The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-10-17

stages or the dis 2use. AT tue present moment the
position of affairs foliows:-After the original
differences respecting the hoy places had bseu ad-
justed to the salts action of parties. Prince Mens-
chiE OIL presented note 10 the turkish government
containing certain demands 0n the part Of the Car
respecting spr.tua pr0tect0rite These demands
the Divan considered inadmssible and IN this opi-
niOn 1T confirmed by the concurrence of the
-Four Powers, w1o approved Its refusal and charged
themselves with the substitution Of terms
which the Porte might accept in place of the
Objectionable note Of the Russian Am oassador.
These terms they settled in note Of their own,
which has been styled the Vienna note and this
note, which they thought che Porte might safely
admit the Emperor OF Russia at once agreed 70
admit also. But at this, which seemed the conclu-
ding point Of the proceedings, arose An extraordi-
nary difficulty The Turkish government alleged
that the Vienna note di not really exclude the
Objectionable features of the Menschiko note and it
suggested therefore, certain notifications, which
the -Four Powers approved. The Russian govern-
ment on the other hand, not only rejected these
notifications but took occasion 10 declare expl city
that it had understood the Vienna note as
including substantially the terms Of the MenschikoT
nots. The -Four Powers were thus placed ia "A s,ngu
lar situation. On the one side it Is ac)ntestibly
manifest that they NUT honestly have in
tended to frame thsir note in the Turkish as
opposed to the Russian interests, for otherwise
there uld lie no meaning at al o their supersediag
Prince Menschkof in The transaction, not to me ston
that they directly sdmitte the notifications of Tur
key AS expressing their own designs. Yet, on the
otbei side, it is equally plain tht they failed to give
effect to their intentions in the wording oftheir note
for both OF the original parties 10 the dispute
Cured in g,ing !, that very sense which the med
tors cschewed The Turks objected 20 the Vienna
ncte tbat it closely rssemblrd Prince Menschikoif's
and they modified il accorc pply. The Russians OBJ
jected in turn to these notifications that they de-
stroyed the Vienna cote, which, for the very
tha. it Iesembled Prince Menschikofs had been ac-
cepted at st Petersburg The Conference, therefore,
partly, perhaps by accident, and partly no doubt
r. u an anxiety to soften the terms OF its yard
had expressed its intentions to misead both par
ties in the sa re direction Turks aud Russians to-
to think that the Vienna meant
thesMenschlkof note, or very nearly So Until this
declaration hac been openly made by the Court of
ST Petersburg it was competent to the conference
to with the Turks by assuring them th,
the DANCE against whieh they sought to guard by
their mod fieatoos had real existence; but when
the came at the back of the
Turkish interpretation. in precisely the same
sense, it became evident that the -Four Powers
had failed in expressing their own meaning.
They were then, therefore, called upon to define
this meaning anew, and make another experiment
in ascert aiming how far their arbitration would he
successful when more integibly exercised. Russia
pted their terms once, but unoer pal able mis-
nnderstaI ding-will she accept them when they are
more plainly conveyed? This is the question no " at
issue, and it is ut this point that the quarrel stands
All the Four Powers must necessarily incline to Turk
ish interests, TOR all concurfed in disappearing the
MeDschikof note, and in approving the Turkish mo-
dicatioDs. All. however were not acting with equal
freedom, perhaps not with equal sincerity, and Aus
tra has modified her adhesion to the policy Of the
conference since it has become necessary to close
more etfectualy with Russian pretensions. Never.
theess, the duties of the nterposing powers remain
the same. They are called upon to maintain, il pos
sible, tie peace OF Europe by adjusting the dieren
ces between Russia and the Porte but i: is plain,
from what has already TRANSFERRED that their c0nclu
sions though apparently so favorable to the Russians
as to be accepted at 81 Petersburg, and 80 untavor
able to the Otsomans as to be refused at Constanti
nople, were, in reality, framed in the interests Of
Turkey.
II is certainly not very crediable to professed
dipl matlss that they should have proved 81 ncom-
peeDt to express their meaning; but the learned In
all sciences occasionally TO fall into the Ike error and
IT pow only remains ID repair 1T. By one suggestion
t. tins effect it has been proposed that the original
Vienna ote should be left unch hanged in text, but
qualified in purport by a declaration fiom the
conference to The effect that it means. with respect
to the Russian pr0tecoTate, what tho Porte desires.
This eSpedent. by procnr nl the assent OF Turkey
TO mole already accepted by Russia, ha4 been de-
scrbed promising IT, terminate ole difficulty, hut
we confess ourselves at loss to c)mptehena how it
could ever meet with any practical succass. The
vienna note, whatever may be IT'S meaning, can
have at apy rare but one meaning only. chis,
at present, has been understood AZ . meaning
which Russia accepts and Turkey rejects. The
conference con, undoubtedly, aud even truly,
"declare' that lis real meaning was something
different and Turkey may then accept che note but
will it be ptabe to Russia any longer2 Or if it
should be, can any reliance be placed on such an
assent! If Russia accepts, as something substan-
tally resembling her own note, note which has
been pressed upon Turkey as something precisely
contrary, such an acceptance be Of any value as
permanent arrangement
Let us suppose, for example that the Vienna,
note, thus interpreted for the satisfaction Of
the Porte, was received with acqulescence by the
Turkish government, and still admitted at St Peters
burg When case for its application arrived, the
Car would, Of course, pus upon its terms that con-
struction which he avoweaiy gave them when he
agreed to the arrangement, aud would interfere with
The subjects OF ;le Sultan accordingly. The Sultan
would then appeal 10 the authors OF the note as in.
terpreted by their own declaration, and the end
would be that all the presen, embodiment would
occur again, and all the expense ana trouble Of
opposition would he required anew, at period, per-
haps, when Tue Gar was better prepared and his
a0verssries less ready to resist him. The expedent
Of the declaration, in short, can be only based on
giving two meaniI gs to one set Of wordsa meaning
FOR the Sultan, and u meaning for the Emperor
Nicholas whereas true conciliaton can proceed
upon nothing but an adjustment and comprou ise of
conflicting claims. We may induce Russia to abate
her prctenAione, OF Turkey to modify her objections,
and by reciprocal concessions agreement may be at
last obtained; but TO assign to each party all that it
asks in opposition to The other, aud 10 appeal TO u
single instrument as ra,fyipg these contradictory
te'ms, would be transaction savorng either OF
cbidisbness or Jesuitry The real intcntios of the
conference are perfectly understood, and the more
sensible and straightforward way would be to ex-
press these Intentions IN such language as would adj
init OF but one Interpretation.
TTrom the London Times Oct al
The ministers nog in town, constituting q n3iority
oi the cabinet, met yesterday at the roreign Office
and held long conference on The present anxious
position Of Eastern affairs As the intelligence which
had called them together wls not in itself of per.
iectly cistinct and decisive character, and as in
matter Of such moment il VIII be necessary to wait
the arrival of The other mins'ers all of whom are
haseDing 10 the metropolis, some days aill probably
clapse before anything in the nature Of fro il DO
cisioo can be expected. The Intelligence which
was the inmeda'e occasion Of the meeting was
that on the 2Gti utimD a week later tn IN
the last reported dates - the Grand Council
. lccy consisting OF about 40 msgna of the
Irl e. pire. had reccmmendei the Sultan to
make declaration Of war. The force of that re.
commeDdation, and the probability of the Sultiu's
acting upon it, % well aa all fhe particulars of the
proceeding ascribod To the Grand Council. must re.
main matters Of conjecture TIL the arrival of more
exact iniormation--w which accordibg to tie same
telegiaphic despatch TO which w6 are indebted for
AL that is known on the subject-uay soon be ex.
pec'ed by courier, via Marsees The news, as
far as it goes, must ne considered very unlavorlbe
to the hopes OF those who have la5ored for peace,