The Sun.
London, England, 1829-10-15 00:00:00

heeirtiktibliabgAhave been contested; even those
d4a4-44ir-
Ihe Greeks, who are still fighting in
the:character of insurgents, have been officially and
ittdividuallY recognized without the least objection.
The Russian blockade of _the Dardanelles was, be-
sides, distinguished by this peculiarity and alleviut-
iog character,—that, from an uncommon exercise of '
generosity, it was made applicable to provisions i
only, the importation of which from the ports of
Western Europe into Constantinople had, as it
resented no mercantile advantages, never been
contemplated. Such an importation could, indeed,
in no case take place on account of individuals, as
the provision trade of Constantinople formed an ex-
clusive monopoly of the Porte. It is only within
these two months that this trade has been set free.
The blockade of the Dardanelles is therefore nothing
more than the exercise of an undisputed tight) ad-
mitted to belong to all nations in tt. "state of war.
The blockade in question, which is limited solely to
the necessaries of life, frould, and can, in no respect
'he attended by eli:se;:lvantage to EttroOrtt commerce,
s at no titre was Constantinople supplied with pro-
from Western Elope. When, toe, the trade
(Europe has suffered severely from many other
unkatles withtott complaining, it cattnOt but excite
stouishment that such an emery should be made
Irate the blockade of the Dardanelles, Which t rtv,
braces only one object, and that an object in no
way interesting to Europe. Theta tkists, however,
another blockade,one far more rigid and exten-
sive, and really injurious to the commerce of the
world, and one which is also infinitely more offer!.
sire, since it is never notified to any state of Eu-
rope, and is enforced in contradittioa to the express
ruintitions of reciprocal treaties, which stipulate for
free passage through the Straits. This block-
ade is tnainteitred most rigidly by the Turks, who
stop at Constantinople all vessels bound from the
west to the Black Sea, or from that sea to the west.
In this way, during the present war, more than 500
esil have, at different times, been detained on their
voyage to the Black Sea. More than 100 vessels,
completely loaded, have submitted to extraordinary
dutizs and other pecuniary exactions, in the hope of
obtaining permission to proceed n their voyage—a
hope in which they has-e, with a few exceptions,
been deceived, even after paying the sums arbitrarily
extorted from them. These circumstances naturally
deteriorate the mercl:iandise, anti at the same time
K"gment its In;ce, and considerable capitals are kept
""emPlirfad or finally dissipated. Very recently
"'Lane ships, bound from Odessa to the west of
Europe, with cargoes of tallow, were detained at
Constantinople. Such is the manner in which the
Turks blockade the mouth of the Black Sea with
the greatest rigour against all ships, against every
kiwi of merchatdise, anti even against the letter of
existing treaties; and this, too, without any previ-
ous notice. The loss which all Europe thereby
sustains is scarcely to be calculated ; but, beyond
that, the question involves the good faith and main-
tenance of compacts, the dignity and dearest interests
of Europe ; and yet we hear no complaiut,—no re-
presentation against this horrible and unjust Turkish
blockade.

I now commit what has been said on this subject
to the consideration of certain publicists. They
1611, perhaps, therein find some reasons of complaint
against the Turkish blockade, or at least some for
silente with respect to that of Russia ; and if they
intim Maturely reflect, they will probably also find
Funicicat reason to correct their former declamations.
1.7,:0u1ti they rather have the Black Sea, with the
Kahn and the Turks, such as it was before the treaty
of Kainardshi, when some wretched hordes of Sa-
povog Cossacks and Tartars wandered over the
Ukraine and the coasts, when Georgia was inacces-
sible even to missionaries, and the coast of Abasia
was more wild and dangerous than the coast of
Guinea ? I cannot believe it ; for in spite of the
tlifferent views, the errors, and the lamentations of
certain persons) the usual current of sound reason
always maintains the ascendancy, particularly when
irehetally admitted facts are placed in a just light.
thßib less Europe will prefer the Black Sea as it
Low is, which, with the exception of Turkish in-
terference, is open to the whole world, which is na•
vigated in all directions by 1,500 ships of all nations,
the cargoes of which serve as means of exchange
lhrougiout all Europe and part of Asia, and bring
lt)0,000,000 into circulation, with the expectation
of seeing this already considerable return constantly
augment under the creative and protecting Govern-
ment of Russia. It must surely conduce to the
satisfaction of Europe, and the benefit of particular
interests, that immense regions brought under the
dominion of civilization and commerce prosecute
agriculture, extend their consumption, increase in
population, and receive strangers from other coun-
tries, t+ ho are permitted to participate in the grow-
ing advantages of these territories. I venture to
nasert that Europe, on maturely considering her true
interests, would experience still more satisfaction
were the circle of this general welfare more widely
extended, and the barbarism which yet skirts the
Black Sea driven farther back. Let it, for example,
be imagined what new sources of prosperity would
be opened for all Europe were the whole of the
Danube rescued from the paralyzing dominion of the
Ttnks, and free for tho prosecution of navigation
from Ulm to the coast of Trebisond

But the time for this must come; for the political
world is not to be induced to depart from necessary
laws on account of some declamations; and the
Russian nation has the good fortune to know that
its intcres•s are rapidly advancing in intimate con-
nexion with the interests of other countries. The
latest which has entered into the career of civiliza-
tion, and yet but partially advanced therein, it is
the destiny of Russia, more than of any other
European nation, to endeavour to extend civilization,
and she follows this object with unshaken constancy.
Wherever her conquests lead her she civilizes, in-
troduces whole nations into the European commu-
nity, and from all points of her acquisitions new rays
are sent forth, which gradually unite, and form larger
'masses of light,

Whether this or that state conquers a European
province, whether the Tyrol belong to Austria or
Bavaria, may be of importance to the interests of
one or another state; but Europe in general, in an
economical point- of view, gains and loses nothing,
as nothing new is created, and not the value of a
stiver more is consumed. The question, however,
becomes quite different if the wastes and wilds of
Siberia conquered by Russia should be organized
and peopled,—if the produce of the Siberian mines
should be distributed through Europe, and the wine,
the oil, the dried fruits of the Archipelago, and a
multitude of French and English objects of luxury,
should find a market for their consumption at
Irkutzk,—if the Ukraine and the Crimea, Bessara-
bia, and the adjoining countries be Russian,—if all
robberies, plunderings, and hostilities, between Cos-
sacks, Tat-tars, and Poles, be put an end to, and the
boundless Steppes, which acknowledge no sovereign
and no law, which are destitute of agriculture, and
know neither wants nor enjoyments, should be
covered with harvests and cattle, and the labours of
the countryman rewarded a hundred-fold,* Odessa,
and numerous other towns, spring, as it were, by
magic from the earth; and within the short period
of thirty years European populations, arts, and en-
joyments, have been transplanted to the heretofore
savage and inhospitable shores of the Black Sea.
Mariners and merchants hasten hither from all
points of Europe to avail themselves of the new
and profitable markets which are opened to them.
They are kindly received and protected, and pro-
ductions to the value of one hundred millions are

' According to Peyssonel the province of Dubassar,
which was then next to Caucasus, and its neighbourhood
the most fertile and populous, yielded annually about 8,000
chetwerts of corn, 1-00 purls of tallow, from 4,000 to
5,000 sheep, from 300 to 400 oxen, and some other un-
important articles. Now, though the population is less, it
consumes snore; and exports annually by the Way of Odessa
above 125,000 ehetwerts of corn, 50,000 purls of tallow,
and other articles in the same proportion. There are now
some land-owners there who raise annually from 8,000 to
10,000 chetwerts of corn, and others who pasture 1,500
or possess more than 15,000 sheep of improved
Wolk