The Sun.
London, England, 1870-11-16 00:00:00

PRINCE GORTSCHAKOFF'S CIRCULAR.

The circular of Prince Gortschakoff is dated the 19th
(31st) October, and is addressed to the Foreign Repre-
sentatives of Russia :—Af ter drawing attention to the
successive modifications which the compromises that he
regards as the foundation of the European balance
of power, and notably .the Treaty of 1856, have
undergone, Prince Gortschakoff continues—His Im-
perial Majesty has come to the following conclusions,
which the diplomatic agents are required to submi t
to the Governments to which they are accredited :—" Our
August Master cannot admit that treaties violatedin their
essential and general clauses should continue to be binding
in those clauses which affect the direct interests of his
Empire.. His Imperial Majesty cannot admit, in fact, that
the security of Russia should rest upon a fiction which has
not withstood the ordeal of time, and that it should be endan-
gered in consequence of his respects towards engagements
which have not been performed in all their integrity.
Relying on the sense of equity of the Powers signed to the
Treaty of 1856, and the consciousness these must have o
their own dignity, the Emperor bids you declare that his
Imperial Majesty can no longer consider himself bound, as
it were, to the terms of the Treaty of March 18, 1866, in so
far as these limit his rights of sovereignty in the Black Sea.
That his Imperial Majesty considers it his right and
his duty to give notice to his Majesty the Sultan of his
withdrawal from the special and additional Convention
annexed to that Treaty which fixes the number and the
size of the men-of-war which the two Powers bordering
on the Black Sea reserve to keep in the said sea. That
be conveys loyal information of this to the Powers
signed to and guaranteeing the general Treaty, of which
this special Convention constitutes an integrant part.
That in this respect he replaces the Sultan in full
possession of all his rights in the same manner as he re-
claims his own. In the discharge of this duty you
will be careful to state that our august Master has
no other object in all this besides the security
and dignity of his Empire. It is by no means
the intention of his Imperial Majesty to revive the
Eastern question. On this as on all other points he har-
bours no other wish than the maintenance and con soli da-,

tion of peace. He'entirely adheres, otherwise, to the general
principles of the Treaty of 1856, which have established
the position of Turkey in the European concert. He is
prepared to come to an understanding with the Powers who
signed the Treaty, either with a view to confirm its general
stipulations, to renew themor to substitute for them any
other arrangement which may seem equitable and calcu-
lated to insure the peace of the East and . the European
balance of power. His Majesty is convinced that this
peace and this balance of power will receive an additional
guarantee by being laid on more just and. solid bases than
those arising from a position which no Great Power could
accept as a normal condition of existence."

A 'Vienna correspondent of the Kolnische Zeitung recalls
the fact that, on taking office in 1856,
,Count Beust ex-
pressed the opinion that the conditions of peace would be
strengthened "if the attitude of the Russian Court
towards Turkey were freed from those restrictive
and more or less illusory conditions, so that she might
commence a rapprochement to the other Powers."
" Now," continues the correspondent, "it will be seen
how far the Cabinet here will remain faithful to' the
opinion then expressed. That Russia's initiath;e should
follow in so brusquea manner may not; indeed, have been
expected. For Austria and Hungary the Eastern ques-
tion is certainly a vital one. . . . As regards Prussia
the general opinion here is that Russia would not
have taken this step in such a manner had she not
beforehand been certain of the approval of the Berlin
Cabinet."

From another source we have the following account of
the state of feeling in Vienna :

The Russian proposal regarding the Treaty of 185 G has
produced a very serious impression here, and Count Beust,
has very strongly represented the feeling. of Austria on
the subject to M. de Novikoff, the Russian Ambassador.
The Austrian and Hungarian members of the Govern-
ment are entirely agreed as to the necessity of main-
taining a determined attitude in the matter, and
it is hoped that a like fegling will be exhibited by Eng-
land, with which it is desired to proceed hand in hand
under all circumstances. The principal newspapers of
Vienna, without any'distinction of party, all advocate a
firm policy against Russia,_ and propose that internal
questions should for the present be laid aside. The
Hungarian papers write in the same sense. They urge
the necessity of a common action with the other parts of
the Empire, and ask that the Austro-Hungarian -delega•
tions may be assembled as soon as possible.
Let us now turn to Berlin :

Russia (writes a correspondent from that place) has
already privately declared to the different Courts that
the conditions of the Paris Treaty of 1856, as relative to
the neutralisation of the Black Sea,' had become un-

tenable. It pointed out the different material modifica-
tions which that compact had undergone in relation to' the
Principalities, as to the places in the Bast.. . •. . In
a despatch of the Ist January, 1867, the Prince
Metternich, which is printed in the Red, Book, Count
Beust suggested a Conference for the revision of the Paris
Tfeaty. The meaning' of this; step was that Austria
sought a rapprochement to Russia. The attempt was
received coolly enough in St. Petersburg, and the matter
had no further result Should an attempt be

made to utilise the interlude for convening a Congress,
before which the French conflict might in an indirect way
be dragged, it would hardly succeed. Projects of inter-
vention in this way have been Steadily rejected by the
German side.

ILLNESS OF THE KING OF HOLLAND.
Baussims, November 15.
The King of Holland has been ill an has been
spitting blood. Ile is now better.