The Sun.
London, England, 1854-02-14 00:00:00

LATEST FOREIGN NEWS.

THE CZAR.

The recent article of the Lloyd against Russia
sold off two editions of the paper, and is now sepa-
rately printed. On the 10th the Lloyd published
another, the sum of which is, that Central Europe
must unite to resist Russia, whether on the Oder
or the Danube, if it would not experience the fate
of Poland. Formerly, it is said, unity came from
the hand of some powerful ruler, now it is the
people who feel its necessity, which, aware of its
danger, will tolerate nothing less than common
opposition to Russia.
A telegraphic despatch of the Bth, from Frank-
fort, says it is reported that at the next sitting of
the Diet, communications of the very highest im-
portance will be made on the part of Prussia and
Austria. These communications, it is said, will
relate to the Eastern question, and to the attitude
which these two powers have assumed in reference
to the existing difference.
The following telegraphic despatch was received
in Paris yesterday. It is dated Constantinople,
January 28 :
" The Seraskier hasp received the following report from
Selim Pasha :--
"`The Russian fleet having been apprised that the
British and French squadrons had quitted Sinope to re-
turn to Constantinople, immediately sailed. Five
frigates have attacked the fort of Chefketil (Fort St.
Nicholas), which compelled them to retreat without suc-
cess."

A letter from the Constantinople correspondent
of the Independence Belge gives some further par-
ticulars :—A very important piece of news has
been current at Constantinople for the last two
days among the public and even the ministers of
the Porte ; I had it myself from these latter, but
not as a positive fact within their certain know-
ledge it is true, because the government had not
yet received it in an official manner. The news is
concerning a fresh attack by sea on the fort of
Chefketil. As soon as the Russians heard that
the combined squadrons had returned to the
Bosphorus, they sent, it seems, some war
steamers to bombard the fort in question,
and the attack would have succeeded but for
the skill and vigour of the defence. This time the
Russian flotilla, severely handled by the Turkish
batteries, was obliged to retire, being not a little
the worse for the action. Now, this attempt, if
really true, would prove that the notification made
at Sebastopol itself to the commandant of the
Russian naval forces in the name of the English
and French admirals, has not produced much
effect, and that the Russians are resolved to con-
tinue hostilities in the Black Sea whenever a favour-
able opportunity presents itself. This demonstration
of theirs would be significant in the extreme, a re-
gular defiance in short hurled at the allied squad-
rons. But, I again repeat to you, this news, although
it has acquired a certain consistency, has nothing
official about it, and the Porte awaits with the
greatest impatience despatches from the general in
command of the corps at Batoum, in order that it
may itself know how to act, or what to believe.
Until the Turkish convoy sets sail, which it will do
as soon as possible, under the escort of a division
composed of ships of the line and steam frigates
from the two fleets, a few English and French men-
of war have gone on a cruise in the Black Sea. As
for the sailing ships, it appears to be settled that
they are to keep to their anchorage at Beycos until
further orders.

Selim Pasha, who commands the Chorooksoo
Division, now within the Russian territory, and in
possession of Cliefketil and Ozurghet, played the
Russian General a knowing trick lately. The latter
offered him a bribe to retire before the Russians,
abandoning all his advantages. The Pasha ac-
cepted it, pocketed the money, and then laid the
matter before a military council, when i t was una-
nimously resolved that the money should be dis-
tributed among the soldiers, which was forthwith
done. The Russian General, believing that Selim
had turned traitor, most anxiously looked for the
retreat of the Turks, but much to his surprise they
made a brisk attack, so that he found himself
duped,
in their and had to retreat with all haste, leaving 4
possession.
Another telegraphic despatch, dated Vienna
the Bth, states that the Russian Councillor Stupin
had arrived there from Cettinie, and gives the most
assurances I
relative to the attitude of
thenMiolntseinneggrins. The Russioat Colonel Kowa

RUSSIA AND TURKEY.
LETTER OF THE FRENCH EMPEROR TO

The following are the salient points of the letter
of the Emperor Louis Napoleon to the Czar.

After a resume of the Eastern question, Louis
Napoleon says :
" If your Majesty desires as much as I do a
pacific conclusion, what more simple than to de-
clare that an armistice shall be signed to-day ; that
things shall take their diplomatic course ; that all
hostility shall cease ; that all the belligerent forces
shall withdraw from the places where motives of war
have called them ? Thus the Russian troops shall
abandon the principalities, and our squadrons the
Black Sea. As your Majesty prefers to negotiate
directly with Turkey, you can nominate an am-
baisador who could negotiate with a plenipoten-
tiary of the Sultan, a convention to be submitted
to the Conference of the four Powers. If your
Majesty adopts this plan, upon which the Queen
of England and myself are perfectly agreed, tran-
quillity will be re-established, and the world sa-
tisfied. There is nothing in this plan unworthy
of your Majesty—nothing that can hurt your
honourable feelings. But if, from a motive diffi-
cult to understand, your Majesty should refuse,
then France and England will be obliged to leave
to the chances of arms and the hazards of war that
which might be decided at once by reason and
justice."

It will he at least six days yet before the answer
of the Emperor Nicholas to the letter of the Em-
peror of the French can be received ; but already
the speculators on the Paris Bourse seem to have
made up their minds that he must yield, and the rise
in the funds has consequently ma.d e further progress.
There are many, however, who still think that we
are as far from the settlement of the Eastern ques-
tion as ever. All in Paris who ought to be best
acquainted with the character and position of the
Czar declare that there is not the slightest proba-
bility of his conceding anything, and that, even if
he were willing, his doing so would be useless, as
the religious fanaticism which he has roused among
his subjects would force him into a war. But,
notwithstanding the known obstinacy of the Czar,
and the awkwardness of the position in which he
has placed himself, some diplomatists continue to
hope that war is not inevitable. Despatches have
been received from M. de Bourqueney and General
de Castelbajac, both of whom state that the chances
of peace have, upon the whole, improved. M. de
Castelbajac has written that the entourage of the
Czar shows a better disposition, and speaks of con-
cessions as not impossible. M. de Bourqueney has
also written to say that Count Orloff, when taking
leave of M. de Buol, took him by the hand, and
said, " I hope that three days after my arrival in
St. Petersburg I shall be able to send you good
news."

It was announced at Vienna, on Sunday, on au-
thority that the Vienna Conference is not dissolved,
although the Russian ambassadors have left Lon-
don and Paris.
A letter from Vienna of the Bth of February
says :—General Count Orloff left this morning for
St. Petersburg direct by a separate train to Oder-
berg. M. de Fonton and the attaches of the
Russian embassy here accompanied the distin-
guished General to the railway station. Yesterday.
Count Orloff had an interview of his Majesty Fran-
cis Joseph, to take leave. The General also paid
a parting visit to Count Buol, the Minister for
Foreign Affairs. Baron Budberg, the Russian
Minister at Berlin, returns to his post in the
Prussian capital to-night.
The Austrian. Correspondence has a somewhat
complimentary, but short, article on the occasion
of the departure of Count Orloff. The only passage
of importance in it is as follows :—" Though the
propositions of Russia have not been accepted by
Austria ; nevertheless, hopes may be entertained
that other means for the satisfactory solution of
the Oriental question will yet be found."
The Copirte Zeitung's Corre,spondenz says :
" With respect to the success of the mission of
the Russian Adjutant-General Count Orloff, the
following indications have reached us Austria
remains true to her primitively declared neu-
trality, but is disposed, conjointly with Prussia,
to undertake a mediation for the promotion of
peace and the re-establishment of a good under-
standing between Russia, France, and England.
Russia abandons her demand to mat direct with
the Porte.'"
A well-informed correspondent writes hereon as
follows :—" The departure of Count Orloff will not
be followed by any modification of the policy which
the Austrian Cabinet has adopted with respect to
the Oriental question. Without entering into po-
sitive engagements for the future, the Austrian
Cabinet will maintain its present attitude of ob-
servation. It will, certainly, not interfere, except
with the view of maintaining the balance of power
in Europe, and in the event of the most urgent
necessity ; meanwhile, it will continue to act within
the limits of its present neutrality as long as pos-
sible."