RUSSIA AND THE – AUSTRALIAN COLONIES.

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 75, 21 November 1864, Page 3

RUSSIA AND THE - AUSTRALIAN COLONIES.

We are .in 'possession' of rin formation which conies to U3 in a very authentic shap9, that Russia fully expected the breaking out- of -war as the result of her correspondence with the English and French G-pveranients last year, and- she war re : ' solved thatthiatimeat least 'she would do" something better with her fleet than suffer it to be cooped up beliind the defences of Oronstadtor sunk ingloriously in ,the harbor, of Sevastopol. She had studied with much attention,' and apparently no ' little profit, the tactics of the Confederates in 1 the present pivil war.. ! Siib h'atVeien how much injury a yery anaall force can infliet'on a very lai'ge and flourish i i»g commerce, and though uUe pwbftWy M w

anticipate that,, she could; gain, in spite pf the pavy • of England, successeß as decisive as those achieved by the Alabama and other Corife'derate cruisers, she still might very.: 'reasonably thinkflthat she could strike a blow which, tlio.ugh_it might not succeed in cripp'lingjthe commercial, superiority of England, wotild' nevertheless* inflict gl'eat •disrcredit pn her arms and serious~~damage on her ""cbriuri^rce. She well7lmewr.tKatla^rL"iWar; r f had been declared her fleet could np.t.hppe long to keep Tfche seas ■ agains.t, such ,, a ; force- as ( England, and^, .France could, bring agamst it!' j! She;had chosen a" Tuhierable point, and on that, 'so sbori as war was declared, she was determined, to. make a swoop. For tliis_ -purpose . had. beeri issued tq the Russian admiral's builie American arid Califprnian cpasts, directing' them io^leare their respective ports by different routes-for a common place pf.,repdezvQus; : <tpr,be-j ascertained; in mid-;.; ocean by latitude and lpngitude.: . r ,. The : fleet sth-as., aßßembled;w,as,-^). hold |itseif in readiness, in , Jhe ,■ event of ajwarr.with Englandjjto bear. down. on ithe " jiMelbourne wasnto, be 'the; ifirs^place ; attacked, I; then-: Hpbart ; iowri ?r in OT»g-i:0 T»g- i: mania] then Adelaide, then Sydney; _Jjhen O NeW; : Zealarid^., The .force that wastobe assembled\.fpr the purpose, ! r yas; fuuy.' adequate; ; t6 r the ; iservice_requb:ed'pf it. ' Tfie. ships'that detached 1 from the 1 -^ew f yprlc|statibn i - i wp«ld .HavjemusTtered ;156iguii^ and^ihoae^ ftoni^p^an 'atd^ California i i-wbuldi hare ! carried 1 ? ; Q&'-gtin&'i" the Miumb^r' tot J seamen- was 2971 [ and 5 there were': 127 o r The'vessels' were principally armed; with ■ 68tpounders, but the admirals had orders' to obtain from ]$ew York whatever rmed-guns they might '-require. Of course, there £ i| npttu^g iirthis story, true as we believe it to be," to" excite "iri^" the minds of the jpeople of this country any"sbrt of ill-feeHng againsj Russia; If England .willrgb' to nrar owith" -powerful nations'.she^niust exp.ect , theywill choose the^weakps.t/point'theyocanffindi whether the causgoi the Jquarrel be_an idea, a nationah'fcy, or a senti.ment. i The plan seems to have been skilfully conceived, and wasj.no dbubt,f far^better jbhari.the . ,oldrOnb of treating your fleet as something that ; is to be laid up in lavender, to be protected and taken care of instead, pf r being employed, for. purpose of injuring the^ enemy! If we had been foolish enough to be drawn into a war with Russia for such a chimera as : the regeneration bfvPoland we should not have had the slightest right to complain, though she had made— us feel the evils of the conflict in the most sensitive place and in the severest manner. — The Times'. .'.-.- '■■•' .'■■:. ■«>