The Sun.
London, England, 1853-10-08 00:00:00

RUSSIA AND TURKEY.

The meeting which has been announced for some days
back, to consider of the present position of affairs in the
East, and the propriety of active interference in support of
Turkey, was held last night in the London Tavern. The
hour appointed was seven o'clock, but by six, numbers
of persons had assembled in the spacious lobbies lead-
ing to the great room of the tavern, as well as in the street,
and the doors were hardly well opened ere the apartment
was filled. Lord Dudley Stuart, who it was intimated
would take the chair, did not arrive until a quarter-past 7.
Amongst those present we observed—Sir C. Napier, Mr-
Blackett, M.P., Messrs. Prout, Nicholay, Hickson, Profes-
sor Newman, J. Wilson, Elt, Harvey, Dunford, Michell,
Capt. Mayne Reid, Howard, &c., &c.
Mr. PROUT moved that Lord Dudley Stuart take the
chair, which was carried by acclamation.
Lord D. STUART accordingly took the chair, amidst pro-
longed applause. When this had subsided, he said—l
thank you for your kind reception. I assure you that the
spirit which I see animates this meeting sets my heart on
fire, and gives me courage upon the great occasion which
has called us together—(cheers)—because I see that I am
addressing a body of men who deserve the name of Eng-
lishmen, and who come here resolved to maintain the hon-
our and good faith of their country, and not to allow them-
selves to be insulted, or their allies to be trampled upon by
the machinations of tyrants or despots. (Great cheering.)
Gentlemen, I believe I may be thought to owe you some
apology for having arrived a little late, for I am informed
that thousands absolutely have gone away from the door
unable to find admission. (Hear.) lam exceedingly sorry
that such should be the case ; and I can only say that this
meeting having been summoned for 7 o'clock, the committee
and myself could not foresee that the eagerness of the in-
habitants of the metropolis would be such as to induce
them to assemble in numbers one hour before the time ap-
pointed. (Hear.) I believe I have arrived here only a
very few minutes after the precise hour, and even that
short delay would not have occurred if it had not been for
the state of the streets, with which you are all well ac-
quainted, and which makes it very difficult to get through
the city at this time. Now, gentlemen, we are met here to-
gether upon agreat and most important and most solemn oc-
casion, to consider the present crisis of affairs in Europe,
as they affect the honour and the interest of this country,
and to come to some conclusion as to what the free and in-
dependent inhabitants of this great city ought to do at this
juncture. I apprehend that the object of our assembling
this evening is to make some demonstration, which shall
have the effect of guiding the Government to a course ho-
nourable to this country—(cheers)—of so guiding them, if
they require to be guided, or if they have determined to
take a bold and manly course—a course different from
that which has marked their policy hitherto—(cheers)—
then to give them the free support and approbation of the
enlightened and intelligent population of this metropolis.
(Cheers.) I cannot suppose that such meetings as I now
see before me, and as have already taken place in differ-
ent parts of the country—because, gentlemen, we are not
the first in the creditable course—examples have been set
by the provinces to the metropolis, and we are only follow-
ing those good examples—but I cannot suppose that meet-
ings, so composed, so numerous, so influential, should be
without a corresponding and proper effect on the Govern-
ment. However, if such should be the case, we shall have
the satisfaction of having done our duty, and it shall not
be said throughout the world that in this metropolis; the
focus of an ardent love of liberty in this country, which
has always been considered as giving an example to man-
kind, there are no men ready •to protest against Russian
encroachments—(cheers)—there are no men to call upon
the Government to come forward boldly on behalf of the
injured and generous Sultan. (Cheers.) Or, if govern-
ments and cabinets, and persons in high station are so
overcome by the cares, and pleasures, and tinsel of high
life, and by the enjoymehts of their position, as not to re-
gard or care for what is passing in other countries, we will
not have it said that the people of this metropolis applaud
such base and pusillanimous conduct—(cheers)—but if Go-
vernment will go wrong, they shall not say that the bold
and independent people of England have suffered them to
do so without protesting against their inaction. Now,
gentlemen, what do we see at the present moment, and
what is the crisis which has now called us together? We
see the Emperor of Russia, at the head of his millions of
armed serfs, pursuing the course which he and his prede-
cessors have long recognised as their settled policy, and
endeavouring to commit aggressions upon Turkey, and
thereby to advance by degrees towards universal dominion
and the enslavement of the world. (Loud cries of hear,
hear.) For this purpose, Russia, as is her wont, has
put forward every kind of flimsy pretence ; and hypo-
critical as that Government has always been, the pretence
put forward on this occasion exceeds every other yet tried.
It is, forsooth, a regard for religion—(groans)—and thus a
dispute about the Holy Places of Jerusalem, between the
Greek Church and the Roman Catholic Church, is the
foundation of this quarrel. But that quarrel was long ago
accommodated, and Russia has professed herself satisfied
with the concessions that have been made to her, since the
grievances of which she complained have been redressed ;
whatever,ce
ed by Turkey and t h that
were the demands
perfectly
although I do not believe that she had any grievances
lemgiadtime batye.Fraßuntc,ehaonwdecovenr:
these so-called grievances having been adjusted, Russia
put forward new demands, Prince Menschikoff having been
sent to Constantinople to negotiate on the subject f the
Holy Places, and the Russian Crovernmentha. o
solemn assurances to this country, which our Governmentg given
was green enough to accept—(cheers and laughter).
have heard sometimes that a green oldbl We
be
commended and desired ; but I must age
fsay thing to
old age of such a Minister as we have good Lord
the green
deliver
me. (Cheers.) Well, Russia having given these
assur-
ances, which were believed, Prince Menschikoff, witicllaracteristic want of faith, according to Russian custom,
turns round, and pretends that she is not satisfied with
what has been done about the holy places, but requires
something quite different ; that his august master the
Czar should have a right of sovereignty over all the popu-
lations of Turkey professing the Greek religion. The
Turks, not intimidated by this magnificent bullying mis-
sion of Prince Menschikoff, returned a dignified and reso-
lute answer, that they could agree to nothing of the kind ;
and Prince Menschikoff having propounded his ultimatum,
naming last day after last day, found that he prevailed
in nothing, and was obliged to leave the Turkish capital
as he came to it. What happens then ? Why, the auto-
crat, who brooks no refusal of his will, then informs tho
Turkish Government that if they will not concede his pre-
sumptuous demands, he shall march his troops into their
territory, and take possession of the Danubian Principali-
ties. Well, so he did ; in that respect he was as good as
his word, and the Governments of Western Europe—that
is to say, the Governments of England and France—
tell the Sultan that there is no doubt Russia, in in-
vading his territory, has committed an act of war. I
should think the Sultan did not require to be told so by
England and France, because, if taking possession of the
territory of another Government is not war, I should like
to know what war is. (Hear.) Bat these Governments,
making the admission that the conduct of Russia wis
most unjustifiable, and so flagitious as to deserve every
means of repression which Turkey could bring into action
against it, at the same time counsel Turkey not to con-
sider it an act of war, or take any measures corresponding
to a state of war. (Groans.) The Emperor of Russia, of
course, under those circumstances, remains in those pro-
vinces, quartering his army upon the unfortunate inhabi-
tants, and subjecting them to all the evils of a military oc-
cupation, and, I may say, almost to all the evils of war.
I cannot help calling attention to the iniquity of these
proceedings, and to the position of those unfortunate pro-
vinces, inhabited by as brave and intelligent a race as any
that is to be found in Europe. (Hear, hear.) It is because
the Sultan will not agree to an unjustifiable demand of
Russia, that Russia makes those unhappy people suffer all
those evils. Those people have certainly a just right and
claim upon Turkey to be defended ; they say with truth,
if Russia choose to take some other province of Turkey,
it may be in the breast of Turkey to say, " We will give
it up ;" because a man may part with his own if he thinks
proper 7
• but we have never been conquered by Turkey—
say the inhabitants of those Danubian provinces—we have
never been conquered by any power, we have submitted to
the rule of the Sultan of Turkey—we chose him to be our
Sovereign—we made a compact with him years and years
ago in treaties which still subsist and ought to be respected,
that we would acknowledge him as our Sovereign, if he
would afford us his protection—and that protection he is
bound to give. What, then, are we to think of the mo-
rality of the Governments of Western Europe, in coun-
selling the Sultan to forget the duties he owes to this
brave and unfortunate race ? Russia, having invaded the
principalities, declares, by the despatch of Count Nessel-
rode, which, no doubt, is familiar to you all, with the
most flagrant disregard of good faith, that the reason why
she occupied those provinces was that the English and
French fleets had gone to the mouth of the Dardanelles—
a thing so entirely contrary to truth that there is only one
word which can describe it, and that is one which is not
supposed to be agreeable to ears polite. (Cheers and
laughter.) The language of Russia has been sufficiently
described by a learned member of the House of Peers—
one no friend in general to the liberty of nations, one
whose prejudices have been for many years, if not for all
his life, rather with the friends of despotism than liberty
—I mean Lord Chancellor Lyndhurst, who characterised
the dispatch of Count Nesselrode as being the most auda-
cious, insulting, and fallacious document with which it
had ever been his misfortune to meet. Such being the
1 state of things, and Russia having marched into the terri-
tories of Turkey with her armies, what do these great
Western Powers, who have first counselled the Sultan not
' to agree to the demands of Prince Menschikoff, and then
counselled him not to consider the advance of Russia into
the principalities as a case of war ? Do they give him
energetic support? Do their fleets go up to Constanti-
nople, sail into the Baltic, and make reprisals for the wan-
' ton and unjustifiabie, act of Rnssia ? No ; but they enter
upon a conference at Vienna •, they summon ambassadors
from the different Courts to Vienna, to enter upon a con-
sideration of the question. Well, it does appear to me
that, of all places, Vienna was the last which ought to