The Sun.
London, England, 1856-01-07 00:00:00

RUSSIA.

A letter from St. Petersburg, dated the 28th
ult., in the Presse, says :—" The Invalide Russe,
usually so sparing of remarks of a non-official cha-
racter, to-day publishes an article of that descrip-
tion, entitled ' First Impressions on the Surrender
of Kars ;' but any one would be much mistaken
who should expect to find any indication of the
political coisequences of that event in the
article. The writer certainly raises the question
as to that event exciting the bellicose ardour
of the allies, or inspiring them with sentiments of
peace, but he leaves the question unanswered. He
draws a sterile comparison between the fall of Kars
and the evacuation of Sebastopol, which place the
writer constantly calls 'the ancient Akthiar,' doubt-
less to deprive the allies even of the aame of their
victory. All that appears positive in the article is
that particular importance is attached to the con-
quest of the pachalic of Kars, and that it expresses
a hope that it will exercise a great moral influence
on the Divan." The same letter says :—" We
have news from Ayan, in the Gulf of Okhotsk, to
the middle of August. The English and French
had just quitted that roadstead after a long stay
there, but without having succeeded in finding the
pieces of cannon which the Russians had buried Oil
leaving that neighbourhood."
A litter from St. Petersburg, in the Hamburg
News, says :—" General Rudiger, commanding the
Guard and the Grenadiers, has published the fol-
lowing notice—' Owing to the number of officers
which it is certain will be wanted in the next cam-
paign for the service of the coast redoubts con-
structed for the defence of the Baltic coast, such
officers of the navy as are wounded or incapable of
service afloat are invited to take service in the
aboved-named batteries." The same letter adds :
" We learn that the Russian Government is think-
ing of defending the railroad from Moscow to the
capital against any operations of the enemy. It
is proposed to arm the stations on the lino with
works armed with cannon. Each of these redoubts
will be occupied by a battalion of militia, charged
to guarantee it at least from any surprise of the
enemy's advanced guard."
A letter from St. Petersburg, in the National
Gazette of Berlin, says :—The price of saltpetre has
risen in an extraordinary manner. Lately full
liberty was accorded to every ono indiscriminately.
in Russia to work saltpetre mines, but that mea-
sure has proved insufficient. The Government has
not been able to come to the resolution to allow
openly the importation of that article free of duty;
but the various custom-houses have received a
private intimation to permit all the saltpetre which
was presented at the frontier to enter without pay.
ing anything. Gold and payer coin are

ing rapidly, and the Minister of Finance cannot
remedy the evil. A positive interdiction certainly
exists to export silver gold from Russia, but, not-
withstanding a large quantity is privately carried.
away. The gain for so doing to the parties con-
cerned in the clandestine traffic is about 4 per
cent.

PERSIA.
We find the following in the Ost. Deutsche Post
of Vienna, of the 29th ult. :—" While the Journal
de St. Pctersbourg publishes an account of the grand
reception given to the Persian Envoy Extraordi-
nary at the Court of the Emperor Alexander, the
telegraph has informed us that the English Envoy
at tho Court of Persia had struck his flag. Another
despatch has since given us the key to these con-
trasts by announcing that the Persians have taken
possession of the fortress of Herat. Some
words of explanation are necessary in order to
enable a judgment to be formed of this state of
things. Herat is the capital of the Principality
of that name, which is situate in the middle
of the plateau of the Iran, and is bounded on
the west by Persia, and on the east by Cabul.
It is considered to be one of the best fortified towns
in the East, and according to eastern historians the
citadel dates as far back as the time of Nebuchad-
nezzar. It is the grand centre of commerce be-
tween Western Persia, the Transoxane, and India ;
and the importance which the Persians attach to
Herat is sufficiently indicated by their proverb,
" IChorassan is the shell of the world, and Herat is
its pearl." This point only acquires importance for
Europe from the efforts which Russia and England
are making in the north of India to extend their
rule. Russia and England have both fully per-
ceived the importance of Herat, and have each
sought, though in a different manner, to
increase their influence in that country.
It is well known that the Persians, supported
by Russian forces, attempted in 1832 to
get possession of that fortress, but their efforts
failed in consequence of the English having suc-
coured the latter. The attack was renewed in
1838 with more energy, but this attempt was also
fruitless, as the English compelled the Persians to
beat a retreat. Urged on by Russia, Persia, how-
ever, has never ceased to covet the possession of
Herat. On the other hand, the English were
already at the gates of Affghanistan, and en-
deavoured to check Russian influence, which
had extended over the plains of Central Asia as far
as beyond Bokhara. The complications recom-
menced in 1851, at the period when an imbecile
prince ascended the throne. As no one would recog-
nise him, Herat was considered as a place without a
master, and was disputed by different parties. A.
short time after Russia concentrated a consider-
able force on the frontiers of that principality, and
moved in a direct lino towards Medsched and
Herat. The Persians, although jealous at the
movement of these troops, allowed them to proceed,
hoping that they would assist them in executing a
fresh attempt against the fortress. Since the com-
mencement of the present war Russia has endea-
voured to draw over the Shah of Persia to her side,
and to annihilate the influence of England in that
country, and the cabinet of St. Petersburg appears
to have at length found the price at which the court
of Persia has consented to throw itself uncondi-
tionally into the arms of Russia. The conquest of
Herat is a severe blow struck against the interests
of England. That event would not have been
possible without the assistance of Russia, and was
attempted simultaneously with the attack on Kars.
If England has undertaken the present war in con-
sideration of the dangerous extension of the power
of Russia in Asia, what chance of success can there
bo of peace when the interests of England have
just been more materially affected than they have
been since the commencement of the war ? We
think that the Asiatic question will yet play a
great part in that relative to the balance of power
in Europe."

THE BALTIC.
We road in the Indspendance Beige, under date
Hamburg, 3d inst. :—" Commercial letters received
to-day from several of the Russian Baltic ports
mention the extraordinary activity displayed by
the Generals in erecting additional works of de-
fence on the land and sea side, and establishing
intrenched camps for the troops, who aro to ope-
rate in the three provinces of Esthonia, Livonia,
and Courland. Communications by land are now
easy on account of the ice and snow, and Revel,
Riga, and other maritime towns have already
' been supplied with guns of long range, on an im-
proved system, lately cast in the Imperial foundry
of St. Petersburg. It was intended to construct
at Revel and Riga two new batteries on the sea
side, and to arm them with those guns, in order
to keep at a distance the allied ships, the broadsides
of which damaged last year the advanced works of
the Russians, while the guns of the latter, being of
inferior range, were unable to retaliate. The com-
mercial letters above referred to, written by some of
the most eminent merchants in the Russian Bal-
tic ports, generally attach no credit to the
rumours of peace, which also circulated there in
December. They are convinced that next spring
the war will be prosecuted by Russia with re-
doubled vigour. Preparations of defence were in
progress all over the country, and on a gigantic
scale, in order to resist the extraordinary means of
anal which, it was well known, the allies were
preparing on their side. It was believed at Revel
and Riga that an Anglo-French force will he
landed in the three Baltic provinces the moment
the navigation becomes free, and that hostilities
will be simultaneously carried on along both banks
of the Gulf of Finland.