The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-07-08

the larger the schedule Of q free interchange Of
domestic products between the United States
and the British North American Colonies, the
better. But we are promised treaty in due
season, and we await with some confidence Of .
good thing to all parties concerned. Let our
Premier stick to the just claims of our fisher
men, hook and line, bob and sinker," and he
cannot fail, at all events, of getting his full
share of the cod and mackerel. Don't give up
the mackerel!
Count Ncsselrode's Statement OF the Turko-
RusAian Di1aculty.
The diplomatic circular of Count Nesselrode
to the Russian ambassadors abroad has at least
the merit of clearness. 1t places the dispute on
tangible footing, and distinctly declares that
the Imperial demands must be granted. or war
must ensue. We further learn from it that the
nature of those demands had been correctly re-
ported by the European press. Nothing short
of q protectorate of the Greek Church in the
Turkish dominions will satisfy the Gear. Per-
feet religious equality between his co-religion-
lists and other Christian sects in Palestine is the
point apparently sought for; the real aim being
to induce the Porte to relinquish its sovereignty
over large section of its subjects. This, as
our readers are aware, the Sultan has distinctly
refused to grant, and we are now enabled to
Judge Of the sincerity Of the threat held out in
the Russian manifesto. The contingency on the
occurrence of which the Gar states he would
be compelled to assume more decided att-
tude" has arrived; it remains to be seen what
that decided attitude" will be-.
War is Of course the plain English of the cir
cumlocution War. not for aggrapdizement or
conquest. says Nicholas; but for the vindication
Of the rights of the church of which he is the
head, and for the maintenance of those rights
which common consent for ages has established
Russia according to Count Nesselrode, is a
much injured country. She has been bullied and
ill-treated by Turkey for this many year;
her rights have been violated; her church in
suited; and, while the world has all along been
under the impression that Turkey was the vic
tim and Russia the aggressor. it would seem
that the truth has been quite the reverse. Du-
plicity audacity and ambition have been the
characteristics of Turkish policy; meek forbear-
ance and servile regard for existing treaties
those Of Russian tactics. All that theCzar
seeks is the preservation of the statu quo; but
Turkey, that growing and ambitious power, has
ever been seeking to extend its sway, and en-
croach upon the liberties of its neighbours. Such
is the tale which Count Nesselrode desires us to
believe.
We fear that he will have some difficulty in
making converts to his theory. It will require
something more than the arguments contained
in his note to alter the well founded opinions Of
the whole world. The idea of Turkey bullying
Russia, and the Gear patiently submitting to be
browbeaten, is one which ought to have emana-
ted from Punch.
Nor are the arguments which are intended to
refute the notion of Russia's desire to conquer
Turkey more likely to carry conviction to the
minds OF the European public. 1t is true that
the crisis might have been fastened had the
Gar wished to precipitate matters but it is
not true that at any time since 1915, the state
of European affairs was more propitious for a
Russian descent on Turkey than at the present
moment. Ever since the ACKNOWLEDGMENT of Pc
land, the western powers of Europe have kept
close watch on the Gear. Neither Lord Mel
bourne, nor the Duke of Wellington, nor Sir
Robert Peel, nor Lord John Russell, would
have acted differently from Lord Aberdeen,
had the present crisis occurred in their time
and most assuredly still holder position
would have been assumed by France had M.
Guizot or M. Theirs been at the head of affairs.
In point of fact for the last thirty years Russia
hoc hoo noti 1xy I'M hart II bo1J
herself in readiness to realize her ancient
scheme at any favorable moment. Whether or
no she evinced her usual sagacity in choosing
the year 1853 for the purpose remains yet to
be seen; but we can safely assert that it offered
as promising an opportunity as any year since
1916.
That the pretensions Of Russia are as I'M
founded as her assertions Of fact has been re-
peatedly shown in these columns. To state
as Count Nesselrode does-that common faith
can confer upon the Gar any political or spi-
ritual rights over the members of the Greek
church in the Turkish dominions. is to provoke
the ridieule as well as the reprobaton of every
reasoning man. On the same principle France
might claim protectorate over all the Catho-
lies in this country, and England right ofjuris-
diction over our Episcopalian fellow-citizens.
Whatever exceptional rights have been in
cluded in past treaties in order to terminate
war, the principle that no sovereign can exer-
else authority or jurisdiction in the dominions
of foreign potentate. is now as well establish
ed as any political doctrine that can be men,
toned. Indeed. since France threw off the
Papal yoke, no power has ever claimed SO in
tolerable privilege. Russia is actually en-
deavoring in the nineteenth century, to play
the game which so nearly ruined the Papacy
under Gregory VII in the eleventh. A sue
cessful assertion Of such pretensions could not
but be followed by the subjugation Of Greece,
and a very alarming encroachmcnt upon
Austria If the example were followed by
othar urpat rnwere tho whole world would