The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-11-19
Affairs I'm the Danubian Princi pals iesLThe
Designs OF Russia.


The engrossng interest of the tremendous drama
of which the Austrian metropolis continues to be
the theatre, ought not to make us pass unnotlced
the termination OF little piece which has been
played out on less conspicuous STAGE at city of
interior note, some hundred miles nearer to the
Black Sea. The Great Wallachian revolution
has been brought to a close at last; and the only
wonder is, that it has been long in arriving at
the denouSment., The entrance upon the stage Of a
body of Turkish troops slxtee en- thousand strong.
followed shortly afterwards by Russian detac6-
ment, was the signal for the fall of the curtain
The Wallachian Republic has evaporated; and
the organic statute, with Russian general to
enforce. and Russian consul to expound, IT, is
again the law of the land. Of the Wallachian
army, which was to annihilate the legions of the
Car, there only remains an insurgent chief, who
has betaken himself to the mountains, and shows
prudent regard for his own safety, in declining
to trust himself in the hands of the restorers of
order.
The catastrophe which has put an end to the
existence OF the Provisional Government must
we presume, have been foreseen, from the very
deed, the only apology for so preposterous an en-
terpnse hes In that temporary arrangement of the
reasoning faculties which seems to have afflicted
the Frenchlfed liberals of Young Walachia, IN
common with the rest of our continental neigh
bors, IN the spring of this year. Considering the
relation in which ''the provinces stand to the
protecting powers, it was clear that there was no
room tor efiectua interference on their behalf.
8.
devised tor purposes amongst which tie welfare Of
the persons most nearly concerned has common
Iy no place. 1t Is neither nation nor province;
neither independent nor yet dependent; the more
liberal Its institutions, and the more elaborate Its
constitutional system, the more keenly do those
who live under 1t resent interference, and the
more painful is their sense that the whole IS but
toy IN the Brobdlgnag fingers which are constant
ly lowering over them under the pretence ofshel-
terng the fragile thing with ofiicious protection
The position is not comfortable one; but so long
as the WallachiaEs remain In it, we fear tia they
must submit to that Russian influence to which il
conslgns them, and from which, indeed, we do
not know that they could with advantage to them
selves be emancipated.
We must frankly confess, however, that, although
we do not entertain those feelings of hostility to-
wards the great Northern Empire which are some
times supposed to be innate in the breast of every
true Engishman, and are far from regarding the
Gear as an ogre, whom it is the duty of all civil
lied European nations to WATCH II possible, to ex-
tlrpate, we cannot, without an uneasy twlnge or
two, see the foot OF Russian soldier again plant
ed on the banks Of the Danube, or the letters of
Russian domination rveted on the Danubian pro-
vlnces. The Danube is, and must ever be, the
great highway of Eastern Europe it is the outlet
OF those vast districts to which we in the West
must look for our supplies OF grain and waters,
through large part OF Its course, a country rich
IN mineral and agricultural wealth, in the develope-
ment and distribution of which all the nations of
the Continent are, in greater or less degree, in
control over the mouths of the river, which, but
TOR her Proverblal superiority IN diplomatic skill
and industry, she could never have been suffered
to acquire.
A few more strides, for which the agtated state
OF The neighboring countries may, we know not
how soon, afford opportunities, would sufhce to
give her complete dominion over its channel
Every conjunction OF circumstances which gives
lands which skirt her southern frontier, must of
necessity, from the nature of things, prove advan-
tageous to her, and prejudicial to her decrepit
neIghbor on the Dardanelles. The dlsproportion
allow of its being otherwise. The pot de fer and
the pot de ferre may both be rolling in the same
direction but as often as they come in contact,
the odds are that seme damage befalls the weaker
with giant, might have foreseen what would be
the result of the pursuit of glory in such unequal
companlOnship-the one must needs get all the
kicks, the other all the haf-pence.
The only possible guaranty fol-, the due repres-
sion of that. tendency to ACKNOWLEDGEMENT on the
part OF Russia, which her position renders inevi-
table, is to be found IN the existence of compe-
tent power occupying the local situation at present
covered by the Austrian Empire. 1t IS matter
OF the first importance that the upper section of
the stream should be in the hands of nation civil
lized and thriving enough to set due value on
this important artery OF commerce, and strong
enough to enforce If need be, its just claims to a
free navigation of the channel. From the Iron
Gate upwards, we desire to see the Danube flow;
ing through a populous and highly cultivated
country, the territory of State so considerable as
to extort from the Court of ST. Petersburg thai re-
spect which will be only accorded to govern
ment whose hostility 1t has reason to dread, and
whose friendship it is ambitious OF conclatlng.
Considerations such as these have, we need hard
ly say, something to do with the lively interest
which we have always expressed In the fortunes
of the house OF Hapsburg, and the regret we
shall experience if condemned to witness its
fall. In the dissolution of the empire into
It's component parts, we see no other pros
pect than that OF long succession OF bloody
sessions between the provinces which have hlther:
to been held together by the link of the imperial
crown and the network of it's administrative sys-
tenn The various divisions of the Sclave family,
lying scattered at considerable distances from
each other, .Intermixed everywhere with alien
and differing from each other not less IN their
interests than IN their language religion, social ha
bits, and the grades OF civilization which they have
Indetail by the colossal Sclavonic empire by which
they will be. overshadowed, than to unite into
compact and independent confederation OF their
own. Neither can we entertain any sangulne
hope that the rise of Hungary upon the ruins OF
the Empire would suffice to replace the loss occa-
stoned by the decadence OF the latter. Having re.
gard to what is passing under our eyes, we should
say that the shadow must go backward on tho wall,
and the tide turn ere it has reached its height, be-
fore Hungary can recover the sway over her Sca-
woman dependencies, which she possessed before
the union of her crown with that of Austria If
she is really to become independent, it would seem
that she must purchase her independence at the
pnce of the richest Jewels IN her dladem Stripped
of Croatia, Savonia, and the long line of the mill
tary frontier, and forced to watch over discon-
tented slave population infused with its own, a
Magyar kingdom would offer no substantial bull
wark to Russian encroachments. And even were
fortune to prove doubly capricous, and the Hun
earian mobiles to succeed in accomplishing the
favorite object of their ambition, there is much
reason to apprehend that the traditional amnesty
which the Magyars have ever nourlshed towards
Russia, and which lapse of time seems to have
rather embittered than allayed, would make. 1t
difficult for them to pursue towards her that wise
and moderate policy which wond best conduce to
her neighbours interests and her own lndepen-
IDENTIFY Of the dangers, internal and external, which
threaten to undermine her strength, we fear that
the establishment OF an independent Hungary in
close proximity to Russia, would be calculated
rather to endaDger than to secure the tranquility
of Europe. In this and many other respects the