The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-05-22
Our st. Petersburg Correspondence.

Our st. Petersburg Corr sp0ndcnce.
Sr. PETERSBURG, April 80, 1859.
Actual Nature Of the Relations beoeen Rassia and France
Diuisiom IN the Opinions Of the S. feerstu,y Cabinet ia
Regard to its Foreign Policy-7smHing Proposals Mads
by Louis Napoleon to the Csar-7he Propositions NOT Ac
cepted-What Rassia Really Engag.sto DO in AID Of
France-Tardiness of Her Military Preparations
turtance in Her Financial Arrangements. DC, &C.
The difficulties in Western Europe have suddenly
sumed such formidable dmenAons to effect complete
change in the entire political situation throwing all hopes
Of Cancellation into the background, and making
longer question Of time but OF actual immnence wnie
am writing it not improbable that the French and
Austrians have already to blows and by teegra-
pbic despatch arrived here yesterday from London ap
pears that the stock exchange Of that city had fright
ened from its propriey by advices-most probably de-
rived from Austrian ourcesthat Russia had entered
an offensive and defensive league with France, by which
che binds herself to declare against Austria fourteen
days after the latter shall have crossed the Sandman from
tier. Under these circumstances, you will naturally ex
pect to enghen you 10 tho actual state Of affairs
so far as regards this country and hasten impart all
the information am able to obtain this subject and
which you may consider as perfectly authentic.
In my despatch of the 3Ist March gave an erpose Of
the relations that have between France and Russia
since the treaty Of Paris by which you will per.
ceved that, in consequence Of mutual understanding,
unattended however, by written stipuations the
government had been forwarding respect to
the affairs Of the East while lent 1t moral influence
in ouch questions related to the Europe
peat once more, that definite engagements were enter
ed into by either State but the friendly connection
tween the two cours nauguraed by the meeting OF
Emperor with Napoleon I'LL at Stuttgardt kept increasing
In intimacy and still further cemented by the visits
Of Grand Duke Constantine TO Paris and Turin where he
formed personal friendship with the King OF Piedmont
have always told you that the Grand Duke almost
much Emperor OF Russia % his brother the latter deyot
ing himself more especially 10 the Internal government
OF his dominoDs, while Constantine assumed the direction
Of foreign politics, which suited bis bold and aspiring &c
MUS II was through his interference that Pedmontese
government induced cede the por. OF viafranc,
TO Russia In return for which his Imperial Bghncss did his
best TO promote the family alliance between the houses
Savoy and Bonaparte, which by such I'M
promptu affair rs Ia generally imagined but was contem
pnted as early last and Journey Prince
Napoleon Jerome TO Warsaw, which at the gave
TO many interesting rumcrs connected with this pro-
Ject Even then " was manifest that sooner later
there would be rupture between France and Sardinia
ON the one sde and Austria the other of course
was OF The highest Importance for the former obtain
moral and II possible, the material support Of Russia,
IN thc event OF hostities actually breaking out Whe-
tner ne Grand Duke held out definite promises
OF aucn co operation, and how far they
sanctioned by certain members OF our Cabinet,
IL s very difficult to say. have mentioned more than
once that there are two parties influential circles
war party and peace party-Grand Duke Constantine
and Prince Alexander Mikailovltch GorschakoG the Fo
reign Minister being at the Of the former and The
Emperor, Prince 0rlo Court Aaerberg and NEST Of The
other MINISTERS adhering 10 the Latter,