The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1854-03-28 00:00:00

EXPOSURE OF RUSSIAN DUPLICITY.

THE publication of the correspondence, private
and confidential, which took place between Russia
and England in the early part of last year, with
reference to the policy to be pursued in the affairs
of Turkey, has made evident the rapacity and
treachery with which the former Power has been
actuated in the endeavours to extend the Russian
territory in an Eastern direction. It appears to
have been a deliberate attempt on the part of the
Emperor NICHOLAS to appropriate the greater
portion of the Turkish Empire to his own absolute
sway, and to obtain the co-operation of England
to such a palpable robbery by offering a share of
the spoils, in the surrender of Syria and other
minor portions of the Ottoman dominions. -We
need not stop to inquire as to the probability of
England being able to retain her share of the
plunder, with such an unscrupulous neighbour as
the CZAR of Russia.. in possession of Constantinople,
or, indeed, of preserving our East Indian domi-
nions, with such a new element of danger in their
vicinity, and without even the sense of justice to
fall back upon. It was well, however, that we
became acquainted with the intentions of our quon-
dam ally, and the publicity given to the corres-
pondence should have the further good effect of
enlightening the other European Powers as to the
estimation in which they"are held by the Northern
Autocrat, and so far place them on their guard in
the reception of future proposals. When the
partition of the Kingdom of Poland was determined
on, Austria and Prussia were each permitted to
take a small slice, in order that Russia might be
quietly permitted to take the great bulk of the
robbery. In the present case, however, England
was to be made the co-conspirator, and the dear
friends of the CzAR were treated with silent con-
tempt. The provinces on the Danube were to be
ruthlessly appropriated, and yet Austria was in no
way consulted, though the security of her frontier
was immediately involved. Prussia was not even
mentioned, as though her consent or disapproval
were not of the slightest consequence, and France
was treated with the like indignity, though the
CZAR'S dear friend LOUIS NAPOLEON sat on the
throne of his uncle. Even the little kingdom of
Greece, which has been instigated by Russia into
the encouragement of rebellion against Turkey,
and may be supposed to have more immediate
interest in the question, was not to be indulged in
her dream of the restoration of the Byzantine Em-
pire, but confined to her present. knits. The
whole design, therefore, appears palpable, that the
object of Russia was the acquisition of the Turkish.
dominions, under the pretence of zeal for the pro-
tection of the Christian population, without any
regard to the interests of the rest of Europe, and
that the attempt to make England a party to the
plunder was a mere precaution against, those
terrible consequences in which Russia appears now
likely to be involved from English hostility to her
manoeuvres. The failure of Russian diplomacy to
cajole England induced offers of a similar tendency
to France, with the like result, and the corres-
-1 pondence has excited in that country a strong feel-
ing of indignation against the Northern Autocrat.
Such should be its effects upon Austria and
Prussia, who have been holding aloof from
the quarrel, upon the hollow pretences of
neutrality, which they must find it impossible to
preserve.. The day for decision, however, will

shortly be at hand, and should the Emperor
NICHOLAS not avail himself of the eleventh hour