TURKEY AND RUSSIA.

Lyttelton Times, Volume IV, Issue 175, 13 May 1854, Page 5

TURKEY AND RUSSIA.

(From the Melbourne Argus.) Although we have still to rely ou telegraphic intelligence for what is known of the late operations on the Danube, and of the movements of the combined fleets in the Black Sea, there can be no doubt but that events have occurred which approach much more nearly to actual war than anything we have yet had to record. According to these despatches, which have now been received through several, channels, there is no doubt that the Turks commenced on the 6th of January a series of brilliant and successful opeyations against the advanced.guard of the Russians, which had reached Citale. The battle seems to have commenced by the capture of two redoubts or field-works thrown up by the Russians, and to have continued with doubtful success, for mention is made of the loss of some pieces of cannon on both sides. The Russian re-inforcements were, however, beaten back with loss, and ou the following days the battle was renewed with undiminished fury. General Aurep, who commanded one of the Russian divisions, was severely wounded, and on the Bth or 9th this long disputed battle ended in a complete defeat of the Russians, who were driven back on Krajova, with the loss of several thousand men and four guns. It is stated that on the 10th the Turks retired to Kalafat, so that they probably contented themselves with this successful attack on the advanced position of the Russians, and the destruction of this part of the Russian army, and then fell back on their own lines. In the meantime the Moniteur has officially announced that the fleets entered the Black Sea on the 3rd. It was at first intended to despatch a steam squadron, consisting of theAffamemnon, Charlemagne, and Sanspareile, with six large paddle-wheel frigates, under the command of Rear-admirals Lyons and Barbier de Tinan ; but the absence of this powerful steam force would have crippled the movements of the whole fleet, and consequently it was resolved that all the ships should go out together, the Trafalgar and Valmy, 120-gun ships, remaining to guard the Bosphorus. The Retribution and the Cam, were sent up to Sebastopol to inform the Russian authorities that the combined fleets had entered the Black Sea to protect the Turkish flag and territory, and that they would act accordingly. This message.must have been delivered about the 6th or Bth hist., and, as it implies the direct co-operation of Franc-e and England with Turkey against Russia, though still in a defensive attitude only, such a message may be considered, if the Russians think fit, to be a declaration of war. If, on the contrary,, they still seek to gain time, they may avoid a collision by keeping their vessels in harbour, but their operations for the transport of troops are paralysed. Sebastopol is virtually blockaded, and the Turkish Government has immediately taken advantage of this state of affairs to send to Batoum a convoy,of 15,000 men with re-inforcemeuts, which are greatly needed by the army of Asia. These measures, which are taken under the direct protection of the French and English flags, clearly amount to a participation in acts of war, and the Russians appear to be well aware of the position in which they stand. The commander of their forces in the Sea. of Azoff, which consist of a numerous flotilla of gun-boats adapted to that shallow navigation, has sent to Sebastopol for protection, which it is impossible to give him ; for a few of our smallest steamboats would probably destroy his flotilla. Odessa is not capable of serious defence, and may be dealt with as the allied squadrons think fit; and Sebastopol is not secure from a regular attack. These preparations for actual war have not lessened the sincerity of the Four Powers in presenting for the acceptance of Russia the terms of peace to which the Porte has already agreed. They will not be more palateable when more blood has been shed, more acts of violence committed, more hardships inflicted on his own subjects, and when the position of the Czar is still more degraded in the eyes of Europe. He ls in the position of a wrongdoer called upon to make restitution for an offence. At present 110 more is asked of him ;but, if he deliberately °lens the whole account which 'maybe reckoned "P between Russia and the freer nations of Euj'°pe, the reign of the Emperor Nicholas is likev to and very differently from the manner in which it began.

THE WAR ON THE DANUBE. We.now receive, by way of Bucharest, news ot the march of the anay, whose defeat at Oitale we have already described. The latter news came by Belgrade, and is therefore of very much later date, it will be seen how it is corroborated by the following despatch, dated Bucharest, Jan. 2. Qeneral Auref has marched for Kalafat with 22,000 men ; Prince Gortschakoff has gone in the same direction. "There is no longer any idea of the re-estab-hshment of peace." We have.already recorded that General Auref was attacked by llie Turks at Citaie on the 6th, that the battle was renewed on the 7th and Btb, and that on the 9th, the Russians having been defeated with great loss, had fallen back ou Krajova. General Auref himself was severely wounded. , THE BLACK SEA. • Constantinople, Jan. 2. It is said that the Sultan has pardoned the Softas. Odessa, Dec. 3. Good descriptions of wheat are werth 29 roubles the chetwert. Numerous parties of Finland seamen are passing through the town on their way to SebastopoL From the News of the World, January 15. "The French Government has received a despatch from Constantinople, announcing a great victory gained by Omar Pasha over the Russians in the neigbo'urhood of Kalafat. The Russians who were more numerous than the Turks, had from 25,000 to 30,000 engaged. It is said, besides, that the great majority of the population of Lesser Wallachia have risen against the Russians, and the victory now gained by Omar Pasha is expected'to.'decide such parts of the country as'might still hesitate to join the insurgents. This insurrection would appear to be of an infinitely more general character than the partial outbreaks already reported from other quarters. Constantinople is said to be in the greatest joy and enthusiasm :.the disaster at Sinope is almost forgotten in the delight caused by the signal ..ad-vantage-uow gained." From various other despatches we glean the following:—lnstructions were sent to the Turkish commanders in Europe and Asi.-i to ou^y on the-war with all possible energy. The Turks will fall back on Trajan's wall, extending from Ozernavoda to Kostendje, should General Luders force the passage of the Danube at Matshin, The wall is very strongly fortified. Prince Mensehikoff is making preparations at Odessa for the.reception of the Archduke Consta'ntine, Austria is very angry that Russia after accepting her' good offices, should now insist on treating with the Port alone. The Oest Correspondenz contains an article, the sense of wdich is, that Austria has no reason to interfere in the present conflict, as her relations with all the great powers are undisturbed. The commander of the Imperial Guard at Constantinople has resigned. A great five has consumed several houses in the Greek quarter of the city. Dearnesa was increasing. A camp has been formed near Constantinople. The steamer Ctistazza was cruising off Rhodes, in quest of pirates. The ambassadors \t ere holding conferences daily at Baron de Brack's. An army has been concentrated on the Persian frontiers, under Amadi Pasha." Letters from Bucharest state that the Russians have placed a park of artillery, consisting of 400 guns of the largest calibre, at Giurgeyo, and a similar one of 120 guns at Galatz. The entrenchments at Bucharest are vigorously carried on both north and south of the city. A reconnaisance has been made of all the islands on the Danube from Galatz to Kalarac. The Russian officers proclaim boldly, that the Imperial troops will never give up possession of Moldo-Wallachia. St. Petersburg, Dec. 30.—The 6th corps, stationed at Moscow and the environs, has received orders to move towards the south ; the first columns are already in motion. The first corps formed of Grenadiers, has been can-, toned in Finland, Livonia, Esthonia, and Courland. The German nobility of Courland professing the Lutheran religion and oppressed in the Baltic provinces, have .solicited permission to send, their children as volunteers, and at their own expense to combat for the orthodox faith.

Berlin, Jan. 6.—The Russo-Polixh authorities have announced to our Government the discovery of a political plot, which had come to light through numerous arrests in the ex-king-dom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Posen. The Emperor Nicholas has expressed-.a desire that the Prussian papers should abstain from all communications on the movement of the Russian army. THE RUSSIAN SHIPS OF WAR ORDERED BACK TO SEBASTOPOL. All the Russian ships of war in the Black Sea have orders to return to Sebastouol. The Djeridei Huradis, of the 20th of December, gives the following particulars of the sinking of the Turkish vessel captured by the Russians in the affair of Sinope;—"We have stated that the Russians had captured an Ottoman steam vessel, and taken it to Sebastopol. This vessel remained some time at that port, and was then taken to Odessa. Afterwards she was brought back to Sevastopol, with some Turkish sailors on board, who had . been made prisoners. One of these sailors went down into the hold, and secretly made a big hole, which let in the water, and the vessel quickly went to the bottom. We give ,lhis news as positive." INSURRECTION IN LESSER WALLACUIA. The latest accounts from the Danubian Principalities confirm the report of an insurrection among the peasants of Lesser Wallachia. The insurrection was extending, and may cause the Russians serious trouble. A report which did ■not obtain lauch credit, was current at Jassy relative to the death of Prince Woronzow. Official accounts had been received there, announcing the death of Admiral Osruan Pasha who was wounded and made prisoner at Sinope. Many of the Wallachian militia, which effected their escape from Major Barileanu's corps, have been captured by the Russians and brought back to Krajowa. The rest have succeeded in joining the Turks. The Wallachian officer who commanded the corps under Barileanu is in prison at Krajowa, and is charged, firstly, with not preventing the " desertion" of the men ; and secondly, with having had the boldness to declare that he considered the Sultan as his liege lord, and the Czar as only possessing the rights of a protector, that consequently he did not feel bound to fight for the second against tha fii-ct. (Tlioi-o .a.i-o in T.ifflo ' W«UJUoI.;« <l fcir Greek farmers who sympathise with Russia, and endeavour to. win over the^ people to their way of thinking. The peasants have seized some of .these,, bound them and delivered them to the Turks. The Trieste Zeitung announces, under date of Constantinople, January the 2nd, that three Persian corps were marching against Erzeroum, Bagdad, and towards the Persian Gulf. The English and Turkish envoys will have left Teheran. Admiral Lyons was to leave Beycos on the 2nd. THE NEGOTIATION WITH RUSSIA. By International Telegraph via the Hague. Vienna, Tuesday Evening. The Turkish note was presented to the conference at Vienna on the 13th, approved, and forwarded .immediately to St. Petersburgh. The Porte requires that the note shall be accepted or rejected within forty days from January 2nd. If accepted, the Principalities are to be evacuated within twenty days afterwards. NOTE OF THE FOUR POWERS. At a Grand Council held on the 20th, the Porte accepted the note of the Four Powers, authorising them to renew the negotiations of peace on certain conditions favourable to Turkey, which run as follows: " I, the undersigned ambassador of Her Britannic Majesty, in accordance with the representatives of Fiance, Austria, and Prussia, have the honor to make known to the Sublime Porte that the Governments of the Four Powers, having still reason to believe that. His Majesty the Emperor of Russia does not consider the negotiations broken and put aside by the declaration of war and its conseqnences, and knowing moreover from the declarations made by his Imperial Majesty, that he is anxious merely to see insured an equality of rights and privileges conceded (ootroyes) by His Majesty the Sultan, and by his glorious predecessor, "to the Christian communities, subjects of the Sublime Pone : The sublime Porte, having- answered such declarations by saying that s-he would consider it her decorous duty to continue to maintain

the said rights and privileges, and to be always willing to put an end to existing differences between the two empires: The proposed negotiations to be based: First—.On the evacuation of the Principalities as soon as possible ; Secondly—On the renewal of the former treaties; Thirdly—On the communication of the firmans relative to the spiritual privileges conceded.by the SublimejPorte to all her subjects not Mussulmans, which communication made to the Powers would be accompanied by proper declarations given to each of them. The arrangement already made to bring to a close the question of the Holy Places, and the establishments at Jerusalem, would be definitively adopted. (This arrangement concerns the construction of a church and the formation of a Russian Ospezia at Jerusalem.) The Sublime Porte would make known to the representatives of the Four Powers her readiness to name a plenipotentiary to establish an armistice, and to negociate on the abovementioned basis, with the concurrence of the Powers, in a neutral town. The declaration made by the Powers in the preamble of the'treaty "of the 13th of July, 1841, would beiformally confirmed by the same Powers interested in the integrity and in the independence of the Ottoman Empire, and in that of the European convention. The Sublime Porte would declare her firm resolution to give a .further development to the 'administrative system, and to her internal improvements, such as will meet the wants and just expectations of her subjects of all classes. "Pera, Dec. 12, 1853. (Signed) "Stratford de Redcliffe. Baraguay »'Hilliees. L. DE WILDENBEUCK. B. de Bruck."