The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-04-13 00:00:00

PRINCE GORTSCHAKOFFS REPLY TO
LORD SALISBURY'S CIRCULAR.

An " annexe " to Prince Gortschakoff's reply to
Lord Salisbury's circular reached London on Tuesday.
The Russian Chincellor defends in detail the several
clauses of the Treaty of San Stefano. He denies that
the New Bulgaria is intended to be a Slav State under
the control of Russia, and declares that the arrange-
ment onLy contemplates for Bulgaria what was
done in 1830 for Moldo-Wallachia, in respect
to which no complaint has arisen of the pre-
ponderating influence of Russia. If the interests of
good order could he otherwise preserved Russia is
willing to abridge her proposed occupation of Bulgaria
for two years. The proposed boundaries of Bulgaria,
so far as they touch the Agean Sea, would be, he
argues, more to the interests of a commercial country
like England than to those of Russia, and no changes
have been made in the existing institutions or in the
prosperity of the Greek provinces, the general type
established by the Powers in the case of Crete having
been followed. The retrocession of Bessarabia ex-
cludes the Delta of the Danube. The remaining
sections of Prince Gortschakoff's reply refer to the
question of Armenia and the indemnity, and end with
the following clauses with respect to the existing
situation :

"12. From the conclusion of the Marquis of Salisbury's
despatch it is gathered that the end and ardent desire of Her
Majesty's Government are always to insure good govern-
ment, peace, and liberty to the populations to whom these
benefits have been strange. With equal satisfaction has the
frank avowal been noted that this policy has been
frustrated by the unhappy resistance of the Ottoman
Government; that in face of the modified circum-
stances of the present time the same result can-
not be obtained in the same direction by the
same means—that is to say, the programme of the Confer-
ence of eonstantinople—and that great changes may and
without doubt will be necessary in the treaties by which Cie
south-east of Europe has up to the present time been
governed. If to these considerations be added the fact that
the reiterated refusal of the English Government to join in
exercising collective material pressure on the Porte has
prevented Europe from obtaining pacifically the results
desired by the Cabinet of London itself it will be
recognised that the war and the peace of
San Stefano have answered to the exigencies of
the situation which the Marquis of Salisbury has set
forth wi h such great frankness and in such a high spirit.
This situation resolves itself into this: The existing treaties
have been successfully infringed for 22 3 ears—first by the
Turkish Government, which has not fulfilled tea obligations
towards the Christians; then by the united Principalities,
by the French occupation of Syria, and by the Conference of
Constantinople itself, constituting an interference in the in-
terior affairs of the Ottoman Empire.

"13. The Marquis of Salisbury himself recognises that
great changes must and ought to be made. In the preseht
circumstances, it remains for us to learn how his lordship
means to reconcile practicakiy these treaties and the recognized
rights of Great Britain and other Powers with the
benevolent wishes towards a realization of which the
united action of Europe has always been directed for
a good Government, peace, and assured liberty to the popu-
lations to whom these benefits have been strange. It re-
mains also to be learnt how beyond the preliminary bases
laid down by the Treaty of San Stefano his lordship means
to reach the desired goal while bearing in mind the rights
acquired by Russia, for the sacrifices which she has
borne, and borne alone, in order to render the realization
possible. The despatch of the Marquis of Salisbury
contains no response to these questions. For these reasons it
appears that the considerations which it contains would have
been more effective if accompanied by practical proposals of
a nature to assure an understanding in the solution of pre-
sent difficulties in the general interest of a solid and lasting
pacification in the East."

The Times of Wednesday has the following leader
on Prince Gortschakoff's reply :

It will be recognised that the spirit of this document is
worthy of the gravity of the occasion, and, bespeaks on be-
half of the Russian Government a genuine desire to insure
a peaceable sointion of the great question at issue. Though
the explanations of the treaty offered by the Russian Chan-
cellor may Bfiettl insufficient, the English people will not
fail to recognise that they are calm and argumentative, and
that they bespeak a willingness on the part of the Russian
Government to discuss with fairness the questions raised by
the Treaty of San Stefano. Such a disposition is that which
our Government, together with all Europe, roast chiefly
desire in the present crisis, and the only addition they can
desiderate to Prince Gortchakoff's circular is that his Govern-
ment should consent that these arguments should be fully
and unreservedly submitted to a Congress of the Europeau
Powers. Preliminarily, the utmost weight will be allowed
to them. Russia has undoubtedly made great sacrifices, and
her object has, of course, been to insure a solution of the
Eastern Question in accordance with her own views and
interests. She is not to be blamed for keeping this object
steadily in view, provided she is willing to pursue it in
harmony with ttie views and interests of other Powers.
That which does not follow is that because she has gained
a great victory over Turkey she is justified in acting as if
Russia were the only Power whose wishes and interests are
to be considered. It is true she has spent blood and treasure
in her recent campaign. But this country also has spent
both blood and treasure in former wars which have had a
most important bearing on the Eastern Question; and if the
inquiry were raised whether Russia or England has most
claim on the ground of the sacrifice of blood and treasure to
a potent voice in the solution of that question, we do not
think this country would stand second. There seems-a (.1-
position in a good many quarters to argue as if the war of 1877
had been the only one ever waged by a Christian Power
In behalf of the Christian subjects of the Porte. No repre-
sentation could be more unreasonable This country has at
various tiraes made sacrifices which deserve at least to be
borne in mind in connexion with those which have been
recently made by Russia; and if the whole course of our
policy in the East be taken into account, it may well be
doubted whether we have not a stronger claim than any
existing Power, on the ground of the blood and treasure we
have spent, to a full and fair consideration of our views on
the proposed new arrangement.
The main consideration, however, which will be suggested
by a perusal of Prince Gortchakoif's circular is that Lord
Salisbury was wise in concentrating his objections, not upon
particular clauses of the Treaty of san Stefano, but upon its
general effect. There is no limit to the amount of explana-
tion of which
,particular clauses in the treaty are capable.
Mr. Gladstone expended iris ingenuity on Monday in the
task of minimizisig the Russian character of his stipulations;
and it he had been able to imitate the quiet- tone of
the Russian Chancellor's despatch, he would have
been still more effective. The fact Is that all criti-
cism on such subjects lies under one disadvantage.
It deals ivith matters of practice, in respect of which any
amount of counter-argument is passible. It is net a matter
of logic, but a simple matter of judgment, whether a given
arrangement will tend towards one result or another.
Prince Gortchakoff's circular is a prolonged attempt to re-
duce the Russian character of the stipulations of the Treaty
of San Stefano within the most harmless limits, and he is
no doubt often effective in his pleas. It is significant, indeed,
that he is very far from taking such strong ground on his own
behalf as that which Mr. Gledstone attempted to claim for
him in Monday's debate. He does not complain that Lord
Salisbury has so grossly misrepresented him as Mr. Gladstone
would have made out. lie only argues, on the basis of the de-
tails of the treaty, that it does not possess the predominantly
Russian character, which has been attributed to it. He
treats the Treaty of San Stefano as a mere "programme ef
reforms, more complete, more precise, and more practical"
than that of the Conference of Constantinople; but he
assures us that it was only intended to decide the question
of principle, "without prejudgiag definitively the applica-
tion which would be demanded by technical studies, by geo-
graphical necessities, and the conciliation of various
interests." He proceeds to offerin detail an explanation of
the various stipulations on which Lord Salisbury has
commented. The Treaty of San Stefano does not create
a State likely to be any more Russian than Rou-
mania has shown herself. The term of occupation for
two years may be reduced; the deliraitetion of Bul-
garia has been only indicated in general terms. It is
not a result of the preliminary treaty that the future Prince
of Bulgaria shall be a Russian nominee. He is to be elected
by the administrative couucils of the principality, and the
validity of the election is to be dependent upon the confirma-
tion of the Porte and the assent of the other powers. The
stipulations with respect to Epirus and Thessaly are placed
n the first instance under the supervision of Russia; but
the control of the other powers is not thereby ex-
cluded. With respect to the retrocession of Bessarabia,
Prince Gortchakoff represents that it is in substance a
reversion to a former arrangement, and that it leaves the
delta of the Danube still in other hands. With respect to
liatoum, to the territory to be auneced in Armenia, and to
the indemnity, the Zussian Chancellor *tiers pleas whfeh

are at least so stated as to be worthy of candid consideration.
The circular concludes by a fair statement of the main
point at issue. The situation is summed up in one con-
sideration. Existing treaties have been infringed by
various acts, and by more than one Power, since they
were concluded twenty-two years ago. Prince Gort-
chakoff is justified in saying that the Porte, by
its failure to establish the good government which
It promised, has been the first offender. It is re-
cognised by Lord Salisbury, and has been recognized by the
British Government throughout, that the existing treaties
and the recognized rights of Great Britain can only be
maintained as far as they are consistent with the welfare
and the good government of the Christian populations. It
is therefore the paramount question of the hour how objects
thus acknowledged on all sides to be essential can be
attained.

The reply to all this argument is obvious. It is not for us
nor for any particular Power to dispiAte in detail the explana-
tion offered by the Russian Chancell&. But, if his case is so
good, and if, whatever its value, he does not shrink from,
placing it thus frankly before Europe, why should he refuse
to enter a Congress in which his pleas could be thoroughly
debated and their relations to the interests of Europe be
fully considered? The better his circular, and the stronger
his arguments, the less reason is there for his withhold-
ing them from the only assembly which can satisfac-
torily adjudicate upon them. • Many objections in de-
tail might be made to them, and, as we have intimated,
his special explanations are far from doing away with
the general effect of the treaty. But we are more con-
cerned for the moment to do justice to the spirit by which
it may be presumed they are dictated. All we maintain is
that, whatever their value, a Congress of tke Powers is alone
competent to determine their validity. It is not for this
country, nor for Austria, to decide the matter from its own
point of view, and still less is this the province of Russia.
Probably every Power could make out a streng case for its
own interests. But no Power Is an adequate judge of the
manner in which other interests are affected ; and we claim
that both Prince Gortchakoff's circular and Lord Salisbury's
shontd be submitted to the judgment of Europe.