The Sun.
London, England, 1864-09-15 00:00:00

we may regard it here, is looked upon by the Porte
as really advantageous, since, by attacking the
privileges of the Bayards and destroying their
prestige, the Prince has in reality strengthened the
hands of the Turkish Government. Of course, the

question of the effect upon the internal government
of the country, and the sacrifice of public liberty,
will not weigh much with a despotic Administra-

tion like that of the Porte ; and the transforma-
tion of a tolerably free State into an arbitrary
despotism is not likely to affect the secret opinion
of the Sultan or his Ministers. The other out-
lying dependencies of the Porte are in a tolerably
sltisfactory condition, and the SULTAN and his
Ministers are therefore free to give their whole at.
teation to the much needed reforms which have
often been postponed on the excuse that the exter-
nal affairs of the Empire engaged all their time and
energies. Eastern officials are not, we know, very
prompt in any movement, and the entry on the
path of reform is sufficiently troublesome and diffi-

cult to be gladly postponed us long as possible on
any pretext. It is an ungracious office to begin
forcing down salaries, stopping perquisites, and
cutting off superfluities, to examine with a rigid
and microscopic eye into long - standing

abuses and comfortable little methods of en.

riching private coffers at the expense of
the Imperial Treasury. Nevertheless, the con•
dition of the public finances at the time of the
present SULTAN'S accession was such as to render
it imperative to begin some reforms, and it is greatly

to the credit of the present ruler of the Ottoman
Empire that he has put none of the obstacles that
might have been expected from him in the way.
Some really substantial reforms have been inaugu•

rated, and s good many changes for the better have
been introduced. Considerable savings have been
effected in the salaries of the employes who hold
official sinecures in the profuse outlay of the inha•
bitants of the Palace. It has been endeavoured,
too, with some success, to check the corrupt deal-
ings so common among Turkish officials, while
the administration of military affairs, though
much better managed, is effected at much
less cost. None of these improvements have,
as yet, been carried to their full extent, but enough
has been done to make a change in the aspect of
affairs, and to give a little more firmness to the
financial prospects of the country. The SULTAN
himself, however, prevents any hope of a speedy
re-establishment of Turkish credit. He does not
indeed partake of the lavish tastes of his prede-
cessors, whose profligate expenditure helped greatly
to bring the Treasury into serious difficulties.
Neither apes he, as we have said, put any difficul-
ties in the way of retrenchment or reform. The
obstacle which he interposes between his financiers
and ultimate success, is one more worthy of a
ruler, though certainly costly enough to be
seriously embarassing. His outlay upon ironclad
ships and fortifications is sufficient to perplex his
Cabinet, while large sums are also required
for his palaces and their improvements. It is natu-
ral, and to a degree praiseworthy in a Governor,
to wish to profit by the great inventions of other
nations, but he should restrict his ambition by the
requirements of the national exchequer. The Turk-
ish Treasury has so lately been in a position of ex-
treme difficulty, and even danger, from its financial
embarrassments that it is a thousand pities the Mi-
nisters lack courage or ability to convince their
Sovereign that if he persists in deranging their
estimates and appropriating their resources by his
expensive tastes, another crisis, and perhaps a
catastrophe, is inevitable. Meanwhile the harvest
prospects are excellent, and the cotton crop gives
indication of unwonted prosperity, so that unless
these extraneous matters continue to hamper the
Government, there is no reason why all these per-
plexities should exist.

It would puzzle many to account for the conduct
of Earl RUSSELL, and to predict what will be his
next venture. He has outdone expectation in his

management of American affairs ; and the last ruse

,o which he has had to resort has not redounded

greatly to hie credit. The notice which appeared

in the Gazette of the other day is a striking proo

of the want of courage and consistency displayed
by our Government. If the order forbidding in
future that any ship of war belonging to the belli.

gerent Powers of America be allowed to enter our
ports for the purpose of being dismantled or aold
were necessary, why is it only just issued ? %%rhy
was cot the discovery made of the inadvisability of

such proceedings long before ? The reason of al,
this excitement is obvious—it is on account o.

the efftir of the Georgia. It has teen seen that
Ls as displeasing to the Government at Washington

for the Confederate ships to be put to any useful
purpose, and hence this order. Can any policy be
more mistaken and humiliating than one which
seeks to curry favour in this manner with an un-
scrupulous and insolent power like that of the
Federals. It cannot result in anything like success,
it must defeat its own purpose, and cover with die•
credit the men who organise such an attempt to
deprecate criticism and disarm reproach when they
should assume a decided position, and manifest to
the world that they have some opinions of their
own. If the American war be not speedily termi•
nated, it may be supposed, with a sure
ground for the idea, that we shall witness
some other notable extravaganza on the part of
our Government relative to the conduct of affairs.
If any one had prophesied at the outset what would
be the line taken no one would have believed it ;

but events have multiplied themselves in quick
succession. Our Ministers have had to cope with
the difficulties and confront the dangers that ine-
vitably arise in war, and they have not at all been
equal to the emergency. There has been great talk '
of the preservation of strict neutrality, and we have
heard much about the advantages of non-intervene
tion ; but beyond these we have seen and heard
little enough else but mortifying and degrading
affairs, in which our honour has always been sacri-
ficed and our interests set at nought. What
is all this for ? Is it to please the devotees of
America, whose influence in the Cabinet of Lord
PALMERSTON was to work such wonders. Is it
because we are afraid of the Federals and dare not
forsake them too far. It is very difficult to obtain
a decisive and satisfactory answer to such demands,
but at all events the real result of our policy is
patent to the world, and it remains for us to mourn
over our national decadence in spirit and independ-
ence, and to censure those who are so ill fulfilling
the duties of their high position. The case of the
Georgia is a scandalous one, and it will be a lasting
disgrace to our Government that they should have
veered about in so remarkable a fashion, and proved
themselves so incapable of a straightforward curse.
The Government that authorised the granting of a
register, and then denies its responsibility to defend
its own act, may last for a time owing to peculiar
circumstances, but it bears upon its front the
stigma of a disgraceful and dishonourable action.
In private life such conduct would not be tolerated,
and truth and justice are the same everywhere. This
state of things cannot last for ever, and whenever
the prestige of power has vanished, men will speak
their minds pretty plainly as to the mainspring
and origin of all this discredi!able foreign policy.
We are to look on and say and do nothing. What-
, ever insults are put upon us, the flag of England is