The Sun.
London, England, 1822-07-22 00:00:00

RUSSIA_ AND TURKEY.

FRANKFORT, JULY 12.—One of our journals
contains a very long article, dated St. Peters-
burgh, on the political -relations of Russia and
Turkey.
After the French had been driven from Russia,
.and the Russian armies had marched victorious
to-the banks of the Seine, the greatest exertions
were requisite to repair the almost incalculable
injury which the French invasion had done to
„Russia. The Government, however, following
the example of Frederick 11. after the seven
years' war, directed its whole attention to the
internal resources of die empire, and Russia was
never farther from any thought of foreign conquest
. foreign war, than when Ypsilanti commenced
his rash enterprise.
The Emperor, meantime, was continually em-
ployed-in consolidating the great edifice of the
tranquillity of Europe, of which he and his
powerful allies had laid the foundation. The
internal repose of the nations,was an indispensable
condition, and 'the Emperor could not but second
the measures of his.allies in the affairs of Naples
and Piedmont. It was for this purpose, and

without any other political object, that his Ma-
jesty went to Troppau and Laybach.
The Emperor Alexander had in consequence
just pronounced the decisive words, that he
would maintain peace in Europe, and not tolerate
any insurrection, when he received information
of the insurrection in :Moldavia and Wallachia.
Was it possible that the Emperor, who was
actually engaged in restoring the tranquillity of
Italy, should approve of the troubles in Turkey ?
Had not the Turkish empire been recognized as
an integral part of Europe at the late Congress
of Vienna? NOtwithstanding the interest which
the heart of the Emperor would naturally feel
in the fate of his fellow Christians, he could not
approve ofa direct rebellion in one part of Europe
while he was engaged in suppressing it in another;
and as the revolution was commenced by one of
his own Generals, it was an inevitable conse-
quence of what had already been done, that
he must explicitly declare his disapprobation.
Shortly after this event, the insurrection broke
out with far greater violence in the south of
Turkey. No reasonable man will say that the
Emperor ought to have seen this insurrection
in a different light from that in the north. It
was therefore in the nature of the case that he
should express his sentiments of the trou-
bles in the Morea in the same words as of
those in the north, that is, that he disapproved
the one as well as the other. There have been,
indeed, men in Europe—men of a kind benevo-
lent disposition, who while thinking of their fel-
low Greek Christians forgot all other considera-
tions, because the Emperor of Russia has exerted
himself in preceding conventions and treaties to
lighten the yoke of the Greeks, looked on him
as the man who was in some degree bound imme-
diately to take arms in defence of his proteges.
'These pious wishes are refuted by the develope-
ment of the situation in which Russia then was,
and the circumstances which obliged the Emperor
'to express that disapprobation of the Greek
insurrection. In 'case of a change in the Em-
peror's way of thinking, would not all the Ca-
binets have reproached him with the greatest
inconsistency, and, perhaps, even with ambitious
views ? _ _ _

Our difference with Turkey is purely of diplo-
matic origin. Our Ambassador was insulted.—
The insult began in the violation of the law of
nations in his person, and of the treaties which
Russia had formerly made ; and this insult was so
oltrageous that our Ambassador was obliged to
.declare his mission ended, and to leave Constan-
tinople. It is true the Greek ,revolution, and the
measures employed against it, gave rise to the
offence. But the well-known notes in which
Baron Strogonoff states his grounds of complaint
do not contain one syllable defending the Greek
revolution itself : he did not complain because
the revolution was checked, but because the ar-
rogant Divan refused to recognize the privileges
to which Baron Strogonoff was entitled as Rus-
sian Ambassador, -and because the persons who,
taking part in the revolution, claimed the protec-
tion of the Ambassador, were, notwithstanding
this protection, persecuted with fire and sword.
The violation of treaties and of the law of nations
was, therefore, the cause of the breach of the ex-
isting relations.
In what point of view, then, is our contest
with Turkey to be regarded ? It proceeds from
a private difference which the two states have to
settle between themselves, and which the Em-
peror has submitted to the "mediation of foreign
Powers, or rather has accepted this mediation
—because his direct relations with the Sultan
are broken off—because the present political in-
terest of Russia makes the maintenance of peace
necessary—because his magnanimous heart pre-
fers peace to military glory—and, lastly, because
all the Monarchs are unanimous in maintaining
the state of Europe, as laid down at the
Vienna Congress. The state of the case is sim.
ply this
Russia is in a state of difference with Turkey, but which
has arisen from the breach of treaties and the law of nations on
the part of the Turks, and in which the Greek insurrection has
to direct share.

2d. Rassia has not by any means shown a tendency to of-
fensive war, but it is able to repel every attack.
3d: Russia has signified to the Turkish Government, by the
intervention of England and Austria, in what manner the
ancient relations may be re-established.
4th. Negotiations, are actually on foot respecting this matter.
If we accurately consider the tamtents of the notes of the Divan
of the 28th of February, and the 18th of April, as answers to
the Russian ultimatum, as it is called, which is not yet pub-
lished, it will not escape the attentive observer that this so cal.
led ultimatum can have had no other object than the restoration
of things to the same state as they were in before the departure
of the Ambassador, and that Russia has on the whole merely
called for the fulfilment of the ancient treaties and conven,
tions. If, under such circumstances, even after the real de-
livery of an ultimatum, Russia still leaves it to the mediating
Powers to obtain afterwards by new and energetic re-
presentations, the fulfilment of the conditions of the ulti-
matum which have not been at once complied with, nobody
surely can say that Russia has in the least compromised her
honour ; and, lastly, when the Porte shall have complied with
the moderate demands of Russia, and in this manner peace
be preserved, in conformity with the policy of Russia and the
wishes of our Emperor, surely no reasonable man will be able
to discover in it any circumstance injurious to the honour of
Russia.
_ _ _

The possession of new (and, besides, deso-
lated) provinces can be of little use to Russia.
The Emperor requires greater and more sacred
duties than that of employing his own and his
people's blood and property in such conquests ;
and our Ministry is too well informed by Baron
Strogonoff himself, not to consider a Turkish war,
under present circumstances, with all the atten-
tion that the matter deserves. If there even were
a war—a subject calculated to keep opinions sus-
pended till it was entirely cleared up—it is the
difference between Russia and Turkey, which,
in the management of the greatest and wisest
Government, will certainly leave nothing to be
desired, when the veil shall be at length re-
moved, if the mind, free from prejudice, will not
obstinately persist in looking through a coloured
prism.