The Press.
London, England, 1853-05-21 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

But nothing is easier than to attribute to
England a plausible line of policy upon the
partition of Turkey. In point of fact, our only
care about Egypt is, that we shou!d have a
safe road to India, without obstaeles or inter-
ruption, and we had rasher that the road was
kept open at the expense of others.
In this general line of conduct taken by the
Circa. Powers, there was nothing of any arriere
prim's, beyond the grounds of a policy de-
liberately- chosen for keeping the European
system together. It is trite, however, that in
1t!t712-3 there has been danger of this policy
being abandoned.. There is no concealing nor
glossing over the fact, that the basis of the
European system, with regard to Turkey, has
been put in peril by the conduct of three of
the Great Powers, who have played int') the'
hands of Russia ; and, in connection viith the
present state of the 9uestion, thene aro four
points to which attention should be directed:—

I. The conduct of Lord STRATFORD t►E RED-
METE has not been signalised fur prudence or
discretion. At the time when Lord 1)ERIIV
came into office, Lord STRATFORD asked fin•
leave to return ; and as, the impression was
created at Constantinople that he would not
go buck again, there was a public dinner given
to him by the English residents, at which he
made a long and most injudicious speech. cri-
ticising the whole domestic policy of the Sr•r:
TAN and the corruption of his Government.
There can be no doubt. that this publie decla-
r•ation from the English Ambassador humi-
liated the Porte, and leaded at all events to most
disastrous consequences.
11. The !Montenegro revolt, to the subduing
of which the SULTAN sent OMAR POODI. As we
have just condemned the eondnet of an Eng
fish Ambassador, so here we must speeifj• the
unwarranted interference of Austria through
Count LEININOEN as being one of the " nn-
"toward" incidents in the present complication
of Turkish affairs.

111. In order to add to the variety Of causes
leading to the present embroilment. religicus
dissension and se •tarian animosities have Hot
been wanting. It might have been difficult to
have invented a plausible exeuse for the inter-
ference of France in the domestic state of Tut.-
key, but the pretext was furnished in behalf of
the Latin Chureh.and certain privileges which
it elaimed at the holy shrines. Howe the
mission of M. 14AvAtErTE. to whose demands
the SCLTAN gave way, and thereby so prOtt-
diced the interests of the Greek Chung' as to
mill, on the other hand. for the interference of
Russia.

IV. The insolent eml cissy ofPrinee S4lll-
- Wltt4 despatehed by Russia with the avowed
objeet of recovering for the ()reek Church its
exclusive privileges. It is worthy of notiee
that even thirty years ic.to Russia made extra-
vagant (*Nuns about t!to pretensions of the
Greek Church. lint that Lord ('A)ertimEmot in-
sisted upon the nntintemince Of the SION* qtm.
It is evident. then. whatever opinions may be
entertained upon any p•trticular phase of this
controversy, that this co.teat onation has tended
to degrade the SULTAN i I the eyes of his sub-
jects, and to prejudirc his power. But the
authority of the CzAR 1 ests even more on his
being praetieallY the lc oteetor of the Greek
Church, and ail that I as reeently happened
has made the Greek po• ulat ion of Turkey look
to him as their future master. So that the
question of maintaining the xlittus quo be-
comes more than ever of importance. Even
if a pokey of indifference WCIV wished for by
Austria and Prussia, ti,.. views atttibuted to
the present Emperor of num."; would put it
out of their power to st aloof. It is under-
stood that the Eloper 41' of Fn. N I: hits re-
vendy gone so fur as t I declare, that in the
event of the partition Turkey. since Franee
could get nothing, he would have an equiva-
lent by extending his dominion to the Rhine.
A menace of this kind must effectually prevent
Austria' and Prussia fro:a either neglecting 4)1.
Ilatiieipating in the 11/4 ‘licy of the CzAtt. and
should tend to reunite the Great Powers on the
basis of the thaw; quo.

Ilut what shall '.%t' ,:ty Of the posture Of
atlairs if th • intelligence eommunicated in the
Times of Friday. evidently from official sources,
should prove to be true? We put the ease