The Sun.
London, England, 1853-12-13 00:00:00

DECEMBER 13, 1853.

LATEST FOREIGN NEWS.

RUSSIA AND TURKEY.

The Moniteur of yesterday confirms the news of
the defeat of the Turkish squadron by the Russian
fleet. The following telegraphic despatch, dated
Vienna, 11th, has been received by the French
Government : •
" Ott the 30th November the Russian Admiral
Nachimow, at the head of six ships of the line,
forced the entry of the roads of Sinope, and de-
stroyed, in a combat of one hour, seven frigates,
two corvettes, a steamer, arid three transports.
The frigate least damaged, which the Russians
were carrying to Sebastopol, had to be abandoned
at sea, and Osman Pacha, with his suite, were
brought on board the Admiral's ship.
" It is one of Prince Menschikoff's aides-de-
camp who brought the news on the sth of Decem-
ber to Odessa, from which it was sent here by tele-
graph. It is confirmed by way of Bucharest."
A private despatch, which requires confirmation,
mentions that the Russians lost in the affair of
Sinhope two ships of the line, three frigates, and
two steam-boats, and it adds that their force con-
sisted of 12 frigates, a brig, and five steam-boats,
besides the six ships of the line, as mentioned in the
Moniteur.
Speaking of the despatch conveying intelligence
of the battle, the Paris correspondent of the _Morn-
ing Herald says :
This news has excited an indescribable feeling
of indignation in Paris. You hear every one ask-
ing what were the allied fleets doing in the Bos-
phorus ? What sort of Platonic forbearance is this
which, while the officers of the two fleets are hob-
nobbing and drinking each other's healths, and
pledging to the Anglo-French alliance and the
safety of the Porte, allow a feeble division to enter
the Black Sea, there to be sacrificed ? How bravely
must not the Turks have conducted themselves !
Either they were summoned to strike their colours
or they were not. If they were not, then was
the attack of the Russians a cowardly vindic-
tive slaughter. If they were offered the alter-
native of surrender, and refused, then will the
heroism of the Turkish sailors, rivalling that of
their countrymen on land, only add fuel to the
flame of enthusiasm, rendering submission not to
be talked of. The ussians will pay dearly for a
victory obtained by odds as unequally matched as
there is good reason to fear shamefully abused.
Again must I repeat that this news excites the ut-
most anger at the conduct of the so-called allies of
Turkey. It is not by a repetition of the poor,
hissed, hooted, and damned Vienna farce that
Turkey is to be saved the cost of a protracted
struggle with the Czar. The stake is too great to
be surrendered upon the invitation of a few
wavering and mutually distrusting diplomatists.
This stake is no less than Russian preponderance,
which is ensured the day Turkey succumbs to the
unequal struggle. If European civilisation is to be
saved it can only be achieved by European arms.
With or without Turkey to aid them, those Powers
who are not under the spell of Moscovite influence
will have to resist the half-mad, half-frantic and,
like all disordered 'natures, wholly false Czar of
Russia. Prompt and immediate recourse to arms
might, and probably would, cause him to recede,
while advantages, however purchased, will only
stimulate his frenzy, and the success of his in-
trigues in outwitting diplomacy, encourage him in
his contempt for the understandings of his adver-
saries. So far as French public opinion and French
feelings are concerned, nothing will serve to redeem
this long series of weak procrastination and vacil-
lation covered with the name of prudence but a
positive order for the fleets to enter the Black Sea.
On England and France will now be visited the
disaster of Sinope. The disgust which the Turks
must feel at the conduct of their pretended allies
will spread rapidly to the public mind of both coun-
tries. There has been enough of diplomatic drivel.
The world is sick of it. Nothing will satisfy public
opinion but the short and simple alternative of
evacuation of the Danubian provinces or war."
The Paris correspondent of the Morning Chronicle
on the same subject observes :—" At the palace of
the Tuileries the news of the defeat of the Turks
has caused deep disappointment, and some of the
French Ministers hays openly expressed their opi-
nion that the -French fleet should at once enter the
Black Sea, and afford efficacious assistance to the
Sultan. They maintain that even if the fleets
should not attack the Russians, they ought to enter
the Black Sea for the purpose of protecting the
Turkish squadron against the superior forces which.
the Russians possess, and to keep open the commu-
nications between the Ottoman Government and
the army of Asia, which will be excessively embar-
rassed if the Russians be allowed to remain the
masters of the sea. Nothing is' however, resolved
upon. Louis Napoleon, as is his wont, is silent
and impassible ; and it is understood that no
resolution will be come to until it be ascertained
what effect this event has produced on the English
Cabinet."
From Bucharest, Nov. 30th, we learn that the
Russians are pushing their troops forward on the
road to Kalafat. The Turks are still engaged in
fortifying that place.
On the 26th a Russian Major was killed in a
skirmish near Giurgevo.
The Turks are still holding the island of Mokan.
The Turkish passenger steamer, Medari Tidjaret,
which was captured by Russian cruisers in the
Black Sea, came into the Bosphorus on the 26th,
and caused great astonishment. The vessel was
taken before the expiration of the delay granted
on both sides for placing merchant ships out of
danger. As there were several Russian merchant-
men at Constantinople when the Medari Tidjaret
was captured, the Russians were unusually scrupu-
lous in dealing with her.
Lord Stratford de Redcliffe has removed from
Therapia to Pera to be nearer the French Am-
bassador.
The merchants of all nations at Constantinople
are signing an address to the Sultan, expressing
their best wishes for his cause.
A column of the new legion of Turkish Cossacks
has arrived at Constantinople, 8,000 volunteer
Scodriens have been organised in Albania, and a
new corps of 10,000 Kurds has been formed by the
sheiks of their country.
The Post Ampt Gazette of Frankfort contains a
letter from Berlin of the 9th, which says, that as
soon as the Ottoman Porte shall have accepted the
new note, and Russia shall have acceded to it,
there will be a congress held of the four great
Powers, and of Russia and Turkey, to arrange
existing differences. It is probable that the great
Powers will make themselves guarantees of the
conventions entered into with the Porte. The
place at which the convention is to be held has not
yet been fixed. Meanwhile, endeavours are being
made at Constantinople to btain au armistice.
It was rumoured at Vienna on the 6th that Aus-
tria and Prussia only gave their assent to the new
note relative to the Turco-Russian differences on
England and France giving a formal engagement
to insist with energy through their ambassadors on

the acceptance of it by the Divan, independently
of the collective declaration. It is hoped that the
note will be accepted by the Sublime Porte. On
the other hand, Austria has preserved a fa-
vourable ground at St. Petersburg. It is therefore
thought that, if the Ottoman Porte accepts the
new project, there will be no fresh difficulties to
overcome at St. Petersburg. The immediate re-
sult will be an armistice and a direct negotiation
between Russia and Turkey.
Letters from Constantinople, of the 28th ult.,
have been received through Trieste. They state
that on the preceding day there was an extraordi-
nary sitting of the Divan, at which it was decidei
that, from a feeling of respect towards the protect-
ing Powers, the new project of arrangement pro-
posed by Lord Stratford de Radcliffe should not
be purely and simply rejected, but should be taken
into consideration. A body of Turkish troops,
'charged to second the operations of Selim Pacha,
was stated to be marching towards Erevan.
General Baraguay d'Hilliers had sent one of his
aides-de-camp on a mission to the Danube, and an-
other to the coast of the Black Sea.

A private letter from Constantinople of the 28th
ult., announces that the two corps of Batoum and
Anatolia were advancing on the Russian territory
and were to unite at Teflis. The majority of the
inhabitants of Georgia had declared in favour of
the Turks. The Turkish division of Bajazid entered
the Russian territory in the province of Erivan on
the 27th October. The Russian advanced guard
having been attacked by 3,000 Bashi-Bozouks who
preceded the Turkish division, were completely
routed, and the Turks continued their march to
Erivan. Abdi Pasha entered the Russian terri-
tory in Georgia on the 10th November, with the
greater portion of his army. No accounts had been
receibed at Constantinople of the army of Prince '
Gortschakoff. It was known, however, that the

entire portion of Wallachia adjoining the Danube
is covered with water, which renders it impossible
for the Russians to make any movement. Kalafat,
fortified and garrisoned by 30,000 men, was re •
garded as impregnable.
Another despatch of a private character mentions
that the Turks have obtained some important ad-
vantages over the Russians in the neighbourhood
of Teflis.

The following is said to be a more ample version
of the last proposals sent from Vienna to Constan-
tinople :—ln a conference of the representatives of
the four Powers—England, France, Austria, and
Prusaiawheld in Vienna, a note has been agreed