The Sun.
London, England, 1853-10-03 00:00:00

THE MILITARY CONGRESS OF OLMITTZ.

The special correspondent of the Times gives the
following account of the Olmutz Conference, dated
September 29.
The conferences between the two Powers have
ended, the Emperor Nicholas having left this place
last night, and instead of sending any of the thou-
sand and one rumours flying about the Court and
the camp during their progress, I have preferred
waiting until I could send you something that
could be relied on, which is, I am happy to say, in
perfect accordance with the opinion I put forth
yesterday and the day before.
The Emperor Nicholas and Count Nesselrode
have given to the Emperor of Austria and Count
Buol Schauenstein the most positive assurances that
there is now and henceforth no question of any
isolated action on the part of Russia with a view to
the subversion of the Ottoman empire, and that
the sole object of the Emperor is to terminate
the whole affair with honour, and put an end
to all suspense in the European money market
as quickly as possible. For this purpose it is
the anxious joint desire of the Cabinets of
Vienna and St. Petersburg that, with the
concurrence of the Governments of England,
France, and Prussia, the collective action of the
Vienna Conference should be renewed, and that
its results should be a formula of assurance so

perfectly satisfactory to the Porte as to hold forth
every prospect of acceptance. I therefore regard
the question as substantially terminated, and hence-
forth involving only a few forms which we may
safely leave.to the tact of the diplomatic men, un-
less the Moslem fanaticism which Russia has so in-
cautiously evoked should interpose a barrier.
These assurances will take place with a view to
enable Russia to accomplish, without humiliation,
the grand wished-for point of the evacuation of the
Principalities, but will involve, on the part of the
five Powers, no technical guarantee to Turkey
beyond what already exists in the Treaty of 1841,
and which, in fact, would be perfectly superfluous.
With all this it cannot be denied that there is a
strong shade of difference between the Eastern and
Western Powers, even allowing each to stand upon
the strength of the jointly acknowledged treaties

and those principles of international right recog-
nized both. The Western public asks satisfac-
tion for an affront to an _independent Power, but
the Eastern Powers point out the pentarchical
protection of this independence as not en-
titling it to refuse to listen to the united
voices of the five Powers ; and the claim
to that full measure of dignity which would
be accorded to an unprotectd military Power,
able from its own independent resources to ensure
respect, is grudged, even refused, to Turkey, with
antecedents so little savouring of virtual or tech-
nical equality with the five Powers that do the
police of Europe. This is the hard case of every
state that has declined. I should, therefore, be
sorry if any metaphysical theory of an equality
that does not exist should interfere with that speedy
and permanent evacuation of the Principalities
which all the Western Powers have substantially at
heart. From what I hear, the present attitude of the
Emperor Nicholas is more the hones tretracement of a
hasty step by a man who stands in fear of the j udgment
of the soundly thinking part of Europe than from
apprehension of the physical forces arrayed against
him. This sentiment does not flatter the English
feeling of the day and the hour ; but you have sent
me to Olmutz to make an honest record of my
impressions, and there they are.