The Press.
London, England, 1853-09-10 00:00:00

LONDON, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1853. PRICE SIXPENCE.

eluded from testing by the officious restraint
of their sympathetic cautions. It is the diffi-
culty of a man not only cheated and bullied,
but bounetted by the friends who have ad-
vised him in his game. He is rifled without
option, or the opportunity of striking a blow.
The detriment which the Sultan would be
forced to sustain is completely shown iu the
explanation given of the first and third of his
five requisitions. He does not distinguish the
fifth as explicitly, because it applies to a fur-
ther phase of the same grievance ; and for this
he is taunted by the Ministerial organ as con-
tenting himself with a weaker statement of his
ease than has been made in his behalf by our-
selves and our contemporaries. The Ministerial
bungler at the same time admits that the
Sultan's statement is likely to preclude a pa
cific solution : that is to say, though falling
short of what it might have been, it discovers
too large an instalment of his wrongs for Rus-
sia's pretended equity to meet, or for our own
faltering, treacherous policy to vindicate.
Since the grave intelligence that Turkey re-
quires as an indispensable security that cor
tarn modifications should be made in the
Vienna note, so Cabinet Council has been called.
The fate of Europe has been left to the tea-
table discussions of a party of four gentlemen,
touieui!ly discordant. Mr. G LAI:4I'O2M and the
of NEWCASTLE being left to their diver-
sions, their particular organ very natuplly
employs itself in endeavouring to Bathe. the
destiny of Enfland from the casual eitpres-
sions of Russian tourists. And, while the
English Divan, with less than half its comple-
ment, is holding its conversaziones on a crisis
eminently perilous, the season is advancing
with all its physical incidents. Russia must
either abandon her pretensions or advance,
and the English and French fleets must retire
from Besika Bay, or, for their own protection,
enter the Dardanelles. While a drivelling cre-
dulity is thumbing its almanac, the elements
themselves propel the issue—whether peace
or war ?
In the meantime we are amazed at the hope
less obloquy with *hi& the conduct of BR-
nisters is surfeit* even their panders and
pirasiteg among the nempaper interest of Lon
don. What has become of the statements of
only last week? Have the four Powers
" afforded their strongest support to the Turk-
" ish modifications in their communications
" with the Russian Government? " and is the
organ which announced this fact now
enjoined to say that, if these modifi-
cations are rejected, and the occupa-
tion of the provinces is thereupon re-
sisted, the defenders of their own territories
" must abide by the consequences of their
" violence," while our Government " would be
" entirely at liberty to deal as they might
" think fit with this altered state of affairs"?
The first was the lainsudge of the Times last
week, and the second is the language of the
Times of Tuesday. The " strongest support "
which we are offering to Turkey resolves itself
into a determination candidly announced for
the benefit not only of Turkey, but of Russia—
that if the modifications are refused, and she
dares to defend herself, we may very strenuouftly
and consistently abandon her.
We can hay without affectation (and our
juvenile pretenAions may need such a dis-
claimer) that we are above a controversy with
the Times, if an opportunity were offered us.
There are big as well as little flies on the wheel