The Sun.
London, England, 1853-11-14 00:00:00

The Moniteur introduces the manifesto of the
Czar with the following observations :
"The St. Petersburg Journal of the 3d contains a new
manifesto of his Majesty the Emperor of Russia, which in
reproducing we desire to accompany‘ some b er-
vations. The question betweenptheeatinetof °s
St. Pe-
tersburgh and the Sublime Porte is well known,
and
the proportions which it has taken in spite of the
loyal
efforts of European diplomacy do not change its origin.
The affair of the Holy Places of Jerusalem being ter-
minated, Prince Menschikoff claimed in the name of
his Government certain guarantees for the main-
tenance of the privileges of the Eastern Church.
These guarantees had reference solely to the future ;
no precise fact, no coin plaint of the Patr:arch
of Constantinople had been alleged in support of
the demand of the Ambassador of Russia, and the
Sublime Porte had just spontaneously confirmed by a
hatti-schenff of the Sultan all the spiritual immuni-
ties of the Greek community. The solicitude of his
Majesty the Emperor Nicholas for a worship which is
that of a majority of his people had not then an immedi-
ate of ; nevertheless, France, Austria, Great Britain,
and Prussia advised the Porte to reply by assurances
i
compatible with the dignity of the Sultan and the n-
tegrity of his sovereign rights. The conference of Vienna
thought it had found a formula satisfactory to both par-
ties. To this project of note the Divan opposed objec-
tions, which the powers regretted, but which, however,
they felt bound to allow so far as to engage the cabinet
of St. Petersburg to admit them. Not only that cabi-
net refused, but the explanation into which the Count
de Nesselrode entered as motives for rejecting the
modifications proposed by Reschid Pacha were of such
a nature that France, Austria, Great Britain, and Prus-
sia agreed of common to accord that it was not possible
for them to recommend to the Porte the pure and simple
acceptance of the note of Vienna. It was under these
circumstances that his Majesty the Sultan took the part
of declaring war. This Sovereign acted in the plenitude
of his responsibility, but it is not exact to say, as does
the Russian manifesto, that the principal powers of
Europe had vainly sought by their exhortations to shake
the blind obstinacy of the Ottoman Government: "
After this direct contradiction given to the Em-
peror Nicholas, the Moniteur proceeds :
"The principal powers of Europe, and particularly
France and England, have, on the contrary, recognised
that, if their conciliatory action was not exhausted, a
future arrangement could no longer be concluded upon
conditions of which the Cabinet of St. Petersburg itself
undertook to demonstrate the danger. The manifesto
terminates by saying that there remains only for Russia,
provoked to war, to have recourse to arms, in order to
force Turkey to respect treaties, but it does not indicate
the clauses of these treaties which the Porte had violated.
By the treaty of Kutchku Kainardje, the Porte bound
itself to protect Christian worship in all Churches ; the
addresses which the Armenian and Greek communities
have just presented to the Sultan attest their gratitude
for the recent benefits conferred by his Highness.
The treaty of Adrianople consecrates in favour of the
principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia advantages
and privileges which the Porte has respected to the
extent of not recalling the Hospodars Stirbe and Ghisla,
who to-day quit power, not because of a firman of
the Grand Seignor, but on account of the orders of
General Prince Gortschakoff, and which their loyalty,
as subjects of the Sultan, did not permit them to exe-
cute. The same treaty of Adrianople places the Pruth
as the boundary of the two empires. The Pruth
has been crossed in full peace by a Russian army,
In passing the Danube the Turks are not taking the
offensive : it is Ottoman territory, as determined by
treaties, that they are endeavouring to defend against
an aggression the date of which is several months back
Our intention is not here to enter into a useless contro
versy, but it appeared to us indispensable to re-establish,
according as we understand it, the truth of situations.