The Sun.
London, England, 1835-09-09 00:00:00

•
SPIRT .T OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS

We; have closely watched the progress of Russian
polif..:y in the East for years past, and have repeatedly
WP.rned the British public of the gradual advances of
that Power to a pitch of dominion wholly incompatible
with the security of British interests. The Russian
ascendancy in the East has already destroyed our poli-
tical infly.ence in Turkey, and threatens at no very dis-
tant dzy the annihilation of our Commerce in the Archi-
pelago, the Levant, and along the shores of the Medi-
tereanean, unless more talent, decision, and energy
akiould be brought to the administration of our Fortign
Department than it has had the benefit of during seve-
ral years, but more especially during the time that the
present Secretary for Foreign Affairs has given to Eng-
lish policy rather an undignified and somewhat ridicu•
gnus character in the eyes of Europe. Poland sacrificed
to Russia, despite of the treaty of Vienna—Belgium re-
duced to the condition of a province of France by the
AT:tglo-Gallican Convention, and Spain delivered up to
anarchy by the effects of the quadruple alliance, are
works of which the admirers of Lord Palmerston may
boast ;—but we suspect that impartial history will re-
cord them among the evidences of an imbecile Govern-
ment, if not the portents of a declining empire. In re-
lation to the alarmingly-increasing power of Russia,
we made some observati•Jus yesterday founded upon
facts furnished by a most intelligent and active corre-
spondent in Turkey, whose statements are fully con-
firmed by the correspondence of a Morning Contem-
rary, from wilich we copied an important passage, re-
lative to the truckling policy pursued by our Govern-
ment towards Russia, which has had the effect of
closing the Bosphorus and the Black Sea to all vessels
of war except those of Russia. More particularly did
we refer to the refusal of the Porte to allow a firman
to a British frigate, the Volage, to enter that sea, be-
cause the Russian Minister insisted that no such fir-
man should be granted to a British vessel of war,
and actually caused the Porte to recall the finnan
which it had granted to a French sloop war, the Me-
range, to go to some place on the Euxine, there-
by inflicting an insult on the French flag and
nation, which we need hardly say the Russianized
King of the French has taken as quietly as our
own Government have taken the insult offered
to the flag and honour of Great Britain. A
Ministerial Journal of last evening made a weak
attempt to impugn the accuracy of our statements, but
which goes to confirm our charge against Ministers for
their pusillanimous subserviency to Russia in all im-
portant points. The statement respecting the refusal
of the finnan to the Volage at the instance of the Rus-
sian Minister remains uncontradicteil, as also the des-
cription of the manner in which Mr. Ellis was " smug-
gled to Trebisonde." The Treasury writer, indeed,
informs us, as an answer to the charge of submitting
to the dictation of Russia at the present moment, that
three years ago, the Barham, Actaon, and one or two
smaller vessels, lay for a length of time in the waters
of the Bosphorus. That strengthens our case, seeing
that they dare not lie there now, or at any time since
Russia insisted upon the fulfilment of the conditions
of the treaty of Hunkiar Skelessi. A Ministerial
Morning Paper stated the other day, as a re-„son why
the Barham, which carries our 'Ambr..ssatlur, Lord
Durham, should not seek to enter the Bosphorus, that
46 the construction of the treaty of 1809, as practi-
cally understood between the two Governments, does
not permit of our ships of War going up the Bospho-
rus." A Ministerial Evening Journal alleges the
existence of the very opposite practice, not only since
1809, but down to so late a period as 1832, when
" the Barhaml Actccon, and two smaller vessels of
war lay for a, length of time in the Bosphorus." Thus
the two Ministerial prints are at issue as to the prac-
tical interpretation of the treaty of 1809. Let them
settle the point between them as they please, it is suffi-
eknt for us to know that Russia is resolved no practi-
cal mistake shall arise touching the stipulations of the
64 secret treaty," and, therefore, at her insolent dicta-
tion, English and French vessels of war are now pre-
vented from proceeding uip the Bosphorus and entering
the Black Sea. Lord Durham sails for Odessa, and
be takes this course as if he wished the humiliation of
our flag to be placed beyond a doubt. It is now ad-
mitted that this Nobleman—the representative of his
Britannic Majesty, who, though affecting democratic
principles at home, is a great admirer of the Autocrat,
must not dare to enter the Black Sea in the vessel of
war in, which he had embarked for Odessa. Our
Evening Contemporary says that the Barham will again
"pass the Dardanelles, and proceed with Lord Durham
to Therapia, on the Bosphorus, above Constantinople."
Why stop there ? Why not sail through the Bos-
phorus and enter the Black Sea ? We will tell the
reason. It is because, as our Turkish Correspondent
has stated, " The Black Sea is now a mare clausum
to all nations, Russia excepted." The Morning Mi-
nisterial Paper which vve before quoted says, " It is
our interest that the law (of exclusion from the Bos,
phorus) should prevail universally with respect to fo-
reign nations, and, therefore, no firman has been or
will be solicited for the Barham to ascend higher than
Constantinople." Here again those two Ministerial
journals are at issue, though both speaking with an
equal tone of at least demi-official authority. Let
them reconcile the diffr.xence. Whether the Barham
be allowed to go no farther than Constantinople, or
whether it obtain permission to go a little above the
city to await the steamer into which the person of his
Majesty's representative is to be transferred, it is quite
clear that neither the Barham nor any other British
vessel of war can now enter the Bosphorus, much less
the Black Sea, without the permission of Russia,
whose flag now rides triumphant in those waters, while
by holding the Porte in abject thraldom, she may be
said to keep in her possession the keys of the Medi-
- terranean.—lVlorning Herald.
The Legislative Session is now in a manner finished,
and with it the war of Bills, votes, and amendments,
for the present year. But a campaign in another
quarter is on the point of opening, and one which, we
have little doubt, will be carried on by the party whose
business it has been to assume the offensive in these
political matters with a skill and activity no whit infe-
rior to those of the Parliamentary belligerents. It is
announced as the characteristic apology of a well-
known Revolutionist for accepting the Municipal Re-
form Bill from the House of Lords, that though the
Immure still retained some good in it, the amendments
of the Lords would furnish plenty of fuel for " agita-
tion." This tallies well with the promises of Lord John
Russell to the House of Commons, in his speech on
Monday evening, that the Bill in the state wherein it
then stood must not he regarded as a " final measure."
It may then be taken for granted that England,
the month of February next, is to be the theatre ,sys-
tematic and indefatigable "agitation." 'lrish agitation
is for the present laid aside, because its watchword
must at all times be such as would signify a deter-
mined hostility to whatever forms or confirms the bond
of connection with Great Britain. This, it is obvi-
ous, might be somewhat inconvenient, whilst the same
ruler is in full practical sovereignty over both, seeing
who and what that ruler is. Since, however desirable
for the schemes, financial and political, of Mr. D.
O'Connell it might be to dissolve the union between
Great Britain and Ireland, so long as the United
Kingdom acknowledged the sway of His Majesty
William IV., we acquit the shrewd agitator of any
such disloyal or rebellious inclinations, taking for grant-
ed only one proviso—to wit, that the power of the con-
joint Government should be withdrawn from the hands
of the said hereditary Monarch, William IV., and com-
mitted, as there are those who say it has been committed,
to the hands of Daniel 1., a self-elected and Whig-
anointed despot. A repeal of the union would in the
one case give Ireland to O'Connell—in the other case
it would take Great Britain from him. He likes "but-
tering his bread on both sides " a great deal too well
for that. If repeal, therefore, the main topic of Irish
agitation, be now of necessity relinquished or sus-
pended, it follows from the position of the Whig Mi-
nisters, and of their patron who condescends to take
the name of " ally," that agitation must be transferred
to this country. It cannot be given up; •that must
not be thought of. If the country were once suffered
to enjoy repose—if the intrigues of the Movement were
every where to cease, and the chimeras of speculative
Democracy to be removed from before the eyes of the
people, the Whig Radicals would soon be made seri-
gibia that their occupation as governors of the king-