The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-04-12
Russian md Turkish Difficulties.

All the quidnuncs in Europe are in a fever
sion to Turkey. Newspaper correspondents
entertain the public, day after day, with !" i'm
portant disclosures derived from unimpeachable
authority" which the operators on the Paris
BOurse turn to good account. A full and cir
cumstantial history of the invasion of the
seraglio by the Greeks, is followed by an
equally plausible narrative of the definite set
Element of the existing difficulties and in the
brief space of twonty four hours Paris ana
London are called upon to credit both the final
overthrow Of the Sultan and his triumph over
all his troubles The late lamented Mr.. Micaw-
Der was not more sudden in his transitions from
joy to despair, than the European friends of the
Porte. Our geographical position deprives US
of the pleasure Of participating in these vicisi-
tudes of temper we receive the antidote with
the poison-the apology with the misstatement.
The errors of the Debats are corrected by the
Times, and the precipitate conclusions of the
.aHgemeine Zeitung are rectifed by the eau
tious information of the Seicle and the -Honi-
teur With the conflicting evidence of 80 many
witnesses before u.s. we are perhaps, in better
position to form an opinion OF the true state of
matters than our transatlantic brethren.
Menschikoffs instructions have not tran
spired. The rumors that are afoat are nothing
hut shrewd guesses, based on circumstances,
which may have been purely accidental. His
refusal to visit Fuad Efendi has thus embold-
ened newsmonger to opine that his embassy
related to the affairs of Moldavia and Wallachia,
the unfortunate minister having been Commits
soner in those provinces in 1850 and 1851
But it is obvious that the dscourteous reply of
the Russian to those who proposed visit to
the foreign minister was merely part of the
game he has been playing throughout
striking. but by no means the most notable
instance of the high-handed insolence of the
polite envoy. From his acceptance of
his diplomatic duties up to the present mo-
ment the conduct of Prince Menschikoff has
been that Of naughty conqueror among his
humbled foes, rather than that of the envoy of
a friendly sovereign to people Of equals
Pomp, lavish expenditure, and military display,
have everywhere accompanied his steps. No
monarch ever assumed more regal bearing
1t was not for the sake of discipline that the
Russian naval and land forces on the frontier
were mustered and reviewed. 1t was not to
crafty the Princes private ambition that a
suite was assigned him not inferior to that
which usually accompanies the Gar. 1t was
not to reward him for past or future services
that a credit which would have supported a
small army was placed at his disposal Nor
was it, in our opinion, in consequence OF any
particular views that Fuad Efendi was
known to hold on the questions he came to dis
cuss that the prince refused to pay him the
customary compliment of personal visit. To
humiliate the Porte was all he sought How
we'll he attained that object the immediate
resignation of the insulted dignitary shows
pretty clearly.
The most probable conjecture as to the i'm
mediate pretcxt for the embassy is that Russia
is dissatisfied with the treatment of the mem
bers of the Greek Church in the East. During
the last few years, the rivalry between the
Greek and Catholic Churches at Jerusalem has
reached such height that nothing but the
lHtcTVcneioh VI ec Iurhlsn soldiers nad pre-
vented bloodshed. Good Mussumans beheld
the fruits of sectarian jealousy in the Christian
Church with not unnatural horror, and
thanked their stars that their creed awakened
no such dsgraceful passions. Our own travel
ers have expressed their disgust aud shame in
justly bitter language. OF late, the French
ambassador at Constantiuople has contrived to
make the balance bear in favor Of his corei-
gionists, and obtain for them certain privileges,
to the exclusion of the members Of the