The Press.
London, England, 1854-03-25 00:00:00

2.71

- allitrElpflr titsilirtipcin former • &titian, lir-lictrpy
to ackuewle4g• 'the moderation, the traukuess, and the trisudly
disposition of his buret lad Majesty.
" Her Majesty has directed rue to reply in the same spirit of
temperate, candid, and amicable discussion.
"The question raised by his Imperial MWsty is a very serious
one. It is, *imposing the euntingeney of the dliosolution of the
Turkish empire to be probable, or even imminent, whether It Is
not better to be provided bciorelaind for a contingency, than to
incur the chaos, confusion, suit the certainity an Europtson
war, all of which must attend the catastrophe if it should occur
unexpectedly, and before some ulterior system has been
aketehed: ' 'Ms is the pint,' said his Insperfel Majesty, "to
which I iou desirous that yuu abotsla call the attention a& year
" lit considering this grave question, the drat reflection
which (wears to her Majesty's Government is that no actual
crieia hes occurred which renders aeressory a solution of this
vast European prublem. Disputes have arisen respecting the
Holy Places, but these are without the sphere of the Internal
governnieut of Turkey, turd concern Russia and France rather
then the Sublime Porte. SOUP, dieturbinice of the I...lathing be-
tween Austria and the Porte has been caused by the Turkish
attack on Montenegro; but this, again, relates rather to dampers
affecting the &outlet of Austria than Gm authority end safety of
the Sulmn; so that there is no auttleleut cause for intimating
to the Sultan that lie cannot keep peace at home, or preserve
friendly relations with his neighbour*
It occurs further to her Majesty's (*averment to remark,
that, the event which is contelllPlated is not (MUMMA, assdi
point of awe. When William 111. and Louis XIV. disposed,
treaty, of the succession of Charles 11. of Spain, they, 'Were pro-
viding for as event which could not be far me The infirmities
of the Sovereign of Spain, and the certain end of ally Muesli
life, made the contingency iu prospect both sure and user. The
death of the Spanish King was in no way hastened by the treaty
of partition. The same thing may be saM or tbe provision. made
in the last century, for the disposal of ruesteity spun the decease
of the last priuce of the house of Medici. But the coutingeney
of the dissolution of the Ottoman empire is of another kind. It
may happen twenty, fifty, or a hundred years henee.
" In these eirtzn..eutitees it would hardly be consistent with
the friendly feelings towards the ;intim& which auituate the
Emperor of Russia, nu less than the Queen of Great Windt), to
dispose beforehand of the provinces tinder his detnitnuii. Itesides
tlds consideration, Lowe rer, it must be observed, that an agree-
Went made iu such a came tends very surely to hasten the con-
tingency for which it is intended to provide. Austria end France
could not, in fairness, be kept in ignorance of the transude%
nor would such concealment be consistent with the end of pre-
'relating 11111 European war. Indeed, welt eotimialineut eannot be
intended by his Imperial Melody. It is to be Inferred that, as
soon as Great Britain and Russia should hare agreed on the
course to be pursued, and have determined to enforce it, they
should communicate their intentions to the great powers of blot-
rope. Au egrevaueut thus made. and thus communicated, would
not be very lung a secret ; and, while It tviitild Islam and alienate
the Sultan, the knowledge of its existenee wont.' stiMulate all his
enemies to increased violence mud more obatioate conflict. They
would tight with the conviction that they must ultimately
triumph; while the Sultan's generals and troops wouht ferl that
no immediate success could save their cense from *nal overthrow.
Thus would be produced and strettotheute that very awaseby
which is now feared, anu the foresight of the fileads of the pa-
tient would prove the cause of his death.
"hoer Majesty's Government need scarcely enlarge on the
dangers attendant on the execution of any similar convention.
The example of the Succession War is enough to show how little
ascii agreements are respected when a pi essing teuiptetion
urges their violation. The position of the Emperor of Russia as
depositary, but not proprietor, of Constantinople wonld be ex-
posed to numberless hazards, both front the long-ebertehed am-
bition of his own maim' and the jealousies of Europe. The ul-
timate proprietor, whoever he might be, would hardly be sate-
tied with the inert, supine attitude of the beteg of Mehemet 11.
A great Influence on the affairs of Europe seems uaturelly to
beloug to the Sovereign of Constantinople, holding the gates of
the Mediterranean and the black Sea.
" That influence might be used in thvour of Ermine; it might
be need to control and curb her power.
" Ills Imperial Majesty hiss justly sod wisely add, ' My coun-
try is so vast, :+1) happily eirctunstanceit in every way, that It
would be unreasotiabki In me to desire more territttry Or more
power then I pesisese.' On the contrary, he observed, • Oar greet
—perhaps our only—danger is that width wouW arise from an
extension given to an empire already too large: A vigorous and
ambitious State, replacing the Sublime Porte, might, however,
render war on the part of Russia a necessity for the Emperor or
his stiecemioni.
" This Euroneon eoufUet would, arise from the very means
taken to prevent it; for neither England nor France, nor pro-
bably Austria, would be content to see Constantinople perma-
ftently In the hands of Russia.
"Oil the part of Great Britain, her Mejegy's Governineut at
once decline that they renounce all inulition or *fah to hold
Constantinople. His butterfat Majesty may be quite secure on
this head. They are likewise Peso to give en assurance that
they will enter into no agreeineet to psvvide fur the eontingency
of the fall of 'rurkey without previous comumuicadou with the
Emperor of Russia.
"Upon the whole, then, her Majesty. Government are per-
suaded that no course of policy can he adopted more wise, more
disinterested, more beneficial to Europe, than that Whiell MY Im-
perial Majesty has so long Mitosis', and stitch will render his
uaine more it usurious then that of the most famous sovereigns
who have sought immortality by unprovoked emiquest and ephe-
meral glory.
" With a view to the successor tilts policy It is desirabl that
the utmost forbearance should he mullioned towards Turley;
that any demands which the great powers of Europe mi 4 haVe to
make should be made matter of friendly nee/Wet/ea Mbar dem
of peremptory Mused ; that inilitary mad swivel d
to coerce the Sultan should as much as possible be avoided;
differences with respect to matters affecting Turkey, within
competence of the Sublime Porte, should be decided alter Min-
imal concert between the greet powers, and not be forced upon
the weakness of the Turkish Cmvernmeut.
"To these camera her Modesty's Government wish to add
that In their view It Is essential that the /Odom %tumid be ad-
vised to treat his Christian sub:Meta in conformity with lb. 'sr:n-
-(110es of equity sod religious freedom which, prevail genoirally
among die enlightened nations of Europe. The more the Turk•
ish Government adopts' the rifles of impartial law and equal
administration, the less will the Emperor of 1111.sia And it ne•
cessary to apply that eixoeptional proteittiou which his Ireperial
Majesty bas found so burdensome and inconvenient, thought no
doubt prescribed by duty and sanctioned by treaty.
" Von may resit this despatah to Genii Nesselectle, sod, If It
ix deEmperor. sired. you may yourself place a copy of it in the hand, of
the In that case you will accompany its preeentation
with those assurances of friendship and confidence ren the pert
of her Majesty the Queen *Met the emultiet of Ws imperial Ma.
jesty was so sure to hoptru-s-1 sio,
Übs
" J. litesem."
The arrival of this letter was signified to the Czar
by the British Envoy on February 20, and its purport
briefly explained. The Emperor was sorry to hear

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