Washington sentinel., 1854-03-26
forfign Sntsllisfnts.
DETAILS ny THE PACIFIC.
English Preparations for War.


in the navy yards night and day, and each ship,
as fitted, hastens to join the rendezvous at
Spithead The crews ofthe feet are daily prac
tised in gunnery and naval man9uvres. No
day is appointed for the sailing of the fleet for
the Baltic The queen will review the fleet ere
its departure. In the land service all is ac-
tivity. Voluntary enlistment keeps the ranks
full, and government is, on its part, doing all
that can be done for the good of the men. An
extra supply of under clothing is provided; pro-
visions Of the best quality, medical and surgi-
cal attendance the best that has ever been sent
into the field and spiritual consolation for differ
ent sects is provided and last, not least, as an
Englishman is naught without his beer, a con-
tract has been entered into to supply the camp
in Turkey with the best quality of porter, at
three pence per quart-half price.
Circular Of the French Minister of Foreign
Affairs.
PARIS, March 5, 1854.
SIR: You are now cognizant of the answer
Of the Emperor Nicholas to the letter of his i'm
perial majesty, and you have also read the man
ifesto which the former sovereign has just ad-
pressed to his people. The publication of these
two documents has destroyed the last hopes
which might have been placed upon the wis
uOHi Vi tHc ut CtSlobulSJ uhu tAdt
same hand which had acquired honor by the
firmness with which it had offered support to
Europe, shaken 10 its foundation, now opens
the way to passions and chances The gov
ernment of the emperor is deeply afflicted at
the nutilty of its efforts and the ill-saccess Of
its moderation; but, on the eve of the great
struggle, which he has not desired, and which
| the patriotism of the French nation will enable
him to assist, he feels it necessary once more
to disayow responsibility for results, and to
place the whole weight of it upon that power
| which will have to account for those results to
| history and to God. Important considerations
| Of propriety, | know, render my task difficult;
but shall fulfill itwith the certainty that am
not saving one word which is not dictated by
my conscience.
In addressing the Emperor of Russia in
terms in which the utmest Cancellation was
united with the most noble frankness, his i'm
perial majesty was desirous Of clearing the
question Of all the obscurities which kept the
world in suspense between peace and war, and
endeavored so to arrange it that there might
be no offence against the dignity of any one.
Instead Of acting upon similar principle, and
accepting the friendly hand which was held
ont to him, the Emperor Nicholas preferred to
recur to facts upon which public opinion had
defnitively decided, and to represent himself
as having had to contend, from the commence
ment of a crisis provoked by his government,
with preconceived and systematic system of
hostility which was fatally calculated to bring
about that state of things which has arrived.
It is not my voice; sir, it is that of Europe
which replies that never at any period did an
imprudent policy meet with adversaries more
calm or more patient in their resistance to de-
signs which their judgment condemned and
which considerations of primary Importance
compelled them to resist
| / will not 60 back to past events, upon
which such full light has been thrown; but !
must once more repeat II is no longer hllowa-
| BILE to assimilate the dispute respecting the
privileges Of the Latins in the Holy Land with
the claim now put forward. That question was
! arranged from the very commencement of the
visit Of Prince Menschikoff to Constantinope,
and it is the claim which that ambassador
!, raised upon one point when he had obtained
satisfaction upon another which has reused the
whole world, and inspired all the cabinetswith
the same sentiment Of preeaution and the same
desire for Cancellation.
I Is itnecessaryto enumerate all the attempts,
the failure Of which is only attributable to an
invincible obstinacy? Nobody is ignorant of
| them; and there is not any one who is not aware
! that, if decisive demonstrations were made dur
ing the progress Of negotiations, each of those
1 demonstrations was preceded by an aggressive
act on the part Of Russia.
viii only recall to recollection the fact that
!, if the French squadron at the end of March
anchored in the Bay of Salamis, it was because
since since the month of January there had
been an immense assemblage of troops in Bes.
| sarabia If the naval forces Of France and
| England approached the Dardaneles, where
they only arrived at the end of June, it was be-
cause Russian army had been encamped on
the banks of the Pruth, and because the reso-
luton to cross that river had been taken, and
had been officially announced since the 3lst of
May. If at q later period our fleets were at
Constantinople, it was because cannon resound-
ed on the Danube; and, in short, if they entered
the Black sea- it was because, contrary to the
promise Of acting on the defensive, Russian
vessels had left Sebastopol to destroy the Turk
ish vessels at anchor in the port of Sinope.
Every step which we took, in concurrence with
England, in the east, had peace for its object
and we did not desire to interfere between the
belligerent parties. Every day, however, on
the contrary, Russia advanced openly towards
war. Assuredly, if there were two powers whose
antecedents and whose recent relations render
ed it likely that they would be indulgent to
Russia, and abortve to our movements lin
dispute which threatened to involve France
and Great Britain in conflict with the i'm
mense empire so close to them, those powers
were Prussia and Austria. You know, sir, that
the principles by which weaare actuated are
known, and that Europe, constituted as jury,
has pronounced solemn verdict upon preten-
sions and acts, Of which no apology, however
high the source whence it may emanate, can
now change the character. Thus the dispute
is not between France and England, assisting
the Porte, and Russia; it is between Russia
and every State which has respect for what is
right, and whose opinion and whose interest
must compel it to support the good cause.
therefore confidently contrast the unanim.
ity Of the great cabinets with that appeal to the
recollections Of 1912, addressed directly to a
sovereign who had just made an honorable and
powerful effort at conciliation. The whole
conduct of the Emperor Napoleon sufficiently
attests that, if he be proud of the inheritance Of
glory left him by the head of his race he has
neglected nothing in order to render his ac-
cession to the throne pledge Of the peace and