The Press.
London, England, 1853-07-23 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

Constantinople, and the rejection of that ultimatum, the
necessary time was wanting to the Governments of his Im-
perial Majesty and of her Britannic Majesty to exercise in
any sense whatsoever their influence at Constantinople. I
say it with all the power of conviction, the French trovern-
went, in all this grave debate, has no reproach to make
to itself: it rejects from the bottom of its conscience,
not less than in presence of Europe, the responsibility
imputed to it ; and, strong in its moderation, appeals in
its turn, and without fear, to the judgment of the Cabinets.
" The English and French forces, by their presence out-
side the Dardanelles, do not in any way outrage existing
treaties. The occupation of Wallachia and Moldavia con-
stitutes, on the contrary, a manifest violation of those same
treaties. That of Adrianople, which determines the con-
ditions of the protectorate of Russia, lays down implicitly
the case in which it would be permitted to that power to
interfere in the principalities—it would be if their privi-
lege* were interfered with by the Turks.
" In Dids, when these provinces were occupied by the
Russians, they were the prey of a revolutionary agitation
which threatened equally their security, that of the rove-
reign power, and that of the protecting power. The con-
vention of BaltieLiman has admitted that, if similar events
should he renewed within seven years, Russia and Turkey
should take in common the most proper measures to re-
establish order. Are the privileges of Moldavia and Wal-
lachia threatened ? Have revolutionary troubles broken
out in their territory ? The facts reply of themselves that
there is no ground for the moment for the application either
of the treaty of Adrianople or of the convention of Halts-
Liman.
"By what right, then, have the Russian troops passed
the Pruth, if it be not by the right of war--of a war, I
acknowledge, of which people do not wish to pronounce .he
true name, but which is derived from a new principle,
fruitful in disastrous consequences, which people are
astonished to see practised for the first time by a
conservative power of the European order of a degree
ao eminent as Russia, and which would not tend to any
less than the oppression in the midst of peace of
the feeble States by the stronger States who are their

neighbours?
" The general interest of the world is opposed to the ad•
mission of any such doctrine, and the Porte in particular
has the incontestable right to consider as an act of war the
invasion of two provinces which, whatever may be their
special organisation, are an integral part of its empire. It
would, therefore, not violate, any more than the powers
which should come to its aid, the treaty of the 13th of
July, 1841, if it declared the straits of the Dardanelles and
of the Bosphorus open to the squadrons of France and
England. The opinion of the Government of his Impe-
rial Majesty is formal in that respect; and although, in its
opinion, it does not exclude the research for an efficacious
means of conciliation between Russia and Turkey, 1 have
requested General de Castelbajac to make known to Count
de Nesselrode our manner of viewing the matter, and to
communicate to him this despatch.
" Dnouvx DE Linvs."