The Sun.
London, England, 1871-01-17 00:00:00

THE CONFERENCE,

The Times thus alludes to the important subject :—The
Conference on the neutralisation of the Black Sea
assembles to-day to deliberate on matters which, at a less
momentous time, would have engaged all the attention of
the public. The absorbing interest of the great war is
shown by the fact that though the subject in debate is one
which touches us nearly, and though the demeanour of
Russia roused strong resentment a few weeks since, yet
at present all is left contentedly by the public to the
Foreign Office,as if it were an ordinary diplomatic matter
This acquiescence, however, though mainly due to the
preoccupation of the public mind by the death-struggle
in France, does in some degree arise from the
confidence which the country reposes in the firmness of
the Government. The sudden calm which followed the
excitement in the present case is a tribute to the spirit
with which the Cabinet treated what was felt to be a most
offensive challenge. The country is intent to leave its
interests in the hands of a Government if it feels that at the
critical moment it was fitly represented. All we now
desire is that the same judgment should direct the fur-
ther discussion which is now to begin. Lord
Granville has been successful in perceiving the
public sentiment, and acting in accordance with it; but
in his late correspondence with the Russian Government
he had the outspoken opinions of the country through the
press to guide him. That aid will now be withdrawn, for
the discussions of the Conference are to be held secret,
and in the details of negotiation the Plenipotentiaries must
be left to their own judgment. This, however, we may
say, that opinion in this country will be satisfied if the
lines indicated in the discussions of November last be ad-
hered to. There is no wish to maintain restrictions on
Russia which are merely humiliating and not absolutely
necessary for the peace of Europe.
The Telegraph says : Nothing in the position taken by
England gainsays the right of an aggrieved Power to
notify that it is discontented with a contract ; and
we hardly know, indeed, in what other way such pacts
could be remodelled. But, however strongly the
grievance may be put, such denunciations are,
by the very meeting of this Conference, recognised
as only "notices of motion," not as accepted acts.
Nor can we doubt that the Conference will have the most
wholesome practical result. It will tend to restore that
faith in the sacredness of treaties to which so rude a
shock was given by the hasty and ill-considered circular
of Prince Gortschakoff. The representative of Russia,
we cannot doubt, will explain that the Imperial
Government did not mean to withdraw from its
Plighted word; and the very registering of such
an assurance, loyally given and loyally received,
would in itself go far to restore the shaken trust; but we
shall also have on record the collective judgment of the
plenipotentiaries. There may be political contingencies
upon the occurrence of which we English should fight
like one man ; but we must always be ready to accept
any revision of international compacts and rules which
can make them more in accord with the circumstances
of the day. There is every ground to hope,
therefore, that a victory of reason will take the place of
that which blunderers and swaggerers in authority might
have too easily turned into a frightful European cataclysm
of carnage ; and if, as we have every reason to hope, the
result should be the establishment of a new guarantee for
the maintenance of peace throughout Europe, a noble
title to increased public confidence will remain to Mr.
Gladstone's Government.

While a great war is raging around one of the great
capitals of the West, remarks the Daily News, this Con-
ference assembles to settle a quarrel which has arisen in
the East. 'While diplomacy is thus exhibiting its power
to stave off a threatened war, it is sheaving its impo-
tence to end an existing struggle. France is
not represented 4t this Conference simply be-
cause she has other work to do ; work of war, and this is
work of peace. Though she was one of the chief movers
of the Conference of Paris which established the Treaty,
she is too busy fighting for her honour, her prestige, her
position in Europe, her capital, her freedom, and her
national unity, to consider more distant questions. The
world will ask, as the French people are asking, whether
the European Governments can settle a quarrel
in the Black Sea, and yet have nothing to say about a far
wore quarrel on the Seine, the Loire, and the Moselle.
This Conference is a great pacific movement, of which our
diplomacy is entitled to boast itself ; yet it is taking place
in the very met of a war, which the reprobation of the
world is powerless to stop. It is infinitely more important
to Europe that there should be quiet in the West
than that there should be peace in the East ; Paris is more
to us than Constantinople, and the Rhine departments are
far nearer home than the Danubian Provinces, yet
diplomacy can settle these distant quarrels, but cannot put
an end to domestic strife. Yet the very fact
that such a Conference is held illustrates the
power of a European settlement to preserve the
peace when that settlement is guarded by the resolute
faithfulness of a single nation to its treaty engagements.
Germany wants guarantees against invasion by France.
The Germans are taking such guarantees by the strong
hand, and leaving every day a deeper resolve in the
mind of France to break through them on the
first opportunity. Might not the neutral nations
show both sides the better way ? France will make
any concession but that of territory, and Germany needs
only the guarantee of peaceful development of her unity.
On this basis, surely some common ground of agreement
might be found, and a greater, stronger, more important
European compact be made than that which has stood the
test of Russian discontent, and which is now to be revised
and renewed.