The Sun.
London, England, 1856-01-25 00:00:00

PROSPECTS OF PEACE.

A letter from St. Petersburg, dated the 17th
inst., states as follows :--

" I now add some further details to my letter of
yesterday, which was written in great haste, and
under the first impression of the important news
which has astonished this city. The Moderate party
says nothing about it, and its leaders maintain great
reserve. The War party is very violent, and
openly accuses Prince Gortscbakoff of treason, and
speaks of Austria with the utmost bitterness—of
Austria saved by Russia in 1849. According to these
men, Russia cannot accept a peace which will cost her
a part of her territory, and impose on her the most
humiliating of all conditions, that of razing her for-
tresses along the coast of a sea which is a Russian
lake, and this before they avenged the honour of their
arms by an exploit different from that of Kars ;—a
peace, in fine, which will finish, once for all, with the
influence which they have exercised in Germany for more
than a quarter of a century. The old Russian predicts
a convulsion if the Emperor signs, without being
constrained by force of arms, the conditions prepared by
Count Esterbazy. In fact, the conduct of the Czar gives
rise to the strangest versions. Some suppose that the
Cabinet of St. Petersburg has, as before, accepted the
Austrian conditions only with the intention of separat-
ing the particular interests of Germany from the general
interests of Europe as represented by the Western
Powers. Others pretend that no Russian diplomatist
will sign a treaty of peace on these bases, for, according
to them, we are fir distant from 1634 and 1711, when,
by the treaty of Weasina Vadislas, the King of Poland
forbade the Czar Michail, the founder of the Romanoff
dynasty, to assume the title of Autocrat of All the Rtts-
sias, and when, by the treaty of the Pruth, Achmet
obliged Peter I. to raze the fortresses of Taganrog,
Camenoi-Zatoum, and Sumara.

" Such are the' remarks just now among the chief of
the Russian party, defeated as they are. The capital is
much agitated since yesterday. According to the sys-
tem of compensation which appears to have become for
some time the rule of conduct of our Government,
Prince Alexander Gortschakoff may soon be recalled
from Vienna, as his cousin has been from the Crimea.

"As to the interview between the two younger
brothers of the Czar on the subject of the resolution
which the Grand Duke Nicholas was commissioned to
make to the Grand Admiral, and which interview took
place this morning only, was of a very violent character.
In spite of what is said to the contrary, the news is offi-
cial and certain, and the Czar has declared formally that
the Austrian propositions were to be the bases of ulte-
rior pacific negotiations, and for the present may be
considered as the true preliminaries of peace.
" It was no doubt to avoid painful explanations with
the Grand Duke Constantine that the Emperor sent hint
his brother Nicholas. He has even the precaution to
let his decision reach Vienna by the telegraph, and also
the official note of the Chancery reach M. Esterhazy,
before exposing himself to domestic scenes which could
only annoy and afflict him, but not change his resolu•
tion.

"The Grand Duke Constantine is greatly irritated
against his brother. The Vice-Royalty of Poland, re-
served for the Grand Duke Nicholas, and which, accord-
ing to usage. should fall to his lot, is no small cause of his
irritA on. Placed at the head cf the eccentric faction
of the Russian party of those who are named the In-
tractable, the Grand Admiral thought he should make
himself popular, but has not succeeded, while his bro-
ther Nicholas enjoys an indisputable popularity. This
young Prince, loved hitherto for himself, has seen
the affection of the people increase in consequence
of his marriage with the Princess Alexander-Petrowna,
daughter of Prince Peter of Oldenburg."