The Press.
London, England, 1856-01-12 00:00:00

Arm-
-707)
,/ 7/ /
A Ce Cv
._.....m.maniIIikIIMiI=IMMEMINNIINIMINIIME
ST AMP
No. 141.—VoL. IV. LONDON, SATURDAY, JANUARY 12, 1856. UNSTA
•

Vrtss.

haps for the reason theologians have assigned
for their belief—Quiz impossibile est.
The time has arrived for exposing their
sincerity to a sharp test. A negotiation has
been opened with Russia. Conditions of
Peace, formally agreed to by the Allies, have
been forwarded to St. Petersburg. Those
conditions, long grossly misrepresented, are
at last before the public. We look to them
in vain for those terms which the War Party
have constantly insisted were indispensable.
We shall be extremely thankful if these
gentlemen will lay aside their extravagant
professions, and demean themselves like sen-
sible mortals. Let them bury their hatchets
and wash off their war-paint, and we shall be
th first to congratulate them on their return
to rationality. But our duty, for the moment,
is to show that they are not entitled to lead
the policy of this great country. or to be the
exponents of its opinion. As guides they are
blind, or they are faithless.
We are compelled to speak plainly. An
effort may possibly be made to keep up the
delusion—which thus far has been tolerably
profitable—to the last, and even. for the sake
of maintaining an appearance of spurious
consistency, to throw obstacles in the way of a
scheme of pacification. We hope that war
journals and orators alike may devise some
ingenious scheme for reconciling their past
professions with the prudent reserve de-
manded by existing circumstances. There
are signs already that the most acute among
them are beginning to " hedge," that they may
make sure of a sate book. But there is a pro-
bability that some of their namber may be
less discreet, and this is the danger we have
to guard against. There has been a furious
outcry against the proposals contained in the
last Russian Circular. They have been an-
nounced as arrogant and insulting,—with how
much reason, may be judged from the fact
that they are nearly identical with the terms
which have been sanctioned by the Allies, and
transmitted to St. Petersburg.
We are emerging from the darkness of secret
diplomacy. Journals presumed to be in the
confidence of Government will no longer be
able to put forth garbled representations of
the Allied terms. They must argue fairly—at
least, they must argue on known facts. They
will no longer be able to play the double part
of supporting those proposals, while they at-
tempt to excite prejudice against the Russian
Government for submitting terms which, so
far as they go, are substantially similar.
We publish in another column the text of
the Allied Proposals. As regards the main
point at issue—the neutralisation of the Black
Sea—there is no material difference between
the Circular on one side and the Propositions
on the other. This will be better seen by
placing their terms in parallel columns :
RUSSIAN CIRCULAR. ALLIED PROPOSALS.
Neutralisation of the Black Neutralisation of the Black
Sea. Sea.
No mil tars flag whatever This sea shall be open to
shall float in the Black Sea, merchant vessels—closed to
with the exception of that of war navies. Consequently,
the forces which Russia no naval or military arsenals
and the Porte, by a common shall be created or main-
consent, may deem it neces- tained there. The prow•
sary to maintain there. tion of the commercial and
maritime interests of all
nations shall be assured in
the respective ports of the
Buick Sea be the establish•
ment of institutions con-
formable to international
law, and to the customs
sanctioned in such matters.

LONDON, SATURDAY, JANUARY 12, 1856.

“PRESS” OFFICE,

Saturday Morning, January 1:2.
THE Court of St. Petersburg has trans-
mitted by Count STACKELBERG to the Court
of Vienna Propositions for Peace expressed
in a frank and conciliatory spirit. We are
assured that they do not differ so much in
principles from the Propositions of the
Western Powers as in details of practical
application, and that the Russian form is
likely to be more agreeable in several
points to the Sublime Porte than the
original method.
There is no foundation whatever for the
accounts of interviews and conversations
between various Ministers and Envoys
which have appeared in the public
journals.
The Prospects of Peace are favorable.

The Straits to be closed.

WE cannot think that our principal journals
have dealt fairly with the public on the clues
tion of the War They have seemed more
anxious to state what they assumed would
gratify their readers than to place before them
the truth. Their tone has appeared both
unwise and insincere. Objects have been
put forward which it was morally certain could
never be realised, and every possible effort
has been made to mislead the mind and ex-
asperate the passions of the country. We
have been assured in influential prints that
the War was to be a war of principles—a war
of liberty against despotism—a war for the
liberation of Italy, for the regeneration of
Poland, for the dismemberment of the Russian
empire. If these journals believed in their
professions, what are we to think of their
understanding? If they had no such belief,
what are we to think of their honesty? In
either case, what are we to think of their pas-
sive attitude now, when all those objects are
most expressly disclaimed by the action of
our Government in the negotiations in pro-
gress
Still graver culpability attaches to the pub-
lic men who, in face of their constituents and
the country, have not scrupled to pledge them-
selves to sentiments which, if honestly adhered
to, and widely held, would make peace im-
practicable, and commit us to a war against
Russia of vengeance or of propagandism.
Among the whole War Party there has been a
general concurrence of profession that the
Crimea must be absolutely wrested from
Russia, never to be restored to her again.
Facts teach these gentlemen nothing. They
hear of the destruction of the Sebastopol
docks, but they hold to their creed still, per-

'ED .... SIXPENCE.
,MPED..FIVEPENCE

The amount of these The two powers which
forces shall be fixed by a hold the coast eugage them-
direct agreement between selves to maintain only the
the two coasting rowers, number of small vessels of a
without any ostensible par- fixed force necessary for their
ticipatiou of the other coast service. This coriven-
powers. tion, concluded separately
between these two powers,
shall form part as an ani ei
of the general treaty after re-
ceiving the approval of the
contracting powers. This
separate convention can't, t
be annulled or modified
without the consent of the
signitaries of the general
treaty.

The closing of the Straits
will admit the exception ap•
plicat.le to the stationary
vessels mentioned in the
preceding article.
[The " exception " of
" the preceding article " is]
Each of the contracting
powers shall have the rig t
to keep one or two small
vessels stationed at the
mouths of the river destined
to assure the execution of
the regulations relative to
the freedom of the Danube.

He must be a microscopic politician who
can discern any substantial difference between
these proposals on one side and the other.
The main terms are :-1. The Straits are to be
closed. 2. No war-ships are to be allowed in
the Black Sea, except those which Turkey and
Russia shall mutually deem necessary to be
maintained 3. The amount of such force to
be regulated by separate convention between
the two Powers.
The stipulations, of which the Russian Cir.
cular makes no mention, are of too trifling a
character to excite serious disagreement The
admission of Consuls into the ports of the
Black Sea, and the prohibition of naval-
military arsenals, would result naturally from
the Euxine being constituted a purely com-
mercial sea ; and it is not to be supposed that
any objection would be urged to the contract-
ing Powers maintaining one or two small
vessels at the mouths of the Danube to secure
the freedom of its navigation
Of the other heads of the Allied Propositions,
two—the abolition of the Russian Protectorate
in the Danubian principalities, and the adjust-
ment by the contracting Powers of the privi-
leges to be enjoyed by the Christian subjects
of the Porte,—have already been conceded by
Russia. The only point on which the nego-
tiation is likely to break down, is the entirely
new proposal that Russia shall cede a portion
of her Bessarabian territory to be incorporated
with the new Danubian State.
If this cession had been confined to so much
of territory as was necessary to secure the
navigation of the Danube from Russian intei-
ference, the condition would have been intel-
ligible. But, so far as we can judge by the
map, the new frontier—from Chotyn, on the
Dniester, to Lake Sisak, communicating with
the Black Sea—would appear to take a line
between the rivers Pruth and Dniester, divid-
ing the province
equal portions.
political reasons
•' rectification" of
tial. All we can al
not contribute to
it would not apps
Russia; that it w,
I well-defined bon

of Bessarab. o nearly
We have fo_k_minin the
which `{e dhierittlk
f the Riis ,•' • 140 -44111-
Lt. preseii • - , ' '
.4 onld
the sew. • .; - Oat
oreciablry • f
would Lead
Lndary.
:„
t- Eye