The Sun.
London, England, 1854-03-24 00:00:00

tf~em;

ntL4Sittmeal

beiment, she should

selves ostensibly- again
extinction when the t!

enemies to discuss the

victory. They will p.
empire, to avoid a p:
merit of their own ; an
as she is, with nothing
very certain that we will

[Plums SD.

We commend to Mr. Cobden's especial attention
the. extract from the St. Petersburg Journal, ex,
treated into the Times of Saturday, the 11th. in--
stmt. When he has studied it we shall desire to
he informed on what data he founds his assertion
of the retrograde character of Turkish policy—the
unprogressive spirit of Mohanunedanism—the effete
barbarism of Islam institutions'? Why, the very
charge of the Emperor of Russia against Turkey is,
that it is struggling to emancipate itself from 'the
genius of Al Koran ; that " ancient Turkey disap-
peared from the time when it was sought to esta-
blish these institutions diametrically opposed; as
well to the genius of Islamism as to the character
aud,Usages of the Mussulmans—institutions .more
or less borrowed from modern liberalism, and con-
sequently entirely opposed to the spirit of the Ot-
toman Government. It is for this crime—for the
offence of braving the fanaticism, prejudice, the
fierce intolerance of Mahomet, the barbarous abso-
lutism of the East, by our advice and in deference to
our example, and of daring the experiment of ele-
vating his country by free institutions, equality of
subjects before the law, and of introducing the spirit
of Christianity.into the domestic polity of the State,
that the Sultan (for ever honoured be his name,
and 'stablished•brhis 'throne l)` was, according to
the deliberate confession of the Czar in this State
paper, to be made the victim of " a plan by which
Russia and England might dispose beforehand, and
between themselves, of the different provinces
which constitute the Ottoman Empire' —by " a
formal agreement to be concluded, between them
without the knowledge, and ' unassisted by the
counsel . and 'intervention of the other Courts."
.And it is this Imperial Cagliostro, this Barabbas
Wliitefeather, who has been for the last six months
protesting, in the face of all Europe, that he had
never entertained the most-remote idea of cribbing
one inch of the territory of Turkey, or affecting in
the slightest degree the throne or authority of the
Sultan ! We are infinitely indebted' to the blun-
dering and wholly unintentional candour of Nicho-
las, albeit revealed by a gross breach Of confidence,
for the most unimpeachable testimony to the pro-
gressive and reforming spirit of the Government of
the Sultan. A more touching, einfobling, edify-
ing, deeply affecting spectacle never was exhibited
on the theatre of history, than that great and good
man's revelation to his own heart of the hollowness
of his people's theology, the necessity of awakening
them from the night-mare dream of a vicious polity
founded on a false faith—the clear perception of the
superiority of Christian institutions and European
ideas—the duty at all hazards, and almost against
hope, of redeeming. his country from its moral
and mental desolation the resolution : of
putting the • thought in - act of upraising . his •
empire from the despair of ignorance and
despotism, and leading her forward to the line
of European progress and civilisation the
reconciling of his chief subjects to his enterprise—
their united, manly, brave, and patient wrestling
with the-honest fanaticism of many, and,the politic
hypocrisy of rival chiefs. ft is to this pions and
patriotic endeavour that the Ckar himself traces
the weakness of the Sultan ; it is of a peril so
caused that he proposes to . England that they
should make a-in.utual profit ; and Mr. Cobden, in
the face of such facts, so confirmed, asks us to allow
Nicholas to become the Liberator of Turkey, and
to establish the progressive civilisation of Muscovy
on the ruins of the worn-out barbarism of Islam !
Long live the Sultan. "He shall not die, by God !"
Not all the cotton in Manchester shall Burke or
smother his cause. Not a conscript is in our army,
not a pressed sailor in our navy. Every man is a
volunteer, and every volunteer a hero. After forty
years of " piping tunes of peace," the majestic
genius of the nation rises more proudly than ever.
The blessing of . God is on our arms. We are the
vicegerents of-his eternal justice. Never did Eng-
land draw the sword of might more clearly after
having exhausted the patience and forbearance of
right. We are sacrificers, not butchers—the pro-
vidential executors of outraged public law, not the
mere prostituted instruments of material force.
• ~ Lay the proud usurper low,
Tyrants fall in ev'ry foe.
Liberty's in ev'ry blow,
Struck by land or sea !

peace which it is desirable to obtain indicate the
objects which ought, it possible, to be effected by
war. It is necessary to redress an inequality of
force which has formed a constant temptation to
aggression, and it is especially important to show
that Russia has something to lose by defeat in
a struggle in which the possession of Constan-
tinople is proposed as the reward of success.
Should the war prove of long duration, circum-
stances may arise in which it will be requisite to
inflict a deadly blow on the enemy. The project
of territorial re-adjustment which has lately excited
public attention in France, might not be found im-
practicable in some of its principal portions. Fin-
land and the Crimea, Georgia and Poland, are but
loosely connected with the empire to which they
nevertheless contribute so much of its strength.
The Baltic provinces are inhabited by a Finnish
peasantry, intermixed with a German aristrocacy ;
and, in an internecine war, all the resources of those
vast regions might be turned against their present
possessor. It would, probably, be more for his in-
terest to experience some early defeat, which might
be accepted 'as decisive of the fate of the conflict.
England and France will not hastily undertake
any scheme of conquest which would involve the
necessity of carrying difficult enterprises to a suc-
cessful issue ; but neither, on the other hand,
will they fritter away their forces in indecisive
operations. The Emperor Nicholas cannot be un-
aware of the deep aversion with which his policy is
regarded by all but the lowest and most ignorant
of his subjects ; and the national repugnance to
the war will become stronger as the losses and in-
conveniences to which it must lead are practically
felt. It would not be prudent to wait for the loss
of a province before offering acceptable terms to
Turkey and her allies.

• AUSTRIA.—PRIISSIA.—THE WAR.
(Pram, the Weekly Dispatch.)
And so the " Western Powers" waver. Prussia
hedges and Austria boggles. .We do not know
where to have them. They presume, forsooth, to
hold off—they " really do not know, I'm sure."
They would make themselves of importance by
emulating the ruse of those wiseacres who hide
their stupidity by the assumption of profound
dubiety. With them, even while " the front of
battle lours," it is an exercise in the rule—" Thinks
I to myself thinks I."

How now, ye curs, that like not peace nor war ?
The one affrights ye—the other makes ye proud.
He that should find ye foxes finds ye geese
Where lions, hares. le are no surer, no,
Than live coals on the ice, or hailstones in the sun !
Do these great pipe-clay and blacking-brush Powers
really think that England and France are to be
played with by such poor, miserable devils as they
are ? Can it be possible they expect that we will
suffer them to become political Vicars of Bray,.
and that we will consent to be fobbed off with the
scruples of their ragged conscience, so that they
may turn against us should it suit their conve-
nience, and should an opportunity of striking.
in be afforded by the state of the manoeu-
vres of the armies on the Danube ? The King
of Prussia has long been known as the " muff"
of monarchs—the great Royal humbug of Eu-
rope, the trifle, the syllabub, the . froth of poli-
ties, that always seems to be plain, palpable, tan-
gible, until you grasp it, when, presto, it is
nothing—" a king of shreds and patches !" It Con-
cerns us all to be informed how these fellows are

now to be dealt with. Let us know at once what
we are about. "-Under which king Bezonian ?
Speak !or die !" A neuter in the thick of a Euro-
pean war is as odious to both parties as a herma-
phrodite to both sexes. We can't have bomb-
shells and powder tumbrils lying about in the
blaze of battle, and marked "private—to be left
till called for." Are they to be thrown among
the enemy, or intended to explode among our-
selves—yea or nay ? We don't believe in neutrali-
ties. In politics the safe rule is—" He that is not
for us is against us." Let us tie up our points as
we go along. Downrightly we don't want their
help ; we care not a rush for their hostility ; what
we care about is, that we should not be betrayed
at the critical moment of the struggle by the open- MR. GLADSTONE AND MR. DISRAELI.
ing of a masked battery upon us, which we had. (From the Morning Herald.)
reckoned upon as friendly or as spiked. It has, What was the matter with Mr. Gladstone on
from the first, been, with all who have gravely Tuesday evening ? Usually a studiously courteous
debater, and, his friends assume standing far
probed the question to the bottom, a very nice
above Mr. Disraeli as a financier, 'he yet was un-
point to determine whether we are not more em-
barrassed by the help than by the hostility of Aus- able to listen to a speech, not consisting of invec-
tria and Prussia. The struggle between the prin- five, but of plain facts and arguments, without
ciples of constitutional and absolute Governments continually breaking in upon the speaker with un-
must be fought out at some not distant date iu mannerly interruptions. The Tinics tries to apolo-
Europe. It is but as yesterday that the Austrian gise for the misbehaviour by averring that " the
one thing in which Mr. Disraeli has never failed
and Prussian people rose upon their tyrants, drove
them fromtheirlacesandthrones declaredfree bon. is the art and mystery of tormenting and annoying
stitutions and repparesentative Gover,nments, beat the his opponents." It adds "We doubt if any one has
Royal troops, and were only suppressed in the end by carried the art of making himself unpleasant to
the cheat of broken promises and the force of Russian the same perfection as Mr. Disraeli."
bayonets. That is an event aboutfive years old. The These phrases " tormenting," " annoying," and
German jails are even now crammed with its vie- " making himself unpleasant," are only devices for
concealing the undoubted fact that Mr. Disraeli
time. The drumhead executions even now fertilise
the plains of the country with the blood of its has a power of inflicting punishment on these who
patriots. Here, and in Turkey, and America, are go astray second to none in our day—perhaps
tens of thousands of the men who fled from the
second to none in any day. That it is very "un-
field, when "all was lost, save honour." Nicholas, pleasant" to lie under the cat-o'-nine tails for half-
the unprincipled revolutionist and anarchist, even an-hour at a time we can easily believe. We never
heard of any criminal, whether school-boy, deserter,
now threatens to let loose Poland and Hungary,
Servia,
the Greeks Croatia A
against the Porte. Say and Bosnia on the neutrals as
as he or orchard-pilferer, who could regard the execu-
stirs up
tioner of the law's. behests as any other than a most
disagreeable sort of person. All impartial and Prussia were to join us openly and cordially, it
bystan-
is clear that we cannot play off Poland on Russia, ders, however, when they hear a Gladstone, or a
seeing our then allies have so large a portion of Gladstone-journal, maunder about Mr. Disraeli a
the former country as their share of the plunder ; " making himself very unpleasant," will merely
and it is equally evident that we must dieeourae°e • reply "Of course you thought so, we could expect
Hungary and Italy in their attempts to throw off nothing else ; no ono ever liked a flogging."
the yoke. Russia quashed, and Turkey saved, ''We repeat, that the greater part of Mr. Disraeli's
what nearer are we to permanent order and tran- speech of Tuesday evening was made up of a reca-
quillity ? Poland will still hanker for her own. pitulation of facts ; and that Mr. Gladstone could
Hungary will turn to Russia, for help, in despair not sit patiently to hear it only showed that the
of ours. Italy will, like her Etna and Vesuvius, facts of the case were entirely against him. In
rumble in continual threatenings of a submerging truth, no more complete case of financial blundering
lava. An entire unsettlement of Europe will be ever was made out. The funds continuously falling;
sure to follow the withdrawal of Russia from dill- the bullion in the Bank diminishing week by week;
cient sympathising with continental absolutism. the Bank raising the rate of interest; a clear
We had better settle the whole affair now, once prospect of a bad harvest ; and too much proba-
and for ever, by telling Austria and Prussia, bility of a tremendous war ; such were the circum-
with all the explicitness which is natural to stances in which, about a twelvemonth since, Mr.
the genius of the national character, that, if Gladstone actually made the attempt to reduce the
they do not at once declare war against interest on a portion of the national debt ! 'The
Russia, we will declare war against them. attempt naturally failed, and has cost the nation a
France alone could abolish them like smoke. considerable suni of money. For this Mr. Glade
She has done it before, with far inferior resources stone may be excused. Other Finance Ministers
to those she at present possesses. Let the truth have erred, and have committed faults. But while
be spoken. She did it even when we were on the it is not to be wished that the fault should be
other side. She challenged all Europe--;she over- visited with severe punishment, it, is part of the
ran all continental Europe in spite of the united proper duty of "her Majesty's opposition" to pant
armies of its crowned heads, subsidised by English out errors of this kind when they are made. Such
money, and backed by British bayonets. We are was the function discharged, under Lord Liver-
only surprised that so great a people should grudge pool's Government, by the Tiernies, and•Creeveys,
us Trafalgar and Waterloo. Now we stand shoulder and Brougham§ of that day. And this function is
to shoulder. The Cuirassiers and the Life Guards an importint one. Were it neglected, the flatterers
—the, Rifle Brigade and the Masseurs de Vin- of the back Ministerial benches woilld insist upon
cennes—have closed their ranks side by side, not the infallibility of their leaders ; and would expect
face to face—who shall dare to stop their way, or the nation to receive with thankfulness whatever
to challenge their onward march 'I We repeat it. measures, bad or good, they might v vuelisafe to
Austria and Prussia aro our Old Mau of the Sea— give it,
they burden rather than help and guide us. We But, besides vowing that Mr. Disraeli: "makes
would rather have their room than their company. himself confoundedly unpleasant," the Ministerial-
We far prefer their hostility to their neutrality. ists hare another fault to find with him. If he
Their alliance gives us help we can do without, and disapproves of Mr. Gladstone's financial dive rsions
rather binds us to save them from their own people of the year 1853, " why does not he propose as vote
—their antagonism leaves us free to liberate their of want (sf confidence ?" We should like to see and
oppressed subjects, to make Hungary a republic, hear the grimaces and the howlings that would fol-
!to raise Poland into the position of a great king- low the proposal of such a vote at the present nl°-
dom/ a permanent bulwark against Russian ag- meat.
"What,
want to turn out the Governmalt
ssion, and to strike the fetters from the spirit .
just at the momont when the war is commencing r'
andnfrom the limbs of Italy. Is it so certain that Such a thought svould be described an dnot uirs
short o this war will arrest the social progress of Russia ? justly described, as being little ' f high treasoir
There is some soul of good in things evil. The against the State.
year 1816 found every State in Europe, par- These critics do rot Mx. Dis-
mean to s that
ticularly France and England--the two princi- raeli ought to proposes a vote of want of confidence.
pal belligerents—richer, freer, more civilised, Not ono of them will dare t they have
based in foundations of more solid pro- any thoughtof the •
kind
to aver that .
Th • e„soning is rather
sperity than in the year 1783. Is the patriotism this—" Since Mr Disraeli* Their r ,
not gtoaLl to pro-
of the Russians so very Czar-ward, and ,so blindly pose a voteof * does
want of confidence, he ouseht to hold
rampant, as that her nobles and her serfs, her mer- his tongue."
chants, and her tradesmen, will as freely waste
their blood and treasure at the will of a crazy bully, We shall take the liberty utterly to deity this
to uphold a war of aggression upon a peaceable and assumption. Is
ere do not think that it would be a
inoffensive neighbour, as they did to repel the un- graceful or a proper thing to try to throw out' the
provoked
invasion of Napoleon I. ? Our quarrel Government at this momentous crisis. We !fold
is not with the Russian people. We may become I that the Opposition adopt an honourable and ra-
their liberators from a yoke that is intolerable_and itriotic line of conduct iu avoiding all contest fo.t
a Government whose rule is a dirty deception and
\ place or power so long as the present critical circum-
a paltry lie.' We may raise them--open their eyes stances of the country continue. But is this line
—set them free—and convert the Muscovite from lof conduct to he carried so far as to secure a perfect
the pest into the blessing of Europe. What reli- immunity to Ministers, let them perpetrate what-
ance can their Autocrat place upon his troops ? ever folly or impropriety the please ? Surely not.
,wn just where i . Disraeli
Why, even Circassia laughs at him and theme Re The line must be drl
has been on the Danube for six months, like a draws it. If Ministers do wrong they must abide
tinker hammering on a brass pan. What has he the just censure which their errors merit. The,
done there ? Turkey alone has baffled--has beate , mouths ofiindependent members of Parliament are
him. As yet Omer racha watches him. ll
i not to be closed merely because the country is go-
will he do when the bayonets of the French What in to war. But while speeches may be made and
tingent glance in the Danube sun ? Noy
con-
r criticisms indulged in, let no party struggle for
have, perhaps, been but too tolerant ° f office take place until the present state of things
alit iady o away. We cannot quit this subject of
protocols and negotiations ; let us tell Austria and has passed
Prussia frankly, but flatly, like seentl brat also rival Finance, Ministers without
the contests of the
like men of business, that to hesitate
emi ent,
le lost, protesting, in..the name of the whole free press of
lity London, against the disgusting servility displayed
and that we shall take either silence srs noeulra ,by the principal Ministerial journal. To be pro`
as a declaration of war. We dread) them. now.
They will be the marplots of the la if rill let 1 perly understood,,
we must give at hill length the
p y we 111

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