The Sun.
London, England, 1849-03-23 00:00:00

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LONDON, FRIDAY, MARCH 23, 1849.

The lawless occupation of the Danubian Princi-
palities by the barbarian soldiers of the AUTOCRAT
has at last been brought under the consideration of
the British Parliament. What we have long laboured
to accomplish has at length occurred. The Commons of
England have broken their apathetic silence upon the
crimes perpetrated by Russia upon the Wallachians.
Thanks to the Noble Lord the representative of the
borough of Marylebone, the Foreign Secretary has
been required to intimate in some measure the inten-
tions of the Government in reference to the conten-
tion between the Cabinets of St. Petersburgh and
Constantinople. During the discussion which last
evening brought the seizure of Bucharest before the
Lower House of our Legislature, the various passions
excited by the aggressive acts of Russia towards
Turkey were articulated by the successive orations
of the debaters. While the indefatigable Member
for Youghal endeavoured to provoke a panic about
the Cossacks, the logical arguments of the Member
for Bradford were directed to the threatening accu-
mulation of power among the Yankees. While the
delirious Member for Stafford raved against the
despot of all the Russias, as a political fanatic might
against the fancied evil-demon of civilization, the
eloquent and chivalrous Member for Buckingham-
shire uttered a daring panegyric upon the
imperial antagonist of Democracy. While the Mem-
ber for Montrose maintained the necessity for a
maintenance of friendshipbetween the Administrations
at Paris and at London, the Member for Limerick de-
nounced the barbaric policy of the AUTOCRAT not only
in regard to Poland, and to Moldo-Wallachia, but
likewise in reference to the States immediately under
the rule of the Ottoman SOVEREIGN. While the Mem-
ber for Bedford professed to look upon the question
with a serene impartiality, the Member
for Chichester avowed his participation in
the wrathful sentiments entertained towards
the Muscovites. After the momentary turmoil of
this debate has subsided, we cannot but acknowledge
that our feelings are very little removed from those of
absolute disappointment.
Granted that scarcely anything is more prejudicial
to the cause of peace, and to the settlement of diplo-
matic difficulties, than the untimely curiosity of a
popular assembly, and the precipitate disclosure of a
correspondence not yet brought to a termination.
Every statesman is unanimous upon this point ;
every publicist is decisive in his condemna-
tion of such inquisitiveness, and in the
vindication of those administrators who show
themselves averse to the revelation of state
documents. We agree cordially in the principle
embodied in these opinions. We coincide entirely
with the Noble Viscount at the head of the Foreign
Department in his ideas as to the secresy incumbent
upon those privileged rulers of the world who, like
himselr, lean their ears upon the orifice of the mys-
terious channels communicating with the remotest
kingdoms on the face of the earth by the lips
of ambassadors. Nevertheless we do think
that the Noble Lord the representative of
the metropolitan constituency of Marylebone,
was justified in expecting some more deci-
sive, more encouraging, less enigmatical, and less
unsatisfactory reply from the eminent statesman to
whose patriotic genius the direction of the foreign
relations of this country has been entrusted. When
the atrocities inflicted by the Russian AUTOCRAT upon
the unfortunate Wallachians are notorious through.
out Christendom—when the embarrassed position of
the Sublime Porte is known to all Western Europe
—when the lawlessness of the interposition of the
Cossack soldiers in the internal affairs of the Danubian
provinces is visible even upon the apologetic proclama-
tions published at St. Petersburgh—when the barbari-
ties of NICHOLAS are revealed in every ukase, and the
anxieties of ABDELMEDIID are disclosed in every
firman—when fresh troops are continually pouring
into Moldavia across the frontiers of Bessarabia, and
reinforcements are perpetually marching to Walla-
chia from the southern boundaries of Roumelia—
when the Hospodar is superseded in authority by the
Russian Commissary, and the Fanariots are brought
under the influence of the Muscovites instead of
under that of the Mussulmen—when DURAMEL
reigns despotically over the desolated inhabitants
of Bucharest, and FUAD EFFENDI is being continually
intimidated by the growing insolence of the northinen—
when the boyards are in exile, and the patriots are in
dungeons, and the laws are abrogated, and the na•
tional language is abolished—when every indignity
is heightened and every hardship is prolonged ;—it is
madness to pretend that there is no cause for inter-
ference—it is worse than madness to insist that the
relations still continue to be amicable between the
abused SULTAN and the aggressive EMPEROR. The
people of western Europe are not to be gulled into a
belief that matters are so very easy of arrangement,
while the calamities of the Turkish empire are re-
sounding over the civilized globe, and while the
agonies of Moldo-Wallachia are imparting a
sympathetic pang to the heart of every free
and generous nation. The justification of the
AUTOCRAT for his interference in the affairs
of Wallachia is derived, forsooth, from the
treaty of Adrianople, when that treaty was signed
alone on the part of Moldavia—and Bucharest (the
arena of all the dastardly acts of DUHAMEL) is the
capital city of the sister province of Wallachia. It
is maintained, moreover, that the Russians were en-
titled to interpose, in compliance with the conditions
enumerated in that document, whereas not one of the
stipulations of the treaty having been broken on the
part of the Moldo•Wallachians, Russia was herself
violating the compact solemnly made by her
Plenipotentiaries at Adrianople, by marching
her armies across the Pruth, and establishing
her emissaries of spoliation in the metro-
polis of Bucharest. Besides, as we have already
demonstrated again and again, the claim of
the AUTOCRAT to the title and privileges of Protector
over the twin principalities is in itself a shameless
assumption of power never conceded to the CZAR by
the Vlacks or Roumans. The only real protection of
the Moldo-Wallachians—the lord paramount over the
soil of the provinces—the sole suzeraine of their in-
habitants, is the CALIPH.' SULTAN who holds his bene-

ficent sway from the northern shores of the Bos-

phorus, and whose genial and conciliative government

has afforded a brilliant contrast to the aggressive des-

potism of the AUTOCRAT from the days of PETER the

GREAT to those of NICIIOLAS, from the age of BAD-

.ABET to those of ABDELMEDJID.

Aware that the logic of arithmetic would disprove
any contrary declaration, no one—not even the
hardiest upholders of the Russian assailant—has

dared to deny that it is directly to the interest, the
political, naval, and commercial interest of England to
protect the Sublime Porte from any disruption or dis-
memberment. It is known that so long as the
SULTAN retains his power undiminished our manu-
factures are not only allowed admittance into
Turkey, but are permitted to have a
free passage through the Dardanelles into the
interior of the Asiatic continent. It is known
that so long as the Divan remains in unbroken