The Press.
London, England, 1854-06-24 00:00:00

580

Airo4ings in farlianunt.

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THE EASTERN QUESTION.
The serious attention of the Peers was drawn by
Lord LYNDHURST on Monday to the memorandum
relative to the Eastern question lately transmitted
by the Cabinets of Vienna and Berlin to their envoys
at the Germanic Diet. That document., he admitted,
had never been officially published in England, but
its terms were quite sufficiently known to justify
criticism, and its tenor was calculated to excite sus-
picion and anxiety. Though somewhat obscure in
language, the memorandum seemed clearly to imply
that the war should, under no circumstances, have
for result any change in the existing territorial posi-
tions. He then compared the memorandum with
the protocol signed by the representatives of the
four powers on Dec. 9, and with other more recent
protocols, and declared that the whole series of State
papers led to the conclusion that the maintenance of
the status quo, the preservation of the old territorial
limits of Europe, including the boundaries of Russia
as well as of Turkey, was assumed a.s a fixed prin-
ciple for any future arrangement of the pending dif-
ficulties before war was declared by the Western
powers against Russia, and had never been disowned
since the occurrence of that eventuality. That Aus-
tria and rrussia would make peace on such terms
he gathered from the expressions of the memoran-
dum to be indisputable, and he apprehended that
England and France might be entangled into a ne-
cessity of accepting the same imperfect and unsatis-
factory solution :
" Under these circumstances, and considering the prin-
ciple upon which we are now acting, and upon which
France and the Austrian and Prussian powers are acting,
as well as we, it is extremely difficult to come to any con-
clusion than that, whatever be the result of th 3 war, we
are finally to put an end to it by restoring Russia to, and
leaving Turkey in, precisely the same state as that in
which they were anterior to the commencement of hostili-
ties. That this is the principle upon which Austria and
Prussia are acting is free from all doubt, because, accord-
ing to their actual statement, if Russia were to agree now
to withdraw from the principalities, and at the same time
to enter into a guarantee as to the integrity of the Ottoman
empire, there is no doubt that neither Austria nor Prussia
would take any part in the further contest. And, if that
be true with respect to those two powers when they are
acting in common and on one common principle with the
two other powers, it appears to lie clear almost to demon-
stration—and I must come to that conclusion unless I
hear something to convince nie to the contrary from the
noble earl opposite—that at this very moment the powers
are acting upon the principle that if Russia should assent
to admit the integrity of the Ottoman empire and the in-
dependence of the Sultan, and should consent to guarantee
that integrity, we must be content to terminate the war
upon that principle. (Hear, hear. )"
Contending that the ambition of Russia required
more vigorous measures of repression, and must be
checked and crippled at various points, Lord Lynd-
hurst referred to the Danube, dwelling upon the vast
importance of that river as a channel of navigation to
Central Europe, and describing the condition to
which it had been reduced through the faithless
execution on the part of Russia of the powers and
duties assigned to her in the unfortunate treaty
of Adrianople :
" Every kind of evasion was practised. The object was
to maintain the rival port of Odessa at the expense of Aus-
tria and of all the other kingdoms of Europe. If any noble
)ords wish for any details with respect to this subject,
11 exhort them to read the papers that were laid on the
table of your lordships' house last year, and they will be
found to afford a lively instance of the shuttling and, could
I apply such words to such illustrious persons, I would
iay, the mendacious policy, the diplomatic skill and false-
hood of the Court of St. Petersburg. (sear, hear.) Is it
not, then, evident that it is absolutely necessary that a
change should take place in the territorial possession of
the mouths of the Danube—( Hear, hear)—that such an
alteration is necessary to secure that important and valu-
able object, on which so much reliance is placed by Austria
rid Germany—the free navigation of that important river?
(gear.) I say, then, that this object is in contradiction
with the principle which has been attempted to be estab-
lished, that the notes quo, as far as territory is concerned,
is not to be altered."
On the side of the East, also, he considered that a
barrier must be placed against the encroachments of
the Czar, by interposing the Circassians, restored to
their rights as a free people, between the frontiers of
Russia and Turkey :
" We have, by the superiority of the combined fleets,
shut up the Russian fleet in the harbour of Sebastopol ; it
does not dare to come out, for fear of encountering our su-
perior naval power. In consequence of this, they have
been compelled to desert and destroy ail their establish-
ments, except Anapa, on the eastern coast of theillack Sea.
The chain of forts which they had for fifty years been con-
structing, in order to afford themselves opportunities to
invade that territory and to give them free intercourse with
their possessions south of Circassia, they have destroyed.
Can it be supposed possible that, after we have encouraged
the Circassians and supplied them with arms, it should be
intended again to restore that territory to Russia, to place
her in the situation which she before occupied? (Cheers.)
How unjust would such conduct be towards the Circas-