The Sun.
London, England, 1854-01-27 00:00:00

LATEST FOREIGN NEWS.

RUSSIA AND TURKEY.

The Asseinlilr!e Nationale says :—" The answer of
the Emperor of Russia to the notification of the
entry of the fleets into the Black Sea has arrived
in Paris. Several versions are in circulation as to
the contents of the despatches received at the Rus-
sian Embassy. According to the rumours most
accredited, we have reason to believe that the entry
of the fleets is not considered as a cases Lehi ; but
the Cabinet of St. Petersburg has asked the West-
ern Powers to be pleased to define the nature of
the action which they intend exercising in the Black
Sea. On the reply which will be given at Paris
and London appears at present to depend the con-
tinuation of the diplomatic relations between Rus-
sia and the Western powers. We ought nct and
cannot prejudge anything on the point."
The following important communication is from
St. Petersburg, dated the 18th
"Although the lower classes express the greatest joy
at the news of the victories gained by the Russians over
the Turks, the upper classes are discouraged by the ob-
stinate resistance made by the latter, and by the bravery
which they display. The news of the entrance of the
combined fleets infro the Black Sea has naturally in-
creased that feeling of discouragement, for the sending
of troops on the coast of Asia Minor has thus become
impossible. The Emperor himself is irritated to the
highest degree against those who instigated him to a
rupture with Turkey, and gave him a false idea of the
feelings of the inhabitants of the Danubian Princi-
palities and the Christians of Turkey ; in fact, who
persuaded the Czar that the entrance of a Russian army
into the principalities would lead to a general rising of
the Rajahs. It has been several times feared that
th• Cwar would have an attack of apoplexy. To this
must be added that circumstances compel the Czar to
tolerate the persons whom he would prefer sending into
Siberia than to keep near him. He has nowhere any
sincere ally. A war of several years would exhaust a
country where men do not abound ; it would be necessary
to open the reserve funds, and to seize on the capital of
the establishments of credit for objects which cannot be
attained for want of that moral energy without which it
is impossible to establish a Greek papacy. The entrance
•f the combined fleets into the Black Sea has not been
followed by a declaration of war, and MM. de Kisseleff
and de Brunow have only received orders to demand
from the Cabinets of France and England a written
declaration as to the means which they calculate on
employing to prevent a rencontre between the Russian
and Turkish naval forces, and the blockade of Turk.
ish ports. The two ambassadors have besides re-
ceived instructions not to demand their passports except
in the event of the Russian fleet being interfered with
in its movements from one port of the empire to another.
We also learn that the Austrian Cabinet has received
the communication that Count Orloff would arrive at
Vienna on a confidential mission from the Emperor, and
would afterwards proceed to the Courts of Paris, Berlin,
and London. It is said that this mission has for object
a pacific arrangement with the Four Great Powers for
the solution of the question. A reply to the propositions
which have arrived here from Vienna, containing the
offers of the Ottoman Porte for the conclusion of peace,
has not been yet given. It will not be sent until after
the question of peace or war between Russia and the
Western Powers shall be decided on."

Another letter from St. Petersburg, the same
date, and in the same journal, gives a rather diffe-
rent account of the opinion expressed by the upper
classes. It says :

" Since the entrance of the combined fleets into the
Black Sea, public opinion seems more irritated than be-
fore. Our Russian newspaper, the Son of the Country and
the Wicssuck, both organs of the Court, contain articles
in prose and verse against France, England, and all
Europe. These articles speak of Holy Russia, of the
Czar, who is believing and wise, and of the victorious issue
of the conflict into which he has entered for the Orthodox
Church. In Russia everything that resembles western
civilisation, every one who conceives the slightest doubt
that Russian power is almighty, or who opposes the
execution of its gigantic plans, is ailed Antichrist. Not-
withstanding all that, the energetic conduct of the
western powers has caused a desire for an arrangement,
which would not cost too much to the national pride to
be entertained. All that is asked is, that Russia may
come to an understanding with the Ottoman Porte with-
out any mediator." _ _

A postcript to this letter says :
"We are assured that the Emperor of Russia has
given orders to Prince Menschikoff to act in the Black
Sea, as if the combined fleets were still in the Bosphorus.
Orders have also been sent to Odessa to continue the
warlike preparation."
A telegraphic despatch from Constantinople, of
the 12th, states that the Trebizond steamer, which
reached Constantinople on the 10th, left the sailing
vessels,
,under Admirals Dundas and Hamelin, at
Sinope ;' and the steamers under Admirals Barbier
de Titian and Lyons, advau cing towards Batoum.
When the Retribution joined the fleet she reported
only five ships of the line at Sebastopol.
Prince Woronzow's resignation had not been
accepted.

Another despatch from Constantinople, of the
16th inst., state that the combined fleet 2; had made
sail in the direction of Varna. The Russians are
cruising off Kaffa (Theodosia), not far from the
straits which connect the Black Sea with the Sea
of Azoff.

There is a report that Kars had been taken by
the Russians.

The Journal de St. Petershourgh, of the 16th con-
tains the following official reports :

"Aide-de-Camp General Prince Gortschakoff relates,
under date of the 23d ult., that for the purpose of more
closely hemming in the Turks who occupy Kalafat,
Aide-de-Camp General Count Aurep d'Elmpt received
orders to advance with a part of our troops cantoned at
Krajowa. On this occasion a battalion of the regiment
of infantry at Tobolsk, with two pieces of cannon, and
some Cossacks, which, under the command of Colonel de
Baumgarten, commanding the regiment, formed the ad-
vanced guard of the detachment, occupied the village of
Tchetati. At 8 o'clock in the morning of the 19th ult.,
the Turkish cavalry, to the number of 1,500 to 2,000 men,
appeared before that village, and attacked our battalion at
four different times, but were repulsei each time by the
musketry and grape of our troops, and obliged to retire on
Go unia andMolda wit, after losing, according to the account
of the inhabitants, 60 men in killed and wounded. On
our side, Ensign Soudschilovsky was slightly wounded
in the arm. On th ether points of the Danube nothing
took place between the 6th and the 23d ult.
"The Commandant-in Chief of the Corps of the Cau-
casus announces, under date of the 14th December, that
our position on the Turkish frontier is strongly guaran-
teed by our victories. of the 6th, 14th, and 19th Novem-
ber. According to accounts received at Tiflis the
Turkish corps, beaten on the heights of Baschkadyk-
Lar, was commanded not by the Seraskier Abdi-Pacha,
but by Reis-Akhmet-Pacha. After the affair of the 2d
November, at Bazandouri, the former was inclined to
avoid a decisive battle with us ; but, having met with a
spirit of insubordination among the Pashas under his
orders, he retired to Kars. Reis•Akhmet-Pacha, who
succeeded him, accepted the battle, and by his presump-
tion exposed the Turkish troops to the defeat of the 19th
November."

We have a more detailed account of the passage
of the Danube :—Very early in the morning of the
12th General Engelhardt, with 2,000 men, crossed
the Danube from Galatz in boats, and after having
burned down the bushes on the island and bank of
the river, and set two Turkish villages on fire, he
proceeded to throw up entrenchments. Towards the
evening the approach of a Turkish corps was an-
nounced, but up to eight o'clock no hostilities had
taken place.
It was credibly related that when the Turks
showed themselves, the Russians went on board
their vessels and returned to Galatz. Operations
of any magnitude are impossible near the spot where
the Russians landed, as the soil is naturally boggy,
and is just now little better than a morass. On the
Bth June, 1828, the Russians crossed the river
lower down at a place in Bessarabia, called Satunovo,
almost opposite Isaktschi, but if the Turks had then
behaved half as well as they do now, the attempt
must have signally failed. A handful of Cossacks
and Jagers crossed, and some unaccountable panic
seized the Turks', for a corps of 10,000 or 12,000
cavalry, which was posted near the spot, fled with-
out striking a blow. The 3d Russian corps then
occupied the Dobrudscha. The Fremden Blatt
assures us that telegraphic advices have been re-
ceived of the Russians having crossed the river
at Silistria, and occupied that place. This is mere
nonsense. Silistria lies on a high hill and is very
strongly fortified. On the 12th, 8,000 foot, 2,000
horse, and six batteries of the largest calibre
crossed from Widdin to Kalafat. Omar Pasha is
at Widdin.
The Odessa correspondent of the Wanderer, who
is generally extremely well informed, wrote on the
12th that the first point at which the fleets were to
touch was Sinope. Troops were continually march-
ing through towards Braila, and it was considered
certain that the Danube would be passed at that
spot or somewhere in the neighbourhood. For some
days such tremendous quantities of beams, spars, fas-
eines, and artillery have been forwarded, that it no
longer admitted of a doubt that the most important
operations were to be undertaken towards the lower
end of the Danube. The newt from St. Peters-
burg was anything but re-assuring, the command-
ing officers having received orders to proceed
with all possible energy. The only chance of re-
storing peace is that the Porte may send a Pleni-
potentiary direct to St. Petersburg, for nothing
less will satisfy the Emperor. The armaments
throughout the whole Empire surpass all belief."
Trade was brisk, but the English and French ships
were evidently in a hurry to be off. Perfectly
credible advices of the 11th from St. Petersburg if
confirm the report of a new emission emission of
Bank notes to the amount of 60,000,000 silver 1
roubles. The organisation of all the reserve bat- ;
talions has been ordered. We learn from Warsaw
that on the 6th a part of the infantry corps, under
General Paniutin, received orders to march. The
strength of the army of occupation in Poland is