The Sun.
London, England, 1853-06-20 00:00:00

THE ROBBER RUSSIA.

(From the Morning Post.)
It is now manifest that Russia has long contem -
plated, and carefully prepared, the attempt which
she is urging for the overthrow of the Ottoman
Empire. The craft of her diplomacy has been used
—unsparing even of her own honour—to sever
allies and to blind Europe. The resources of her
empire have been matured and concentrated, so
that she has treasure and armies readily available.
And, whilst preparing materials for action, and
subtly rconcealing her designs from the great, she
has quietly worked on the bigotry of her people,
and incited their religious enthusiasm, by circula-
ting such fanatical productions as the prophecy of
the monk Agath Angelos, professedly written in
the year 1275, and predicting most clearly the fall
of the Byzantine Empire in 1453, and its resto-
ration after the lapse of four hundred years,
Of this prophecy, thousands of copies have also
been printed at Athens, Smyrna, and other places,
and distributed, chiefly by Russian agency, in Con-
stantinople itself, and in the Danubian provinces,
as well as iu Thessaly and Albania, and generally
throughout the East.
The blow is now to be struck. Prince Gort-
chakoff left St. Petersburgh on the 11th instant to
assume the command-in-chief of the army which is
about to invade Moldavia. Intelligence of the
orders sent to the fleets of England and France to
sail for the Dardanelles must, however, have
reached the Emperor before the 11th • and as we
are informed that " his language continued to be
full of menaces," and as Prince Gortchakoff has
started for the banks of Pruth, to put those menaces
into execution, we may look upon the resolution
of the Emperor as still unchanged, and on the in-
vasion of the Principalities as inevitable.
The instructions of Prince Gortchakoff are, to
await at head-quarters the return of the courier
from Constantinople, and, in the event of his
bringing the Turk's refusal of the 'ultimatum, of
which he was bearer, at once to invade Moldavia,
without waiting for further orders.

We learn by telegraph, from Constantinople,
dated the 10th inst., that the courier in question had
arrived on the 9th, within a few hours of the

arrival of the messenger charged to announce
to the Ambassadors and the Sultan the approach
of the combined fleets. Of the rejection of
the ultimatum, there was no doubt. The Turks
were full of confidence and enthusiasm, and
preparations for war were carried on with the
greatest vigour. As the ultimatum would be at
once rejected, and as Prince Gortchakoff left St.
Petersburgh on the 11th, it is probable that he
would meet the courier at Odessa somewhere about

the 17th ; and consequently there is every reason
to believe that whilst we write the Russian forces

are effecting the passage of the Pruth.
It is of the greatest importance that the conse-
quences of this act should thoroughly be under-
stood. Russia—who, we are sorry to say it, has
throughout this affair neglected no artifice, and dis-
dained no intrigue, however base—is again endea-
vouring to cast dust in the eyes of Europe by pre-
tending that the occupation of the Danubian Prin-
cipalities is not war with Turkey, but " an endea-
vour to obtain from her by force that which she
will not yield spontaneously." Now, this is both
deceit and robbery of the worst description. Rob-
bery, in that Russia endeavours to obtain by force
that to which she has no claim ; deceit, in that she
endeavours to shuffle off the responsibility of a war
which, abrogating existing treaties, disentitles
Russia from any further advantage in favour of
them, and confers upon Turkey the full benefits of
the assistance of her allies.

" War," says Vatel, "is that state in which we
prosecute our rights by force." And, further, the
same authority defines offensive war thus :—" We
attack a nation with a view either to obtain some-
thing to which we claim, to punish her for an in-
jury which she has done us, or to prevent one
which she is preparing to do." Now, we have
demonstrated plainly on previous occasions that,
according to the treaty of Balta Liman, Russia
has no right to occupy the Principalities. She
therefore, by crossing the Pruth, commits an act
of offensive war, according to the above definition,
because she " attacks a nation to obtain something
to which she lays claim."
But, as we have constantly shown, Russia has
no claim, founded upon a shadow of justice, against
Turkey ; and thus, indeed, her aggression may
escape Vatel's definition of war ; for he classes such
deeds as hers under a worse category, saying, " I
do not therefore, among the objects of offensive
war, set down conquest, or the desire of invading
the property of others : Views of that nature,
destitute even of any reasonable pretext to coun-
tenance them, do not constitute the object of regular
warfare, but of robbery." And—as robbery—
affording, according to the law of nations, ample
cases belli; the aggression of Russia on the integrity
of Turkey, by the invasion of the Principalities, is
regarded by the Governments of England and
France.
The objects of Russia in trying to avoid procla-
mation of war are twofold. Firstly, when Turkey
is at war, the Dardanelles are open ; therefore, by
avoiding the the term " war," Russia hopes to de-
prive the Porte of the assistance of her allies, who
cannot enter the Dardanelles so long as she is at
peace. Secondly, war is held to abrogate all
treaties ; therefore, by proclamation of war, Russia
would destroy existing advantages which she pos-
sesses by treaty—advantages which will never be
renewed so long as England and France have any
voice in the matter.
It is humiliating to attempt subterfuge, so easily
seen through. Such pretences as that put forth by
Russia will be of no avail. The moment she
crosses the Pruth war or rather " robbery" will be
proclaimed, if not by her, then by Turkey ; and our
fleet, with that of France, will be at the disposal of
our ally to defend Constantinople, or to operate as
he may wish in the Black Sea. We repeat again
our statement, that England will not declare war
with Russia. Even though we burn her fleets at
Sebastopol, we have a right to do so in the cause of
our ally : the position of England and France, in re-
lation to Russia, falling under Vatel's definition of
"those nations which assist my enemy in defensive
war :" of whom he says, " I cannot consider them as his
associates. If I am entitled to complain of their
furnishing him with succours, this is a new ground
of quarrel between me and them. I may expostu-
late with them, and, on not receiving satisfaction,
prosecute my right and make war on them." This
Russia may do if she choose.
The course of Prussia and Austria, especially that
of the latter, is not in this matter so forcible as
their true interests should lead them to make it.
They certainly diplomatically discountenance the
pretensions of Russia, but that is all ; and they
waver when any definite course of action is laid
before them. Austria, indeed, constantly offers
" her good offices" to as constant rejection, but
she should understand that in a firm and bold
course alone there is safety. To say nothing of the
disastrous effect upon her commercial and political
influences which would be the result of the triumph
of Russia in acquiring European Turkey, Austria
should not blind herself to the fact that her very
existence is menaced by the consequences which
may arise from the present state of affairs ; for it is
not war that is merely to be dreaded—it is revo-
lution. If there be war, the Poles and Hungarians
will flock to the standards of Turkey, and will stir
up those flames which wait but the opportunity to
break forth. If Austria be not with Turkey, she
must side with Russia, and insurrections in Hun-
guary, Poland, and Italy would soon convert the
hostilities, originating in an attempt to overthrow
Turkey, into a struggle for existence on the part
of the despotic powers, attacked with overpowering
might by the victims of their oppression. Good
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•

DREADFUL ACCIDENT AND LOSS Or LIFE.—PRESTON,
aStATtUhEeDfaAcYt.—oryTohfismiriro.Ting a
Gneorgeshsomckiting
h,macocoidre-lnat happened
ne,inthin
town, by which the life of one man was sacrificed on the
spot ; a second was seriously, if not mortally, wounded;
two others were more or less injured ; and several more
were placed in imminent peril, by the falling down of a
wall which had been undermined. Three labourers,
Birnes, Parsons, and Murray, were engaged on the
waste-room side of the wall, and the two first-named
were completely buried in the ruins. Murray, who was
dressing bricks nearer the end of the wall, had his legs
covered by the wreck, but was able to extricate himself,
his injuries not being of a fatal character. A man named
Ss,vindlehurst, who was in what proved to be a safer
position, merely sustained a few contusions and abrasions.
Three other men, who were excavating in the passage,
only a few feet from the wall, escaped without injury,
the brickwork falling in a mass in the opposite direction.
Active measures were, of course, proi aptly taken for the
extrication of Birnes and Parsons, and in about five
minutes they were removed from the debris. Birnes
expired immediately, having sustained a fearful fracture
of the skull, besides other mutilations ; Parsons, whose
limbs were broken, chest crushed, Bc., and presented a
shocking spectacle, was conveyed to the hospital, where
be still survived when this account was written. The
deceased has left a widow and one child. The inquest
will be held to-day.
THE SANITARY IMPROVEMENT Or WOOLWICH.—MT.
Edmund Smith, the contractor for numerous Govern
ment works, and for the defence of the Isle of Wight,-
has entered into a contract with ti le Woolwich Local
Board of Health, to drain thoroughly the town for about
8,000/.