The Sun.
London, England, 1854-01-21 00:00:00

NOTE.

" The Emperor repeated that, if there were war,
he hoped that the English people would understand
that it was not a war against Russian aggression,
but a war brought about by the vacillating and in-
sincere conduct of the English Ministry.

" He asserted that there was no power more in-
terested in keeping the status quo of the Tug kish
dominions than Russia ; that lie was in possession
of Constantinople 20 years ago ; that he might then
have kept it against the world, or permanently re-
mained at the request of the late Sultan, which
was urged on him, but that he quitted it for the
reasons expressed in his letter to Count Orloff, and
for other reasons of high policy.
" He said all that Russia required was FREE
NAVIGATION, and so long as the Dardanelles were
held by a power not strong enough to refuse this
free navigation to Russia, he was content, and
preferred the present disposition of territory to
any possible change ; that had he wished to seize
Constantinople he could have done so with the
greatest ease when Prince Menschikoff left the
orte. The seizure of Constantinople, the occu-
pation of the Dardanelles, and the overthrow of
the Sultan would have been an affair of a few
days.

That his merely crossing the Pruth proved to
all who understood this question that he did not
seek territorial aggrandisment.
" That all this was very well understood at

Paris, and very well understood by Lord Aberdeen,
who had acted throughout this business without
moral courage.
" The Emperor said that since 1848, the religious
element had become predominant in politics ; that
the emancipation of the Roman Catholic Church
in Germany which then occurred had greatly pro-
moted this ; that the state of the Greek Church
rendered his interposition in Turkey a necessity.
"He added that the religious relations of the
subjects of the Porte with various foreign powers
had always been recognised by European states-
men, that they had been encouraged, and by no
one more than by Lord Aberdeen in former days,
who perceived in these circumstances the solution
of many difficulties.
"The writer, in reply to an inquiry, understood
the Emperor distinctly to state that the ultimatum
of Menschikoff had not been disapproved of in
London, but that the English Ministry, having
been informed that it would probably be accepted
by the Porte, bad recognised it as a satisfactory
settlement.

" The Emperor dwelt upon the inconsistency
both of the English and the French Governments.
England, he said, had herself devised the terms of
settlement at Vienna, and when he cordially gave
his adhesion to them receded from her own pro-
positions. The plea, founded on the Nesselrode in-
terpretation he treated with great contempt. • He
said it was placing the plea of an advocate in
equilibre with the decision of a Court.
" The Emperor said that England appeared to
have two Goverments. Things were
_agreed to in
London or Vienna, and the same things objected to
at Constantinople. Lord Westmoreland signs a
note at Vienna sent out from St. James's ; Lord
Redcliffe recommends the Porte to disavow the
same document !

" The Emperor spoke of the victory of Sinope,
and of the absurdity, when the Porte had declared
war against him, of his not acting upon the aggres-
sive. He treated the statement that he had
offered to act only on the defensive with derision ;
and with reference to a passw;e in a private letter
from Paris, that such an assurance had been given
by his Majesty to the French Minister at the Court
of St. Petersburgh—viz., General Castelbojac, his
Majesty observed that when the news of the victory
of Sinope arrived, this same General Castelbejac
had addressed him a letter beginning something in
this vein—' As a Christian and a soldier, permit
me, sire, to congratulate your Imperial Majesty
on the glorious victory obtained by your Majesty's
fleet.' The Emperor was so pleased with this letter
from the French Minister that he invited the Gene-
ral to Gartschina, and held much conversation
with him, and the enthusiasm of the French
General suffered no diminution. The Emperor
entered into some details on this head, which the
writer of this note, is not at liberty to mention ;
all that is here stated he asked, and obtained, per-
mission to make public. ' So much for my contract,
with General Castelbejac, added the Emperor,
one of the numerous romances invented to cloak
the imbecility of governments.'*
" The Emperor then recurred to the aspect of
war at some length. He said, that far from desir-
ing war a year ago, he was not even prepared for
it. He was now prepared, and would act as became
his personal honour and the greatness of Russia.
It was the war, he frequently repeated, of incapa-
cities, brought on by men who were timid, and,
accusing others freely of duplicity, were themselves
deficient in everything that was straightforward.
He did not believe that England, with a bour-
geois' parliament, could carry on a war with glory.
France, he frequently repeated, had been drawn
into a mess which she did not desire. The Russians
had beaten all with whom they had been pitted—
Frederick the Great—Napoleon.
" The manner of his Imperial Majesty through-
out this interview was temperate, rational and
frank ; affable with becoming dignity, and free
from any of that excitement or wilfulness imputed
to him in many journals."

* When this conversation took place the circular of M.
Drouyn de l'Huys had not reached St. Petersburgh.

FRANCE.

It was stated yesterday in Paris that in the event
of a declaration of war a loan would be effected in
London and Paris, under the joint guarantee of
England and France, to the amount of 400,000,000 f.,
to be issued at 78, as the middle term between the
present price of the French Three per Cents, and
the English Consols, with 4f. profit to the bankers.
The proceeds to be applied to the expenses of the
war ; and the joint engagement of England and
France would be regardd as an additional pledge
of the alliance which subsists between them.

It is affirmed that the despatch noticed as hav-
ing been received by M. Kisseleff did not contain,
as was rumoured, a declaration of war, but a
notice of a forthcoming reply of M. de Nessel-
rode to the last circular despatch of M. Drouyn de
Lhuys. At the same time there appeals no doubt
of orders having been received for M. de Kisseleff
to be ready to leave without delay when the mo-
ment should arrive for the breaking off of friendly
relations ; and in the present state of affairs such
an event may be expected from one moment to
another. The policy of the Emperor of Russia is
said to be to avoid being the first to declare war,
and the instructions to his Admirals in the Black
Sea are that the French and English fleets are to
have an occasion of opening hostilities previous to
the formal declaration of war. The first blow he
wishes to come from the allies.
The Minister of the Interior has addressed a cir-
cular to the Prefects, informing them that the
Emperor has just opened a credit of 2,000,000 f.
from the budget of the Interior to be divided
amongst the various institutions in France for
affording immediate relief to the poor, and recom-
mending them to provide at once for the proper
distribution of such sums as are allowed to the
communes placed under their jurisdiction.

A decree-in the M oniteur authorises the Bakers'
Bank of Paris, which commenced its operations on
the 16th, to contract a loan of the amount of 24
millions of francs.

The Princess of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen has
entered the convent of the Dames du Sacre-Coeur
at Kinnsheins, in Alsace, to pass the remainder of
her life there.

The Bourse opened heavily yesterday, and the
Three per Cents., first quoted at 69f. 30c., fell to
69f. 25c. A report circulated subsequently, that
the combined fleets had returned to Beycos Bay in
consequence of bad weather, brought the Three per
Cents. up to 69f. 85c. They closed at 69f. 70c. for
the end of the month. The Four-and-a-Half per
Cents. closed at 98f. 25c.; Orleans Railway shares,
1,085 f.; Rouen, 965 f.; Havre, 460 f.; Great North-
ern, 775 f.; Paris and Strasburg, 740 f.; Paris and
Lyons, 842 f. 50c.; Lyons to the Mediterranean,
675 f.; Western of France, 600 f.; Bordeaux and
Cette, 565 f.; Great Central, 472 f. 50c.; Lyons and
Geneva, 480 f. ; Shares of the Bank of Credit
Mobilier, 640 f.