The Press. — London, England, 1856-12-13 00:00:00

1182 The note then offers in proof of the good faith of Russia to obtain an honest and faithful interprets• tion of the treaty of Paris, the facts th at when " the Ottoman Porte expressed the wish that the islands of the delta of the Danube might be placed under her direct authority, instead of being annexed to Moldavia, as arranged by Art. 21," Russia declared her willingness to adhere to the request ; that as re spects the importance of Bo'grad in a military point of view, Russia has declared that she will not fortify the town ; and, finally, that with respect to the settlement of the frontier, "the Emperor has given orders to his commissaries that as soon as the labours of the commission are over on the spot itself, the territory which falls to Moldavia is to be imme diately made over to the Moldavian authorities, with out delay, and even without waiting for the signing of the final convention." In conclusion, the memorandum expresses a hope that these two points of minor importance of detail will be satisfactorily settled, calls attention to the continued and objectionable occupation of the Principalities by Austria, and appeals to Fiance to secure the neutralisation of the Black Sea. THE COMING CONFERENCES. Le Nord this week publishes an article explaining the position of Russia in relation to the Western powers, with reference to the Bolgrad dispute : In the beginning of the difficulty France, which was impartial, leaned to the Russian interpretation ; but, for the purpose of conciliation, sought fur a compromise in combination which appeared to her ought to satisfy all these angry rivals. Sardinia used the same language as France. Prussia never admitted the interpretation of Austria and England, which she even severely condemned. Opinions, therefore, were thus divided ; on the one side Turkey, sustained violence and the most absolute tone by Austria and England, and on the other side Russia, supported with firmness by Prussia, and with more reserve by France and Sardinia. Russia then proposed to appeal back to the Congress itself, and formally requested its re assembly. The pro position was equally agreeable to France. Austria, Eng land, and Turkey hastened to decline the offer of Russia ; Turkey, in guarded and equivocal language ; Austria, by wrapping its refusal in honied forms ; and England, with disdainful and insolent arrogance. The attitude of Eng land covered the weakness of Turkey and the hypocrisy of Austria. England placed herself at the head of the re sistance, and at the same time addressed severe reprimands to the Cabinet of Berlin and the Cabinet of Turin. The latter, however, could not do much. We have already mentioned the tone of these representations of England, couched in a style humiliating, and filled with menace for the two Courts. Prussia was firm ; and England, by way of punishing her, has taken upon herself to support Switzer land in the Neufchatel question. Everything, therefore, depended upon France and Sardinia. Under these cir cumstances the question is insoluble. The following is the mode of extrication that has been adopted, the honour of which is due to the Cabinet of the Tuileries : That Cabinet explained itself frankly at the Court of St. Petenburg,and the consequence of those explanations was, that Russia was far mote concerned in the point of honour than in a material or political interest. The Cabinet of the Tuileries, interpreting this language and attitude of Russia, perceived that a decision of the majority of the pleoipo tentiaries would relieve the Russian Government of its embarrassment; and that, while it would only occasion to Russia an unimportant sacrifice, and the necessity of an honourable retreat, it would entail upon Austria and upon England the obligation of withdrawing the armies which occupy the Principalities and the fleets which occupy the Black Sea. In this point of view, the French Cabinet, in lending itself to the formation of a majority against Russia, remained faithful to its policy, because, without doing any essential damage to Russia, it put an end to causes which might threaten the peace of Europe. But how to form beforehand that majority demanded by England as the conditions without which neither she, nor Austria, nor Turkey, would consent to take part in the new Conferences ? If lam well informed, this has been the subject of an understanding between the Cabinets of Paris and Turin. A little negotiation has taken place between these Cabinets. Its object was to determine the Cabinet of Turin to follow that of the Tuileries, to hold the same language as that of the Tuileries in the future Con- ference, and to maintain the same attitude. The Cabinet of Turin yielded. Those, then, who persuade themselves that the plenipo• tentiaries of the seven powers will assist at the Conference, with liberty of judgment and independence of mind, to pronounce judicially on the interpretation of one or two articles of the treaty of Paris, indulge in strange illusions. Ten points :vhich have been the subject of debate are now decided, and decided against Russia by a majority of live ♦otes to two. Russia knows it, and rightly persists in her design of bringing the question before the Conference, and of accepting the resolutions which shall be adopted by the majority of the plenipotentiaries. On some future day, Russia will have her turn ; to•day it is England's. Jn its last stages the discussion presented for decision a question of form and a question of substance. England obtains the substance and willingly abandons the form--that is what she often does, and she finds it answer well. THE PRESS. S'mien dorrrsponbtnte. PARIS, Dec. 11th. I AM sufficiently recovered from my indisposition to take up my pen and congratulate you upon the extraordinary accuracy of your announcement in THE PREss, of the reopening of the new Con ference. It occasioned much excitement here; and not a little merriment was created when, on the Tuesday following, appeared the pompous and evidently forced admission of that which you had announced four days before. Despite all the bluster and bullying of the Ministerial prints, it cannot be concealed that the obtaining of a new Congress was a decided check to the English Premier; it was a hint to him that, after all, England was only one of the five powers which signed the treaty of Paris. The meeting of the new Congress is further a check to the Premier, in this way,—Russia has always been understood to say, with regard to the disputed points, not that she is in the right, and that the Serpents' Isle, Yalpuck, and Bolgrad do belong to Russia, but that she thinks they do, and that there is, at any rate, a prima-facie casa for inquiry and arbitration. To this, as we have seen, the Eng lish Government replied in their organs by the most insulting taunts, and the declaration that there was no ease for arbitration, that England would decide the question, and no congress should meet. Eng land has not decided the question ; the Congress does meet, and Russia will, at the bidding of a numerical majority of the powers, cheerfully resign her claims upon the points in dispute. In the meeting of the second Congiess, the French Emi:eror has given us an additional instance of the calm and determined manner in which he carries out a point which he deems essential to justice. It also shows to the powers of Europe that he is willing and able to act as a drag upon the impetuosity of our Foreign•otfice. Paris is in a state of perfect trap• quillity, anal, notwithstanding the croaks of " Our own Correspondent," was never, to all appearance, further from a revolution. The Emperor and Empress appear continually in public, and are everywhere received with respect and affection. The other day the Empress,attended by one of her Dames du Palais, drove in her open carriage, but unattended by escort, through Paris to the Faubourg St. Antoine, where her Majesty inspected an asylum of which she is the patroness. The day was wet ; but it was the hour when the ouvriers were at home for dinner; they flocked out of their houses and gave the most cordial reception to the young Empress as she went on her mission of charity. Since I wrote last there has been much gossip about the affairs of Neufchatel, in which it is sup posed that the views of France and England are again at variance. Rumour, as you know, has a thousand tongues, but it is whispered that the sing of Prussia will ere long take a more decisive step in the matter. The expected arrival this week of Prince Frederick William of Prussia is naturally a theme of general discussion; it is looked upon as the occasion when a further step will be taken in the Neufchatel affair. The insurrection in Sicily is effectually quelled ; whether it was of threatening aspect is not known, for the accounts received from Naples are scanty and unsatisfactory. The interest on the matter was dying away, when the news of the attempted assas sination of the King has again directed public atten tion to the Italian peninsula. The intelligence has startled Paris, and has been so lately received, that I can give you no further particulars than those already known to you. The exact day for the meeting of the Congress is not yet known, but it will be about the end of the month. It is, as the Morning Post has it, not to consist of plenipotentiaries, but of judges to define an existing law. The position of Turkey at the present moment seems, to say the least of it, not exactly such as to fit it best for the office of an unbiassed judge on a question which most nearly affects the interests of England and Austria. With Lord Lyons in the Turkish waters and Austrian troops in the Principalities, it could noi, be a matter of much spe• culation which way the Ottoman Porte will exercise the function of judge. I said before that Russia will cheerfully accede to the adverse majority in the Congress, but she will not consider that her position is an ignominious one. In a European struggle France, Russia, and Prussia do not appear to disadvantage on ono side against Lord Palmerston and Austria with Turkey and Sar dinia on the other. Lord Palmerston and Austria! What a strange combination, or complicity, if you will; at any rate, it will be an unfortunate one in the long run for the interests of England. It forcibly reminds one of the admirable remarks which ap peared in one of your numbers last year. You then SATURDAY, maintained that war had been carried on by Russia, England, France, Turkey, and Sardinia, and that peace bad been made with but one result, that of giving to Austria the marrons tirr du jeu of the bloody and expensive wer by the above powers. The result of the Congress will be a gain to no one but Austria. Yes, to Austria. She is mistress of the situation, and that situation brought about without her having ever spent a shilling or spilt a drop of her blood. Truly, the Clarendons, Cowleys, the Nessel rodes, the Palmerstons, Cavours, and Wales ski s must hide their diminished heads before the cunning and skill of Austrian diplomacy. - . Talking of Russia reminds me of a paragraph in Le Nord which has caused much diversion here; it is to the effect that the great Tory leader, Mr. Disraeli, had dined at the Tuileries, seated opposite to Count Walewski and next to Count Kisseleff. Now this sounds very terrible ; it is a very good story, and very well told, and, indeed, there is only one thing against it, that is, that, unless I have been strangely misinformed, neither of those distinguished diplomatists were invited to meet Mr. Disraeli at the Tuileries. But really I am becoming too prolix, and finish. Ifortign and Qt Will 'lnteWpm FRANCE. THE Moniteur of last Sunday published the follow ing note upon the renewal of ',he Conferences : The treaty of Paris has met, in its application, with difficulties which have given rise to a difference of opinion between the contracting Courts, and has rendered neces- sary a meeting of their respective representatives to hasten the complete execution of the conditions of peace. The majority of the powers that signed the treaty have already agreed, with this object iu view, to the convocation of the Conference at Paris. It is, therefore, to be presumed that it will be able to meet before the end of the present month, and everything authorises the hope that it will succeed in promptly re-establishing a perfect understanding on the points under dispute. The Debats says upon the question We believe we are able to state with some certainty, that England, in entering the Conference, distinctly declares that she will contorm to the decision of the majority, whatever that decision may be. The relative position of the disputants is no secret; on one side, France, Russia, and Prussia; on the other, England, Austria, and Turkey; in the middle, Sardinia, which, coinciding originally with the opinion expressed by France, is now, it is said, oscil lating between the two. A letter from Vienna of the 6th, in the Dhbats says : It is known at Vienna that Count Buol urges in all his official correspondence the necessity of obtaining from Count Walewaki a positive declaration, stating the identity of opinion of France with Austria and England on the. Bolgrad question—that is to say, that the three powers should engage by a fresh diplomatic document, and not. lwithstanding whatever turn the Conferences might take to vote together against Russia on this question. It is said that Baron de Bourqueney has made a kind of verbal declaration to that effect; but, as I have befote remarked, a positive and absolute guarantee is wished tor. The Moniteur also announced that on the 2nd inst. a treat) was signed at Bayonne between the plenipotentiaries of his Majesty the Emperor and of her Majesty th• Queen of Spain, settling the fron tier line between France and Spain. The Nord of Brussels says that the intention to convoke the Corps Legislatif in the month of January has been abandoned in consequence of its having been decided that Count de Morny is to remain at, St. Petersburg until March. The Prince Frederick William of Prussia arrived in Paris on Thursday, at two p.m. Lord Cowley has returned to Paris from his country seat, near Chantilly. Count de Hatzfeldt, the Prussian Ambassador, has returned from his visit to the Court at Berlin. ITALY. ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION OF THE KING OF NAPLES. An attempt was made on the Bth instant to assas sinate the King of Naples. The King was reviewing the troops, when, during the defile of the 3rd batta• ion of Chasseurs, a private rushed from the ranks and endeavou►ed to bayonet the King. The soldier was knocked down and seized by Colonel Latour. The King, though slightly grazed by the assass►n's bayonet, remained on the ground till the conclusion of the review. The Moniteur of yesterday publishes a letter from Naples of the Uth, giving the following intelligence respecting the attempt on the life of the King : Yesterday, when about half the troops present at the review in the Champ de Mars had passed before the King, a private of the Foot Chasseurs quitted the ranks, and rushed on the King with fixed bayonet. A colonel of hussars rode at the assassin, and knocked him over be• neath his horse. He was at once made prisoner. The King, without manifesting emotion, continued the review