The Sun.
London, England, 1845-12-06 00:00:00

Ant

LONDON, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 6. 1845.

The Town-council of Edinburgh, at a meeting held
this week, took advantage of the presence of Sir C.
NAPIER in the capital of his native country, to confer on
him the freedom of the city, which was done in due form
by Lord Provost BLACK, who expressed the gratification
of his fellow-citizens at finding the hero who fought and
conquered in the cause of freedom on the ocean and in
the field, no less staunch in supporting civil and reli-
gions liberty and freedom of trade in the senate of his
country. His illustrious deeds on the coast of Syria of
course were not forgotten. The allusion to that affair
called forth from Sir CHARLES, in his reply, the following
striking remarks :—" We were sent there by the Go-
vernment, but I regret exceedingly, after what was done
in that oountry for the alleviation of the miseries of the
people, who were supposed to have been severely
rodden down by MEHEMET ALI—I regret to say that
after having released them from what was called the
tyranny of MEHEMET ALI, they have unfortunately
fallen into a tyranny ten thousand times worse. There
is nothing in my life which I regret so much as having
bad any band in turning that man out of Syria, and
having allowed the Turks to establish among the Chris-
tian population of Lebanon—the only remnant, I may
say, of Christians in Asia—the most infamous govern-
ment that ever existed ; and this people are at this
moment ten times more oppressed than they were
before." That. the Gallant Officer is an excellent com-
mander ; that he has rendered immense services to our
old allies, the Portuguese, and, latterly, inflicted a ter-
rible blow on MEHEMET ALL, no one can deny, but that
he is a profound statesman, or saw clearly the object
of the Whig Ministry in interfering with the Govern-
ment of Syria, is another question. In the simplicity
of his heart he believes that Lord PALMERSTON
sent Sir ROBERT STOPFORD with a powerful fleet to
alleviate the miseries of the Syrian people, and save
them from the yoke of the EgyptianPaonA, while these
were only minor considerations, which never would have
moved the Austrian and English Ministers, independent
of others of a very different character. Their objects
were to prop up the falling dynasty, which has ruled
the destinies of Turkey for centuries, to deprive the
Russians of all pretensions for interference in the great
contest between MEHEMET ALL and his liege Lord, and
to avert, if only for a time, the scramble which must ono
day come for the division of the extensive and wealthy
provinces, nominally under Turkish dominion. And, after
all, whatever Sir C. NAPIER may say, Lord PAL3IERSTON
was right. Constantinople, if the great Powers had stood
by idle, was at the mercy of IBRAIIIM PACHA; he could
have finished in a very brief space the Syrian campaign.
He had beaten the Turkish army in every encounter,
and there was nothing to prevent his triumphant entry
into the capital of the East. But neither Russia nor
France would have suffered such a consummation. They
bad selfish views on that head. 70
-.. TRIERS wanted
more power in Egypt ; he was anxious to destroy British
influence in that quarter, and revive the schemes of
NAPOLEON for attacking British India on the side of
Egypt. The French, therefore, would not have consented
to the occupation of Constantinople by a rebellious
Pacha, without having received full value for their
generosity. But what was to be done with Russia ?
The Sovereigns of that country have long regarded
COnstantinople with an anxious eye as the richest prize
within their reach, and they consider the next reversion of
v' it as their:lawful property. The Emperor NICHOLAS had
*--_ a largii:eiray at hand ready for the work; he
would, ssthettifore, have offered his services to
. the —(I3:AND ...grmon as a Protector, and as a Protector
.be would have 'obtained possession of the capital. All
these eertaiitelimsequences the British Government fore-
,
!Law, and: Wit)ii a promptitude and energy which did Lord
1'a2A1131404511 great honour, they resolved to settle
She till*ou single-handed. Thy were eminently