kosition. In retiring within our frontiers,
and confining ourselves to the defensive, we shall main-
tain this position until equitable propositions, which
we expect, permit us to manifest our love of peace,
ece., &c."

THE RAILWAY MILLIONNAIES.—Thomas Brassey is one
of the chief of the aristocracy that has risen in these
latest times upon the foundations of commercial enter-
prise—a prince of the new dynasty, whose dominion ex-
tends wherever civilisation is fostered by the rail, and
whose dominion coronet is of iron. He commenced life
as a surveyor at Birkenhead, and his first connection
with a railway was a contract to supply the stone for a
viaduct of the " Manchester and Liverpool. Since that
time his labour' have been incessant and extraordinary,
both in his own country and out of it. Since 1816, he
has, upon his own responsibility and credit, constructed
of upwards 500 miles of railway, representing an aggregate
of 9,250,0001. of contract money. In Franco and Spain
his joint contracts with Mr. Mackenzie, were for 189
English miles of road, and for nearly 3,000,0001. sterling.
His engagements in Scotland and England, with Mr.
Mackenzie and Mr. John Stevenson, from 1834 to 1851,
comprised 511 miles of railway, and an aggregate of
7,200,0001. His hands are still full, and his men are carry-
ing out his behestsin ali parts of the world. In more senses
than one the career of Thomas Brassey may he described
as princely. The Barentine viaduct of 27 arches, on
the Rouen and Havre line, tumbled down when all but
completed ; and the casualty involved a loss of 30,0001.
Mr. Brassey, the contractor, was neither morally nor I
legally responsible. He had repeatedly protested against
the material used in the structure, and the French
lawyers maintained a different opinion. He had con-
tracted. he said, to make and maintain the road, and no
law should prevent hint from being as good as his word.
The viaduct was rebuilt at Mr. Brassey 's cost. For the
construction of this stupendous work (accomplished in
7 months) 16,000,000 bricks were required, of which
14,000,000 were new, and made on the spot. Thomas
Brassey is beloved by his countless retainers. Riches,
power, influence, and dominion have not touched his
sound and feeling heart. We dare to speak the truth of
this living worthy, for his life is in all respects one of
the highest examples we can offer our generation, ab-
sorbed, as we are, in the production of great industrial
undertakings, and, above all things, iateut upon the ,
Puma of wehlthi—Afarlaanc Express.