The Express.
London, England, 1853-11-08 00:00:00

RUSSIA AND TURKEY.

The news from Constantinople deserves attention.
The correspondent of the Juurnal des IXbats trans-
mits by the Thabor a copy of the joint note which
the ambassadors of the }our Powers,or,more strictly
speaking, Austria in their name, handed to the Porte
IS the 20th ult. It appears from this document that
ao lately as at the date mentioned, the " friends " of
Turkey were actually pressing on the Porte the
Vienna note so long since condemned and rejected by
Europe. The attempt did not succeed. An eye
and ear witness reports, " Reschid Pacha declared
openly to the ambassadors, and repeated it
in my presence, that the Tarks were decided
rather to perish than ever accept the Vienna
note." It is satisfactory to add that while the Aus-
trian was waiting for his answer, despatches arrived
from France and England approving the rejection of
the re-offered note. A detailed account of these pro-
ceedings, and a translation of the document, will be
found below. It is right to state that other letters
supply good reason for believing that Lord Stratford
de Itedcliffe was no party to the attempt to force the
Vienna note on the Porte. Indeed ho had prepared
an independent project for conciliating the claims of
linens with the independence of Turkey—a project
based upon the declarations made by the Czar at 01-
mot; and Reschid Pacha had pledged the assent of
bis government to it in advance, should it be deemed
seridactory to the Russian emperor. It is ewer-
tained, and probably by Lord Stratford well
divined, that this project has no chance whatever.
The clearer and more satisfactory light in which the
despatches last received at Constantinople placed the
attitude of France and England towards the Porte
bad removed the political difficulty which for a time
retained the squadrons at Gallipoli, and only a sea-'
man's reasons withheld the fleets from appearing be-'
fore Constantinople. At the last dates a heavy gale
had blown for several days from the north, which
would have rendered the towing of large line-of-
battle ships into the crowded and dangerous straits
of the Bosphorus, against a strong current, an opet a-
tion of no small risk, which, unless under urgent cir-
cumstances, the admiral would not encounter. Ac-
cording to despatches from the Levant the following
are exact details relative to the position of the com-
bined fleets :—On the 27th ult. there were lying at
amber at Lampsaki, at the entrance of the
illsa of Harmers, the Ville de Paris, Jena,
ea Friedland, line-of-battle ships • the Na-
poison, steam ditto; and the Labrador, steam
frigate, recently arrived from Toulon, with 740
sailors on board, to replace those entitled to their
discharge. At Nsgara-Bouran, a small port on the
coast of Asia, the Charlemagne, mixed line-of-battle
ship, and the Caravans corvette. At the south-east
of Kilid-Bahr, or Castle of Europe, were the Jupiter
line-of-battle ship, the Gomer steam frigate, and the
Solon steam despatch boat. At Ak-Bachi-Liman' or
the White Head, the Henri IV. and Bayard, the
Magellan and Sane steam frigates, the Chaptal steam
corvette, and two steam line-of-battle ships and a
frigate belonging to England. On the European
side, just outside the Dardanelles, lay the Britannia
line-of-battle ship, and an English frigate, se well as
the Valmy French line-of-battle ship and the Mo-
gador steam frigate. The other English vessels
which had not yet entered were at anchor between
Rabbit Island and the coast of Asia, some miles dis-
tant from the Straits. They were expected to enter
on the 28th or 29th of October.

The military intelligence from the Danube received
cep to a late hour last night, is only an ampler read-
ing of former accounts. It is now found, as was to
have been expected, that the startling telegraphic
despatches announcing repulses and retreats of the
Turks rested on no better authority than statements
made by the least informed organs of the Vienna
press.
The Breslau Journal contains intelligence from
Constantinople, according to which a body of twenty
thousand Russians, on their march from Dagbestau
to the Turkish frontier, were suddenly attacked in
the gorge. of Zakortoly by thirty thousand moun-
taineers, and completely routed.
A private letter from Constantinople of the 23th
ult. states that a Turkish war steamer arrived at
the capital on the 24th direct from Batum, bringing
news of the commencement of hostilities, and of an
engagement in which the Turks had been victorious.
It appears that Salim Pacha, the Turkish com-
mander-in-chief at Batum, hearing that the Rus-
sians were erecting fortifications at the other side
of the Tchurnksuju, sent a detachmeat of troops to
reconnoitre. The Russians on this attacked the
Turks, and a skirmish ensued. On this news reach-
ing Salim Peels, he advanced with a portion of the
army of Datum, forcing his passage across the
Tchuraksuja (a border river), attacking the Russians,
and driving them back successfully. Salim Pacha is
stated to have pushed on in the direction of Sukjedi
on one side, and Oreli on the other. This move leads
to the belief that ke purposes joining the great army,
which stands under the orders of Abdi Puha, and is
stationed near Kars.
The following is the text of the note presented
by M. de Brack to the Porte on the 20th October
last :

PROJECT.

The Courts of Austria, France, England, and
Prussia, in unanimously advising the Sublime
Pale to adopt the draught of a note concerted
at Visona, are penetrated with the conviction that
that document infringes in no respect on the
sovereign rights or the dignity of his Majesty
the Sultan. This conviction is founded on the posi-
tive assurances which the Cabinet of St. Petersburg
has given as to the intentions which animate his
Majesty the Emperor of Russia in demanding a ge-
neral guarantee for the religious immunities granted
by the Sultans to the Greek church in their empire. i
It follows fretn these assurances that the Emperor
in demanding, by virtue of the principle established
in the treaty of Kainardji, that the Greek religious '
worahip and the clergy shall continue to enjoy
1 their spiritual privileges under the protec-
I don of their sovereign, the Emperor demands
nothing contrary to the independence and to the
rights of the Sultan, nothing which implies an in-
tention to interfere is the internal affairs of the
Ottoman Empire. That which the Emperor of
Russia wishes is the strict maintenance of the reli-
gions state quo of his worship; that is, a perfect
equality of right and immunities between the Greek
church and the other Christian communities subjects
of the Porte, consequently the enjoyment in favour
of the Greek church of the advantages granted to
those communities. He does not mean to revive the
privileges of the Greek church fallen into disuse by
the effect of time or administrative changes, but he
dentauda that the Sultan shall permit it to parti-
cipate in all the advantages which he may grant
in future to other Christian rites. The Imperial
Cabinet of Austria tl9es not consequently ellubt
that the Sublime Porte, once more considering'

with all the serious attention which the gravity of
aiding circumstances require, the explanations
gives by Russia foe the purpose of specifying the
nature and the extension of her demands, will decide
on.the pure and simple adoption of the Vienna note.
This adoption, whilst securing for the Ottoman go-
vernment a new title to the sympathy and support of
the Powers which advised it, offers to it at the same
time a mode as prompt as honourable of completing
its frank reconciliation with the empire of Russia—a
reconciliation which so many great interests so im-
peratively reclaim."
The Constantinople correspondent of the Delbats
states that, after M. Bruck had presented this note,
Colonel Wildenbruck, of Prussia, attended with a
project which was only the copy of the Austrian pro-
ject. "M. de Bruck did not insist much, but the other
returned to the charFe several times, but did not
succeed better. the Porte is decidedly for
war ; Redsehid Pacha declares it openly,
and repeated this morning, in my presence,
that the Turks were decided to perish rather than
ever accept the Vienna note. In their eyes the new
project of note presented to them as a guarantee from
Europe is not of more value than the note of the con-
ference, and they have rejected without even discuss-
ing it. In reality, three of them, who are a little
familiar with European politics, seem to be persuaded
that Europe cannot allow them to perish ; that
morally they will gain something in trying the
chance of arms, even if they be beaten, and, in a
word, that Europe is too interested in preventing
war not to make the Emperor of Russia relax in his
pretensions, since they themselves have reached the
limit of concessions; and that their determination is
taken to die with arms in their hands rather than
yield any more. They have, then, absolutely re-
jected this new project. To the reasons which
made them do so at is necessary. to add that,
while it was submitted to them in the name of
the Four Powers, there arrived from France and
England the answer, the centre-coup of the note in
which Count Neaselrode explained his manner of
understanding the Vienna note. That reply or
contre.coup was the counsel given to the Porte by
the two Western Powers not to accept the Vienna
note, accompanied by precise and frank promises of
succour and support. The Turks then were right in
regarding those new propositions as null, and the
answer made to them was the entry of the fleets
which several days ago passed the Dardanelles, but
have not yet appeared before Constantinople."
The letter goes on to say that it was on the advice
of France and England that the orders were sent to
the Danube and to Asia to wait before commencing
hostilities. The same letter announces that the reply
of the Emperor of Russia to the declaration of war
by Turkey had been received at Constantinople, and
that it concludes with an appeal to arms.