The Express.
London, England, 1853-06-07 00:00:00

TURKEY.

The Austrian Correspondence, of the 2nd inst.,
contains an article, evidently of an official eharacter,
in which it is remarked with satisfaction that, not-
withstanding the departure of Prince Menchikoff,
the hope of preserving peace is everywhere cherished.
The writer appeals to the known uprightness of the
Emperor Nicholas, that this hope may not be deceived.
The official Austrian organ asserts in an unqualified
manner that the maintenance of the Turkish empire
in its integrity is essential to the equilibrium of
Europe, and expresses the belief that the united
exertions of all the cabinets will succeed in perfectly
settling the present difference.
We have letters from Constantinople of the 23rd
ult., the principal contents of which the telegraph
has of course forestalled. One of our correspondents
having noticed the departure of Prince Menchikoff,
and stated that M. Oseroff remained behind to give
time for the families of the different members of the
embassy to prepare for leaving, adds :—" Everybody
here believes there will be no war, nevertheless the
government is making. strenuous exertions for re-
sisting possible aggression. The demands of Prince
Menehikoff were such as it was impossible for the
Divan to comply with. He demanded that the
Sultan and his government should become responsi-
ble to St. Petersburg for their government of the
Christians of the Greek church, nothing less than this.
No promise, no flrman would do. The Sultan must sign
a treaty. The effect of this all can see. Eleven millions
of people now subject to the Sultan, would be taught
that they owed protection and considerate treatment
to the Czar, while taxation came from the Sultan
alone. The Turk had much better give away
Moldavia, Wallachia, Seem, and Bulgaria to boot,
than abdicate his most honourable functions in the
manner proposed. The agents of Russia say " how
moderate are the demands of the Czar. How little
grounds for the strong language that has been used."
Moderate, indeed ! True the brutality, the Mus-
covite savagery displayed by Menchikoff when
first be arrived, are not interwoven into the
text of the treaty. There is a measured
gravity in the draught of the Boned or treaty pro-
posed by Russia ibut look at its substance. To take
one paragraph in the &med. It is said that no
change shall be made in the rights, privileges, and
franchises which have been enjoyed of old, or are
now enjoyed by the churches, the religious founda-
tions, and the Greek clergy in the states of the
Sublime Porte, but the same shall be secured for ever
on the basis of the strict stain quo. This stipulation'
would give the Czar a right to interfere respecting
the mode of administering justice, distributing taxa-
tion, and a score of other classes of municipal
affairs in Turkey. The Greek clergy are
the magistrates of the orthodox, with power
to fine and basting& It is one of the
rights, privileges, and immunities for which Menchi-
koff stipulates. And let no one say that Russia
would be seen to use and strain the prerogatives pro-
posed t• be granted in this treaty. Call to mind
those few words in the treaty of Kntschuk Rainer**,
"The minister of the imperial Russian court at Con-
stantinople shall have the right of speaking in
favour of these provinces doldavia and Wal-
lachia) u often as occasion may require,
and the Sublime Porte promises to hearken to him
with the regard due to a friendly and respected
power." How simple, natural, and unpretending,
Low much a matter of course do these words ap-
pear. And yet upon this basis, narrow and slender
as it seems, the Russians have reared their permanent
intervention in the affairs of the principalities north
of the Danube, and practically ousted the Sultan

from his sovereignty. How much more would they
slo so now, could they but bind the Sultan to them-
selves exclusively by a treaty of which they would,
as in like cases they always have done, constitute
themselves the interpreters. The Sultan has acted
courageously and wisely in resisting such preten-
sions.

Another correspondent writes, also on the 23rd
tilt.;—" The Russian armaments still continue; and
advice. of the 21st inst. state that a number of
bridges for the passage of the Danube are being con-
structed at Ismail. The Turkish fleet has been rein-
forced by the arrival of 5 frigates and a corvette from
the coast of Albania. The Egyptian squadron is
also expected. The Turkish army amounts, I am
informed, to about 150,000 men—some say more.
The Wasp arrived here from Malta on the 19th inst.
The Chaptal,which left this on the same day with her,
has not yet returned. The French fleet is stationed at
Salamis, consisting of 8 ships of the line, expecting
a reinforcement of 4 others. Ours is still at Malta: