The Express.
London, England, 1853-12-08 00:00:00

RUSSIA AND TURKEY.

The Austrian government having learned that it
had been publicly announced in London, with a
semblance of authority, that the Four Powers had
made a kind of alliance favourable to Turkey, has
lost not a moment in setting itself right with Russia.
It has caused to be published at Vienna that only a
collective note bad been drawn up, and that no
mutual pledge had been given to enforce its acceptance.
Probably this is quite as much as anybody in England
believed.
Oar correspondent writes :
CONSTANTINOPLE, Nov. 21.
On Saturday last, 19th inst., M. Baraguay d'Hil-
hers had his audience at the imperial palace, Tcherag-
han, to deliver his credentials. After the usual
preliminary ceremonial, his Excellency was intro-
duced into the presence chamber, and addressed the
Sultan in a tr,teech, of which the following is a
verbatim translation :
a I feel the highest satisfaction in having been
chosen as representative of my sovereign at the pre-
sent juncture, to express his sentiments of friendship
and regard to your imperial Majesty, under existing
difficulties. France is the old, sincere, and, perhaps,
the most disinterested ally of the Porte. France is
not anxious for war—and ever faithful to the spirit
of her mission, as proclaimed by the Emperor Napo-
leon himself, she desires, if possible, peace—but peace
lasting and loyal, and on terms honourable to herself
and her allies. To this end, the Emperor, my august
master, in concert with his powerful ally the Queen
of Great Britain, has sent his fleet to the Levant.
Confiding still in the reiterated assurances of the
cabinet of St. Petersburg, he trusts that there may
yet be means of adjusting this difference—and
that the integrity of the Ottoman territory having
been once clearly established, the present events will
only tend to consolidate its independence, so valuable
to the peace of the world. To this end, your Majesty
may rest assured, that the Emperor Napoleon, who
comprehends so well the opinions, the necessities,
and dignity of the French nation, will lend his aid
to the last—and I stand here, I trust, the firm and
faithful interpreter of his sentiments. I avai►
myself, moreover, of this opportunity to ex-
press to your imperial Majesty my ardent
desire of contributing, with all my efforts, to the
preservation of those ancient traditional relations
a hick have ever subsisted between my government
and the Sublime Porte, and I lay at your Majesty's
feet the homage of my profound respect."
This brief harangue of the veteran soldier made a
deep impression on tho young Sultan, who replied
most graciously in the following terms :
" I feel most grateful for the co-operation of France,
and her endeavours to adjust the difference which has
unfortunately arisen between my own and the Rus-
sian government. It desires, however, that it be
clearly understood that the Sublime Porte, in com-
mon with all other powers, has been naturally averse
to war, and has left throughout the whole course of
these transactions no expedient untried to avert that
calamity. But at the present moment, a respect for
the national honour and dignity requires that my
government should decline all further attempts at
negotiations, until such time as Russia shall have
renounced her pretensions, and evacuated the Prin-
cipalities, an integral portion of the Ottoman ter-
ritory."
This language, full of truth, moderation, and deci-
sion from a young sovereign, who, it is well known,
has been uniformly averse to any declaration calcu-
lated to interfere with his liberty of action, proves
beyond all question the fixed determination to resist
aggression, and at the same time the perfect ac-
cord existing between the Sultan and his administra-
tion.

On the occasion of his audience General Baraguay
d'hilliers introduced to the Sultan Vioe-Admiral

Hamelin with

Jacquinot and de