The Sun.
London, England, 1855-06-20 00:00:00

t J UNE; 20, 1858.
TIE LONDON, WEDNES
'I4IAIIE N
LUPE RIAL pt

1,1t,031tn vrgitu taI:NTALS..

THE "JOl7. ?NAL DE ST. PETERSDOWitr
ON THE VIENNA CONFERENCE&

HAILIVAYS.

Compans

eh:mint Price:
yesterday.

Brqiress
this day.

110[JSE OF COMMONS-(THIS y

The Journal de St. Petersbourg of the 12th con-
tains an article in reply to Count Walewski's cir-
cular, noticed in a telegraphic despatch given by.
The Sun of Monday. The article iu question occu-
pies six columns.
From the opening observations of Count Wa-
l„ -ski's circular, the inference is drawn by the St.
Peter sburg journal, that throughout the period in
which the late Emperor Nicholas was striving to ar-
rive at a general peace, the Allied governments were
intent ,only upon the more vigorous prosecution of
the war,. and it is suggested that this fact explains
the delay until. March in the opening of the Con-
ferences, And the hesitation—not to say extreme
repugnance—with which Baron de Bourqueuey and
Lord Westmoreland gave ear to the preliminary
negotiations.
The Journal proceeds to examine the reference,
in Count Walewski's circular, to the independence of
the Principalities, contrasting the deplorable situa-
tion of thoseprovincesprevious to the treatyofAdria-
nople with their condition under the provisional ad-
ministration of CountKisseletf. Russia's object is de-
clared to be achieved when the free regime of the
Principalities obtains the sanctionofpublic European
law, by the collective guarantee of all the great
powers. " Such is the result in which our pleni-
potentiaries had an honourable share. In approv-
ing the acts which they have signed, the Imperial
Cabinet regards this question as terminated."
On the second point, the navigation of the
Danube, the Russian Plenipotentiaries were also
at one with the representatives of the Allied
Powers. It was the Russian administration, says
the Journal, which opened to the freedom of com-
merce one of the most magnificent markets in the
world and it then proceeds to contend that the
facts show that Russia did not abuse her privilege
—at any rate, It was not necessary to spill the blood
of France and England to overcome the few exist-
ing obstacles.
The Journal, passing to the consideration of the
Fourth Point, expresses regret that the Third—
which possessed such a grave interest to all Chris-
tians—was postponed, because " we longed to sa-
tisfy ourselves that the intentions of the Russian
Cabinet coincided with those of France and Eng-
land." It is then remarked :
" If we are to judge by the remarks contained in the
circular of May 23 (Count Walewski's) there existed a
oertain divergence of view between the French Cabinet
aLd ours. At Paris the political question predominates;.
in 0 t..her words, the fourth guarantee is specially con-
siderol in relation to the influence which the great
Powers' exercise in the East. At St. Petersburg the
religious sentiment, the national sentiment of the coun-
treyli,giOuutsw, sighs the considerations belonging only to the
domain of
,00litics. Under the influence of this con-
viction, the principal object which the Russian plenipo-
tentiaries we,-e directed to keep in view, was to ar-
rive at a peace by which the liberty of worship, and
the amelioration of the condition of the Christian popula-
tions, subject to t lie domination of the 0 ttuniao Empire,
should be placed fo r the future under the safeguard of a
collective Act, sanct:oned by European law.
"If the efforts of al! the Powers tended towards the
same end, nothin4 woulti be more easy than to clothe this
act with the forms deeine 1 necessary to secure for the
Sultan the spontaneous merit of a Sovereign will mani-
fested in favour of his Christian subjects. In this respect
we wish as much as France and England to arrange
for the Sultan the opportunity of giving himself
up, to use the words of the circular of May 23, to the
most generous inspirations.' The intention of the Rus-
sian Cabinet assuredly is not 'to arrest in Turkey all
useful reforms, or to estrange the populations against
their sovereign.' It is with earnestness that we repro-
duce this expression from Count Walewski's despatch,
conscious of the importance which all Governments at-
tach to making this doctrine respected not only in
Turkey, but everywhere else.
" We arrive at the revision of the treaty of 1841. That
which surprises us at first is, that the French Cabinet
has completely passed over in silence the results already
obtained in determining this amicably. In our opinion
the most useful guarantee for assuring the repose of the
Levant is not to be sought. It is found. The Pleni-
potentiaries, reunited in conference on April 19, esta-

The S'PEAKER took the chair at 12 o'clock.
The Dearr ess Valley Railway Bill, and the T0.V.,7
District Churches Bill were read a third time and pass,
The Gateshead and Hexham Roads Bill, and the Dun-
dalk Harbour and Port Bill were considered and ordered
to be read a third time.
Petitions were presented from various places in Kent
against the exceptional clauses in the Sunday Trading
Bill ; from places in favour and against the Marriage
Bill ; and in favour of Mr. M. Gibson's Education Bill,
from South Wales.

blished it unanimously under the form of an engagement,
conceived in these terms If a conflict arises between

the Sublime Porte and one of the high contracting par-
ties, the two States, before resorting to the employment
of force, shall put the other Powers in the way of pre-
venting such an extremity by pacific means.'
"This stipulation, to tell the truth, ought to put an
end to ail further discussion. The foresight of the Ca-
binets would be unable to go beyond the pledges of se-
curity contained in this engagement. The principle of
perfect reciprocity characterising this stipulation renders
it equally reassuring and honourable for all the contract-
ing powers. After this guarantee given to the preserva-
tion of the European equilibrium, is it necessary
to prolong the calamities of war, in order to seek
for ampler material precautions ? It is upon this
rock that he negotiations at Vienna split. We feel
more regret than surprise. The human mind cannot
create impossibilities. It risks failure in its enterprises
when it attempts to go beyond. This truth applies to
the material guarantees with which it has been sought,
more than once at other periods, to surround political
transactions."

In a similar spirit the St. Petersburg Journal
alludes to the circumstances under which the Fourth
Point was rejected, expressing the sentiment that it
is neither to the interest of Russia nor of the Allies

that hostilities should continue, and that this is a

safer guarantee for peace than any question of num-
bers in the Black Sea. It is urged that Russia has
a direct interest in the maintenance of peace in the
Levant, and the riso of hostilities is attributed to
the existence of " a predominant influence at
Constantinople, which judized the moment favour-
able for regenerating the Ottoman Empire by a:
warlike start." The Russian plenipotentiaries
went as far as they could when, at the Conference,
they proposed, alternately, the opening or the
closing of the Black Sea. The limitation of the
. _ _

number of Russian vessels is declared to be inad-
missible ; but the Journal says that the time is not
come for discussing that point with proper calm-

After again putting the question, whether upon
the conditions already agreed to peace might not
at once be concluded, the article closes as follows :

" Thus the blame of the rupture falls upon the West-
ern Powers. Their unwillingness has put an end to
the negotiations. It is not the Russian Cabinet which

is responsible. If on one side it has opposed to
France and England the firm resolution not to agree to
demands exceeding the limit laid down from the open-
ing of the Conferences, on the other, it has offered to

friendly powers the proof of its sincere desire to con-
tribute loyally to a peace conformed to the sentiment
of the dignity of Russia. Constant in these principles,
it will leave the way open to an honourable reconcilia-

tion, when the desire of peace shall be more generally
felt in France and in England—when experience shall
have enlightened the two countries upon the mistakes
of a war without object and a hatred without cause. It

will be permitted then to resume, with the hope of suc-
cess, negotiations for assuring to Europe the benefit, too
long overlooked, of general repose."