Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1853-06-04
40, ! ,, va .lIs sssss,s .s,Asi,
Tit TtthSEE.t tit;tkji:iiyi

Hots Soustdobstiops Is 1888 SGLsiaot0ry thHn that
which had preceded it. or than that which we
had reason TO anticipate. The question of the
holy Places has, indeed, been adjusted without
any great difficulty; for, rs we have constantly
asserted, the pretensious of the Emperor of Rus
| sia were not OF an exclusive character, and the
French Government itself admits that the claims
OF the Latin Church to certain privileges at these
shrines have not been interfered with. Louis
Napoleon, therefore, lays claim Oh veTy easy con-
ditions to display of hrmness. whea in truth
none of his claims were directly assaulted But
no sooner ives the 6rman signed which was TO
terminate this part of Prince Menschikotf g mis-
sion than other demands were put forward by
that Ambassador OF a more questionable charac.
ter For some days previously the Russian En-
voy had Withdrawn from the society of his col :
leagues under pretence of indisposition, and dis
patches had been forwarded to him from Odessa,
which were supposed to contain fresh instruc.
lions. Immediately afterward, the Porte was
| apprised that the Russian Government requires
OF it the conclusion of separate treaty or con-
vention, by which the matter of the Holy Placss
| and the relations of the Emperor of Russia with
the members of the Green Church throughout
the Ottoman dominions should be placed under
the sanction of precise diplomatic engagement
This demand was made on the 5th of Nav and
it was accompanied by n species of threat that
if it were not complied with ia the course of n
would be at an end. Another steamer has subse
quently arrived Mt Trieste with Intelligence from
Constantinope down to the 9th instant, when it
seems that the Prince had given the Porte week
to deliberate on his proposal
1t is possible that this demand is not 10 itself
OF very novel or aggressive character, for the
Russian Government has repeatedly protested
that its sole object is to maintain rights which
have long been recognized as belonging to the
Inn ondo tpoa nsr 4 l. II
STA and the Porte in 1874 contains an express
promise of protection to the Christian religion
and the Churches of the East, especially to that
Greek chureh in the quarter of the Gaata which
the Russian Government was thereby authorized
to erect. But neither that treaty nor any other
with which we are acquainted contains auy re-
cognition of the religious supremacy now con-
tended for by Russia the Greek population
of the Ottoman Empire, and the Porte appears
at all times to have felt that to deal with for
eign power in reference to its Greek subjects was
to concede rights which foreign State could
exercise with impuuity over large and i'm
portant part OF its own population. AS to the
precise extent of the pretensions now put for
ward by the Russian Envoy we must wait for
more complete information; but it is probable
they amount to no more than the rights already
enjoyed by the other Christian communions, and
long recognized by the Turks themselves The
a contracting party grave a subject of in-
ternal policy. The Porte, however, is in no con.
dition TO offer any serious resistance, and, accor-
dinghy, news was received last night at the Russ
sian Legation in Paris that Prince Menschikof's
uLtimatum had been accepted
In the midst Of the doubts excited by the
spectacle of great Empire SO ill prepared to
defend itself against violence or against intrigue,
one principle is at least definite, precise, and Sc
chr hp tt,o,
tions as long they determined to treat them
10 common, and to regulate them by the general
interest: but, when any one Of them attempts to
steal march upon the rest of Europe, the con-
sequences are unpleasant, and may become dan
gerous. France, Austria, and Russia have sue.
cessvely tried this mischievous game within the
last few MONTHS and they now see the result
The menaces OF M. de Lavalette, and the conces-
sions extorted by Count Leiningen, have furnsil>
ed Russia with motive and pretext for sepa ate
Convention with herself on subject of peculiar
interest to the Christian subjects of the Turkish
Empire. We have repeatedly expressed our
opinion that the time will come, and is perhaps |
not far distant, when the strength of the Chris.
linn population will overpower the authority of |
barbaric State which has steadily declined since
its nearer contact with civilization. We do not |
fear the consequences Of such au event, it arises
either from exclusively internal causes, or from
the united action of the great Powers; but if it
is of essential interest to the peace of the world
and the security of many countries that the signal
for such a change should not be given by any
single State, and that this formidable weapon
should not be welded by any single hand BY
accedng to the collective note of July, 1889, and
and to the treaties of 1910 and 1871, Russia APP
peared to have renowned the selfish policy which
led to the treaty of Unkiar 'Skelessi; and in all
her recent communications to the other Courts
she has uniformly insisted on her own faithful
adherence to those conditions. We have given
the Emperor of Russia credit for good fai h and
veraclty in making those declarations. We have
held it In the highest degree improbable that he
should be prepared to place the nations of Europe
in serious danger of hostities in order to pursue
any visionary scheme of settling the future CON
dtion ofthe East without their assentand contrary
10 their interests. The moral contradiction which so
false and shortsighted line Of policy would imply
seemed to to outweigh all the facts, exaggera-
ted by fear. on which some of our contemporaries
have built up conclusions different from our own.
The British Government showed disposition
to give ear to reports that might have warranted
suspicion or to adopt measures that would have
implied distrust; and the Emperor of Russia gave
his own personal honor, in pointed and pecu-
lar manner, as the pledge of that confidence to
which he aypired, and which was not withheld
rom him. That is consideration of far higher
Importance to the Sovereign who claims so high
l rank among the rulers of mankind than the
oaltry results of Prince Menschikof's missicn.-
No one could express more torcihly than the
Russian Cabinet its consciousness of the danger
IF separate Interference, by the plans it took to
lisclaim such intentions; and since those assn
'ances were publicly accepted, and made known
o the world by the British Foreign Minister in
lis place in Parliament, we have right to ex-
2ect and to require that nothing shall have been
insisted upon at Constnntinope which does not
trictly jail within the limits originally assigned
O Prince Menschikoffs mission. The state
nents current in the East, the alarm spread
throughout the European provinces of Turkey,
Ind the rumors of massacres and risngs at Con-