The Sun.
London, England, 1853-10-18 00:00:00

RUSSIA AND TURKEY.

REPLY OF THE RUSSIAN COMMANDER-
IN-CHIEF TO THE TURKISH DEMAND.

Advices were received in Vienna yesterday,
stating that Prince Gortschakoff had sent a reply
to the demand made by Omer Paella on the part
of the Ottoman Government that the Russian
forces evacuate the Danubian principalities within
a period of fifteen days, otherwise hostilities would
be commenced.

The answer of the Russian commander-in-chief
is to the effect that he is neither authorised to com-
mence hostilities, nor to conclude peace, nor to
evacuate the principalities.

The Cologtie Gazette publishes a telegraphic dis-
patch from Vienna, dated Sunday, stating that
Prince Gortschakoff had answered Omer Paella's
demand in the negative, as he had no orders to
evacuate the principalities. The Gazette adds that
hostilities will not necessarily begin even yet, as
the Russian Commander-in-Chief, in reference to
the period fixed by Omer Pacha, meant that he
must receive instructions from St. Petersburg.
Omer Pasha has declared that vessels sailing
under a neutral flag will be allowed to pass on the
Danube till the 25th inst.

In Bessarabia, Bulgaria, and the Danubian
Principalities the smaller rivers and mountain
streams are dried up.

The Wallachian Militia, who were detached
along the bank of the Danube, have been ordered
to march upon Bucharest, where they will act as a
garrison.
The Russian subjects in Turkey aro from the Ist
of October to be placed under the protection of
Austria.

The Moniteur contains a paragraph contradicting
the declaration of the Constitutionnel that orders
had been sent to Toulon to prepare vessels to carry
out troops to the Dardanelles. The official journal
declares this assertion to be without any kind of
foundation.

The Wanderer of Vienna states that it has
learned by its latest intelligence from Constantinople
that the Russian merchants had received, on Oct.
Ist, notice, that if, in case of war, they intended
to leave the capital, they should lose no time in
setting their affairs in order ; if, however, any de-
sired to remain, they could place themselves under
the protection of Austria.
The Wanderer of Vienna, under date of Con-
, stantinople 4th inst., says :—" Every one here is
proouring arms, and all the shops are cleared out.
Pistols have doubled in price. The agitation
among the Mussulmans is so great that the Otto-
man Porte could not, even if it were inclined to do
so, make any further concessions. It is worthy of
remark that the Christians are not exposed to any
molestations from the Turks as they were in 1829."
A letter from Warsaw, 12th, says—" We learn
from a source worthy of being relied on that the
three allied courts (?) have it in contemplation to
make another effort, by means of negotiations, to
arrange pacifically the Turco-Russian differences.
This last attempt is, it is said, connected with the
questions which the Cabinet of St. Petersburgh
addressed to the Divan simultaneously with the
dispatch of the 26th September. It is not, how-
ever, thought that the Emperor Nicholas will make
any further concessions as far as regards the modi-
fications. Nevertheless, it is certain that the three
allied courts wick to maintain peace, without, how-
ever, compromising the dignity of Russia. It is
needless to observe that this project is independent
of the operations of the Conference of Vienna. A
proof of this is the dispatch which England and
France addressed to the Court of St. Petersburgh
on the 6th. Field-Marshal Paskiewitsch has re-
ceived instructions relative to the operations of the
grand army, including the corps of infantry of
which he is' the chief. The corps d'armee in
Poland will not advance until it is replaced by an-
other corps. Russia will not give up her repressive
and offensive position between the Vistula and the
Narew." _ _ _

According to the German Journal of Frankfort,
the Russians have on the frontiers of Asiatic
Turkey 40,000 regular troops, 10,000 irregular
troops, and 30,000 Cossacks. The Turks have to
oppose them 100,000 men near Erzeroum, and as
many more are expected from Arabia. The Druses
of the Lebanon and other scheiks of Syria have
offered 40,000 men to the Sultan.
The Emperor of Russia, on proceeding from
Potsdam to St. Petersburg, turned out of his road
to visit Weimar, where he arrived incognito at a
late hour in the evening. He again set off at mid-
night after having had a long conversation with the
Duke of Saxe-Weimar.
The New Gazette of Prussia publishes the follow-
ing letter from London, dated the Bth :—" The
equipment of the legion of the refugee auxiliaries
of Turkey is being continued here with the greatest
activity, and more than 300 workmen are, it is said,
occupied in the preparations. The uniform of the
legion consists of a dark blue frock coat, with a
purple collar, grey trousers, a knapsack in black
leather, and a dark blue cap with the Polish eagle
and a cockade. Uniforms are also being made for
carabineers, of a grey colour, with a yellow collar,
cartouche-boxes instead of knapsacks, and szapkas
of dark blue. The Polish Colonel Wierzicki directs
and superintends the depot of the workmen in the
name of the National Committee, The same officer, 1

with other auxiliaries, causes a certain number of
young Polish refugees to practise military exercises
daily. These refugees are for the most part the
remains of the legion of Hungarians and Poles who
came from Turkey with Kossuth and the other
Magyar chiefs. The exercises for the war of
independence in perspective take place in the
court-yard of the building in which the equip-
ments are manufactured, and to learn the handling
of muskets, sticks shaped like firearms are used.
Kossuth issued on the 6th of this month a new in-
cendiary proclamation to his countrymen in exile
and suffering,' to invite them to a fete in honour.of
the memory of the Hungarian generals executed at
Arad, October 6, 1849. It was surrounded with
black borders, with the Hungarian arms without
the crown, and was distributed amongst the re-
fugees ; it fixed the meeting for the evening of the
6th. We must eternally preserve,' it said,
amongst other things, the -souvenir of the heroes
who for the sake of their country were assassinated
by the brood of the hyenas of Hapsburg. That
man is not a Magyar (and may the malediction of
the nation fall on him !) who does -not take the
holy oath to avenge in the blood of our enemies
the ignominious death of our patriot generals. The
man who shrinks from the duty of killing as a mad
dog the executioner of the country is only a mi-
serable coward ! Yes, Magyars, the hour of ter-
rible retribution for the blood shed will arrive ! It
will come-.. 1 swear it to you ! And then no pity
for the sanguinary tyrant who has a hundred times
merited death ! Hungarian generosity, the noble
national virtue of our people, and which has be-
come historical, has attained its limits ! The gib-
bets of Arad, of the 9th October, 1849, have pre-
scribed to it for ever limits beyond which only
vengeance can reign ! Sanguinary fury has been
called into the country, and it will reign, it will
reign in avenging power over its enemies ! The
words of Scripture—" He who sheds man's blood,
by man shall his blood be shed !" will then be ac-
complished !'—The meeting was held, and consisted
of all the Magyar refugees, and of some Germans
and Italians."

Another correspondent writes to the same jour-
nal :—" I have just seen pass a number of Poles
wearing the confederatka, or square red cap, and
going towards the place where the equipments for
the legion are being made, in order to hold a meet-
ing. You may readily form an idea of the fanaticism
which the declaration of war by Turkey has caused
among the emigrants, particularly the Poles and
Hungarians. lam also informed that the Polish
Literary Society has at its disposal 6,000 muskets
which are now on board two vessels at Southamp-
ton, intended to convey the Polish legion to Tur-
key. It is said that 900 Poles, completely armed,
and commanded by Colonel Oporski, will leave
Southampton to-morrow. The Literary Society
displays the greatest activity ; half the street in
which it holds its meetings is blocked up by Polish
refugees. Letters from Paris, which have reached
here to-day, announce that General Dembinsky left
on the 4th inst. for Constantinople. The Polish
emigrants in Paris are also preparing to start. I
have
_just received a copy of the appeal of the
National Committee, which is, however, too long
for me to be able to send you a copy of it to-clay.
The following is an extract from it :—‘ Poles, war
between Turkey and Russia has been declared.
Up, brethren ! wherever a Polish heart still beats.
A ray of hope begins to shine in the East for our
betrayed country ! To arms !to arms ! The alarm
gun has been heard ; Poland is to be the field of
battle !' "

The German journals announce that the Prussian
and Austrian Governments have sent orders to
their subjects in the service of Turkey to return
home. The Turkish Government, however, in an-
ticipation of such a measure, demanded of the
foreign officers in its service, several months since,
what decision they would adopt in case of a war
with Russia. Some declared that they would re-
main in the service of the Porte, even at the risk
of losing their nationality. Others quitted the
Turkish dominions and were replaced by other
officers, so that whatever may occur the regiments
will suffer no inconvenience by the loss of
officers.

A Russian Colonel, named Michaeloft, who oc-
cupies a high post in the department of Foreign
Affairs at St. Petersburg, has arrived in Paris.
A letter from Warsaw, of the 9th inst., confirms
the appointment of Prince Haskiewitch to the com-
mand in chief of the army against Turkey. The
Prince, it is added, has obtained his request to have
40,000 men of the troops in Poland placed under
his orders. Those troops are considered the beat
in the Russian service.

AUSTRIA.
The Austrian Correspondence of the 13th &Vs!
—" On the 9th, the Emperor ordered an important
reduction in the army, and already the order
'-
being carried into execution. In the lst, 2d, 4th,
10th, and 11th corps, in the divisions of B.ohenlohe,
Rossbach, and Castiglione of the 3d corps, and,
finally, in the infantry regiment of Woyvodina and
Croatia the effective force of the company of infan-
try is fixed at 60 men, and of the company of °hag-
seurs at 30 men. One half of the depots of the
central divisions of the 3d and 4th battalions are
to be sent home, and in the battalions of the fron-
tier-reserve, in addition to the discharge already
granted to the privates, one half of the officers are
to be placed on the retired list. In the whole
army, including the artillery and the-cavalry, the
second captains are to be reduced. The companies
of engineers are to be reduced to 120 men. In the
artillery, the equipages of six batteries of the re-
serve are to be suppressed. The companies of the
3d corps of artillery are to be reduced to a peace
footing."