The Sun.
London, England, 1854-05-23 00:00:00

SWEDEN AND RUSSIA.

The Stockholm Aftonblacl, the organ of the in-
telligent Swedish middle class and of the bankers,
contains the following remarkable article :
" In consequence of the complications between the
Western Powers and Russia, called forth by the Sub-
lime Porte having declared war against the Czar,
Sweden and Norway issued their declaration. of neu-
trality in case of a maritime war in the Baltic. Since
then matters have changed. The secret correspondence
between the Russian and the British Cabinets has been
published. The ambition and rapacity of Russia towards
her neighbours have been unveiled. The war has be-
come one of civilisation against barbarism, of freedom
against despotism. A noble heart beats in the breast
and a deep thought fills the soul of the Western Powers.
" The following questions present themselves to us—
We Swedes, in our remote corner of Europe, ought we
to draw the sword ? The answer to this question belongs
to those who stand at the head of affairs, and whose
glance freely penetrates even the widest political horizon.
But the other question—Could we, if drawing the sword,
and although left to our own resources, could we defend
our country ? This question ought not to be doubtful to
any Swede, in spite of the Svenska Tidningen's (the organ
of the aristocracy) talk of a frozen Gulf of Aland.
" We will endeavour to throw a light upon the mili-
tary strength, not of the united kingdoms of Sweden and
Norway, but only upon that of Sweden, upon the pos-
sibility of our appearing on the opposite side of the
Baltic, and especially upon the eventuality of a Russian
army's marching across a froen Gulf of Aland.
" According to the budget, the Swedish army upon
the war footing consists of 85,000 infantry, 5,564 cavalry,
4,416, artillery—total 94,980 men. When to this is
added the militia of Gothland, 8,000, and the reserve,
13,000, we have an army of about 116,000 men. Of
this force 60,000 might be employed out of the
realm. The first line might be composed of old
troops, the second of recruits. In the depots new soldiers
might be drilled for active service. We acknowledge
that liberal grants and a vigorous military activity
in the magazines and workshops would be required
for fitting out so considerable a force with the necessary
materiel : that great zeal and order would be necessary
on the embarkation of troops at Hernosand, Gefle,
Stockholm, Westerwik, Carlscrona, &c., in order to
procure the vessels required for such operation. But we
affirm that in three months, viz., at the end of July,
the expedition might be ready. /law, 60,000 men
certainly would not be a sufficient force in Vinland, but
if an auxiliary force of French and English join us, and
if we are furnished with supplies for carrying on the war,
120,000 men marching against St. Petersburg would be
a very respectable, nay, a terrible force, now that the
Russian troops are dispersed over Asia Minor,
,on the
Danube, on the Austrian frontier, and in Voltend.,
Moreover, it would lie a much easier task to land 60,000
English and French on a point or an island in the
Finnish Gulf, to combine there the Swedish, British,
and French troops, and finally from there to secure a
basis of operation on the continent as near to St. Peters-
burg as possible, than to send a larger force a longer way
from France and England to Constantinople. A number
of vessels, to the burden of 9,000 tons, are required for
transporting 3 months' provisions for 120,000 wen; the
same quantity is wanted for the transport of 20,000 horses
total, 18,000 tons—a trifle for three maritime Powers.
The victualling of the army cote(' be easily performed
by 50 or 60 ordinary merchant vessels, without taking
into account the provisions which might be had in
Russia itself. The marching of smaller Russian detach-
ments in our rear in a country so full of difficult passes
as Finland does not signify much. Napoleon never
feared a weaker enemy in his rear ; he proved at Ma-
rengo how a whole country may be taken by one march
and inone battle ; at Hanau how a feebler enemy, being
in one's rear, may be outmarched. An expedition against
St. Petersburg is directed against the very lungs by
which Russia breathes the air of Europe.
"Even in case of a defeat we are far from being
ruined. iii,Toso we are left to ourselves, that the win-
ter constructs a bridge .4.0 our coasts, that a Russian
army marches across this bridge, and finally that only
20,000 men return of the 60,000 which .`vent to Finland
—we still possess an army of 54,980 men, ~asides the
militia of Gothland, for the defence of this islanu, the
reserve, and the Norwegian troops. Russia cannot
undertake an attack upon Sweden with less than 80,000
men, and 6,400 waggons, each drawn by two horses,
are required for the transport of one month's provisions
for this army, besides the train of artillery, hospitals,
&c. A Russian expedition against Sweden could not
be effected from the Finnish coast except in the begin-
ning of January and February, when the sea between
Aland and Finland, called Skiftet and Alandshav, is
frozen over. But such an expedition, with such a train,
has never taken place, and never will. When in 1809
the Russians marched over the Alandshav and Quarken,
the, went in small columns, and the detachment which
arrived in Umea was nearly destroyed by cold. The
sea is only covered by ice during one, seldom two months;
this time past, the Russians would not be able to get a
piece of bread or a single gun from their own country.
But, after all, it is not on the difficulties connected with
an attack upon Sweden that we ought to rely : it is on
our own courage, on the discipline and valour of our
troops, on the copious supplies of our arsenals, and espe-
cially on that development of a flee and independent
national spirit without which even the most plentiful
material resources always prove deficient."

THE GERMAN POWERS.
VIRNNA, Monday Evening.—" It is credibly re-
lated that when the levy of 95,000 men was com-
municated to the representatives of Austria at fo-
reign Courts, it was added that this Government
had
not relaxed its mediatorial policy, but would
always be ready to take further measures for the
re-establishment of peace, if consistent with the
honour and interest of Austria and the balance of
power in Europe. The Archduke Albrecht has
removed his head-quarters to Hermannstadt, in
Transylvania. A Russian artillery park of 20
guns has already reached Kielce, where one of the
t:.7ee corps is to be placed."
The Spener Gazette concludes a long article on
the preset policy of Prussia and Austria as fol-
lows As oon as Austria shall throw aside the
passive character, it will follow as a matter of
course that Prussia can neither re7main inactive
nor act as a rear-guard to Austria,"
The Corriere Italiano
of Vienna, 18th, says :
" The concentration of tro.:ll3s in Poland continues.
nits they amount to
According to Russian it 00914,