The Sun.
London, England, 1856-02-16 00:00:00

afterwards to seek with us the reduction of Russia

to her own boundaries.
Even if the French might otherwise be content
with a peace based on the most lenient demands
justified by present achievements, yet their views
would be very much modified by the tone of an
ambassador worthy of England. Suppose, while
insisting on the fullest development of the Black
Sea article, in Circassia, at Nicolaieff, the Sea of
Azoff, and elsewhere—suppose Lord CLARENDON
to say, " On these points the mind of my country
is made up. I must carry them or return home to
give vent to the national desire of useing our vast
preparations to obtain yet more." Would Fiance
desert England ? We believe not. If she did we
are confident Lord CLARENDON would return home.
with enhanced popularity. Orders to go to the
Baltic and the Black Sea in earnest this year would
be hailed with enthusiasm. The nation would
rise as one man to carry on the War alone, and to
show that England was England still. There
would, however, be no need of this. France would
never haul down her flag in this War while that
of England waved in the breeze.
Decision and firmness would, however, do their
work. Russia is prostrate. Her hope is no longer
in generals and guns, but in diplomatists and
paper. What she finds she must concede she
will concede "to tho half of her kingdom.", The
manner in which St. Petersburg and the Court,
Odessa and the merchants, the. journals under
censorship; and even generals from the Crimea,
have clutched at peace, tells its plain tale. Lord
CLARENDON needs not be afraid of asking too
much, and of abiding by what he asks. Austria
and France will soon become advocates with
Russia of the English demands, and Russia will
" magnanimously" gratify the surly English for
the sake of her respected Austrian friend.
If we have left in Russia no. trace worth men-
tioning of our past naval and military operations,
let us for once, for this once, surpass all expecta-
tion, and leave on the Peace the stamp of our
power. •If it does not tell what we have done,
let it tell what we can do. If lookers back should
ask what did England effect, let the most efficient
stipulations of this Treity be the answer. Let
History see the strength of England at the close
of the War, by the terms which she insisted on
more than the other Allies, under the alternative
of their acceptance by Russia, or of our continuing
the War alone. Let us be called dogged, obsti-
nate, anything the despots like, but confident in
our plain sense, and the necessity of the csse, let
us be the power which insists on most, and which
is prepared to maintain our demands too.
Our aristocracy have humbled us hitherto.
They have made us appear afraid to begin, and
afraid to press the War. They have taught Eu-
rope to think we had sunk to the second position
among the nations, and all, as we fear, to gratify
certain German families. They had begun to per-
, ceive that this would do no longer, and only this
year have they made the preparations requisite to
do what they ought to have done the first, or, at
least, the second year of the War. It is for them
now to use a mighty and willing nation, and such
an armament as would completely prostrate the
enemy, to effect either this, or to erect a trophy to
England in the terms of the peace itself.

The glory of the Crescent, once so lurid and
ininacious, seems fast passing into a final eclipse.
Long before the arrival of the Allied Armies in
the Bosphorus, the once formidable buttresses of
Mussulman pride and prejudice had begun to
crumble and moulder into dust ; and now, within
two short years of thai; event, a spectacle has
been witnessed in Constantinople which the most
audacious prophet did not venture to predict.
The adoption of European costume and European
science by the forces of the SULTAN at his com-
mand bespoke a great change. The visits of the
Commander of the Faithful to the •princely re-
presentatives of the dynasties of England and
France were sufficiently startling ; but what shall
he said of the recognition by the SULTAN of equal
rights on the part of the G-iaour in his dominions'
with the Faithful, and the ratification of his in-
tention to establish them on a legal footing by a
visit to the English Ambassador, on the occasion
of a Fancy Ball given at the Embassy ?
The descendant of MAHOMET, the cynosure
of Mussulman veneration, whose appearance
in public was recognised by prostration, who broke
bread alone, whose smile was fortune, whose frown
was death, a touch of whose hand was signal dis-
tinction, and a visit from whom an honour rarely
vouchsafed to the claims of kindred, actually, and
with the most honest and liberal purpose, has
condescended to visit an Ambassador of the
Franks, eat with him, walk hand in hand with
him, nay, even stand up the better to gaze on his
fair countrywomen as they gracefully swayed to' and
fro in the undulations of the dance ! So imperious
is necessity, and with so much discretion has the
comparatively youthful Monarch adapted himself
and his rule to the altered circumstances of the
times ! Surely this is a lesson which rulers
making pretences to a higher civilisation and a
more venerable authority may well take to heart
and profit by—a lesson all the more deserving of
honour in that it has not been read without pre-
vious risk or with any but the most praiseworthy
design. 11l indeed would it be appreciated if
attributed exclusively to weakness. An enlight-
ened head and a not ungenerous heart have, there
can be no reasonable doubt, had a creditable share
in eliciting it. So much effected, what may we not
anticipate for the future? Turkey is Europe may
already be described as Turkey of Europe, so far
has the influence of Western civilisation prevailed.
The strictly orthodox Mussulman no doubt pon-
ders gloomily over the decadence of his dominant
and exclusive creed, and regards the Frank as a
thing unlean, which by no possibility can be en-
titled to share his privileges, but the cause of his
chiefest grief is that day by day he finds fewer
sympathisers and lessground for hope in resistance.
Is it too much to anticipate that the reforms
which have taken and are about to take place in
Western Turkey will lead to a renovated and
vigorous empire, before which the, rejudices and
superstition of Eastern Turkey shall melt away !
We shall see. In the meantime we look on
with hope—not, however, untinctured with
anxiety. There is opportunity for distinction for
the prophet where there. is such unstable footing
for ordinary calculation.

BOULOGNE AND AMIENS RAILWAY.—The town of
Boulogne has recognized the claim of ;ill the holders of
shares in the former Boulogne and Amiens Railway
guaranteed 4 per cent. by the town, and, on the propo-
sition of the mayor. M. Alexandre Adam, has agreed to
repay the amount due in full, although without interest,
by ear!), instalments.
THE NEW BISHOP OF CARLISLE.—The new Bishop of
Carlisle is the Hon. and Rev. Montague Villiers. A
better relection could not have been made. Thoroughly
imbued with religious sentiment and conviction, yet free
from fanaticism—liberal in his political views—impres-
sive and winning in his public ministrations—Mr. Vii.
tiers by his devoted and unremitting labours as a
parochial clergyman, given earnest of the judicious but
indefatigable zeal with which he will discharge the
!.eightier functions of the Episcopate. There are few
m any church who combine in so high a degree the essen-
tial qualities of a Christian Bishop. It ought to be
known that the appointment took Mr. Villier's family by
:,I,ll.pr:i;e. Even Lord Clarendon was only told of it after
the appointment had been made. Mr. Villiers was not
personally known to Lord Palmerston. This is honour-
able 0 all parties.