The Sun.
London, England, 1854-04-21 00:00:00

MR. URQUiI A AT M 4 2Veff

A !id] at. the Coro Exe'lii,:ige
on Wednesday evening, which had been called for the
purpose of affording Mr. David Urquhart an opportu-
nity of expressing his views of the Eastern question
and the war. Mr. Urquhart had summoned the meet-,
ing in a personal address to the inhabitants, in which"
he said, "The nation is plunging into a war. In ig-
norance, it believes it to be made against Russia. I
know that it is male in concurrence with Russia. and
this knowledge it is which urges me to make you this
proposal. It is with Turkey, and ultimately with
France, that 3-ou will fight, unless your hand be stayed.
You have brought at revo ution upon Turkey ; you will
bring it also upon Europe, and ultimately experience it
at home." Mr. A!derman Heywood presided.
Mr. URQUHART read the following letter from Mr.
Bright, M.P., in reply to an invitation he had given the
hon. member to be present :

"Rochdale, April 18.
"Dear Sir,--I have to thank you for your note of the
15th inst., inviting me to a meeting to be held in Man-
chester to-morrow. I am not astounded at your audacity
in calling the meeting ; on the contrary, I believe in your
sincerity. I regard your resolution to appeal openly to
your countrymen as courageous and proper. If I agreed
with you on this Eastern question—if we had one starting
point—if our sentiments in regard to it were in haraiony
—I should feel it my duty to be at your side. But the
fact is, that we differ widely in almost every point, excep,
in the condemnation of this war; and I do not think I
should do anything for the cause of peace by ap eating to
go. with you, when, in truth, there is little agreement be-
tween us. I believe the war to be altogether unnecessary,
and that nothing can be said either for its justice or its
expediency. I believe, further, that after having permitted
the country by a series of blunders to drift into war, the
Ministers who 'have chiefly spukeu on the subject, with
the exception of Lord Aberdeen, have misrepresented the
facts of the case, and have therell misled public opinion
With regard to the professed objects of war, I believe
them to be impossible of attainment, and that Russia, in
her wildest dreams of ambition, never itnegined so many
calamities to Turkey as have been brought upon that de-
voted country in a single year by the friendship which our
Government has professed towards her. It is a melancholy
circumstance that the English public—not examining,
and not reflecting—accepting, with a child-like simplicity,
the declarations of statesmen, whose only present bond
of union_ is a partnership in the guilt of this war, and
relying on the assertions of a press, more anxious for
a trade in newspapers than for truth, should give
their sanction to proceedings as much opposed to
their own interests as they are to every principle
of morality. ' Our countrymen fancy they are fighting
for freedom because the Russian Government is a des-
potisim ; they forget that the object of their solicitude is
no less a despot ; that their chief ally, but the other day,
overthrew a republic, and imprisoned or expatriated the
members of a freely elected Parliament ; that they are al-
ternately coaxing and bullying Austria (whose reg krd for
freedom and justice Hungary and Italy can attest) to join
them in this holy war ; and that the chief result of their
success—if success be possible - will be to perpetuate the
domination of a handful of the followers of Mahoinet from
among millions of Christians, throughout the provinces of
European Turkey. There was a time when it was fashion-
able to have sympathy for Greece. Now, Athens is to be
reoccupied by Englis • and French troops if a strong anti-
Turkish feeling is manifested there. Five years ago English
Liberals wished success to the insurrections in Italy and
to the war for independence in Hungary. Now the efforts
of the Greeks for freedom are pronounced ill-dined, and
we, who are sending our fleets and armies to perfect their
subjugation to the Turks, are the best judges of the mo-
ment when their fetters should be struck off. The people,
or a portion of them, are drunk with a confused notion of
fighting with Russia. They confound the blowing no of.
ships and the slaughter of thousands with the cause of free
dow, as if there were any connexion in matters wholly
apart. I cannot hope to change this feeling, end fear you
cannot. • Time and experience alone will convince them,
perhaps when too late, that a great national crime lies at
their door."

The letter was received with mingled cheers and
hisAes

Mr. RAINFORTH move.:, "That it is not safe to enter
into war, without a thorough knowledge of the circum-
stances." .

Mr. ROLAND secorried 'the motion ; and it wa.;
agree,' tn.
Mr. CoNTNGHAMe moved, •' That the E•,g!i,h people
having been indifferent as to it• external retatio,,s for
mai:), years, it is expedient that it now employ itself in
comprehending them."

Air. P..t.aE ;seonded, and Colonel CHESNEY supported,
the motion.

Mr. R. J. RICRARDSON, of Salford, moved an amend-
ment, to the rff-et that the motion reflected upon the
intelligence of the people of Ma chester, and that they
were capable of thinkiog for themselves.
Mr. STOREY seconded the amendment, which was
negatived,
,Mr, A. WATKIN proposed a second amendment—
Mr. POWER seconded the amendment.

"That this meeting concurring in opinion with the
great majority of the British people that the war with Rus-
s,a in defence of Turkey is -a just and necessary war, de-
sires to express its earnest wish that the war m :yr be car-
ried on with the utmost vigour, and continue 1 until the
power of Russia shall be reduced within such limits as will
be consistent with the peace and safety of the world—
(loud 'and general cheering)—anal that in furtherance of
this view the restoration of Poland, Hungary, and Italy
to the state of indep-qident nations, having free institu-
tions, is greatly to be desired. (Renewed cheering.)
Mr. URQUHART then rose to address the meeting and
was received with cheers. He said, the result of our
sending troops to the East roust be said that the Eng
hsh eoutingent of 25,000 men would take Constantinople,
while the Turkish empire, the Dardanelles, and that, in
fact, the troops sent to the East were sent for a Rus-
sian aid. • (Cries of " No, no I" and hisses). Did the
meeting object to his entertaining .an opinion ? Our
troops world never fight the Russians ; we should re-
quire a head to fight the Russians. They were ifiAting-
against a necromancer. It was a body fighting against
mind. God had given power of body to the English,
capacity of mind to Russia. And did they think that
the relationship was changed because they had the
power of moving armies ? Ile would tell them
this--that the whole of these events were planned
by Russia long ago. Let them not think that the mat-
ter was to be decided upon' the Danube. People here
were listening for the thunder of guns in the Dobrud-
Bella ; while, in Turkey, they were waiting for the indi-
cations of thought here. Mr. Urquhart drew a retro-
spect of past wars between Turkey and Russia, dwelt
on the danger of revolutions in Europe involved in the
war, and our own danger in reference to Ind,a, and nor
the secret correspondence by which our Ministers had
entered into A bargain with Russia for the partition of '
Turkey.