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

COURT CIRCULAR.

OSBORNE, SEPT. 12.
Baron de Gersdorff and the Earl of CLa.rendon ar-
rived from London yesterday afternoon, anICI had audi-
ences of the Queen.

Baron de Gersdorff delivered a letter anr touneing the
death of the late King of Saxony, and retu riled the In-
signia of the Order of the Garter worn by 10 as late Sove-
reign.

The party at dinner included her Royal 7 Efighness the
Duchess of Kent, Lady Frances Bruce, Baroness do
Speth, Baron de Gersdorff, and the Earl of *Clarendon.

The Queen will hold a Privy Council this day (Wed-
nesday) at Buckingham Palace.
Despatches were received at the Colon'ial-office yes-
terday from the Governors of the North American Pro-
vinces, and from the Governor of Helligola rid.
The Queen will hold a Privy Council this day (Wed-
nesday), sit Buckingham Palace.
His Excellency Don Antonio Gonzalez, the newly-
appointed Spanish Minister, has arrived at 44, Portland-
place, whither the residence of the Legation has been
removed from Mansfield-street.

The Marquis and Marchioness of Brendallbane are en-
tertaining a distinguished company at Itjack Mount
Forest House.

Viscount and Viscountess Villiers have ar.7ived in Eng-
land, from the continent, and have joined the party
assembled at Sir Robert Peel's, at Drayton Manor.
Dr. Karl, who has been for many yea rs director of
the theatre of Leopoldstadt, a secondary house at Vienna,
has just died, leaving a fortune of about 2,0010,000 florins
(5,200,000 francs). He has left legacies to, the perfor-
mers who mostly contributed to the prosperity of the
theatre.

MARKET NEWS-(THIS DAY.)

CORN EXCHANGE.

There was a very limited show of both-old rind new Eng-
lish wheat in to-day's market. For most kinds there was
a very moderate demand, at Monday's impro•rement in the
quotations.

- Very little foreign wheat has arrived this week, yet the
supply of foreign was rather extensive. Sal es progressed
slowly, nevertheless, prices were well supported.
Barley was dull in sale, but not cheaper.
Wa had a dull inquiry for malt, yet 710 change took
place in the quotations.
The oat trade was very firm, and prices weave well sup.
ported in every instance.
Beans and peas were dull in sale.
A fair business was doing in flour. The top price of the
best town-made was 50s. per 281bs.

ARRIVILII THISVra. alt.
Wheat. i Barley. I Malt.
880 -- j,BBO

English ..
Irish ....
Foreign ..

Oats.

Flour.
670

1,930 i 5-50-

300
3,810

3064 ks
—brie

BORO-UGH 110 P.
We continue to have a fair demand for all kinds of hops,
at full prices. Duty 60,0001 to 65,000/.

WHITECHAPEL.
Each kind of meat sold slowly, at the following prices :
—Beef, 3s 2d to 4s 6d ; mutton, 35 4d to 4s 8d ;Od to 55 0d; veal, 3s Od to 4s 2d; pork, 3s 4d to 48 Bd.
per 81bs. by the carcase. lamb, 4s

RETURN OP SIR CHARLES NAPIER

FROM THE BALTIC.

It is reported, and seems to be believed, that Admiral
Sir Charles Napier may be shortly expected in this
country on his return from the Baltic. His arrival
would, of course, imply that operations in that quarter
are at end for the year, and that our fleet will soon find
its way to England for the winter. We must needs ex-
press an anxious hope that the rumour in question may
not be true, for such s. resolution on the part of our
authorities would, we think, be unnecessary, ill-timed,
and calculated both to damage the cause of the Allies
and serve that of the Russians.
The only reason which could compel the return of
the fleet from the waters which it now commands would
be the approach of the winter season. As the Baltic
ports at such times are sealed up by ice, and the blockade
of the Russian gulfs is effectually maintained by the
natural operation of the climate, it would be clearly
superfluous to add any artificial barriers to those already
' provided, even if it were possible for a squadron to keep
the sea at such periods of the year. Exactly, in short,
as there was a time before which it was unnecessary
that the Baltic should be guarded by an allied squadron,
so there is a time beyond which' it will be unnecessary
. that this guard should be continued, but that time has
certainly not yet arrived. The period at which, upon
an average, the closure of the Neva may be expected,
is, as we recently explained, two months distant, and,
even if preparations for the return of the fleet were
commenced somewhat earlier, it is clear that four or five
weeks must still remain available for active operations.
How, indeed, are we to reconcile the two facts that,
while in the Rack Sea the work of the war is just com-
mencing, in the Baltic it should just he terminated ? If
enough remains of the autumn to permit the siege of
Sebastopol to be attempted, must not enough remain
to allow of some further enterprise in the north ?
We consider that this cessation of operations would
be ill-timed, because everything at present suggests a
contrary course. We have have just learnt our strength
and the enemy his weakness • the Allies have been en-
couraged, and the Russians disheartened. After believ-
ing somewhat too implicitly in the imputed strength of
granite fortifications, we have just seen this persuasion
demolished by the test of experiment. The stone forts
on which Russia relies have been shown to be no match
for the floating batteries which represent the power of
England and France. If the Edinburgh at 500 yarde in
seven broadsides can knock a breach in the towers of
Bomarsund, why should not Admiral Chads have an
opportunity of performing the same feat at Fort Alex-
ander on the south side of the island of Cronstadt ? In
a contest which was a trial of strength between offensive
and defensive systems, that of the defence has proved
the weaker, and nothing, therefore, could seem more
impolitic than that the assailants should at this very con-
juncture relinquish the advantages obtained. The fall
of Bomarsund appeared to open to the allied squadrons
all the strongholds of the Russian gulfs, and it is clear
from the despatch of General Baraguay d'Hilliers that
the result was actually regarded in this light. Where,
then, can be the wisdom of foregoing a superiority thus
established at the moment when it might be turned to
good account ? Surely, if it has been found that we can
destroy granite forts without risk of getting our ships
awkwardly crippled, we might as well pursue the advan-
tage as long as the season will permit.
What, too, we may ask, if operations are to be thus
prematurely closed, was the object of proceeding lately
with such urgency in the equipment and despatch o:
gun-boats for special service in the Baltic waters? Every
body observed that the chief risk encountered in the re•

cent proceedings was that of grounding in the shallows,
while the chief advantage experienced by our fo,ces was
in the superior range of our artillery. By a judicious
application of these lessons we have constructed vessels
with offensive powers of a most: ormidable character.

vessels drawing only very little water, and yet armed
with guns of enormous calibre and prodigious range.
One piece of ordnance capable of throwing a heavy shot
nearly four miles has already reached the fleet, and,"
though this may seem of no great moment, it should be
remembered that a single 10-inch gun, well placed and
worked, had no inconsiderable share in the destruction
of Bomarsund. But there is time enough, we presume,
before the end of this month, to reinforce the fleet with
some of the gun-boat flotilla, and there wuuld then still

remain another month available for putting their powers
iu requisition. Why stop short at the fall of Bomarsund,
with such fair opportunities left for successful progress ?
We are now exactly at that conjuncture of affairs
when success would produce its greatest fruits, and when
anything like evidence of weaknesi would be attended
with peculiar disadvantage. Hitherto the war, though
certainly productive of humiliation to Russia, has not
been distinguished by any brilliant action on the part of
the Allies. We have driven the Czar to seek shelter be-
hind his fortifications, but we have not attacked him in
his position ; and, if our forces are too strong for him,
his defences have been too strong for us: The conse-
quence has been a temporising and uncertain policy in
quarters where a more decided success would probably
have brought about a cordial alliance, and these unde-
sirable results are only too likely to be confirmed by
proceedings which would appear to leave the field in
the poSsession of our enemies. We have learnt exactly
what to anticipate from the policy of the Russian
Government. If our fleet retires from the Baltic be-

fore the season is actually closed and while time and
opportunity still remain for action, the Russians
will instantly sally out into the seas thus conveni-
ently vacated, will reoccupy the Aland Isles, hoist
their flag on the ruins of Bomarsund, parade their vesseli
along the coasts of Sweden and Denmark, and then issue
a swaggering manifesto to the world, setting forth the
ignominious retreat of allied the squadrons with nothing
accomplished, the triumphant resistance of the Imperial
forces against infinitely superior numbers, and the final
ascendancy of the Czar in the waters of the Baltic. This
will probably be the issue of the campaign, and, however
false such representations may be, appearances will not
be wanting to lend a plausibility to the story. A very
small thing makes a victory in the bzvalide Busse.
We are quite aware that the first condition of opera-
tions in the Baltic was the preservation of the fleet from
such injury as would destroy its efficiency ; nor have we
been slow to inculcate on our countrymen the expediency
of acquiescing in the solid advantages of a blockade in-
stead of tempting fortune by speculative enterprises,
promising no commensurate returns. To these views
we steadily adhere ; but it is impossible to deny that
the capture of Bomarsund considerably enlarged the field
of judicious action. It was thought that guns could not
destroy granite, whereas it is now proved that granite
cannot resist guns. It has certainly not yet been ascer-
tained how far the wooden walls of our three-deckers
may be relied upon in a cannonade exposing them to
the full fire of land fortifications, nor is it necessary to
bring this question to any violent issue. Our artillery
is so superior to that of our enemies that we may carry
on our attacks without staking too much on the trial,
and, as long as these means of offence remain in our
power, it appears to us exceedingly impolitic to abandon
the field. That our fleets will have done good work by
blockading the Russian squadrons, paralysing Russian
trade, and bringing themselves safe home again, is cer-
tainly true, but this is all the more reason for depriving
the enemy of the smallest pretext for disparaging the
results of the campaign. Sweaborg or Cronstadt, and
Spithead, should now be the destination of Sir
Charles Napier.—Times.

THE LIBERTY OFFRANCEA STUMBLING
STONE TO THE EASTERN DESPOTS.

It appears, at first view, rather anomalous that the
earliest intimation or indications of what the Western
Powers really think or have made up their minds to do
in the Eastern question should all along have proceeded
from that one of the two allies who seems the least
amenable to popular opinion. In England the adminis-
tration hold theie places durante bens placito of the repre-
sentatives of the people, and are exposed to their inter-
rogations. In France the Emperor holds all but des-
potic power. Yet the pithy despatches of M. Drouyn
de l'Huys were published for the edification of our neigh-
bours on the other side of the Channel, long before our
ministers would speak out ; and now the Government
organs in the French press aro beginning to speak
(covertly, it is true, but still quite intelligibly) of Austria
in the terms it deserves, while Englishmen have no
means afforded them of discovering whether or not their
ministers are still determined, on all occasions, to "wait
for the Austrians." A little reflection, however, suffices
to solve the seemingly puzzling problem. In France
public opinion is in reality as omnipotent as it is in
England ; although Frenchmen, tired of the aimless and
endless brawls of political Frondeurs„ are contented at
present to acquiesce in a form of government which
affords public opinion no legitimate recognised organ
of expression. The Emperor of the French has the good
sense to see this : he knows that his absolute power is
absolute only so long as it does not run directly counter
to popular sentiment and opinions ; he knows that
popular dislike of any course he may pursue, "having
no tongue to speak," will of necessity first vent itself in
action ; and he wisely seekslo prevent this, and to carry
the popular will with him as he proceeds,.by volun-
tarily submitting to it early explanations. On the con-
trary, English Ministers, knowing that sooner or later
they must be brought 4) book, put off• the evil day as
long as they can ; and Englishmen, satisfied that they
possess the means of compelling Ministers to render an
account when they will, slumber on in this pleasing con-
sciousness of power, without exercising it. The cir-
cumstance, too, that Ministers can be peremptorily in-
terrogated only a certain season of the year—while Par-
liament is in session—renders it more difficult to extract
information from them at any other time. Of late there-
fore, the attention of the English public has been more '
frequently turned to Paris than to London, when on the
watch for intimations of what the Allied Powers really
think and intend to do. This habit rests on the assump-
tion that the professions of entire unanimity made by
the two Governments are really sincere; and this
assumption is at present tolerably well warranted.
English Ministers know that the English people,
though they may be gulled for a time, cannot perma-
nently he kept in th leading-strings of the Eastern
despot ' • the Emperor of the French knows that between
him and the old aristocracy of Europe there is a gulf
placed which he cannot pass over ; both Governments,
French and English, are bound by the necessity of
their nature to thwart and oppose the living re-
presentatives of the Holy Alliance. Their coquet-
ting with Austria has, therefore, been as false and
insincere as the coquetting of that antiquated flirt with
them. The affectation of mutual confidence and sym-
pathy has been carried nearly to its utmost limits, and
the mask must soon be removed on both sides. Of this
impending necessity the Emperor of the French has na-
turally become sooner aware than have the English Mi-
nistry. The English Government and nation, though
necessarily antagonistic to the vital principles of East-
European despotism have been so long established that
there are no hopes of putting them down; the absolute

monarchs look upon England and its constitution as
nuisances which they have no hopes of removing and
must endure. English Ministers are rather apt to pre-
' sume on their knowledge of this, and fancy that a
chronic, inactive grudge of this kind bodes them no
harm. But the Eastern despots look upon the liberty of
France as a new stumbling•stone in their way, which
can be removed, and their hatred of it is as active as it
is relentless. They are anxious to subvert the present
dynasty of France, because it is of revolutionary origin,
because it professes to reign in virtue of the people's
choice, and because it is, therefore, by its mere existence,
a standing protest against the legitimacy of the titles by
which they claim to occupy their thrones. Knowing
this, the Emperor of the French knows that though
there may be occasional truces, and even alliances,
between the English Government and the old
despotisms, he has no such intervals of peace to
expeet ; that so long as these Governments exist he
must sleep with his arms under his pillow, and keep his
powder dry. This is another reason why French dis-
trust of the equivocal conduct of Austria should be pro-
claimed earlier and with less reserve than English.
Tuese considerations afford good ground for hope that
the sentiments of the two great Western Allies on this
score are the same, and that England is only behind
France in expressing distrust of Austria, not of enter-
taining it. The two great Western Powers of Europe
have nothing to fear from the enmity of the Eastern
despots ; but they have much to dread from theirfrieud-
ship. The entire, unreserved confidence of France and
England, and their distrust and defiance of all other
powers, present just now the only security for the future
of both.and of all civilised Europe.—Daily News.

THE WAR.-THE VIENATA PROPOSALS.

The Czar refuses the new Vienna proposals, and Aus-
tria declines to accept the refusal as a cusus belli. Aus-
tria continues satisfied with her position of "perfect neu-
trality." At any rate she will wait for the capture of
Sebastopol—or the Greek kalends.
Such is the course which, after eighteen months spent
in negotiation, the chivalrous young Emperor of Austria
has decided on pursuing. A morning contemporary who
has steadfastly supported the policy of the Austrian Go-
vernment, under the most trying circumstances, is much
astonished and chagrined at a result which every one
whose knowledge of the empire extended beyond the su-
burbs of Vienna perceived to be highly probable, if not
inevitable. For, however much the foreign interests of
Austria may be endangered by the admission of Russia,
her domestic policy essentially depends upon Russian
support. No one who was not blinded by Austrian as-
surances, or Austrian prejudices, could for a moment
have believed that the Cabinet of Vienna would declare
war against that of St. Petersburg, 'at a time when an
essentially Russian policy was still pursued towards
Croatia and Hungary.
The Times informs us that the active operations of war
have been delayed for so many months for the sake of
obtaining the concurrence of Austria ; and our contem-
porary admits that the expedition to Sebastopol could
have been undertaken with at least an equal prospect of
success at the commencement of the campaign instead
of its conclusion. To Austrian diplomacy, therefore, we
are indebted for the irreparable losses we have sustained
by the delay of our army at Gallipoli and Varna. We
must thank our neutral ally for the cruel ravages com-
mitted by disease in our camp, and for the additional
sacrifices which will be occasioned whenever Sebastopol
is attacked, in consequence of the preparations that Rus-
sia has made during the last six months for our recep-
tion there.
There are, indeed, some persons who believe that the
retreat of the Russians has been occasioned by the
threatened hostility of Austria ; but they should remem-
ber that the Russian army retreated before the Austrians
advanced, and that when the Russian troops halted the
Austrians halted also. The retirement of the Russians,
and the occupation of Wallachia by the Austrians, bears
every appearance of having been concerted between
Count Baol and his brother-in-law, Count Meyendorff.
For, in the first place, the Russians have not, as we now
know from authority, anything to dread in the way of
hostility from the occupying army ; and in the second,
the latter are playing to admiration the game of the
Russians themselves, by forcing on the reluctant Wal-
lachians Prince Stirbey, a man devoid of energy and
destitute of popularity, instead of the able and patriotic
General Magh6ro, who had been called to the post by
the unanimous voice of his countrymen, and whose ap-
pointment had received the approval of the Porte.
Of course the Czar had nothing to say to Count Buol's
propositions. Why should her Why should be con-
sent to tear up existing treaties, the price of a century's
policy and war, unless absolutely compelled ? What
excuse would he have to offer, after all his braggadocio ?
Why, he dares not now do it, unless beaten. And we
have not gone the way to beat him. We have avoided
his armies in the field, and have not sought them in
their fortresses.

A single month has sufficed to destroy the illusions
respecting the strength of granite batteries and the
-value of the Austrian alliance. These delusions have
followed to the same limbo the opinion so decisively
pronounced previously to the commencement of the
war, that the first shot fired would be the signal for the
destruction of Turkey. And we are happy to find in
some admirable letters which are now appearing in the
Times respecting the 'various Christian races of Greece
and Roumelia, full confirmation of the opinion which,
in opposition to our contemporary, we from the first
ventured to express, namely, that the project of forming
6 133,,s1ntine Empire, based on Greek nationality, to re-
place the sway of the Sultan at Constantinople, was a
scheme almost as chimerical and absurd as ,it undoubt-
edly was perfidious and revolutionary.
A. passage in the Moniteur of last week has escaped
our contemporaries. It gave, extracted from an Eng-
lish paper, descriptions of Kars and Erzeroum, and
added that such accounts were more than usually inte•
resting, as it was the intention of the allied Governments
to occupy those towns by Anglo-French troops. Though
this was not in the official part of the Moniteur, it ins-
plied the belief of the editor of the journal that Anglo-
French troops were going into Asia.
We do not know if such an event is rendered more
or less likely by the unfavourable news of the battle
which has reached us this week. No doubt Kars and
Erzeroum might by this time have been secure. Enough
might easily have been done to prevent the possibility
of Russian conquest. Twenty or thirty thousand Anglo-
French would have expelled the Russians from Georgia.
But it has been the rule of the present war to sacrifice
everything to small and secondary aims, as if great
ones were beyond our spirit and grasp. We fortified
Gallipoli when we ought to have attacked Sebastopol,
and we take Bomarsund when we should have bom-
barded Cronstadt.

Under cover of preparing for the capture of Sebasto-
pol, we have tarried for months at Varna, and the re-
sult is a greater loss than we could have suffered in
action, without any result whatever. No doubt it was
Austria's hope from the first to occupy the Principalities
without incurring the actual hostility of Russia. But
since the latter has returned a defiant answer to Count
Buol's proposals this may have become less certain, and
who knows but that Marshal St. Arnaud may not even
yet, notwithstanding his order of the day and the em-
barkations already begun, find himself under the sup-
posed necessity of recommending that the bulk of the
army should be kept near the Danube, in order to pre-
vent Austria from being crushed ? Austrian neutrality
is an expensive thing.
It is now six weeks and upwards since the first an-
nouncement that the flower of the Anglo-French army
was to proceed to Sebastopol. The Russians, we may
be sure, have not lost these six weeks. We know
that a Russian steamer which got out of Sebastopol
looked in at Odessa, as if for experiment, and returned
safely to the fortified harbour. The blockade had been
relaxed for the purpose of bringing the army to Sebas-
topol. We have not yet accomplished that design, and
we have done what we could to enable the Russians to
baffle our attempt at its accomplishment.
Grave imputations have this week been levelled at the
naval commanners. It has been asserted that the ad-
mirals in the Baltic and the Black-Sea have not done
all that even their orders enjoined or vvould have em-
powered them to do. This statement, from a journal
known to receive ministerial communications, the naval
commanders must meet as they can. The same journal
could not find words of teprobation strong enough when
Lords Clanricarde and Dudley Stuart criticised the
movements of the fleets. It was so ungenerous to attack
the absent commanders. And when those members of
the houses of Parliament declared that their censure was
directed against the ministry and not against the admi-

rah, the indignation of the • Times was by no means en-

tirely appeased. Now, however, we a're told by the
same authority that these brave officers have not done
all that was expected of them. We must observe, how-
ever, on their behalf, that the declaration accords
strangely ill with the positive assurance from the same
quarter that the effective prosecution of the war was
suspended until the concurrence of Austria could be se-
cured. It will be poor encouragement to men burdened
with such heavy responsibility as that which weighs
upon Sir Charles Napier and Apmiral Dundas, if they
are to a_ e made the scape-goats of deluded diplomatists.—
Examin