The Sun.
London, England, 1853-10-17 00:00:00

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ti pro._ ices, urged upon the
Sublime _ orte the necessity of framing a draft note
occupying a middle place between the draft note of the •
ISublime Porte and that of Prince Menschikoff. More
ately the representatives of the Powers confidently
communicated different schemes of arrangement to the
Sublime Porte. None of these latter respoflded to the
views of the Imperial Government; and the Ottoman
Cabinet was on the point of entering into negotiations
with the representatives of the Powers on the basis of a
project drawn up by itself in conformity with these sug-
gestions. It was at this moment that news of the pas-
sage of the Pruth by the Russians arrived, a fact which
changed the face of the whole question. The draught
note proposed by the Sublime Porte was then set aside,
and the Cabinets were requested to express their views
of this violation of treaties after the protest of the
Sublime Porte. On the one hand, the Ottoman Cabinet
had to wait for their replies, and on the other it drew
up, at the suisgestion of the representatives of the
Powers, a project of arrangements, which was sent to
Vienna.

As the sole answer to all these active steps, the draft
of our note prepared (elabore) at Vienna made its ap.
pearance.

However that may be (Quoi9u'il en soil) the Ottoman
Government fearing rightly (a juste titre) everything
hich might imply a-right of interference in favour of
Russia in religious matter, could do no more than give
assurances calculated- to dissipate the doubts which had
become the subject of discussion ; and it will not, after
so many, preparations and sacrifices, accept propositions
which could not be received at the time of the stay of
Prince Menschikoff at Constantinople. Since the Cabi-
net of St. Petersburg has not been content with the as-
surances and pledges that have been offered, since the
benevolent efforts of the high powers have remained
fruitless ; since, in fine, the Sublime Porte cannot tole-
rate or suffer any longer the actual state of things, or
the prolongation of the occupation of the Moldo-Wal-
lachian Principalities, they being integral portions of its
empire—the Ottoman Cabinet, with the firm and praise-
worthy intention of defending the sacred rights of sove-
reignty and the independence of its government, will
employ just reprisals against a violation of the treaties
which it considers as a casus belli. It notifies, then,
officially that the Government of his Majesty the Sultan
finds itself obliged to declare war, that it has given
most precise instructions (les instructions les plus catego-
riques) to his Exceliency Omer Pacha to demand from
Prince Gortschakoff the evacuation of the Principali-
ties, and to commence hostilities if after a delay of
fifteen days from the arrival of his dispatch at the
Russian head-quarters an answer in the negative should
be returned.

It is distinctly understood that should the reply of
Prince Gortschakoff be negative, the Russian agents
are to quit the Ottoman Empire, and that the commer-
cial relations of the respective subjects of the two go-
vernments shall be broken off.
At the same time the Sublime Porte will not con-
sider it just to lay an embargo upon Russian merchant
vessels, as has been the practice. Consequently, they
will be warned to resort either to the Black Sea or to
the Mediterranean Sea, as they shall think fit within
a term that shall hereafter be fixed. Moreover, the
Ottoman government being unwilling to place hindrances
in the way of commercial intercourse between the sub-
jects of friendly powers, will,during the war, leave the
straits open to their mercantile marine.

LORD BEAUMONT ON TILE EASTERN
QUESTION.

The following letter on the Eastern question, and
the meetings now being held in reference to it,
has been addressed by Lord Beaumont to Lord
Dudley Stuart :

• Geneva, Oct. 9, 1853.
Dear Dudley Stuart—l observe with satisfaction that
a popular movement is taking place on the Eastern
question, and that a favourable opportunity is thus af-
forded of placing before the public the true position of
the different parties concerned in it. This is the more
necessary as prejudiced writers and interested journals
have endeavoured to create a general impression on the
subject totally at variance with the truth. It has been
the object of these parties and their employers to keep
up the idea that the Turkish Government is founded on
principles of religious intolerance and opposition to so-
cial improvement, and that Mahomedan institutions are
hostile to personal freedom and scientific progress.
Whatever the Turks at different periods of their his-
tory may have been, there is nothing now in the conduct of
the government or the people of the Ottoman empire to
justify such an opinion. A great, albeit a gradual, re-
volutimiLhas been taking place during more than 30 years
in the more important portions of the empire ; one by
one, every law or custom which tended to oppress the ra-
yah or keep up the barbarous priviliges of feudalism
has been abrogated or repealed. Class distinctions
have been softened down, and those formidable insti-
tutions which were the results of the barbarism of the
middle ages, rather than the consequences of the
doctrine 4 of the Koran, have been all but entirely I
swept away. These changes, while they appeared at
the time to annihilate the military superiority of
the empire, have, eventually, considerably ameliorated
it political position. They have placed the Turkish Go-
vernment and its Mahomedan subjects on a level with
the other European nations, and destroyed completely
any argument which could be drawn from their religion
to exclude them from the European community. Nor
have the violent changes effected by Sultan Mahmoud
cooled the martial ardour or weakened the national en-
thusiasm of the people to the extent to which the friends
of Russia both wished and represented them to have
done. The effects of that great monarch's policy are
now beginning to show themselves. They who talked
of Turkey as dead, now see Lazarus coming out of the
tomb. The Porte has, by its own exertions, placed
itself in the rank of the great powers of Europe. It has
an army and a fleet inferior only to those of the three or
four greatest military states ; its ministers of state have
displayed a tact and ability which has thrown western
diplomacy into the shade ; it has organised a national
movement without confusion, and preserved internal
I order without violence. Amidst unparalleled difficulties
1 arising from foreign complications, it has displayed un-
tiring courage, dignified moderation, straightforward
action, and consummate skill, mixed with honour and
honesty. So changed is now the relative position of the
different powers in the east of Europe, that the Crescent
means religious toleration, personal freedom, national in-
dependence, and social order ; while the Cross (whether
Greek or Roman) is misused as the banner of those who
would establish religious intolerance, personal slavery,
absolutism in governments, and a return to the middle
ages in literature and society. The question at issue
and the subject at stake are something far beyond a
personal quarrel between the Czar and the Sultan. The
contest is between civilisation and barbarism, right
and wrong, progress and retrogression, liberty and
tyranny. All this ought to be put in detail before the
public ; nor ought the difference between the commer-
cial codes and tariffs of Turkey and other European
states to be forgotten. Beyond all this, it is easily
shown how necessary the Sultan's independence is to
the peace of the world and the balance of power in
Euro;:e. The masses seize only the salient points of a
question, and it would therefore be useless to weary
them with the minor details of this important subject.
It is unnecessary to point out at length to them the de-
ceit, insolence, chicanery, and falsehood of Russia in her
recent proceedings ; nor need any one now dwell on the
timidity, folly, ignorance, and subserviency which dic-
tated the disgraceful Vienna note. The people overlook
the blunders of a government if they believe their prin-
ciples to be right ; and should they now act with energy,
we need not recal the past weakness which has led to
the present crisis. One thing ought to be pointed out,
namely, that Austria is not fairly with us. Her fear of
Russia binds her to that power, even though her inte-
rests are in the opposite direction. The very fact of
Austria being at the mercy of Russia makes it the more
necessary to support Turkey, as the only remaining
bulwark against absolutism and barbarism. The mis-
chievous intrigues of the Greeks must be guarded
against ; and it should be shown to them that their only
choice is between a liberal government like the Sultan's,
and an iron tyranny like the Czar's. No one who is ac-
quainted in the slightest degree with couldetrhethEinakstef
ex.
imagine an independent Greek empire,
we
Christian, should
kte.ndidnogm frontierstheour policy
b e presentfounded
semi-Bavariannded en
prin-
ciplesing .
distinctionjustice, and
betweennt on
m favouritismeslem
an:d
government, national independence,
makeGree nooofr Roman, Catholic or Protestant. Religious
Iliikbee,raclommercial freedom, are our doctrines,
whenever circumstances obliges us to interfere in the
aat onnldde,raiftlyoenti,
affairs of other states we ought to urge on those in whose
favour we act the wisdom, if not the necessity, of adopt-
ing our principles. I find I have written you a rather
longer letter than I intended ; but as I am detained here
for the present, and cannot conveniently assist at any of
the public meetings about to be held this month, I can-
not refrain from giving you a faint outline of the line of
argument and of conduct our friends ought to pursue.
Above all, I hope no wild scheme of republicanism, or
democracy, or violent revolution, will be mixed up with
this clear, great, and European question, but that it
may stand forward on its own broad basis of right and
justice.—l am, yours truly,

BEAUMONT.
P.S.—Drop a line to tell me what is going on, and
say if you think Parliament will meet before the usual
time.

THE PREMIER HIMSELF ON THE TURKISH
QUESTION.

A number of the manufacturers and other inha-
bitants of Sheffield having addressed a memorial to
the Prime Minister on the subject of the Eastern
question, the noble earl has returned the following
reply :

"Downing-street, Oct. 12, 1853.
" SIR, —I have bad the honour to receive your letter,
transmitting to me a memorial, signed by merchants,
manufacturers, and other inhabitants of the town of
Sheffield, in whil they express their approbation of the
conduct of her Majesty's Government, and pray that
they will persevere in the pacific policy which has
hitherto been pursued by them in the East. I beg to
thank the memorialists for this mark of their confidence,
and to assure them that her Majesty's Government will
not cease their utmost endeavours to reconcile the seri-
ous differences which have arisen, and, consistently
with the honour of this country, to preserve Europe
from the calamities of war.
"I have the honour to be, Sir,
"Your obedient humble servant,
ABERDEEN."
"Robert Waterborne, Eeq., jun.',