The Sun.
London, England, 1863-11-24 00:00:00

ROSE WATER POLITICIANS.

English politicians at present aro the most oh.
liging people in the world. They would fain save
the Poles, without at all wishing to pound Russia
into humanity. They would give Rome to the
Romans, without flying in the face of France. They
are for the integrity of Denmark, but cannot quar-
rel with a Saxe-Coburg. They would oblige Na-
poleon in the matter of a Congress, if reassured that
it shall not become a den of thieves. And they are
more than ever anxious to gratify Greece and King
George, if the lonians and Turks would but let
them.

The lonians, however, are ashamed to be handed
over to Greece if emasculated of their only fortress,
and if they are to be the pretext of hard conditions
being imposed upon the Greek Crown and Govern-
ment. Greece, in fact, will not have the lonian
Islands, nor will the lonian Islands belong toGreece,
if both are to suffer disgrace. And Great Britain,
that is exceedingly desirous of satisfying both, is
still more desirous of not offending Turkey and
Austria. Both these countries count it certain that
they are lost if Greece can point a gun over the
lonian sea. Both declare that they must one day
or other be objects of hostility to young and ardent
governments. And they insist on taking precau-
tions immediately.

Had Napoleon the Third taken such a matter in
hand, we have no possible doubt as to the answer
he would have made to both Turkey and Austria.
To tell them to ,‘ get out" for a pair of old women
would be the sense of the language addressed to
them, however cautiously and diplomatically it
might be worded. But we want friends to-day,
not knowing what may happen to-morrow, and
cannot think of affronting Austria, or even rally-
ing the Grand Turk for his absurd jealousy of little
Greece.

These timid prejudices of political grandams
really will not answer their purposes. When a
youth reaches manhood, shows a beard, and puts
on the toga virzlis, it is stupid and pernicious mis-
trust that would tell him not to wear a sword or
bestride a horse. His strongest desire is to be a
man, and to look a man ; and if parents and guar-
dians would make a boy of him he will rebel, and
probably in rebelling turn scapegrace. It is with
nations as with men. When they have reached
years of maturity, and thrown off, with the juvenile
short jacket, the empire of the usher or the peda-
gogue, their ambition is for manly attire, even exag-
gerated, for manly attitude, and for all the appear-
ances of independence and strength. We see this
very frailty expressed in all the young countries
which the Turks have kept so long in a state of
nonage, and which European philanthropy has
breeched. Thus Servia will go armed. Roumania
does not think nationality respectable without an
army. And as the force of circumstances has en-
dowed Greece with a fortress or two, the Greeks
would feel more than mortified were we to tell them
that they must not play with such edged tools.
Yet this is precisely what Austria and Turkey
have forced us to say to Greece. England, declare
these old people, is good enough to make over to
you the lonian Islands. We have no objection.
You may take the population, and tax them, and
swell your armies with their islanders, as well as
your treasury with their contributions; but you
must not have fortresses, guns, and armies. We are '
terrified at the vision of an lonian Sebastopol. For-
tresses are only for grown nations, and you are but
children.
This language will not do for the descendants of
Marco Botzaris and Odusseus. When the Turks
were
had Greece and the Morea in dominion they
not, in peaceful times, such tyrants as would ohm"
descend to details. They never pretended to disarm
the Klephts, or deprive the Albanians of
their
• h
strongholds. Provided they met with obeisancerocky
and tribute they were not for crushing manhood
out of the rayahs. But the Turks, As they have
have become
grown more tolerant of political rights,
They hold it as
more suspicious of martial ones.
once subject, and
an axiom, that the Christian races,
of them, are predes-
now fortunately independent
the policy is in conse-
tined to devour them, and
quanta to extract all their teeth. This may be
is not
but sensible or
natural logic for a Turk, it
decorus that we shouldsenction such absurdities.
Fortresses are
defensive weapons. That of Corfu
cannot invade Albania' neither can its guns reach
the mouth of the Adriatic. In case of the war of
combined Italy and Greece against Austria and
etruggle will be no doubt by sea as
Turkey, the
well as land- But on sea it must be carried on by
fortresses, and by a marine, and not by
fleets, not
any amount of cannon placed in embrasures or
pointed ea barbetto. The fears of Austria and
Turkey are absurb ; nay, so absurd that they can-
not be sincere, The gist of such objections must be,
not really to defend the two potent empires of
Austria and Turkey from the lonians, but merely to
give a slap in the face to King George. That is the
1
chief aim, that the malignant purpose. And in
honour, consistency, and common tense, England