The Sun.
London, England, 1854-07-26 00:00:00

CONDUCT OP THE WAB.

The announcements and the discussions of the
ast few days will have communicated to the people
of this country and of Europe a clearer view than
before b)th of the prospects of the war and of the
policy with which it is to be conducted. On
neither of these points will the readers of the Times
discover that they have been misled, and, indeed,
so obvious are the true principles both of action and
negotiation, that nothing but the imperious duty
of a Parliamentary opposition could suggest much
difference of opinion. The war took its origin in the
aggressions of Russia upon Turkish rights, and in
her forcible seizure of the. Danubian. Principalities
las a guarautee for the concessions she demanded.
Asthese demands were resisted on behalf of Turkey
by the Western Powers, it may, of course, be said
that the objects of the war comprise the expulsion
of Russia from the invaded territories, and the pro-
tection of the Sultan against the threatened extor-
tion. But all persons except those who, like Mr.
Cobden, would on no account have gone to war at
all, must see very plainly that when once the war
had commenced, and when this terrible alternative
with all its costs and obligations, had been accepted
by the two great nations of the West, it would be
the height of folly and shortsightedness to limit our
efforts to a mere restoration of the status quo. That
status quo is shown by the very facts of the case to
be fraught with danger to the peace of. Europe, for
what Russia was induced to do in 1853 she might
evidently be induced to do at any future period, if
all conditions were left unchanged. What we now
desire is some security against a repetition of the
attempts which it will cost us so much to baffle.
'lt cannot, indeed, be forgotten that this contest,
after all, is but the catastrophe long foreseen as
inevitable by all the statesmen of Europe. Every
person who watched the developments of Russian
ambition knew that the time must come when this
ambition would provoke a check. By common
consent, and in the hopes of some relief from the
chances of the future, the evil day was staved Off
as long as possible, but o'i a sudden it arrived,
and, as it arrived under circumstances at least as
favourable for the resisting Powers as could reason-
ably have been expected, we must outer with wis-
dom as well as resolution upon the struggle.
Mr. Cobden took occasiou to argue from recent
events in favour of his present theory respecting
the real impotence of Russia and the utter nullity
of all those apprehensions which have combined
the greatest Powers of Europe against her ad-
vances. He asserted that Russia, lihatever might
be her defensive strength, was positively powerless
for attack, and appeals I to her failure before Sills-
tria, in proof of his views. He might as well have
appealed to our own failure before Burgos as a
proof of the total incapacity of the British armies.
It is perfectly true that Russia has been unex-
pectedly worsted in fair fighting by the enemies she
so contemptuously disparaged, but no candid person
would assert that if Russia and Turkey had been
left to themselves, as the Czar desired, the result
would have been what we see at present. Though
neither the German nor the Western Powers have
struck any actual blows, they have held the
Russians in check at all points, and have con-
verted what would have been a general war
between the Russian and Turkish. empires
between 100,000 men of a
into a stubborn encounter on awrpearhtiacvuelatrotfiaelllyd
side.
deprived Russia of one arm of her strength by
stionpFoliniaNnVd,
in Bessarabia, at Odessa, ande
in the Crimea, while
leaveou r blockades
detained
thousands
ade tf ahernd
Hitherto the
war between Turkey and Russia has b
troopsSeba
been such a
the mere attitude of Austria paralyses three times
as many in the Polish provinces.
war as might be imagined between Great Britain
and Holland if 50,000 of our troops were isolated
in Walcheren, and exposed to the whole force of
the Dutch Government, while all our other re-
sources were nullified by the combinations of
Europe. The Turks have been secured in com-
mand of the sea, guaranteed against ultimate dis-
comfiture, and enabled to direct every man and
gun at the disposal of their .4overnment against
the Russian detachments in Wallachia. That they
have done this with surprising energy and effect is
undeniable, and they have proved indeed that,
bayonet for bayonet, they are at least a match for
their northern foe ; but to argue from this result
that Russia is " impotent," and that her designs
need create.no alarm and suggest no precautions
on the part of Europe, is evidently absurd. Does
Mr. Cobden really suppose that if all those legions,
aan
nlol
diwe held,seepo pu
by
checkyb peen
nye
pouredtt iee tde e
ofma oe
rnsosest
bsr
aatethti
the Danube,
np
Des
aonaf
luothhhege,
ot rte n
h da v
l
the coasts of the Black Sea, the " wave of such an
invasion" would have been " broken into spray by
the outworks of a third-rate fortress I"
The plain fact is, that it has required two mighty
fleets, two military expeditions, and something
more than menaces on the side of Germany—not to
p
expel Russia from the Princi
alit' for
there she
is still, but to prevent herfromles'
marching on the
Turkish capital and destroying
the equilibrium of
Europe ; and what we must now endeavour to
accomplish is the abolition of a state of things
fraught with such perilous contingencies. Nor do
we see that in this respect we need
quarrel with
our German allies. Of course, their
views would
not in all particulars correspond with our own.
As absolute Governments, they have sympathies
with an absolutist Court, and this political alliance
is strengthened by the ties of affinity and obligation.
But it fortunately happens that the abatement of
Russian power which the Western Governments
are compelled, in the interests of Europe, to require,
has no reference to any such of the Czar's functions
as the German Courts may wish to be maintained,
but is directed, on the contrary, against those pre-
tensions exclusively which they, no less than our-
selves, are concerned in curtailing. In so far as
Russia is one of the legitimate Powers of Europe,
commanding respect by the extent of her proper
territories, there is no such wish among the sensible
portion of British people to disturb her position
or her rank. If the successors of Peter the Grdat
can carry out that monarch's intentions by
civilising a barbarous empire, they will be fairly
entitled to all the accessions of dignity which such
successes may bring; it is only in their views of
aggrandisement and conquest that they will pro-
voke resistance. It is certainly no rightful prero-
gative of Russia to seal up the mouths of the
Danube, to make the Black Sea her own, or to
undermine the institutions of a neighbouring State.
It is in these pretensions that she must be checked,