The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-01-21

Liverpool continued quite nin, WIN Ialr amount
Of engagements. To the latter port alb ,ut 5000
bushels wheat in ships bags to be loaded from the
Atlantic docks, were engag ed at Sd.
The old Russian Policy-The Impossibiiity
OF Peace.
There is something in the circular of Count
Nesselrode, the Prime Minister of the Emperor
of Russia, relative to the peace conditions of
the Allies, which smacks little OF conscious
strength, if not of contempt. 1t certainly in
dicates nothing from which We are to infer that
Russia is about to yield up a line of policy
steadily and successfully pursued from the time
of Peter the Great: so triumphantly indeed, as
to generate in the Russian people conviction
of the infallibility of the Gear and his govern
ment. 1t has made a spiritual as well as po-
litical head of the nation. Under this policy
her frontiers have been advanced eight hun
dred miles towards Vienna, Berlin, Munich
and Paris, five hundred miles towards Coustau-
tinople, about one thousand miles towards
India, and the same distance towards the CAPT
tai of Persia. She has pushed her dominions
up to the very gates of Stockholm-she has
invaded but fairly invaded, India between the
Caspian Sea and the western boundaries of
China, in Khiva, Turcomania and Kirquis,
pressing easterly from these points, in the
southern part of Siberia aud the northern
coast of China, to Kiakhta, where che has es-
tablished Notifications and maintains large
military force. This point has been made
depot Of commerce, and is especially impor-
tant as the chief mart Of Siberian furs and
Chinese teas. 1t is within about one thousand
miles of Pekin.
1t is impossible to regard the progress of
Russia within the last seventy-fve years with
out admiration. wonder and surprise. 1t is a
progress at once SO consistent, SO comprehen.
sive and SO certain, as to evince alike the sa-
gacity Of her government and the energy and
endurance of her people. Considered in the
light Of actual force, aside from the advantages
of higher states of civilization-in truth, as an
inland movement with few commercial facili-
ties--the advancement of Russia has been
greater than that OF any other people on the
globe, possibly excepting our own. Buried in
the forests and frosts Of her empire, she has
risen like giant refreshed from sleep, until
within the period Of q single half century she
has become, if not the greatest Power ia Ea-
rope, at least most feared by the governments
Of the Continent.
II it were possible to contemplate these won
derful results without deducing from them
fixed and consistent policy by which the En-
pire has been guided, we might yield some
credit to the various rumors of peace which
float SO constantly between the belligerent
States.
Russia has been incommunicated as a nation.
She has sought access to the ocean through the
Mediterranean on the south, as she has acquired
an opening to the Baltic on the north. She
has pressed her power up the northern coast OF
Norway to the southeast corner Of Siberia, to
the mouth of the river Saghalian, which is
never closed by ice, and thus down the Sea OF
japan. This point was surrendered about
century ago to the Tartars, but has been re-an-
nexed. Again, she possesses Archangel on
the White Sea. These FIVE points embrace
the whole scheme of Russian commercial and
maritime designs, if we omit her purposes 10
Denmark. They are sufficient to show the in
terests involved in the present war and to give
some idea of the prospects of peace on the
basis of the propositions Of the Allies. They
ought to be regarded as interpreters, not only
of the reply Of Count NesselroGe but Of the
settled purposes Of the Cabinet of ST. Peters
burg.
Russia thus exhibited Russia with no rival
in Europe for three-quarters of a century ia
all that can exalt nation-Russia unchecked
in her schemes of conquest and in her com
pactness of action, in the Improvement of her
industry, and the oneness of her government
Russia with seventy millions Of people de-
voted to an executive chief who is their spi-
single campaign and the equivocal loss Of
mere fraction Of her territories, with few
ships Of war, is now reported to be ia the act
of submission to her enemies. There is az
extreme Of absurdity in this presumption which
ought to divest it of the smallest possible Gre
lence She has been defeated in the field, it is
rue; but where is the army her enemies have
captured They have forced her into Sebas-
topol, and have compelled the surrender Of
that city, destroyed her naval force there, aud
driven her from the Black Sea. She has a
hundred ships of war at Constadt; and it re-
mains to be seen how otherwise than as a naval
triumph the conquest Of the Crimea is to be
regarded.
While Sebastopol has fallen into the hands Of
the invaders, General Nouravieff has taken Kars
and opened the whole south coast of the Black
Sea, with the Bosphorus as the only obstacle
to descent upon Constantinople. In strate-
gical sense, if we consider the position of
the belligerents--the immense field of opera
tions opened to both parties by the loss of Sc
bastopol by one, and the loss Of Kars by the
other, leaving the great city of Erzeroum
at the mercy of the victorious army under