The Sun.
London, England, 1854-03-30 00:00:00

KALAFAT.

A letter of the 16th, from Kalafat, mentions
that for several days previous sorties of a more se-
rious kind than before, took place between the
Turks and Russians. The former mustered on
these occasions about 10,000 infantry, and 22
squadrons of cavalry. The Russians were ge-
nerally in inferior force, and, after some
skirmishing, retired, cannonading, however,
during the retreat. Kalafat, my informant
adds, had received powerful reinforcements
of late, and at the date of his letter the
army amounted to 50,000 effective men present
under arms, and 150 pieces of cannon of all kinds
—a force by no means to be despised. It was
evident from the manoeuvring of the Russians that
they had abandoned all idea of attack in that
quarter. A formal order had been received from
Omar Pasha to attack the head-quarters of the
Russians at Pojana, which is about four miles from
Kalafat. A council of war was held on the 15th at
the quarters of the General commanding, and with
the map of Kalafat and Pojana before them, the
plan of attack was discussed, explained in all its
details, resolved, and organised. That plan is de-
scribed as excellent, and the greatest confidence ex-
pressed of its being successful. In conformity with
it the Russians were to be attacked with 18 batta-
lions of infantry, 36 pieces of cannon, 28 squadrons
of regular cavalry, and 5,000 irregulars, cavalry as
well as infantry. The day was not fixed at the
Council, but it was considered probable that it would
take place on the 21st or 211. The persons present
at the Council were full of hope that it would be
an important affair, and that it would have the
serious result of driving the Russians out of Little
Wallachia, and of enabling the Turkish army to
abandon their comparatively defensive attitude on
that part of the Danube, and assume an active and
offensive one, which is generally advantageous to
the morale of au army, and particularly to the
Turkish army. _ _

Colonel Dieu arrived at Kalafat in the night of
the 15-16. He was sent thither by Omer Pasha, in
order to decide the question of Kalafat. The Council
of War assembled immediately after his arrival.
The orders of Omer Pacha were to the effect that the
General Commanding should conform himself to the
wishes of Col. Dieu in every respect. His plan of
the battle was discussed and accepted on the morn-
ing of the 16th, and the attack decided for the 22d,
with 25 battalions of. infantry, 40 pieces of cannon,
28 squadrons of cavalry, and 5,000 irregulars. The
affair was to come off before Pojana ; so that if the
resolution of the Council be carried out by this
time an important action will have been fought.
The general conviction prevailed that the Turkish
troops would be successful, and the presence of
Colonel Dieu filled all with ardour and confidence
in the result. The intimacy of the alliance and the
friendly feeling existing between France and Tur-
key were considered very great when the Turkish
Generals are ordered to obey a French officer who
has only the rank of Colonel.

THE GREEK INSURRECTION.
According to advices from Epirus, of the 24th,
the insurrection was spreading, but the Turks still
held the fortresses.

Letters from Athens of the 24th say that Turkish
troops had reached Arta via Salaora, on the Gulf.
They had as yet only had one or two unimportant
rencontres with the enemy in Epirus and Thessaly.
The Turkish Minister had demanded his pass-
ports, and left Athens for Constantinople.
We have received from Athens, under date of
16th, some satisfactory accounts as to the state of
public feeling with regard to the insurrection of
Epirus. The people begin to comprehend clearly
the consequences of the demonstrations into which
the Napist party endeavour to lead them. They
now see that they were deceived when they were
told that they might rely on the sympathy of Eu-
rope, and the language which the French and &lg..
lish Governments have held towards that of Greece
has: already produced a salutary effect. The pre-
sence of the two Western flags, and the announce-
ment of the approaching arrival of the French
troops on the Ottoman territory have caused the

.

most rash to reflect. The sufferings o commerce
and the perspective of still more severe trials act
with great force on the imagination of the people,
whom it was hoped to leaastray by appealing to
their religious feelings. Business is completely
suspended ; the coffers of the treasury are empty ;
a scarcity of corn is imminent, and from the mo-
ment when the benefit of maritime neutrality is
voluntarily given up, the resources of foreign
markets can no longer be relied on. This will
readily account for the resistance which the pro-
moters of this pretended national movement meet
with. Their efforts have failed in the Peloponesus.
The young Colocotroni, who had been sent to get
recruits, has been expelled from Megara and Co-
rinth without having been able to get a single
partisan, althot:gh he had a considerable sum of
money at his disposal Some influential men, Ad-
miral Canaris, M. Riga, the Mavromichalis, Gene-
ral Kalergi, MM. Bulgari, Theotoki, and a number
of other persons well known for their patriotism,
have placed themselves at the head of this reaction,
which is not less in conformity with the wishes of
the great majority of the people than with the
interests of the country.

FRANCE.

ARRIVAL OF FRENCH TROOPS AT CON-

STANTINOPLE.

The following telegraphic despatch, dated Paris,
this morning, is published in a second edition of the
Morning Post to-day :

Four thousand French troops must have arrived
by this time at +3-allipoli, and fifteen thousand have
sailed from Algeria to join them.
Fifty thousand will be assembled at Gallipoli
before the beginning of May, and measures have
been taken to reinforce them to any extent, if ne-
cessary.

Marshal de St. Arnaud, the commander-in-chief
of the French expedition to the East, will, it 13
said, certainly take his departure on the 4th of
April.

The great affair at the Legislative Chamber is
still the application for leave to prosecute Count de
Montalembert. The report of the committee comes
to the conclusion, by four votes to three, to refuse
the authorisation ; but it is said that M. de Per-
signy, M. Baroche, and other official personages,
have influenced the deputies so effectually that
there is no doubt that the Chamber will act as the
Government desires, and allow the Count to be
prosecuted. It is thought that M. Berryer will be
his defender before the court of law.

The .Moniteur contains a declaration very simi-
lar to that which the English Government has put
forth, declaring that, in the interest of commerce,
and for the sake of not oppressing neutrals, the
Government renounces its rights, as a belligerent
State, except in the cases of articles that are con-
traband of war, or of the violation of a blockade.
Letters of marque will not be delivered.
The Moniteur of yesterday contains the follow-
ing report, detailing the progress of the subscrip-
tions for the new French loan :
" REPORT OF THE MINISTER OF FINANCE TO THE