Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-08-13
TIE STATE OF AFFAIRS IN EUROPE.

The Letters of our attentive Correspondents in
London and Paris will place our readers to-day in
possession Of the most reliable views which the
European public was able, at the latest date, to
form Of the probable issue Of the great question
now agitating the Old World Looking at all the
accounts before US, the impression among observant
persons abroad seemed becoming more fixed that
neither fragrant war or confirmed peace is likely to
be soon proclaimed. The policy Of Russia, it is
supposed, will prove to be procrastination- holding
on to the occupied provinces till Turkey shall be
exhausted by the maintenance Of war establish
ment so out Of proportion with her pecunary re-
sources, and winter shall compel the combined
fleets to abardon their present menacing attitude,
or possibly till something shall occur to make the
union of France and England less efficient than it
is for the protection of the Sultan. The Emperor
of Russia has assumed a position which the Allied
Powers have declared to be aggressive and unjusti-
fable-a position which, while it provoked the war;
like preparations of Turkey, and the advance of the
allied Heets was not deemed sufficient to authorize
the commencement of active hostities by the Porte
Supposing this the policy Of Russia, the great adj
vantage possessed by her IS that she with per-
feet convenience maintain indefinitely her actual
position. Her feet in the Black Sea is at home;
her armies are.in comfortable quarters in the ene-
my's country, where she can keep them without
any Iuinous expense to herself, for her purse is
large, and she counts that at last it is the Turks
that will have to pay the cost Of occupation. Her
utimatum is out and she has only to quietly wait
without committing any new act Of aggression,
IoA, al
retiring one foot with her armiesone, three, six,
twelve months, or two years, if need be, till her
ultimatum shall be accepted. She cannot be at
tackled with effect. But Turkey, which has strain
ed her financial resources to the utmost in efecting
her present state OF preparation for defensive war;
and which cannot possibly await, without absolute
exhaustive and financial dissolution a tardy solution
in her actual position, must speedily dsarm or sink,
or fight, attacking hopeless odds The French and
English fleets cannot remain all the winter and in
definitely where they are. Will they advance to a
more hostile position without actually commencing
hostilities? This viii not endanger Russia in a
military point of view, and will make her diploma
tic position much stronger. VIII they aid as far as
they can by sea an attack by the Sultan on the
Russian lines This would be fragrant European
war, to which England at least is presumed to be
greatly ndisposed, and it would certainly fail to
drive Russia back one foot, or to induce her to mo-
dify favorably the terms of her ultmatum VIII
the combined fleets retire before Russia modfes her
ultimatum or withdraws her armies from the prin.
cpalities? Then Russia gains her point The
Russian policy, therefore, it seems to us, viii for
the present be "masterly inactivity" No COM
pulsion can be exercised upon her; she has but
to procrastinate; time, without any active CO.
operation on her part, will dissolve the league
now opposed to her, and afford her the opportunity
of attaining all the ends she had first in view, and
perhaps Of going further than was originally intend
ed. The design attributed to Russia is to weaken
the Ottoman Empire by impairing its sovereignty,
but leaving its nominal territory undiminished.
This is all speculation, but if it be we'll founded we
may not see the end of the quarrel for twelve
month to come.