The Sun.
London, England, 1868-12-19 00:00:00

FARES.

THE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 19, It6B.

three at least among his ministerial colleagues.
Those Ministers are now replaced—the Marquis
de LAVALETTE becoming the new Minister for
Foreign Affairs, M. FORCADE DE LA ROQUETTE the
new Minister of the It terior, and M. GRESSIER the
new Minister of Agriculture. And it is especially
noticeable in regard to the newly-installed Foreign
Minister of France, that the Marquis DE LAVALETTE
has, iu the course of his diplomatic career, been both
at Constantinople and at Rome in the capacity
of his Imperial MAJESTY'S Ambassador. He is, con-
sequently, well "up" by right of those antecedents
of his in the two great problems of the time—
the Roman Question and the Eastern Question.
And in taking office under the Minister of State
M. ROUTER—the Marquis DE LAVALETTE, the
sometime Ambassador of Rome, now Minister of
Foreign Affairs at Paris, must, for example, have long
since sufficiently well realised, we may be quite sure
of that, the significance of the former Statesman's one
word—his historical word—janzais! A wor3 reiterated
by him as he stood there leaning over the ledge of the

"Tribune," a word startling and"eclatant"like the dis-
charge of a double-barrelled Chassepot—were such an
arm of precision capable of being fabricated—that
mot, as it may in truth be called, affording a key to
the whole policy of Catholic France in regard to the
Roman Question. With M. ROUHER still at the
head of affairs in the EMPEROR'S Government,
with the Marquis de LAVALETTE, formerly his
imperial MAJESTY'S Ambassador in Rome, now in-
stalled in office at Paris, as Minister of Foreign
Affairs, in succession to the Marquis DE MOUSTIER,
who has been promoted to the rank of Senator—no
wonder the impression is that there is no intention
whatever on the part of the EMPEROR to withdraw
the French troops still occupying Papal terrritory in
the Roman outport of Civita Vecchia. The impression
indeed is that that force, instead of being diminished
even, will be increased, or at any rate will be strengthened
by the forwarding to Civita Vecchia of fresh supplies,
some of which fresh supplies indeed are stated to have
even now already arrived there. However this may
be, whatever may or may not be the distinct inten-
tions upon this matter of vital importance not merely
to Italy but directly or indirectly to all Christendom,
it is certain that Catholic France that the Emperor
NAPOLEON 111. individually will have a larger in-
terest than ever for maintaining matters there in
statu quo in the December of next year—when there
will be assembled together in the Eternal City,

from all quarters of the globe, the Patriarchs and
the Archbishops, the Bishops and the mitred
Abbots, the hierarchical Episcopacy and the
Episcopacy scattered abroad in partibus in-
fidelieruni, summoned together there by the
voice of Pius the Nirru to take part in the
Nineteenth (Ecntnenical Council. The Nineteenth !
Summoned together during the later half of the Nine-
teenth century—as though it were due, so to speak, to
continue thus the cycle of (Ecumenicll Councils pro-
portionately in number with the lapse of the centu-
ries since the foundation of Christianity. During that
solemn conclave at Rome, which is fixed for the
December of 1869, according to the arrangements
made by the SOVEREIGN PONTIFF, France, and NAPO-
LEON 111. will not unnaturally be desirous that no
untoward incident should arise to complicate not
simply the affairs of Italy, not simply the relations
between France and Italy, but the Peace of all
Europe, the tranquillity of the whole of Christen-
dom. Everything considered, the Ministerial changes
which have just taken place in Paris are in the inte-
rests of Order, are in the interests of Peace, and are
therefore propitious.

WHAT the Moniteur calla the " joint action and
conformity " of the Six Powers—ltaly is a Power
now—has not availed to keep in order the little

State of 2,000 square miles. The official papers of
Paris, after having unaccountably kept back all news
from the East, now announce that a definite rupture
has taken place. There is reason to hope that
diplomacy may yet prevent serious hostilities,
but hitherto negotiation has failed, and Turkey,
regardless of the representations of its neighbours,
has finally committed itself by an act of war.
The Greek vessel Enosis has been assailed by a

Turkish squadron, shots have been exchanged, and
the obnoxious blockade-runner has been driven to

harbour.

Both States, acting apparently upon the

conviction that a serious war must ensue, are pre-

paring for the strife. Turkey has thrown off the
lethargy which formerly justified the conclusion that
the sick man was at the last extremity. Its prepara-
tions, which are by no means of very recent date,
are energetic and upon a considerable scale. It
has been arranged that the well-known General,
OMAn PASHA, shall march to the Greek frontier
with an army of 00,000 men, ready to invade the
hostile territory. Before the rupture took place six-
teen battalions had already been assembled at
Salonica, an important seaport at no great distance
from the Greek frontier. HOBART PASHA, formerly
a captain in the English navy, and an adept
in the art of blockade-running, has been
appointed to prevent the illegal traffic for which he
has himself become so famous. A powerful fleet
has been placed at his disposal ; the squadron with
which he has already disposed of the Enosis is now
being reinforced by four frigates, and soon the bulk
of the Ottoman navy will be cruising in Greek
waters. Against these formidable preparations the
Government at Athens has nothing to oppose except
the obstinacy in wrongdoing of which it has made
such a liberal, such a suspicious display. The
strength of the two States is so disproportionate,
that if left completely to themselves the destruc-
tion of the smaller must be the inevitable result.
The wreck of ;the great military Power which over-
threw the Greek Empire, and for centuries ruled
supreme in Eastern Europe, is still formidable. The
Porte is penniless, and its affairs are mal-
administered ; its navy exhibits very little of the science
of the age, and its troops are inferior in organisation
and arming to those of the greater European

nations. But the Ottoman Empire must easily over-

power Greece. As to finances, it is a question which
of the two shall first appear in the Gazette ; but
Greece has no army or navy to speak of. As an
independent State it would never have come into
existence but for the destruction of the Turkish fleet
at Navarino, and it has done nothing for the last
forty years to justify the expectations which were
formed of it. Its military power, like its industrial
prosperity, stands very much where it did.
The commencement of a conflict so dispropor-
tionate is not reassuring. What the Powers have
done to secure peace, or why they have at least
failed to prevent the two parties coming to blows, are
equally enigmatical. The official papers of Paris
have daily informed the world that diplomacy was
hard at work, that all the six Powers were of one
mind, that the idea of Greece presuming to
fight in face of such opposition was con-
temptible. Whilst, however, these official assu-
rances were so cheerful, the actual facts became
day by day more disquieting. Greece was
condemned by the public opinion of all Europe ; no
political question of late years has called forth such
unanimity of sentiment. But she did not scruple to
reject: the ultimatum of the Porte, offensively
declining to concede some of the demands,
though all of them, and particularly the very
stipulations which were refused, were supported
by the Powers. In the face of theSe facts it is
difficult to avoid raising the question whether Greece
is acting alone in this matter. The chances are
indeed wholly against the hypothesis that the little
State which is now troubling Europe can at present
receive supporf4rom any quarter of it. Austria is
all but the open enemy of Greece : the Western
Powers display no decided bias. Prussia has just
been the foremost agent in reducing tin Roumanians

to order, and it is wholly improbable that the German
Power would create in one quarter a disturbance
similar to that which she suppressed in another. The
supposition that Prussia desires to embarrass Austria
in thisway is setasideby the reflection that if this object
was to have been sought by an outbreak in the East,
an outbreak in Roumania itself would have been
most troublesome. There remains only Russia. The
Power which is of all others the warmest friend to
Greece, has, however, in this question acted with a
straightforwardness which there is no reason to
doubt. Russia is this time in accord with the
rest of Europe. We are told that she has joined
in urging Greece to repent ; and if she encourages
the perverse kingdom in its evil courses, it must be
with great secrecy, and, therefore, with diminished

vigour.
The situation is so adverse to a combination to
break up the Ottoman Empire, that the question
could hardly be raised were it not that the conduct
of King GEORGE in hazarding all upon this cast of
the die is so inexplicable. When the supposition of
foueign aid is rejected, there remain no data to ex-
plain the motives which have induced the brother
of the Princess of WALES and his Ministers
to provoke a war with Turkey. The enthusiasm
of the Greek people seems great ; but if
the Government is not a free agent in a matter
of this moment the tenure of King GEORGE'S throne
is worth very little. Meanwhile the course of Eng-
land
is open to very little doubt. Our policy in
the East has become negative of late years; we
are not anxious to keep the Turks in Constanti-
nople, and the ownership of that important capital
is now a matter of little interest to England, pro-
vided always that Russia does not get it. On the
other hand, whilst the interests of justice demand
the moral support of Turkey, Europe cannot well
put up with the destruction of Greece. Our Nava-
.rino experiment was a failure ; but, after all, Greece
is a Christian country, and represents in great mea-
sure the Christian interests of the East. The
further advance of the Turk into Europe is not
desirable, and hardly possible. Turkey ought not to
fall a prey to its neighbours, but it is even
more undesirable that the reverse issue should
confront us. If the Greeks receive a sound lesson
from the greater State, the general opinion must be
that she richly deserved it ; but the extinction of our
Protectorate is not to be thought of. although the
conduct of Greece deserves punishment, the country
must be preserved from ruin.

WE have often had occasion to censure the severity
of the unpaid magistrates in dealing with petty
offences. Sometimes they run into the opposite
extreme. That they will send an infant to gaol for
stealing a stick or a few berries we all know too well ;
but it is not often that they outrage society by
apportioning a penalty reprehensibly below that
which the gravity of the offence demands. Such
an instance is before us now. A mill
operative, of Blackburn, was on Thursday charged
with committing a criminal outrage upon his
own daughter, a girl of 14 years old. The details
were so atrocious that the court had to be cleared.
The prisoner did not deny the charge, but pleaded
that he was drunk when he committed the act. It
is stated that this was not the first time he had per-
petrated it. Nevertheless, the Blackburn magistrates
sentenced the man to six months' imprisonment—
something less than he would have got for stealing a
bare. This disgraceful sentence suggests seve-
ral considerations. In the first place, what
right had the magistrates to deal summa-
rily with a charge of this kind ? Are they
aware that rape is still, according to the statute-
book, punishable with death ? True, the penalty is
never enforced, but it is one of the highest crimes which
the law has to deal with, and it ought most unques-
tionably to be reserved for a more august tribunal
than a bench of J.P.'s. One of her Majesty's
judges should have dealt with this case at.the assizes,
when, if the prisoner had been found guilty by a
proper jury, he would have received a sentence pro-
portioned to his offence. But this is not the first
time that the Blackburn magistrates have thus made
light of an atrocious offence. Some months ago
we had to comment upon the low value which they
set upon female honour, and the leniency with which
they treated offenders against it. If gentlemen
holding the Queen's commission of the peace think
that rape and incest are no worse than poaching,
what wonder if factory operatives, who hold that
there is no harm in the latter, think that there is very
little in the former offences ?

LATEST INTELL LGENCE.

(REUTER'S TELEGRAMS.)

SPAIN.

MADRID, Dec 18 (Evening.)

The telegrams received from the provinces are
very satisfactory. The muncipal elections have
commenced, and the principal members are sup-
porters to the Monarchical party.

The Minister of Finance has again declared that
the payment of all obligations of the State are
guaranteed, and that the interest of the public
debt about to falldue will be promptly paid.
The Affairs has stated that
heregards
as an accomplished fact.
Minister
pea peace
e forw i
tForeignh
Chili

MADRID, Dec. 18.

The elections to the Constituent Cortes by uni-
versal suffrage are being held to-day. Every-
where throughout Spain the elections have passed
off with
members
g rea t tranquillity
and the majority of
the
tothie Liberal-monarchical
belong
party.

A Carlist conspiracy has been discovered in
Leon. Seditious placards were affixed to the
walls, but public order has not be disturbed.

FRANCE.

PARIS, December 19

A decree dated the 17th December orders that
the re-exportation of woven stuffs imported tem-
porarily free of duty, for the purpose of being dyed
or printed, shall take place within four months.

The Moniteur in its bulletin of to-day contradicts
a rumour about an encounter followed by a hostile
engagement between the Enosis and a Turkish
vessel of war. The Greek blockade runner replied
to the signals of the Turkish ship with a cannon
shot and then took refuge in Syra Harbour. How-
ever, thanks to the good will of the French naval
commander, Forlin, Hobart Pacha was prevailed
upon to acted to the former's proposal to raise the
blockade and desist from further pursuit provided
that the Hellenic frigate Hellas should convey the
Enosis to the Piraeus, there to await a prompt in-
vestigation of her conduct.

BOMBAY MAIL.

MARSEILLES, Dec. 10,

The Peninsular and Oriental Company's steamer
Delta arrived at 8.30 this morning. The mails
leave for London by the 11.30 a.m train.

AMERICA.

NEW YORK, Dec. 18

According to Mr. Adam Moffat's report the re-
ceipts of cotton at American ports for the week are
32,000 bales. Total receipts from September
Ist to date, 890,000 bales. Shipments to Eng-
land, 32,000 bales. Shipments to France, 10,000
bales. Shipments to the Continent 9,000 bales. The
total export to date 430,000 bales ; stock 290,000
bales. Market steady. Middling upland, 9 15-16,
cost and freight per steamer.

We understand that Lord Be Tabley will under-
take the office of Controller of the Household, and that the
Earl of Carysfort, Lord Camoys, and Lord Methuen will
be Lords in Waiting ; Lord Torrington also remains in his
old pokitivn at hor liajesty'D court.