The Sun.
London, England, 1857-02-24 00:00:00

THE RUSSIAN FORCE IN THE

CASPIAN SEA.

The Pays of yesterday contains the following de-
scription of th t position occupied by Russia in the
regions of the Caspian Sea. It is, however, nPce3
sary to rmark that the statistics relating to R 08"
sian garrisons and fleets are grossly exaggerated :
" Between Europe and Asia there extends a vast
inland sea, which washes the southern coast of Per-
sia, the west and north coasts of the Russian posses-
sions, and a portion of the coast of independent
Turkestan. This sea was once the centre of an
important navigation, and powerful fleets crossed
it in every direc. ion. ow Russia alone reigns there.
Persia, who, under the glorious reigns of Abbas the
Great and of Nadir Shah, possessed several squad-
rons on the Caspian Sea, consented, by the treaty
of Turcoman Shah of Feb. 22, 1828, to forego the
right of maintaining a single vessel of war in those
waters. At this day Russia undertakes to defend
the coast of Persia from pirates or smugglers. This
position renders Russia all powerful on the cost
of Talish, Gilan, Mazanderan, Asterabad, and the
Turcoman c3untry, all rich and powerful provinces
of Persia. The Russians possess, moreover, the
small isle of Ashoorada, situate about nine
piles from land, near Asterabad, which they Cin
watch without quitting their territory. TheY
moreover possess six fortresses constructed by them
on Persian territory in virtue ofeonventions which
date from 1829 and 1835. These forts possess gar"
risons amounting to 15,000 men. The Russian
fleet in the Caspian has been reorganised and placed
on a tooting with the new necessities of Russian
policy in Asia. It consists of about fifty vessels of
war, amongst which are several large transport)
and a certain number of screw steamers. This fleet
is organised in a manner to be enabled to transport
30,000 men with baggage, arc., from one point of
the coast to another. The advantages enjoyed by
Russia from this position are open to the dullest
comprehension ; it is, moreover, certain that tilie
power could within a few days concentrate 50,0uej
men on the banks of the Araxes, where the 13th all"'
18th divisions have taken up a position, should err'
cumstances render that measure inevitable ; from
this point we would cover Teheran, Tabriz, the two,
Khorassans, and would paralyse the movements of
an enemy's force. The Eng'ish may obtain from
Persia the cession of some isolated point on the
coast of the Persian Gulf, and derive thereby cons?
derable advantages in favour of their Indian cour
merce, but they will not find there the elements of a
grandpoliticalposition. Theseelementsbelongexcln'
sively to Russia, and are derived from the posses'
sion of the Caspian Sea, which constitutes a vast
arsenal; whence her means of action may be di:
rected towards every vulnerable point. of that pas'
of the world. The town of Astrakan, very favour'
ably situated, as destined to form the centre of the
operations of the military and naval forces concert
trated in those regions. The Russian Government
has confided to Admiral Wassilieff, one of its Inelia
distinguished naval officers, the superior comnsanii
of Astrakan, and the measures he has taken rem,
those of Admiral Lazsreff at Sebastopol. The per
severance of Russia is historical, and her establish'
meats on the Caspian have a grand destiny befl
them. We must allude, before concluding, tg.
treaty which is stated to have been recently con
et
eluded between Russia and Persia the mere runann
of which has excited in Europe, and particularll,,3l
England, a great sensation. The existence ofte'e
convention appears beyond doubt. For a long tit
past the Russians claimed the right of erecting 15
their own territory a line of fortresses, a rig,
which hitherto had been denied them ; they, Me t 1
over, claimed the faculty of establishing wilitabli
posts on Persian territory, in order to protect t o
road to Khoi, and other communications leadiego.
the interior. They have obtained these concessielLe
But with respect to the cession of territory ben
Bayazid and Nakhtschivan nothing certain
known. This last circumstance, should it Prnos
true, will possess far greater political importanry
than the other, but we must await moresatisfae',cof
information before examining the real bearing
that convention."

THE UNION OF THE PRINCIPALITO

The Official Gazette of Milan of the 18th P 11013:
lishes, in the form of a letter from Vienna, a C° to
mentary on the article in the Moniteur relative,o r
the union of the Danubian Principalities, it
generally believed that the communication
emanated from ministerial quarters. The folleffwv
is the more important part of it s to
"On reading this note and the interpellation ire
which it gave rise in the English Parliament, o,
are led to ask what share Russia has in this 'aw trl or
versy on the principalities. The Russian VW vt
merit, according to its traditional policy, does u
like to lose its time and breath (fiato) in plea
out of place and season. Being anxious pot
compromise itself with any of the power., ith;
now s:leut, though taking a certain pleasure, in 7,3
controversy on Vie principalities as in a 'Ol.-4,
discussion. From the present silence of at
we may infer that she is not fully persuaded t. 05
she would promote her own interests by promet`of
the union of Moldavia and Wallachia under a 110
dynasty, which might not place itself under ba
protection of the czars. A good deal might bees
il't
on that supposition, but there not being at Preto'
any solid foundation for it, it is useless to cons° go
an edifice of hypotheses. We will merely oblts,
en passant that Prussia and Piedmont BinlTto
neously take part with France for the union oileo
principalities, and that, in so doing, they se
from the persuasion that such a line of P°11;501
just than from the spirit of rivalry which ea ha
them to regard Austria as a declared enemy, Sot
must be combated wherever she is met with. Aby
Austria, in this matter, is powerfully supports
a
England, who shows herself day after day 00
favourable. The entente cordials between the tore;id
powers is openly displayed not only in diplOroa-r
acts and relations, but in the simple Onwe,.
course of society. Thus, it is generally
marked that this year the lion of diploqt.
at Vienna is the English ambassador, Sir
milton Seymour. His balls and soirees are to
rendezvous of all the aristocracy. In addition, ti
the diplomatic body, one meets there the logt.
Austrian nobility in great numbers, the Sehlf,,
zenbergs, the Lichtensteins, the Windischgraev
&c., arid even the nobles who formerly were °.301
found in Russian drawing-rooms, and who avoidA 0(1
all contact with the Westerns, as they were can
two years ago. The Russian Ambassador Coutj,
Budberg, on the contrary, now lives very rsto: •
The vast drawing-rooms of his hotel, in whiel'i
short time ago his predecessor, Prince Gpetschalturd
received crowds of the most splendid society
Vienna, are this year silent and deserted."