Washington sentinel., 1854-04-01
foreian gntflligsnts.
by the FranLIin aud the Canada.

by the Franklin aud the Canada.
[correspondencs Of the London Tmesl
Yesterday morning General Graf Won der
Groeben, the commander of the guard, left here
for London, charged with special mission to
the court Of St. James. Prince Hohenzollern-
| Sigmaringen left Berlin about the same time
with a similar mission to the court OF Versailles.
/ have good reason for believing that these
| noblemen are the bearers OF autograph letters
from the king to the sovereigns of England and
France, explanatory OF the reasons that have
withheld Prussia from embracing the opportu-
nifty of carrying out the bold and brilliant
| policy which the conjuncture of the last fort
night offered her, and also defining his majes-
\ tvs views with respect TO the conditions Of
/ future peace. Report has been busy for the
/ last day or two in choosing which of the royal
princes should proceed to Vienna and st. Pc
| tersburg on the same pacific errand; but /
| expect you will find that Lieutenant Colonel
| Won Manteuffel has been fixed upon for the
former capital (where he has already several
! times officiated in similar capacity and
Prince August Won Wurtemberg for the latter,
if any mission at all should proceed thither.
| Great fears are entertained here that the
Prussian government, having in this conjunc-
ture come to standstill in the onward course
it was following SO honorably to ITSELF has
arrived at point where it would branch off
from the path hitherto pursued and enter on a
course of mediative proposals, which would
result eventually in embracing the Russian
cause altogether. What initiates against the
probability Of these fears being grounded is,
that the government by its semi-oflicial organ
declared, after the receipt and rejection of Rus
sia's last demands-as preferred by Count Orloff,
ssthat all attempts at arrangement must remain
fruitless until some turningpoint has been
arrived at in the course Of events from which
it might be possible to derive a new basis for
negotiation Since then no favorable con-
| juncture has offered itself, and, least of all,
| can the present moment be suitable for pacif-
catory proposals. when the courier is barely
/ arrived at st. Petersburg with the very warlike
ultimatum of the western powers
] The feeling among those acquainted with
the events of the last week and their deloue-
ment is extremely depressed.
DEPARTURE OF THE BALTIC FLEET.
/ PORTSMOUTH,, Saturday night.--One of the
most brilliant and imposing spectaces that has
| fallen to the lot of many of the present genera
i ton to witness-the departure Of a powerful
| feet on active service-took place this day at
! Portsmouth, in the presence of her majesty,
his royal highness Prince Albert, the younger
members Of the royal family, and many hun
dreds of thousands Of her loyal and dutiful sub
jects For the last few days Portsmouth re-
sembled town in state of siege. Every rail
way train, every steamer and every vehicle that
has arrived, has made some addition to her
overaowing population. The southwestern
railway announced excursion trains at a mod
crate expense, and made such arrangements as
they believed calculated to meet the pressure.
4 The public, however, poured in literally in hun
dreds as early as six o'clock in the morning,
and the first train was obliged to be broken up
into two or three separate trains, each convey
i ing some thousands. AS each carriage was
drawn up.to the platform, it was assailed by
excited hundreds, and many torn garments,
and some personal conflicts, marked the eager
ness of the public to see the fleet at Spithead.
The Brighton railway also announced special
trains, but from some refined stroke of policy
fixed the prices at three times the price Of the
Southwestern, and consequently were not in
conveniently crowded At the Portsmouth ter
minus the scene was, if possible, still more ex-
citing. Long lines of omnibuses, flies, cabrio-
let's, and other vehicles were drawn up and
taken possession of the moment the train ar
1 rived. Those who could not find places hung on
behind or in front, anyhow while the more
energetic, in their heavy saltwater repellants,
and overcoats toed manfully, under broiing
sun and clouds of dust, to the pier-head. Here
there was scene of still further confusion and
excitement The steamers and sailing vessels,
as fast as they were filled moved off, and there
were no persons in attendance to give any in
formation to the irritated and anxious holders
i of blue white or yellow tickets for the various
steam-packet companies, who had undertaken
to charter the holders. Some hundreds who
had paid los. 15s. and 2Os. for their tickets
never had even a chance of getting on board,
the supply of tickets SO far exceeding the capa-
bilities Of the vessels that even the captains,
Indifferent as they generally are to overload
ing, hesitated about taking any more on board.
1t was decidedly great day for England in
general, but for the Portsmout boatmen in par
| ticular and we do not hesitate to say that
/ sum that would have purchased the boat out
right was in many instances demanded and
/ paid, when all other means of getting out to the
| feet failed. 1t is needless to say that Ports
mouth was in high feather at the vast addition
to its available resources, and the streets were
! from an early hour thronged with visitors and
naval or military men. Bands of music paraded,
troops marched past, flags and banners waved
from almost every window boats were momen-
tarily putting off to the feet, conveying men or
stores; and if the Russian feet were in the
/ Chops of the Channel, the great naval arsenal
Of England could not have exhibited more ami.
nation or enthusiasm
/ M THE SCENE.
! By the time noon was passed, those who
were aware of her majestys punctuality, and
who understood that she would visit the feet
at midday, began to entertain serious misgiv-
ings that the queen would not come, and that
the feet would not sail. The steamers loaded
to the waters edge, went through the feet af
fording the visitors ample opportunity to ad
mire the majestic proportions, the formidable
armament, the swarms of armed men on deck,
and all the stern reality Of war, as contrasted
with the pageant that took place in these waters
the previous year; but while they were admir-.
ing the grim repose, and massive size, and tre-
| mendous power Of these engines of modern
warfare, light cloud of smoke is seen in the
distance, and soon the practised eyes of the
lookoutmen recognise the royal squadron from
1 Osborne. A signal is run up to the masthead