The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1853-03-28

books or not he did not know.
Mr.. BADGER read the section of the law to
which he had referred. *.
Mr.. GW1N said, that certainly does not refer to
charts.
Mr.. PETIT moved to amend; instead of saying
''for the use of the Senate" substitute, "for the
use of navigators he coast"
Mr.. WIN acquiesced.
Mr.. CHASE thought the Senate had had enough
OF those chara, and he therefore no reason for
maklng an additional purchase The resolution
violated the spirit, if not the letter, of the law
The further consideration of the subject was post
ponea until Monday; when
The Senate went into an Executive session; and
after some time spent therein. adjourned.
The Turkish Question,
From the London Times, March 10,
The Austrian mission of Count Leinengen to tn.
Porte ia no sooner terminated than the Russia
mission of Prince Menschikoff is announced to
have arrived in Constantinople. The character of
the Austrian envoy was military, and his instruc-
| tons peremptory. His demands were not to be
| evaded, and were known to be backed by DOW
| erful army. The cessation of hostiIities AGAINST
Montenegro, and the restoration of the statns o,n
OF that district were exactly what had been fore.
seen wnen turkey engaged in that i'll advised ex-
petition. The peculiar claims of Austria on Kleck
and Sutorina are not for the cesson of territories
but for the better definition of rights already estab
ished by former treaties, for believe that some
eAlStS Ou tQlS subject between Austria
and the Porte which is published in the coliec
tons OF these documents. The third demand was
| for payment of certain private indemnities due
from the Porte to Austrian subjects. On all these
points the Turkish Government could Weld, and
has yielded without injury to itself, and they were
matters which it was highly desirable to bring to
| speedy and amcable adjustment. The object of
| the Russian mission is of more delicate nature,
Prince Menschiko arrives in a more strictly d.
plomatic capacity, and we have reason to believe
| that his instructions more conciliatory than
| those OF Count Leinengen. But the representa-
lions he is directed to make have reference prnci
pally, if not exclusively, to the question of the
shrines in the Holy Land. which touch the rival
influences of the two Christian confessions in East
ern Europe; and the Porte has materially
the difficulty of arriving at suitable erfan cement
o. snls controversy oy having previously committed
concleable elaine of both parties. 1t is not con.
sequently, with the Porte alone that Prince Mems.
chlkotf has on this occasion to treat. France and
the French ambassador at Constantinople baye
already obtained from the knees of the Turkish
government concessions to the Latin Church, to
which the Russian head of the Greek Church Cd.
poses counter claims and privileges of at least
equal authority. And Turkey, which may at least
assert right of neutrality in this contest of
hostile sects. is alternately menaced and pressed
by one and by the otner of these powerful
governments, not having had the force and
resolution to subject the professions of both,
and indeed !, of ell Christendom, to one com
mon law The result has been an incredible
scandal on those very spots " hich are called sa-
cred because they witnessed the sublimest lesson
OF humility, charity, and esignaton that man
kind has ever beheld. On that great festival OF the
whole Christian church which is now once more
approaching, the Sanctuary of the Resurrection of
Christ is desecrated by the brawlsof theolo gical
think holy and right, the Christians who flock to
worship on that day at the Holy Sepulchre can
only be kept from tearing each other to pieces bv
the blows and forcible ihterposition of Turkish
Agas These an worthy feelings have, Of cotrse,
been inf1amed by the political and religious agita
ton of such question; and it is far more incum
bent on the great Christian powers to provide
against the outrages committed there, under the
cover of their authority, than to maintain any ex.
elusive right of protecting that which ought to be
the inheritance of all nations and confessions of
Christianity, sanctiied by the pous respect of the
whole human race.
There is ground to hope that the explanations
already exchanged at st. Petersburg between the
French and Russian governme nts have led to some
mitigation of their respective claims. Both gov.
ernments have reason to complain of direct act
of bad faith on the part of the Turksh authorities
for the Porte has excessively issued different fir
IN ans, which cannot be executed without abro
eating one ther But it is not probable that
the French Cabinet will seriously contend for all
the pretenslons raised by that singular zealot M.
De LavaIetts; certainly it will not obtain the con
currence of any other Court in Europe in his views
The old treaties, which the French case rests
secured to French subjects and others of the Latin
CuQFCn Tree access u tnOSe molly Ces; but
gross perverson of the text aud spirit Of those con
venions to >nstrue them as if they gave title to
exclusive possession protection. TIE En-
peror of the French is said to have intimat ed
that he is aware the existing circumstances of the
case require considerable notifications in any
such rule, even if it could be proved to exist,
which it caunot; and his ardent supporters among
the Romsh clergy ought to be contented if they
rank in the Holy Land pari passu with their
brethren of the Eastern Church. On the other
band, the Russian government has intimated to
those who are interested in the question that it de
inands no exclusive privileges, and we hope that
1t is prepared to place the arrangements which
Prince Menschikoff is empowered to make on a
broader and more tenable ground than the aecen
dency OF one class OF monks and priests over an
other class. The statement that the matter in
dispute will be referred to the arbitration of Prus
STA is highly improbable, and, as far as we know,
without foundation. On both sides there appears
to be some approximation to an amicable cornpro-
mise, and, whatever may be the shortcomings of
the Turkish government on many other points, it
is certainly hard and unjust that it should have to
suffer by the fanaticsm of foreign nations and ad
verse creeds in matter in which it has no direct
interest," II, however, we can place reliance on
the assurances which have reached US, the tone of
Prince Menschikof g communications to the Porte
will be more temperate than those of Count Lei
nengen, and the object of the Russian mission is
confined to the settlement of the question of the
Holy Places.
In spite of the crisis which has now occurred at
Constantinopte, and which is not yet terminated,
the prospects of the Ottoman Empire never led US
to suppose that we were about to witness the
overthrow OF that empire by aggression of the
Northern Powers. Such measure, on their part
would be dangerous and unnecessary anticipation
OF the course of events, and, indeed there are no
two powers whose interests more opposed to
each other i'll the Danubian provinces Of Turkey
than Russia and Austria. They are as much op.
posed to one another in that portion of the empire
as England and Franco are in another part; and it
Ia this CROSS lire OF conflicting interests which sus
Ponds the whole action of Europe on the question,
and may continue to do 80 for some time But nei.
ther this nor any other suspends the decay of
the Ottoman power. That is the great fact on which
the reasoning we have pursued this subject rests:
and, though such decay may be very slow and very
long, there will one day come an end to it The
process OF undermining and reforming the institu.
tons OF Turkey was adopted as the best remedy
that could be applied 1t ia for those who are best
acquainted with the country to say whether it has
had the desired effect. For ourselves we doubt Il:
and if any one will compare the whole aspect Of
affairs in Turkey at this moment with what it was
in 1S4l, when the Intervention of the four powers
had for time set the empire it's legs again we
think it will be acknowledged that there IS Der
ceptble change for the worse in the condition of
the patient. A direct tack such State would
of course, rouse the fanatcism of the Turks to re
sistance, and might alarm the jealousy of other |
in Europe; we do not, therefore, an