The Sun.
London, England, 1853-05-31 00:00:00

TURKEY.

There are several articles in the Paris journals of
yesterday on the Eastern question. The Constitu-
tionnel article is almost an echo of the notice in the
Monittur. The Constitutionnel says :

" The first point which strikes us in this note of the
Moniteur is that an attempt at conciliation made in com-
mon by the representatives of the Governments of France,
England, Austria, and Prussia, is spoken of. Although
the Moniteur gives no details on this collective step of
the four powers, the simple indication of the fact has
great importance. It proves a happy understanding
between them on the affairs of the East, and that
understanding is assuredly the best guarantee which
can be had that no complication will arise from these
difficulties calculated seriously to disturb the repose of
Europe. In what is passing at this moment at
Constantinople between the Porte and Russia, there
can only be a cause of coolness. In any case we
must remark that, according to diplomatic custom, the
departure of an ambassador extraordinary, charged with
a special mission, is considered as having a character
less serious, and especially less grave in its consequences
than the departure of a resident ambas4ador. It was
thought, however, at Constantinople, from letters re-
ceived from St. Petersburgh and Odessa, that, in accord-
ance with what has already taken place in similar cir-
cumstances, Prince Menschikoff will be replaced by an
ordinary ambassador, who will undertake, in the name
of the Czar, new negotiations with the Sultan in a regu-
lar form. The Moniteur indicates further, as being a
guarantee for the maintenance of peace, the assurances
which the Cabinet of St. Petersburgh recently gave to
all the courts of Europe. We do not believe that these
assurances will be disproved by the facts which have
taken place at Constantinople. We should not even be
surprised to find that Prince Menschikoff has exceeded,
at least in form, the intentions of the Czar, and the in-
structions of his Cabinet. However that may be, we
persist in maintaining our confidence in the pacific solu-
tionof the Eastern question."

The Pays writes in the same spirit, but at
greater length. .
In the Union we find an article which is not
very clear, for it seems to approve and disapprove
of the conduct of Russia almost in the same pas-
sage. All that we can understand is that the
Union nourishes a wild idea of turning Russian
aggression to the profit of the Roman Catholic re-
ligion of which it is a very zealous advocate, and of
turning not only the Greeks of Turkey into Roman
Catholics according to the dogmas of that Church,
but of making even the Protestants, Jews, and
Mussulmans of the east good Roman Catholics.
The mode in which the Union proposes to effect
the Catholicising of Turkey is the revival of
the institution of the Knights of Malta, and in
suppOrt of its views it enters into a long his-
tory of a scheme of this kind proposed many
years ago by. Colonel Jourdain for Greece, and the
realisation of which, it says, was only prevented
by unforeseen circumstances. Making up itsmind
that the Emperor of Russia would, after laying his'
hands pn Turkey, promote this visionary scheme,
the Union seems to desire rather than dread that
he will persist in his.desigus of becoming the mas-
ter of that country. It has no objection to Turkey
becoming his victim ; for' the knights of Malta are
under his protection, to become the real sovereigns
of Turkey, and to bring the whole of its popu-
lation within the pale of the Roman Catholic
Church.

It is gratifying to be able to turn from the Union
to an article of the Debats, which indicates reflec-
tion and observation, and admits of calm discussion.
The Debats says :

"We consider what takes place at Constantinople as I
one of the inevitable phases of the question of the East.
ARd first of all we will say that, in spite of the: departure
of the Prince Menschikoff, we are persuaded that the
denouement of this question is not yet near at hand. Yes, I
the fall of the Ottoman Empire is inevitable ; but it is still very distant, and the . financial world has still the
time to do a good deal of business before the arrival of
the fatal moment."
A letter from Constantinople, dated the 16th,
says :
"An Extraordinary Council took place last night,
and after a stormy discussion the answer of the Porte to
Prince Menschikoff's second ultimatum was agreed
upon, and immediately communicated. It is conciliatory
but unfavourable, and does not depart an iota from the