Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1853-11-30
From the London Daily News, Nov. IL.
English Views on the Eastern Question

From the London Daily News, Nov r.
English Views ON the Eastern Question.
| Nicholas the just, the humane, the pacific,
has spoken out. An imperial manifesto Of the
2lst ult. has been published in the ST. Peters.
burg Journal, and gives the world to know that
the emperor has resolved there shall be war.
The war is to be religious one-"for the de.
fence of the orthodox faith in the east" Rus.
STA, we are told, moreover, has been provoked
to the comhat;" its just demands have been
"moderate;" its patience and forbearance un.
exampled and it only has recourse to arms
| reluctantly, in order to compel the Ottoman
government to respect existing treaties" Never
has q more revolving, unmingled aggregation
| of falsehood and hypocrisies been obtruded on
shocked and nauseating world. The "ortho-
dox faith in the east" has not been assailed or
| endangered. The members lay and clerical
Of the Greek church in the Ottoman empire
make and have made no complaint of illtreat-
ment by the Porte or any Of its local subordi-
nate officers. No Russian subject has had
cause of complaint in Turkey. The questions
raised in the Menchikoff notes and protocols
related to miserable points of etiquette between
Greek and Latin monks at Jerusalem, and a
squabble between these worthless as to which OF
them ought to be keepers of the key of de-
serted and inhabited monastery in the neigh
borhood. The pretensions advanced by the
Russian ambassador, in the name of the sove-
reign, to dictate to the sultan, BETRAYED long
ago the real and ultimate object of the car
the attainment of such a recognition of right
on his part to Judge between the sultan and
his subjects as his equally INSCRIPTIONS pre-
decessor, Catharine III, obtained from the Poles,
and used, as all the world now sees to break up
the Polish State, and appropriate the largest
portion of its territory and subjects to Russia.
Russia has not been provoked to the COM
bat" Russia poured its rude, licentious, ra-
pacious soldiery into the territories of the sui
tan, while its own monstrous demands were
still under discussion. Even if the considera-
ton whether the Russians or the Turks have
justice on their side could be left out of ac-
count, still it would be unblushing impudence
in the power which first appealed to arms
which invaded the territory of the other before the
latter had even begun to muster troops speak
of being provoked to the combat" The ap-
peal of Russia to existing treaties is equally
untenable. The Menchikoff demands can only
be supported by strained interpretations of
casual phrases and words occurring in various
treaties which have from time to time been
concluded between the two governments. They
are equally at variance with the general tenor
of the treaties referred to, and the inalienable
rights of Independent States. The plain Eng
lish of the imperial Russian manifesto is, that
the car is determined his will shall be law for
neighboring States as well as in his own; and
that, to assert the predominance of his will, he
is ready to employ the extremities of brute
force. The imperial Russian manifesto is a
declaration that Russia, which has coveted the
Danuban provinces since the time of Peter T.;
which has repeatedly entered them with hostile
parade, for the purpose of appropriating them,
and as often sneaked out again, when asked
by an army what it sought there; believes that
the time has arrived when it can safely retain
them, and ventures at last to try the fortune of
war. About the beginning of the last century,
Russia solicited The Danubian provinces to re-
volt from the sultan. Towards the close of the
last century, Russia persuaded the Danubian
provinces to accept OF its mediation with the
sultan, and recognize it in some sort as patron
and protector. And now the car invades,
and subjects to oil the horrors of war the pro-
vinces that Russia has pledged itself to protect,
though they have committed no offence.
The present condition of these unoffending
provinces is indeed most pitiable A rude, ra.
pacious foreign soldiery swarms over the face
of the country, whose commanders could not
restrain it from the commission of plumber and
other outrages, even though they were anxious
so to do. The whole revenues Of the country
have been sequestrated by the Russian authori
ties the pettiest local municipalities have been
compelled to yield up their scanty treasure
chests to the invader. A ridiculously low price
is fixed upon the provisions and other supplies
taken from the natives for the soldiers; and for
any attempt to obtain better price, for any
murmur or remonstrance, the offender is beat
en-, bayonetted or shot. Two hostile armies
are closing in combat in Wallachia; villages
will be attacked, defended, taken, burned; peas
ants with their wagons and oxen viii be forced
to yield unremunerated services to the combat
ants; men, women, and children, driven from
their homes in the dead of winter, will find
themselves enclosed between contending corps
darmee, and will be shot down and gallopped
over in the heat of conflict These miseries.
in part already felt, In part impending, are
driving the people from their country The
principal magistrates have already taken re-
fuge on the Austrian territory, and as many of
the population as have any means of locomo.
ton are following them. A simple, harmless,
industrious people are thus oppressed because
the emperor of Russia covets his neighbours
territory, has resolved to seize it by the sword.
Yet oil the time the lawless, greedy oppressor
prates about pety, his long-sufering, his equity;
and pretends tothink that Europewill listen patti
emily!
1t is consoling to reflect that, at least as far
as it is yet apparent the wrong-doer and his
brute instruments are likely to be the sufferers.
If Austria remain true to its professions Of
neutrality, the Russians in Wallachia are caught
like wolves in a trap. We showed yesterday
how they are closed in, in front and on both
TANKS, by Turkish forces; how the Turks in
their own country are in condition to receive
constant supplies and reinforcements. We
added that the Russians are remote from both
II is from Poland and Northern Russia that |
they must look for either. To forward them
by Odessa would be as long and difficult a land