Litchfield enquirer., 1856-02-07
rynopraN ArFa.;IRs.


 EUROPEAN AFFAIRS.
 Amid all the excitement of Nashington and Kansas affairs. considerable interest has been manifested in ihis conntry re- earding tho negotiations for peace in pfo- gress between the great powers engaged in the bioody strife in Europe. Propositions have been made on both sides, and finally the Allies have presented the Czar with the only terms upon which the disputed matters canshs adjasted. By the fast aTri- val we learn that Russia has declared her self ready. not to acceP. but to negatiats upon the basis of their proposals. Her qualified acceptance is apparently one of those diplomatic ssratasems in which Russia has always excelied. She had pre- pared us for this, already, by her announce men, to the courts of Europe in December, long before the Western Powers had agreed upon the Austrian proposals. that Russia now, as ever, cherishes the desire for peace and the sincere hope of its restoration if her adversaries would only meet her in the same spirit. By this manifestation of a willingness for peace she hoped that all the l other powers might be withheld from join ing the Austrian ultimatum, since her friendly relations to them were becoming more and more doubtful Austria from her defensive neutrality going over to an of fensise one-ihe Middle States of Germa- ny. which recently sided with Prussia, now sympa'hizing with Austria-Sweden and Norway. Russia's nearest neighbor and for forty years her intimate ally, in open alliance with France and England-Spain and Portugal in uninterrupted negotiation with the cabinet of Louis Napoleon, with view to an alliance-Belgium remaining neutral only as long as the Western Pow CTS allow and desire i,-Naples. whose King was lately boasting of his devoted ness to Russia, accepting Austria's invita- tion to take part with her--Sardinia sus- taining an army in the Crimea-Prussia, at last, threatened by England on account of her duplicity. getting intimidated. With such discouraging indications of the te,n. per of the other governments. the least .ha, Russia could do was to accept the ultima. tum as basis of negotiations, by which she gains time to continue her warlike pre-. parations and enlarge her armaments. This view of the subject seems to have also been taken in London and Paris, and the Lon. don Times has little confidence in the ne. gotiations, because it thinks the Czar is i'm. pelIed forward by influence which he dare not resist A new monarch, who has a name to make, is morally weak as compar ed with ruler whose successes, for near y thirty years. has established his pres- iige and the Russians, at the hands ol the late Czar. would have accepted copdi 1 tions, to which his successor dare not ac. cede"
 The preparations for the new campaign are in no wise abated, notwiths tandinn these negotiations. Operations in the Bal tic are to he of a more formidable charac. ter than hitherto. The fleet destined fou these waters in 1856, is to consist ofthirty. eight line. .of.battle ships and heavily armed frisates. mounting 2,sl2 guns eighteen corve,tes and steam fligates, mounting 30a guns; twenty smaller steamers, with los guns; seventeen dispa'ch gunboats, with 7s guns three floating batteries, with 53 guns; four heavy mortar ships, mounting A pieces; I37 gun-boats and mnrtar.boats, carrying two heavy pieces of ordnance or an average There will be also a store ammuniiion-ship, hosPi,al-ship. and float. ing factory. Total, 2i3 ships of war; all with the exception of s,oreship and hos. pi.al- ship. propelled by steam. Total guns. 3,667. -.@ l For this fleet the French, with the assis. tance of the Sardinians, will furnish a0. GOO troops. This is doubtless the most power. 1 ful armament fleet that has ever fioated on 1 the water and 1t is rendered doubly more 1 terrible by new inventions of shot proof CO., verings for gun-boats, &c.,, and balls whicl, l can penetrate and break down the stouses, walls. @ Luther sIonson's Insurance Co.
 The late Metropolitan fire and marine