The Sun.
London, England, 1861-11-07 00:00:00

ARRESTS IN _RUSSIA.

The following letter from St. Petersburg, dated
the 31st of October, is not without interest:—
"The Draconian system to which we are reduced
both by day and night, the numerous arrests, all
that is passing, in fact, lead me to fear that this
letter may fall into the hands of the agents of
Schouwaloff', of Patkoul, of Dolgoroukow, and in-
crease the number of victims who at this moment
languish in the damp cells in the fortress of St.
Peter and Paul. Absent from St. Petersburg for
the last two months, I have travelled through a
great part of Russia, and I can assure you,
de visa et de auditu, that this country
is progressing towards a revolution such as that
of 1793 will give you 'but a very faint idea.
At no previous period has popular agitation
reached such a height, nor never was it so universal,
as I can vouch, as it is at present. The peasants
are exasperated against their ex-owners, whom
they accuse of not having fulfilled the wishes of
the Czar, who commanded them, according to the
peasants' statement, to cede the entire of their
lands to their ancient serfs. The landed proprietors,
on their part, are furious with the Emperor and his
counsellors for having stripped them, arbitrarily,
of a fortune of which the annual income is esti-
mated at five milliards of francs. The manufac-
turers and merchants are the more indisposed
against the Government as its ill-calculated mea-
sures have ruined both manufacturers' industry and
trade to such a degree that nobody can foresee the
period at which commercial transactions will re-
cover their former elasticity. In a word, I have
everywhere found discontent, violent irritation, and
implacable hatred among all classes of the popwla-
tion—one against the other, and all classes against
the Government.
Slmt.pPeertiearlsubnuriNg:erl_
theT
Imperial
of the students
swi
ta:s' witness dayto nn after
en
trch:e
against the unworthy acts of the Minister of Public
eyclosingrponrfo ttoe
Instruction, the determined and loudly-avowed
enemy of all civilisation in Russia. A counter de-
monstration, quite pacific, having taken place some
days later on the part of the students, who
demanded the reopening of the university, the
army, led by Schouwaloff, Patkoul, Ignatieff,
and Bistrom, charged our young students, whose
only crime was having manifested their desire
to resume their studies. I must announce
to you, however, that our army was not unani-
mous in obeying the orders of the counsellors
of Alexander 11. The mounted artillery of the
Imperial Guard showed themselves favourable to
the students. Several officers of that distinguished
regiment have, consequently been brought before
a Court-martial by order of the Grand Duke
Michael, Grand Master of the Artillery. The day
following this demonstration, of which the result
was the incarceration of 200 students in the fort
of
Imperial
printed in gigantic letters, the wordsed
that, beside
St. Peter and Paul, I read on the walls of that fort,
ished for their
University.' I have been inftoirmu
the students, several persons di
do Pestzoff, a literary
them is mentioned AI. Erart
hroughout Europe. He is
character well known t
scientific attainments have been arrested.ng Among
accused of having assisted in the publication of the
clandestinely circulated by
Wehkourusse, a paper
a few friends of liberty, national honour, and civi-
lisation. tiy letter
byannouncing the
sa
approachingn.
f conclude
t r
Emperorn to St. Peters-
burg.rem the
I am curious to see what: attitude the Ernpe-
, ror will assume in presence of the serious and com-
plicated events under which, lluss.ia "
is groaning.

LONDON, THURSDAY, NOV. 7, 1861.

We shall be accused of want of sympathy with
the North, of rejoicing in Federal humiliations, and
of envious pleasure in the misfortunes of the only
rival which dared to beard and browbeat us, as we
deserved —we cannot help it—but the truth is we
think the North deserves the constant misfortunes
it incurs. Did we disbelieve in a PROVIDENCE, the
present position of the North would make us believe
in one. The North has had but two successes worth
mentioning; M'CLELLAN's first, in Western Vir-
ginia; and the naval one at Cape Hatteras. And
each of these it has to leave incomplete. RosEN-
CRANTZ, whom M'CLELLAN left in command, cannot
get the Confederates out of Western Virginia ; and
so incomplete is the work at Cape Hatteras, that
Confederate steamers came out of Pamlico Sound
and actually captured the Fanny while conveying
supplies to a Northern Regiment.

The blockade they make but a poor affair of. We
hear continually of the spirited deeds of Southern
cruisers, and even in the Mediterranean, American
vessels with valuable cargoes, are quaking for their
safety. Before New Orleans, though the first ac-
count turns out to be .a gross exaggeration, yet the
Federal accounts which come to-day, confess that
their half-dozen vessels had to run for it—got
aground—threw overboard guns and cables, and a
storeship was still left sticking on the bar. The
Bermuda, from this country, with military supplies
invaluable to the South, found her way into Savan-
nah, and no doubt others will imitate her example.
As to the military part of the business, with few
exceptions, the South seems to have the best
of it. Almost every victory of importance
seems to be on their side. Bull's Run
will of course never be forgotten; In Missouri they
seized Lexington, and enriched themselves with
money and much-needed stores; its reoccupation
was of little service after it had been gutted, and
its 3,000 defenders dismissed with an oath to fight
no more. The last engagement at Harper's Ferry,
where poor Baker was killed, cost the Federalists,
besides, not only a defeat, but also the loss of between
600 and 700 men killed, wounded, drowned in their
flight, and prisoners. The story always is, we
doubt not a true one, of how bravely the Fede-
ralists fought ; but then, perhaps owing to the
generalship, the bravery was always thrown away.
In all thew) smaller affairs the Federalists have at
Jeast nothing to boast of; while it is certain that
they are mue,h the most frequently out-generaled.
Then, in the main part of the struggle, the Con-
federates, thus far, have decidedly the advantage.
M'CLELLAN cannot yet muster strength sufficient
for the attack, which is his only object. BEAURE-
GARD is abundantly strong for defence, Which is his
sole object. How long these relative positions
will
be maintained, we cannot of course tell, but
October, the promised month of advance, is passed
away, and the only advance has been to a few un.
defended positions, not even fortified by the enemy.
If MCLELLAN'S army be strong enough to forge
the enemy from his old field of victory, we have, as
yet, no proof it, but rather proof to the contrary.
Indeed, all things look as if January, which in
those regions seems to be as propitious for military
movements as our February, would arrive, and
find the grand army of the Federation yet
under canvass near the banks of the Potomao. A
-wintry prospect this for Federalism. At present
the money winter has not yet set in. The banks
continue to furnish the Government by loans with
the money which cannot find employment in the
'half annihilated trade of the country; but the war
revenge is •
nil. The tariff has half destroyed their

customs, and their manufacturers are angry with I
their Government for bringing the soldiers good
great-coats from Yorkshire, and not letting the poor
fellows die off of diarrhoea, rather than lessen the
demand for native shoddy ! Patriotism seems to go
to the extent of paying nothing down towards the
war, and wanting to job at the cost of the soldiers'

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THE SUN.