The Sun.
London, England, 1854-09-13 00:00:00

IHLA;-s/

§1431,

LONDON, 'WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 1854.

The CZAR has afforded additional evidence of
his anxious zeal for the welfare and happiness of
his faithful subjects. le has caused a proclama-
tion to be issued by General KINSENSTERN, giving
directions to the inhabitants of Odessa as to the
course to be ajopted in the event of any real at-
tack by the allied forces. They are, forsooth, to
imitate the Moscovians, by reducing their city to
ashes, and then to retire to Tiraspol. Ominous
threats are fulminated against those who manifest
any unworthy' hankerings after the Lazes and
Penates who strive to preserve their houses,
goods, or chattels from the conflagration. " Woe
to those who remain behind," saith the irate func-
tionary, "or who attempt to extinguish the
flames !" The nature of the punishment to which
offenders shall be subjected is not specified, but
there can be but little doubt that it will be of
an exemplary character. The pledges thus given
are the only one faithfully performed by "the
god of the Russians" whenever an opportunity is
afforded.

But, after all, these threats, if not so very atro-
cious, would be supremely ridiculous. What is
it, we ask, to the Western Powers whether the
Ar,TocitA.T chooses to consign his own territories
to fire and destruction or not ? Nay, more, to give
up to the devouring flames the very city spared by
the clemency of the Admirals of England and
France. The notion is puerile in the extreme.
It is analogous to that of spoiled children, who
threaten to tear their clothes or scratch their faces
if their unreasonable demands are not complied
with. We can fancy the ingenious artist of our
facetious contemporary Punch exhibiting a cartoon,
in which NICHOLAS, the precocious offspring of
Sairey Gamp, having disposed of " Clicquot's"
wooden leg, and lost the proceeds, which he was
directed to expend in liqour, at " toss or buy, for
kidney ones," was offering to commit suicide for the
satisfaction of his parents, the aforesaid " Angel
of Peace," and the good and excellent ABERDEEN
—who would make an admirable representative
of the world-renowned " Sairey."

It would, indeed, be suicide, and that of the
w
description, if his nefarious orders were car-
'jell into practical operation. He could have
nothing to
gain by a sacrifice so terrible, and in-
flicting
-such fearful sufferings on his own people.
It would be a
meretroavestie on the burning of
Moscow--which led
t
/emits of magnitude suffi-
cient to justify so awful a stop.
It arrested the
Conqueror in the heyday of
his triumph, and ex-
posed the invading army _
u
flow from le most formidable
perils. But what could
the destruc-
tion of Odessa 7 The troops would
have ampleer
shelter, and every
comfort during the winter..
The whole of the evil would fall on hits
own sub-
jects, and be would lose one of the sources of the
large ini:e
large revenue which he has so
greatly
plied. Let him not deceive himself with the
notion that it would be considered as a hero:,
or even a justifiable act. It would only increase
the detestation with which his character is re.
garded by every independent and right-minded
person ; and he would thenceforward and for ever
be regarded as a brutal and sanguinary miscreant,
who had no claims to civilisation or to the indul-
gent consideration of any man of ordinary huma-
nity who had the slightest feelings for the suffer-
ings of his fellow-men.

But we cannot forget that NIOHOLAS is accus-
tomed to put forward proclamations; some of which
are exclusively framed for his own subjects, and
others for his opponents. We believe that this
last truculent production is intended for show
rather than use. It is a flimsy device to disarm
the Allies, and to create a feeling of commisera-
tiou for those who would suffer so deeply if it