The Sun.
London, England, 1856-02-12 00:00:00

to arrange certain very recent and formidable
differences with Russia, upon conditions of a
merely ordinary character, upon conditions im-
plying by their very nature that Russia comes
under the same category with the rest of the
great States of Christendom ! HEAVEN send that
the voice of warning resounding to us from the
grave of VALERIAN KRASINSRI, that the cry of
that noble heart may reverberate far and wide at
this terrible turning-point in the history of the
civilised world—reminding the nations of Europe
of the dark and sinister truths which appear just
now either to be entirely overlooked, or to re-
main altogether unappreciated. Enough for us
if but a few of these monstrous facts, facts embla-
zoned upon the annals of the human race in
characters of blood and flame, are here very briefly
indicated, but indicated by their mere enumera-
tion, GOD knows, with sufficient distinctness.
Is it forgotten ? When our diplomatists are
becoming so mealy-mouth in regard to the inten-
tions of the Imperial Government of St. Peters-
burg—is it forgotten how Europe has fared during
the last hundred years under the pressure of the
advances made simultaneously to the north, and
to the south, and to the east, and to the west by
that Robber-Government ? A little while ago and
we heard a good deal of these things. A little
while ago and noble lords and right hon. gentlemen
now so fair-spoken in regard to the intentions of
Russia, in regard to the policy of the CZAR, in
regard to the ambition of the. House of ROMANOFF,
did not hesitate to speak of these intentions, of
that policy, of that ambition as of evils threaten-
ing the peace of Europe, the liberties of Europe,
the rights of European independence, the glory of
European civilisation. Is it already so entirely
forgotten—that terrible story of Russian des-
potism, and Russian spoliation ? le3t us recapi-
tulate but a few among the criminal and damning
incidents recorded iu that disastrous narrative—
now that we are upon the eve of the Paris con-
ferences.

Observe ! A little over a century and a half
from the present time—that is to say, in 1689,
at the date of the accession of PETER, miscalled
the Great, thepopulation of Russia was 18,000,000.
By the year of grace 1763, namely, when
CATHERINE 11. ascended the throne, it had in-
creased to 23,000,000—becoming at the
time of her death in 1798 as many as
36,000,000—and attaining at last in 1825
at the period when the late AUTOCRAT assumed
the purple, the vast aggregate of 58,000,000 or
60,000,000 altogether ! Listen further ! These
are the words (it is believed) of Sir JOHN
MWEILL, echoed to us from the humble grave
of the heroic KRASINSKI —" The acquisitions of
Russia from Sweden are greater than what re-
mains of that kingdom ; her acquisitions from
Poland are equal to the Austrian Empire ; her
acquisitions from Turkey in Europe are of greater
extent than the Prussian dominions, exclusive of
the Rhenish provinces; her acquisitions from Tur-
key in Asia are nearly equal in extent to the whole
of the smaller States of Germany ; her acquisitions
in Persia are equal in extent to England ; her ac-
, quisitions in Tartary have an area not inferior to
that of Turkey in Europe, Greece, Italy, and
Spain ; the acquisitions which she has made
within the last sixty-four years (prior to 1836)
are equal in extent and importance to the
ivhole empire which she had in Europe
before that time." Hearken yet further ! It is
still, we believe, the voice of Sir JOHN WNEILL,
echoed back to us as with a trumpet-sound from
the tomb of Count KRASINSKI—"In these sixty-
four years she (Russia) has advanced her frontiers
850 miles towards Vienna, Berlin, Dresden, Ma-
' nich, and Paris ! She has approached 450 miles
nearer to Constantinople. She has possessed her-
self of the capital of Poland ! and has advanced
to within a few miles of the capital of Sweden !
Since that time she has stretched herself
about 1,000 miles towards India, and the same
distance towards the capital of Persia (Teheran)."
Enough ! And this is the Robber Despotism
with which England, and France, and Turkey,
and Austria, and Sardinia, are about to negotiate
at Paris upon ordinary terms, upon the customary
kind of conditions! VALERIAN KRASINSKI, from
his lowly but honoured grave in the land of his
exile cries—" Beware !" And the Voice of an-
other and a greater exile—the Voice of the Cap-
tive of St. Helena—has it not long since declared
prophetically—" Fifty years and Europe will be
either Cossack or Republican !"
What—with that prediction before him, pro-
nounced, as from his death-ad, by .the Great
Founder of his Dynasty—what says NAPOLEON
III.? Shall Russia, sooner or later, overrun
Europe—or shall Poland be restored ?

Si ris pacem, para bellum. Even in the piping
times of peace England should, in the words of the
brave old Scottish warrior, be" ready, aye ready
for the field." It. is still more essential that she
liould maintain the, maritime supremacy to which
the greater portion of her prestige is ascribable.
We therefore do not complain of the credits de-
manded by the Government. Any parsimonious
or'stingy attempt to effect a paltry saving under
existing circumstances would be "a peliny-wise
and-pound-foolish policy," which every right
thinking man would strongly and unequivocally
condemn. But while Parliament and the country
cordially and unhesitatingly respond to the Minib-
terial demands, and willingly sanction the full
expenditure required for the vigorous -a.nd ener-
getic maintenance of the War, it is doubly incum-
bent on alLparties to avoid any unnecessary ex-
penditure. The legitimate charges are sufficiently
Onerous, without any useless addition, from the
red-tapist adhesion to a vicious system, or from
the introduction of objectionable matters. There
never was a time when a large and com-
prehensive measure of Naval Reform was
more urgently required than at this moment,
whereby not only would considerable savings be
effected, but the efficiency of the service and of
the controlling department would be greatly
increased.. It is not because we are at war that
these important and interesting topics should be
shelved—for that reason they should be pressed
forward with the greatest possible energy. The
exigencies of the service should be accurately as-
certained, and when that object has been effected
no efforts should be spared to obtain " the right
men for the right places," and to avoid, so far as
human precaution can do, the possibility of mis-
takes similar to those which in by-gone days re-
flected so much discredit on former Boards.
No reasonable objection could be made to the
first item in the list—that for the excess 'of ex-
penditure over estimates of 204,0001., even if so
fair an explanation could itot be given for the
greater part of the amount, by the improved
system of keeping accounts, that debited the ex-
penditure to the period when it actually occurred
in place of charging it in a future year. The cost
to the nation in either case is precisely the same.
Some discretion should be allowed to the executive
when Parliament is not sitting, and if the outlay
be prudent and judicious the parties who have
sanctioned it on their own responsibility are en-
titled' to praise rather than censure for their

energy.
The additional votes for men and viotualling