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

MARCH 25, 1854.

•THE PARTITION OF TURKEY.

SECRET STATE PAPERS.
THE "reserved" documents and despatches which
the Government have at last resolved upon revealing
are now published in the shape of asupplement to the
former Blue Books on the Turkish Question. The
series comprises fifteen papers, all endorsed " secret
and confidential, " and written during the first four
months of 1853. Prated to the whole, however, is
the often-mentioned "memorandum" of Count Nes-
selrode, embodying the communications received
from the Emperor Nicholas subsequently to his visit
to England in June, 1844, and founded on the con•
versations which took place between his Imperial
Majesty and different members of the English Go-
vernment. The following is a translation of this im-
portant document :
" Russia and England are mutually penetrated with the convic-
tion that it is for their common interest that the Ottoman Porte
should maintain itself in the state of independence and of ter-
ritorial possesekm which at present consututea that empire, as
that political combination is the one which is most compatible
With the general interest of the maintenance of omit..
►C" Being agreed on this principle, Husks and iduglead have an
equal interest in uniting their efforts In order to keep up the ex-
totem° of the Ottoman empire, and to avert all the dangers.
which can place in jeopardy its safety.
" With this object the essential point is to suffer the Porte to
live In repose, without needlessly disturbing it by diplomatic
blekeHngs, and without interferiag without absolute necessity in
its internal affairs.
" Ili order to carry out skilfully this system of forbearance,
with a view to the well-understood interest of the Porte, two
things must nut be lost sight of. They are these:—
" In the first place, the Porte has a constant tendency to ex-
tricate itself from the engagements imposSil open it by the
treaties which It has concluded with other powers. It hope's to
do so with impunity, bemuse it reckon* on the muund jealousy
of the Cabicete. It thinks that if it fails in its engagements to-
wards one of them, the rest will espouse its quarrel, and will
screen it from all responsibility.
"It Is essential not to confirm the Porte in this delusion.
Every time that it fails iu its obligations towards one of the great
powers, It is the interest of all the rest to make it sensible of its
error, and seriously to exhort it to act rightly towards the Ca-
binet which demands just reparation.
As soon as the Porte shall perceive that it is not supported
by the other Cabinets, it will give way, and the ditierencee which
have arisen will be arranged in a conciliatory manlier, without
any conflict resulting from them.
There is a second cause of complication which is inherent in
the situation of the Porte: it is the difficulty which exi,sta in re-
conciling the respect due to the sovereigli authority of the
Sultan, founded on the Mussulnian law, with the forbearence
required by the interests of the Christian population of that
empire.
This difficulty is real. In the present state of feeling in
Europe, the Csblitets cannot see with indifference the Christian
popnlations in Turkey exposed to flagrant acts of oppression
and religious intolerance.
It is necessary constantly to make the Ottoman ministers
sensible of this truth, and to persuade them dint they caw only
reckon on the friendship and on the support of the great powers
on the condition that they treat the Christian subjects of the
Porte with toleration and with mildness.
" While Insisting on this truth, it will be the duty of the fo-
reign representatives, on die other limit, to exert all their in-
fluence to maintain the Christian subjects of the Porte iu sub-
mission to the sovereign authority.
" It will be the duty of the foreign representatives, guided by
these principles, to act among themselves in a perfect spirit of
agreement. If they address remonstrances to the Porte, those
remonstrances must bear a real character of unanimity, though
divested of one of exclusive dictation.
" By persevering in this system with calmness and moderation,
the representatives of the great Cabinets of Eittope will have
the best chance of succeeding in the steps which they may take,
without giving occasion for complications which might sift-et the
tranquillity of the Ottoman empire, If all the groat powers
frankly adopt this line of conduct, they will have a well-founded
expectation of preserving the existence of Turkey.
However. they must not conceal from themselves how many
elements of dissolution that empire contains within itself. Un-
foreseen circumstances may hasten its fall, without DA being in
the power of the friendly Cabinets to prevent it.
"As it is not given to human foresight to settle beforehand
a plan of action for such or such unlooked-for case, it would he
premature to dinettes eventualities which may never be realised.
"In the uncertainty which hovers over the future, a single fun-
damentid idea seems to admit of a really practical application :
it is that the danger which may result from a catastrophe in
Turkey will be much diminished,if, in the event of its occurring,
Russia and England have come to an undersnuiding as to the
course to be taken by them in common.
""That understanding will be the more beneficial, inasmuch as
it will have the full assent of Austria. Between her and Russia
there exists already au entire conformity of principles in regard
to the affairs of Turkey, iu a common im.erest of conservatism
and peace.
" In order to render their union more efficacious, there would
remain nothing to lie desired but that Etiglaud should be seen to
associate herself thereto with the same view.
"'flue reason which recommends the establishment of this
agreement is very simple.
" On land Russia exercises in regard toTurkey a preponderant
action.
" On sea England occupies the same position.
" hoisted, the action of these two powers might do much
mischief. United, it can prod a
uce rel benefit ; thence the ai
yentas,. of corning to a previous understanding before havingrecourse to action.
" This notion was in principle agreed up m during the Empe-
ror's last residence in London. The result was the eventual en-
gagement that, if anything it .foreseen occurred in Turkey.
Russia and England should previously concert together as to the
course which they should pursue in to:ninon.
"The object for which Russia and Engliusi will have to come to
an iinderstdnding may he expressed in the following manner :
" 1. To seek to maintain the existence of t he Ottoma
io n empire
in its present state no long as that political combinatn shall
be possible.
" 2. If we foresee that it must crumble to pieces, to enter into
previous concert es to everything relating to the establishment
of a new order of things, intended to replace that ehich now
exists, and. In conjunction with each other. to see that the
change Which May hare ocenrred in the Internal situation of that
empire shell not ininriontily affect either the seditrity of their
own States and the Halite which the treaties assure to thew re-
spectively, or the maintenance of the balance of power in
Europe.
" For the purpose thus stated, the and of
policy of Russia
Austria, as we have already said, is closely united by the prin.