The Sun.
London, England, 1854-03-16 00:00:00

[PRICE SD.

.1,
THE RUSSIAN WAR-THE TREATIES
IT MAY LEAD TO,

.

The history ef Russia, affords, no precedent far any
such treaty as that which wilt probably be made at the
termination of the hOStilities now
impending: Those
speculators will be Mistaken who; judging of the Emperor Nicholas by his predecessors; and Unmindful 'Of the-pre-
sent peculiar condition of politiCal rela:tiono uponthe
Continent, have anticipated that the recient'aifernp• t 8 .1 • t
negotiation would terminate in confoklnfty With the uni-
form policy of Russia hithertd. That-pblicylis been
departed from in the present case: The tharliat at
length set Europe at defianse, and deliberateli`phanged
into a war which must' drain to theihtinost theresources
of the empire, and utterly i destroy her , trideL,a :war,
therefore, the possibility of ,which had 'never been' den-
template& by Russian diplomatists... Surely the!ahades
of his imperial ancestors will rise in judgment against
Nicholas, unless he can justify his conduct. And this does
net seem difficult. The time had Laxrived when, in', ac-
cordance with the policy bequeathed tollim by Peter the
Great, Nicholas thought it his duty to take another slice
off Turkey. There has been comparatively little difficulty
in appropriating similar slices hitherto, and the Em-
peror is going through the customary formula, When his
proceedings are most unexpectedly and unjustifiably
nipped in the bud by a combination of , powers in
the west. If the contingency of a war with Europe has
never been anticipated by Russian autobrats, it is sim-
ply because the possibility of Europe' combined against
Russian encroachment has never been contemplated_, by
them., If England and France were not, now united to
resist Ruisia, a .treaty- With. Tittiray aooa"bia made
upon conditions no less favourable td Russia 'than that
of Adrianople. But, tothe dismay and. astonishment of
the Emperor, the time for making treaties has arrived,
and he finds that it is utterly hppeless to drive a profit-
able bargain. He must choose between unconditional
surrender of the lands he has invaded and unmitigated
war ; and it becomes interesting. to' observe. how, he is
prepared to meet the contingency thus; unexpectedly
forced upon him. It is evident that peace and tranquil-
lity form essential ingredients in a policy which incul-
cates wholesale territorial aggrandisement, for precisely
in proportion as the frontier line is advanced is the diffi-
culty of guarding it increased. This is apparent to a
remarkable degree in Russia.
From Norway to China the Ruisian frontier is entirely
composed of provinces which have, been added to the em-
pire since the accession of Peter the Great. The result is
that the empire is encircled with a belt of disaffected Coun-
try 5,000 miles in length, and varying in breadth from'3oo
to 1,000 miles, a barrier not to, be depended upon„ and
formed of every combustible materials--indeed, in time
of war a source of weakneii'rAher Than of strength,
and from which more is to he apprehended than- from
those who come up to attack it. It is. clear, ,therefore,
that war on a large scale formed no part of Peter's
policy. He did not recommend his imperial successors
to surround themselves with gunpowder for the purpose
of getting blown up, but rather by a slow process to
decompose and absorb the combustible elements, and
this in many provinces has almost been effected. It is
a work of time, and requires both external and internal
tranquillity ; and to engage in a general war is to undo
all that has been going on during some of the quieter
years of the last century, and energies which a long
course of oppression have almost crushed will again de-
velop themselves, for when the work of retribution once
begins it will be found that there is a heavy reckoning-to
be paid. This is evidently a consideration of the ut-
most importance and worthy our gravest attention in
the pretent crisis as enabling us to perceive what points
on the frontier are most susceptible of attack, and
bow far advantage may be taken' of the impending
war to check the aggression of Russia' in any particu-
lar direction in which it more nearly affects any one
of the contending Powers. Thus, though the progress of
Russia in the west is the origin f the present difference,
as tending to overthrow the balance of 'Power in Europe,
it must not be forgotten that an opportunity is now
offered of thwarting for ever her designs in the East ;
in that quarter in which the interests of this country are
more closely,
,affeeted. The Ottoman cause is, at'stake in
America, as well as in Wallachia, and I would vehture
to suggest, that as troops are being now sent to Turkey,
it would be wise to act on the offensive at once upon
the weakest parts of the Russian frontier, instead of
concentrating them near Constantinople ; and, by
clearing the Transcaucasian Provinces and the Crimea
of Russian troops, relieve Turkey of the defence of her
whole eastern frontier, which might then be safely com-
mitted to the care of Schamyl and his mountaineers ;
while a handful ef troops at the Isthmus of Perecop
would hold the Crimea against any army which, after a
march of 500 miles over uninhabited steppe, might at-

tempt to take it. If we are to act at all, let us act with
energy, and effectively. Let us leave the Turks to fight
in Turkey, but let us land our army at once in those
provinces of Russia where a disaffected population will
hail the advent of a hostile force, and the presence of an
invincible fleet will inspire them with fresh confidence,
and induce that co-operation which may result in their
own freedom, and be instrumental in crowning our
own efforts with success.