The Press.
London, England, 1857-11-07 00:00:00

1074

mously refused ; and not an act of treachery
or rebellion against their suzerain can be
proved against them.
The union of the provinces is not an active
and aggressive measure to impair the in-
tegrity of Turkey—it is simply a measure
to secure a solid and substantial Go-
vernment for the provinces` themselves ;
and no practical evil seems likely to arise
from the non-interference of the Porte
in their internal administration. On the
other hand, it is undeniable that, apart
from the maladministration of Turkey, poli-
tical evils of great magnitude, essentially im-
pairing to the political independence of
Turkey, have constantly been produced under
the existing system ; and if the status quo be
continued, the interference of foreign
Powers and the permanent establishment of
foreign influences in the internal affairs of
these countries will be once more repeated.
Those who argue in favour of such a coarse,
pregnant with danger to Turkey, and replete
with hazard to the Principalities, argue
that Turkey can only be powerful by their
weakness and exalted by their degradation,
and that corruption and oppression are com•
patible with the authority and indispensable
to the existence of the Porte.

If the general disposition of the Reunion
people were in favour of the status quo ante
bellum, nothing would remain to be said but
that they were content to seek in the impo-
tence of Turkey a security which they could
not find in their own patriotism and their own
courage. But it is not so ; they have spoken
out clearly. They ask that the extortionate
system of farmers-general of the revenue shall
be abolished, that a revision of taxation shall
take place, and that Custom-house abuses
which prevent commerce and impoverish trade
shall no longer be permitted. Finally, they
have expressed a desire to consolidate their
Governments and unite their people
under a foreign sovereign prince as the only
means to obtain these desirable results ; and
they appeal to the justice, the good sense, and
the generosity of Europe to support them in
their effort at self-government.
This is no momentary caprice of a
newly elected assembly anxious to realise
a new sensation ; it is a national sentiment,
the very opposite of caprice and the ma-
ture product of long years of misrule and
oppression. In striking a balance between
nations, justice requires that the greater
share of advantage should fall to the less
powerful; and the ardent 'mites we have
raised in the hearts of the Roumans should not
be met with the sting of injustice or the
bitterness of disappointment. We may rely
upon it that the peace of Europe depends
much upon the permanent character of the
Government and the security of the institu-
tions under which the inhabitants of Walla-
chia and Moldavia will ultimately be placed.
The necessity, therefore, of providing a solid and
Substantial Government for these provinces is
obvious. The political union of the two provinces
is that alone which, in our opinion, offers
these advantages. It is the least likely, when
settled, to involve us in any future embarass-
ments, and the best calculated to promote
peace, extend commerce, and prevent the re-
petition of foreign encroachments. It will
place on a firm basis the connection of the
Principalities ; and while it promotes the
prosperity of both, it will strengthen the
position of the Turkish empire, and effectually
secure the peace of Europe.

LEADENHALL STREET AND
CANNON ROW.

IT is to be hoped, for the sake of the country,
that the fall of Delhi will be followed by the
speedy submission on the part of the rebels
that the Ministerial journals profess to anti-
cipate from it ; because there is no concealing
the fact that the state of affairs is likely to
prove most disastrous if the resistance be
prolonged. Troops have been sent out in
large numbers, to be sure ; but all the neces-
sary means of forwarding them up the country
are deficient—or even of getting them under
proper cover at Calcutta till equipped for the