The Sun.
London, England, 1862-12-19 00:00:00

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cumstance which might release it from its own engage-
ments and give it entire freedom of opinion.
The candidature of Prince. Alfred, that the semi-official
organs of the English ministry no longer rejected, assumed
from that moment a new character. Interpreting the pro-
longed silence of the British Government the Greeks ap-
peared to consider it an implicit assent; and European opi-
nion no longer asked if Prince Alfred would be elected, but
if England would accept- for, him the Hellenic crown: A
prudential sentiment compelled the Emperor's Government
to look this eventuality steadily in the face, and to examine
its possible consequences. The cordiality of our relations
enabled us to explain ourselves quite freely to the British
Government. We did not hide from it, therefore, our views.
"An English monarchy at Athens," we said, " would pro-
duce profound modifications in the position of the Powers in
the East. Contrary to the spirit of stipulations which, when
the kingdom of Greece was founded, were intended to keep
her from all preponderating action on the part of one of
the three courts, a circumstance of this importance would
threaten the judicious equilibrium it has been the object
o f other and more recent treaties to strengthen. Should any
immediate change in English policy towards the Ottoman
empire be the result, the London Cabinet would have at
its command the means of making its influence felt upon all
parts of Turkey ; and es, in uniting the destiny of a prince
of the English royal family with that of Greece, it could
not mean to repress the national sentiment of the Hellenes
sooner or later it would find itself compelled by the force'
of circumstances to support tendencies hostile to the main-
tenance of the Ottoman Empire. The Eastern question
might then recommence under entirely new conditions.
The interestsof the other powers would have to suffer now,
and would ha
gravoly comprtnutnea hop.aftpr_ The EMDe-
roes Government could not do less than take notice of such
an event, if it occurred, while claiming the right of consi-
dering the re-establishment of the disturbed equilibrium."
Such is, in substance the language that we have held in
the provision justified by the manifestations of public
opinion in Greece, and the reserve the English Cabinet
maintained after the last communication from the Russian
Government. The Cabinet of London replied to us by re-
newing the assurance of its desire to remain within the
stipulations 'of the treaties, and by adding that it would re-
fuse to accept the candidature of Prince Alfred, if the
court of Russia on its part made the same engagement
with respect to the Duke de Leuchtenberg. -Wishing to
hinder as much as we could the embarrassments and
the dangers we had signalised, we did riot hesitate to
advise the Russian Government to give the explana-
tions it has been requested to give. It had no ob-
jection to declare itself bound by the protocol of •the
3d of February ; in pronouncing itself in more formal
terms upon the position of the Duke de Leuchtenberg; it
might remove the difficulties which still remained, and the
ambassador of the Emperor at St. Petersburg was charged
to express himself very distinctly in the sense of an explicit
exclusion. Although news from' Greece appeared at one
time less unfavourable to the candidature of the Duke de
Leuchtenberg, the minister at Athens was expressly re-
quested to abstain from giving it any encouragement. The
court of Russia, which has already ordered its representa-
tive in Greece to make the declaration suggested by the
English government respecting the stipulations of 1830,
added, in informing us of this measure, that without dis-
cussing the rank of the Duke de Leuchtenberg, it entirely
renounced his candidature. There is nothing now to disturb
the understanding of the three courts. 'We hope therefore
that the cabinets will soon be able to recommend a candidate
to the suffrages of Greece, and to end an agitation which,
after having been fruitless, might become dangerous.—
Agree; &c., (Signed) DROUYN DE LHUYS.