The Sun.
London, England, 1854-02-23 00:00:00

LONDON, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1854.

The marching of troops through our streets,
' their embarkation at our seaports, the extraordi-
nary exertions making just now in our arsenals,
our victualling depots, and our dockyards—all in-
dicate the activity of our warlike preparations.
England is at last assured of a resolute attitude
having been assumed by her Government. Par-
liament has at length been informed through
Ministerial statements, made both in the Lords
and in the Commons, that Russia is to be re-
pelled, that Turkey is to be supported, that
France is our cordial, honest, and faithful ally
at this juncture of supreme emergency. States-
men in the Upper House, who had been hitherto
notoriously infatuated with the reigning CZAR of
all the Russias, have been heard to acknowledge
not only the culpability, but the absolute crimi-
nality (politically speaking) of the Emperor
NICHOLAS. Other Statesmen in the Lower
House who were known to have reviled the pre-
sent Emperor of the FRENCH in unseemly and
unmeasured terms, both from the hustings and
at the Tavern dinner-table, have been heard in
like manner pronouncing earnest and deliberate
panegyrics upon the Emperor NAPOLEON, at once
in regard to his conduct and in regard to his cha-
racter. Changes, in fact, have been wrought
within the last few months so entirely unexpected
and astounding as to come upon the public simul-
taneously with the announcement of an European
War with a suddenness altogether bewildering.
The community appears to have awakened
abruptly from the dozing influence of negotiation
after negotiation, to the knowledge of the fact
that we are actually to all intents and pur-
poses at war with Russia, for the defence of
Turkey, with France as our ally—the coun-
cils of VICTORIA and NAPOLEON being heartily
pledged to the same policy the Earl of
ABERDEEN Still, under these extraordinary circum-
stances, remaining at the head of the British Go-
vernment. A coincidence of events so surprising
compels every impartial observer to the necessity
of watching the sequel with more than common
curiosity, and with more than customary vigilance.
Eager to observe, at least, whether a Prime
Minister, with such remarkable antecedents, will
persist energetically in this opposition to Russia
and in this alliance with France—whether his
sympathies will remain true to the Emperor NA-
POLEON and wholly estranged from the Emperor
NICHOLAS. A problem of which it cannot but be
most interesting to observe the solution. Not only
most interesting, but most important—vitally im-
portant to the cause of England, to that of Europe,
to that of Christendom, to that of Civilisation.
For in the conduct of this enormous war, half
measures cannot with any safety be adopted.
Either England and France must dedicate to the
cause of Turkey the whole of their vast energies,
either they must oppose to Russia all their gigantic
resources, both military and maritime, or they
must still further complicate the difficulty now
requiring to be dealt with, and in so doing may
seriously jeopardise the splendour of their kindred
reputation.
Looking elsewhere than towards the principals in
this terrible conflict now on the eve of its com-
mencement, we recognise the interest inspired in
the cause at issue among the nations of
the earth by the mere noise of the diplomatic
councils, now suceeeded by these formid-
able warlike preparations. We behold Denmark
and the twin monarchy of Sweden and Norway
pledged to an armed neutrality. We behold
Persia in like manuar, as it were, armed to the
teeth, but resolved upon merely watching the
occurrences transpiring upon her frontiers, with-
out directly participating in the struggle about to
ensue on the arrival of the French and English
troops among the Turkish and Russian belli-
gerents. Additional assurances still continue to ,
become audible, to the effect that both Prussia
and Austria sympathise with the - alliedl