The Sun.
London, England, 1856-04-30 00:00:00

-
add something to the weak, to see if it might not be pos-
sible to-arrive at a correct conclusion. In the first place,
he thought there was a good deal of mystification which
ought to be cleared away. He would remind the house that
not one or two, but three years ago, he ventured to bring
the question of the importance of providing for the de-
fence of Asia Minor under their attention, and so fre-
quently, that he almost feared he was becoming that most
unpopular of Parliamentary characters, a "bore." He had
always Silt that the defence of Asia Minor was of great
importance, for two reasons. In Europe, Turkey, though
exposed to Russian attacks, would be succoured by allies,
and by a power which, if not an ally, would neverthe-
less be very indisposed to see Russia occupying any por-
tion, of the Turkish European territory. But the Asiatic
frontier of Turkey was completely exposed, aid there
was a Christian population in the surrounding
districts, and even in the Turkish territory, which
might easily be acted upon by Russia. Then the
army of Turkey in Asia Minor was ill orga-
nised, in arrear of pay, and badly officered ; and there were
most unfortunate divisions between General Guyon and
the Polish officers, which threatened much mischief —(he
bore testimony to the gallantry and great ability of Gen.
Guyon, from whom he had some accounts of what had hap-
pened in Asia Minor recently, which if he had not known
that they were written two years before the events they
prophesied occurred, he should have supposed had been
written two days ago.) But the frontier might have been
defended, the passes might have been guarded without dif-
ficulty, and Kurdish troops might have been raised as
light cavalry, who would have proved formidable oppo-
nents to the Russian cavalry ; and if there had been any
resin)* for crossing the frontier and attacking Russia in her
Asiatic possessions it might have been done, and the popu-
lation of those territories which, though belonging to her
by comparatively recent acquisition, were not favourable
to Russia, would be ready to rise against her. He had
from the commencement, therefore, thought some action
might be brought to bear on that part of the Turkish do-
minions. That was still his opinion. He did not, how-
ever, agree with hon. gentlemen opposite that if Kars and
Erzeroum had been taken the road to Constantinople
would have been open. That was not the plan of Russia.
What Russia would have done would have been to occupy
the plateau, and conquer the provinces to the south of
Kars, which she would easily have done, and set those
conquests against ours made in the Crimea and elsewhere.
This might, he believed, have been accomplished; and
unless much greater energy had been shown by the Govern-
ment:than they had exhibited we should have been exposed,
had the, war continued, to these dangers. The second
reason wilts IA regarded the Asiatic frontier as important
was, that though he deprecated the notion thatan invasion
of India by Russia was an easy matter, and though be
thought it impolitic to dwell on such questions, still he had
no doubt, if Russia had succeeded on the Asiatic frontier of
Turkey, she might have given us some trouble in India. He
did not think it wise to encourage the notion that a Russian
invasion of India was practicable, for several reasons. First,
because that notion was not founded upon any sound basis ;
secondly, beCause it gave to other European powers the excuse
of saying, " This is merely an English question." (Hear,
hear.) He was astonished to hear the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer say that the fall of Kars was not important politi-
cally. Not only was it politically important to us in its im-
mediate results, but the success of Russia at Kars would be
long felt ii those distant Asiatic provinces to our prejudice.
It would be remembered by those wild tribes which bor-
dered upon India, and which were at war with Russia ; and
those Asiatic provinces in her hands, we might expect to be
a continued annoyance to us in our Indian possessions. That
was the reason why he attached importance to the fall of
Kars. Though General Williams had been treated with
every kindness by the Russians, they would nevertheless
take care to publish the fact amongst those Asiatic tribes
that they had captured a strong fortress commanded by
an English general, and that that general was a prisoner
in their hands. These were the reasons why he attached
importance to Kars and to Asia Minor, (Hear, hear.) He
had appealed to the other side to help him ; and if they
had does so they might have compelled the Government to
take another course, or they might even have strengthened
their hands. They would have enabled the Government to
have gone to France and to have said, this is what the Eug
lish public expect. Had they done so there could be no doubt
that the Emperor of the French, who was so well acquainted
with the influence of public opinion in this country, would
have listened to their views. But he had appetled.to the lion.
and learned gentlemen opposite in vain ; and yet now the hon.
and learned member (Mr. Whiteside) came down and made a
war speech. The position of au independent member resem-
bled that of a dog on a race course—he was shouted at and
pelted by both sides ; but when the race began the party who
saw their favourite horse losing whistled to him to come over
and trip up their opponent's steed. (Laughter.) With the
single exception of the Earl of Ellenborough in another place,
he had never heard a word about Kai s from gentlemen on the
other side, when he made his speech about Kars. Why did
not the hon. and learned gentleman make the speech he had
delivered the previous night two or three years ago ? He was
afraid that there was a greater desire, in some quarters, to beat
the Government than to beat the Russians. Had the dangers
arising from Russian ascendancy in Persia been removed by
the Peace ? They had not ; and yet if he were to make a
speech against the treaty on Monday, would hon. gentle-
men who were so warlike support him ? The greater part
of the hole. member's (Mr. Whiteside) speech was directed
against Lord Aberdeen's Government ; but the relevancy of
that argumente:on the present occasion, was not so obvious.
If, indeed, the hon. gentleman had pressed the point, that
Lord Clarendon, though a member of Lord Aberdeen's Go-
verment, was still the Minister for Foreign Affairs, his rea-
soning might have been sound ; but the lion. member had
carefully cut away the ground from under his feet by saying
that whenever he mentioned Lord Clarendon he meant Lord
Aberdeen. (Hear.) What charge, therefore, could be bring
against the present Government? (Hear.) All that which he
called the misconduct of Lord Stratford at Constantinople
had taken place before Lord Aberdeen went out ; and the
hon. gentleman had been careful to say that after the recon-
ciliation between Lord Stratford and Gen. Williams, the con-
duct of the noble lord had been most praiseworthy. He (Mr.
Layard) felt himself placed in a delicate' position when speak-
ing of Lotel Stratford.) He owed the noble lord a great deal.
He looked upon him as a most valuable public servant. He
was most indefatigably industrious, was more acquainted
with Turkey than any other man living, and had done great
things for it. It was unfortunate that the noble lord should
have left General Williams as he did ; but when be consi-
dered the immense amount of business the ambassador at
Constantinople had always to transact, he thought that
more had been made of his leaving the letters of General
Williams unanswered than was necessary. Lord Ponsonby,
he believed, never read a single despatch from one of his
agents. (Hear, hear.) The noble lord's neglect to get
General Williams acknowledged had undoubtedly been a
great error, as Lord Stratford had himself acknowledged ;
but lie thought they had, on the whole, handled Lord Strat-
ford more severely than he deserved. Nor had the hon. gen-
tleman treated well two gentlemen, whom by the bye he had
rolled into one—Count Pisani and Mr. Etienne Pisani. Count
Pisani had been thirty years at the head of the Chancery at
Constantinople, and ho had discharged his duties admirably.
Mr. Etienne Pisani was a dragoman, and they had both been
taunted with not conveyingmessages to the Porte in the same
vigorous terms as those in which they were originally de-
livered. He (Mr. Layard) did not think that that was faer,
fir he did not believe either of those gentlemen would soften
the terms of that which they were desired to translate. Of
that he had a proof not very complimentary to himself. He
remembered going with Lord Stratford to the Sultan, and the
noble lord made a flowery oration, of which he (Mr. Layard)
was the subject. Mr. Pisani, however, summed up the whole
story with, " Your Majesty, this is the man who has dug up
old stones," (Laughter) The hon. gentleman talked about
the Government having given the cowardly advice to abandon
Kars. Now, it was his (Mr. Layard's) opinion that it was a
mistake to defend Kars at at all. Kars was not on the high
road, and whereas the object of a fortress was to enable a
small army to resist the march of a large one, the whole
Ottoman army was shut up in Kars. There was a strong line
of country upon which the Turkish army should have fallen
back, and on which they might have defied every attempt of
Russia to force their position. Gen. Mouravieff had once at-
tempted to carry that chain of hills, and though it was defended
by a small handful of men, he was defeated in his design. On
the other band, Kars had undoubtedly stopped the advance
of the enemy. Gen. Williams was a military man, and he was
on the spot. He was, perhaps, therefore right, but, at all
events, it was a strategetical question, and the advice to abane
don Kars did not necessarily involve cowardice. (Hear.)
With respect to the relief of Kars there had bees a most in-
genious mixing up of dates. Teem wore only two ways of
relieving Kars, one by way of Trebizond and Erzeroum, the
other by Redout-Kaleh and Kutais. At first the proper thing
to have done would have been to have advanced by both
routes; sending the light troops by Batoum and the heavy by
Trebizond. At that time Moura.vieff was not besieging Kars;
he was blockading it, and his troops must have spread over
an area of at least twenty miles. As soon as he heard that
reliefs were arriving he would have been compelled to con-
centrate, and then the garrison would have escaped, and lie
might have bean attacked on both sides. B. .t that opportu-
nity was lost. The only way that was then left of saving
Kars was by making a diversion. There was only one place
at which a diversion was possible, and that was on the side of
Kutais. Every military man expected that that would have
been successful ; but Mouravieff knew the country better than
we did, and it was a striking proof of his ability that he still
held on the siege. To that trait of military skill he owed the
success of his operation. (Hear.) With regard to Omer
Pacha, he +Mr.- Layard) regretted the language-which had
been Used. Omer Pacha was a man of great experience and
military capacity; and if anybody had come out of the war
with credit it was he. (Loud cheers.) One point in the
speech of the hon. gentleman (Mr. Whiteside) had at first, he
confessed, made a great impression upon him, namely, his
remarks upon Lord Panmure's answer to Lord Ellenborough ;
but after mature reflection he had come to the conclusion that
Lord Panmure waeright. When Lord Panmure was asked
the question in August last, he replied that the Turks at Kars
were able to defend themselves. But if Lord Panmure had
stated the fact, and said that the garrison had not a month's
provisions, would he not have encouraged Mouravieff to per-
severance in his efforts against the city ? (Laughter, en 1
derisive cheers.) He thought that the origin of all the evil
must be attributed to Lord Aberdeen. (Laughter, and de-
risive cheers.) Lord Aberdeen was wrong in the principle
which he had adopted. His first consideration ought to hare
been the defence of Asia Minor. He might have raised
70,000 or 80,000 men in the Principalities had he not been
Impeded by Austria; and it was from the unhappy policy
which bad placed him in that position that all the subsequent
evils had resulted. The noble lord might have also acted
upon Georgia and Circassia. ; but he had acted upon neither
one nor the other. To Circassia he had sent a most unfit
agent, as he (Mr. Layard) had stated at the time. We could
not do that last spring : it was too late then to undertake a
real campaign in Asia. He now came to the faults of the
present Government ; for he would be strictly impartial, and
see on whose shoulders the blame really rested. He blamed
the present Government for several things. First, with re •
gard to the question of the loans. There was no doubt the
Turkish Government was badly supplied with money. The
'explanation of the Chancellor of the Exchequer did not re-
move from his mind the impression that the Government
were to blame. Had General Williams been supplied with
money, he Could have done wonders ; he could have pro-
cured baggage-waggons, troops, and whatever was necessary.
The Government was to blame for not placing at his disposal
unlimited credit. If he could only have gone into the market
place, and said, " Hero is a bill upon the English ambassador
at Constantinople," his position would have been secure at
once ; he would have had any number of muleteers and any
amount of provisions. (Hear, hear.) The next point ou
which he blamed the Government, for it was the great cause
of the disasters of the war, was the mischievous interference
of the War-office in militarymatters. Having a telegragh to
the Crimea, it was kept constantly going ordering this or
the other to be done, and stopping that. It was monstrous
—it was ridiculous. (Cheers.) They made their generals
mere puppets. (Hear.) Was it to be supposed that a bili-
ous kind of person at the War-office could understand mill-
tars, matters as well as persons who had been brought up in
the service, and besides had the advantage of being on the
spot, 'flowing their resources, and being acquainted sr ith
huh of things which a person not there could not know!
An ins nee of the evil of this was afforded by the unfortt:.
nate Turkish contingent, which was sent here and there, and
backwards and forwards. It was natural for Lord Stratford
to ask what he could do with these contradictory orders. In
that point the Government WAS to Diann. Mother naferte.