The Sun.
London, England, 1853-08-17 00:00:00

diplomatic victory—if we induced the RllfigallS to leave
the principalities. I meal) doubt the victory. Russia has
gained without firing a shot what would have been
awl
worth purchasing by a bloody and expensive campaig,n.
(Hear, hear.) She has established her power in the East
—she has humiliated Turkey—she has compelled her to
submit to an invasion without .resistancehe has ex-
halisted her resources—and, what is more, she- has humi-
liated this country and France in the eyes of her own sub-
jects, and of the populations of Turkey. (Hear, hear.)
What have we done for Turkey, who opposed the demands
of Russia with our sanction and support—demands which
we admitted to be outrageous and unjust ? (Hear, hear.)
We have subjected her to huation and
in to all the
re now urg her to
expenses of a war ; and we a
accept the very demands which we advised her
in the first instance to reject. (Hear, hear.) And
how had those demands been now urged upon her, and
what does their acceptance involve ? Why, we have just
learnt from the noble lord that the draught of the proposal
to be agreed to by the remsentatives of the four powers at
Vienna was first communicated to St. Petersburg, and was,
of course, eagerly accepted—the acceptance being sent back
without delay, and before the proposal could have even
reached the Porte. The consequence is that, if the Porte
declines to adhere to this proposal, Russia will call upon us
to support her in compelling the Turkish Government, who
has the real voice in the matter, and can alone judge how
far the proposal affects her rights and independence, to
accept that which we have sanctioned and recommended.
(Hear, hear.) In fact, Russia has turned the tables com-
pletely upon us, and has made us her allies against Tur-
key, instead of being supporters of Turkey in resisting the
unjust and unrighteous demand. (Hear, hear.) If Turkey
accepts the proposal under this terrible pressure—for it is
a terrible pressure, Russia now being united with four great
powers of Europe against the Porte—we have directly
sanctioned the pretensions of Russia to protect and inter-
f9re on behalf of the 12,000,000 of the Christian subjects of
the Porte, a privilege which she might always have claimed,
and to a certain extent, exercised, but in which we have
never acquiesced. (Hear, hear.) 'Why, this is monstrous !
(Hear, hear.) Let this case be reversed. If Turkey had
been in the place of Russia, what should we have done ?
Why we should have compelled her to evacuate the princi-
palities at once, to have paid the whole expenses caused to
Russia by an unwarrantable act—(hear, hear)—and to have
sent an ample apology. (Hear.) Nothing less now will
satisfy the ends of justice. (Cheers.) If we do not deal
with this outrageous case after this fashion, we show to the
world that we have one measure for the weak and another
for the strong, and we forfeit our character and prestige
in the East, rendering the position of our ambassador
at Constantinople utterly untenable. When once this great
country has lent itself to a palpable act of injustice, as
she has unfortunately done in this instance, she must
descend in the scale of nations. (Cheers.) Look at the
question as we may, we have taken the place of a second-
rate power, and conceded that of a first-rate power to. Rus-
sia alone. (Hear, hear.) It is said that the question is
settled. (Hear, hear.) I contend that it is only a ques-
tion deferred. (Hear, hear.)Allied with France, sup-
ported by the public opinion of the whole of Europe, en-
gaged in a just and righteous cause, we have lost an opp.or-
Vanit which perhaps never occur again, of settling
y
on a proper basis this great Eastern qureaten the quests the
those
vast conflicting interests that yearly th peace
the East, and of assigning to Russia that place to which as
a great power she is entitled, and which I should be the
last person to refuse her, but beyond which the safety of
Europe and the interests of civilisation forbid that she
should go. (Cheers.) Better would it have been to have
induced Turkey at once to have accepted Prince 31enschi-
koff's proposal, than to have abetted her in a resistance
which has only ended in her humiliation, and which has
inflicted a blow upon her which must accelerate her ruin,
and render utterly hopeless any attempt to preserve her as
an independent power. (Hear, hear.) But it is not only
in Turkey and in the East innerl.l that the effects of
this fatal policy will be felt. Sweden,
and every weak state in Europe, Denmark, Germany,
which depends for sup-
port—aye, for its very existence—upon the high character
of England, and our 'mown respect for treaties, will look
upon further opposition to Russia as hopeless. (Hear,
hear.) The day will probably come when we shall see the
error
we have committed, and repent a policy against
which, as a humble member of this house, I can only record
my solems protest. (Cheers.)
Sir J. PAKINGTON could not help feeling that they
had some reason to complain of the extreme shortness of
the notice which the noble lord had given of his intention
to bring this subject under the notice of the house. Consi-
dering the brief interval that yet remained before the pro-
rogation, they might fairly have expected that on Friday
last, or at least on Saturday, the noble lord would have
made known his intention to make to the house the state-