Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-10-22
THE EASTERN QUESTION.
We give the position of the Eastern question, in
the summing up of the London Times.

To the successive phases OF the Turkish question says
the Tmes) may be added Of greater sngularity
than any of those preceding it. The Ottoman Porte has
pronounced by the decision of its Supreme Council for
open war; and although it is not yet known with any
ainy that this resolution has been embodied in any for
NAL declaration the part Of the Sultan there is every
for supposng that the opinion of body consttu
ted like the Supreme Council will be adopted by the Ex-
ecutive Government. This does not appear to
have been the result of any especial provocaton
the part Of the Russians The Car had committed his
several acts Of aggression and insult without encounter
ing the reception to be naturally anticipated. lie had
invaded and occupied the Danubian provinces; he had
demanded unwarrantabe concessions the price of his
retirement he had rejected the Turkish terms of dust
ment and he had expressed his several intentions with
the arrogance by the mouth Of his Minister None
of these proceedings however elected such decision
that pronounced and the probability is that the
Government the chief authorities of the Ottoman
nation DESTROYS than before of bringing the
question the issue of the sword but that the feeling
Of the population and the army has become uncomfortable
and that declaration of thought Indispensable
to the internal security of the State.
On the other side the Emperor of Russia has declared
FOR peace This announcement may probably appear in
credible after what has been proved respecting the ma
ure of the original but we can state upon
undoubed authority that the sentiments Of the Gar MS
expressed at 0mutz by his lips not only in ia
vor of pacific settlement but reconcilable to great
extent with the conditions proposed by England He
that he had accepted the Vienna note the
hands of the conference in full satisfaction of European
demands and in the terms framed by his opponents he
could not with any regard to his dignity be
ferred to any second proposal He offered to accept
declaration or interpretation which to deprive the
original Vienna note of the Objectionable features since
discovered in it, and stated distinctly that although he
could not from the conditions first imposed upon
him, he was ready to admit at such explanation
of those conditions conormablet the views of the
French and British Governments provided only that his
| acknowledged rights still maintained.
The reader will perhaps be at loss to imagine
why terms apparently reasonable closed with
the spot, but think the objections to such COM
promise are perfectly maintainablc 1t was replied to
the Gar that he had deprived himself of the benefit
of the expedent in question, by the explanation which
he had already issued his notion in sense
exactly contrary to that proposed He might inter
pref the Vienna note desired by the Western Powers
in manner favorable to the security of the Porte but
he has already interpreted it through Count Nessel
rodes despatch in totally destructive of the
security referred to- the only result would be that
by which the relations of two empires to be regu
lated points of extreme decacy would carry with
two conflicting explanations and thus be neutrazed alto
suspicion she might appeal to of those explanations
when disposed to aggression she might quote the other
SO that the original note convention would be Of no
value at all. Had the Emperor, after accepting the
Vienna noe refused the Turkish modification, without
attempting to place upon their effect any construction of
his own, he light have asked the Four Powers to
plee agreement which they had dictated themselves.
But by interpreting this in Russian fashion, and
basng on it claim to those very privileges from which
it meant to debar him. he exposed his Designs undd
the work of the conference and placed the Vienna
out of the question the foundation of future arrange
ments. So clearly the Emperor himself impressed
with these convictions that he has since endeayored to
disavow the unucky DESPATCH and declared that it had
been written without his concurrence authority.
That the difficulty thus created may be considerable
we do not deny; but we think there be only one
opinion in England to the chief moral Of the story 1t
surely be worth while to plunge Europe into
for the sake Of sGch difference this There is no
longer any dispute about the substance of the terms Of
peace Without remarkiDg upon the Cars previous con-
duct present motives it is sufficient to say that he
arms his readiness to accept substantially the
dtons of the Western Powers and have his relations
with the Greek Christians Of European Turkey defined
to dvest him of oil pretences political interference
In Short regards those points for which the Four
Powers have in their interest been contending he
appears willing to yield without reserve.
The only point Of difference is this that whereas Rus
sa conceives her dignity involved in abiding by terms
accepted the other Powers consider that Russia
by her gratuous Interpretation has deprived those
terms of force and sufhcency This is dilemma no
doubt but if it cannot be conquered by those whose art
and profession nyolvedn the manufacture of Notcs
the result will tend to the serons depreciation of dpo
macy in general
In concluding another editorial the Times says: awe
believe in what the dpomatiss call peaceful solution
Of this present difficulty, but the peace Of the world must
be troubled in the same way no more"
The Paris Constitutional says it is enabled to
state the occurrences Of the 18th and 26th ultmo
at Constantinople:
"At the reiterated request Of NJ. de Bruck the inter-
nuncio Of Austria, the Dvan met on the 25th umo to
deliberate the Vienna note The Dvan was
unanimous in deciding that the Porte could them less
than in presence Of the Interpretation given that
document by the Cabinet Of St. Petersburgh accept
without its having first received the notifications indi
Gated by Reschid Pacha That determination was to be
communicated to the Ambassadors Of the Four Powers
The Divan decided that Grand Council should be
yoked for the next day to examine the position Of affairs
The meeting took place accordingly and this is what is
said to have been decided First Of all it was resolved
that the system Of negotiation exhausted next that
all the necessary for the last preparations OF
defence rcgulaed and lastly it was declared that
the moment had arrived for making what was called at
Constantinope the declaration Of war"
The Vienna semi-ofhcial Correspondence publishes
intelligence from Constantinope of the 9th ultimo
received via Trieste and saws: