The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1853-10-11
The Eastern Question.

Unless England and France have inter
fered to force peace upon Turkey, it is more
than probable that the rival standards of the
Cross and Crescent have already been I'M
furled to the breeze, and that the Ottoman is
engaged in dying and desperate struggle
for national existence.
We pity the gallant Turk. All our sympa-
thies are with his cause. 1t is the war of
the weak against the strong; of brave and
patriotic people, whose arms once carried
terror over Europe, and before the light of
whose crescent the brightest stars of Chris
tan chivalry grew dim and pale, now fallen
into the decrepitude of age, and assailed by
Colossus. whose every stride looks to the
subiugation of the world. Surely, there can
be no chivalry left in Europe; even the in
stinct of self preservation must have died out
in England and France, if, either from their
own dissensions, or from craven fear of Russia,
they leave Turkey to fight le-handed the
cause of European civilization and liberty,
or compel her to accept terms of peace which
her brave and high spirited people regard as
dishonorable and degrading.
If Turkey falls, the fate of Europe is seal
ed and France and England may prepare at
no distant period to succumb to Cossack
sway For that result, they may blame their
own folly and supiHeness. France, i'll her in
vasion of Russia, under Napoleon taught
that mighty empire, for the first time, to learn
her own strength and comprehend her own
resources. She awoke the Northern giant to
full consciousness Of his immense physical
and moral capacities. Russia might well be
content with its present enormous posses
sions. Upon mightier and more magniti-
cent dominion the sun does not shine. Rus
sia westward of the Ural Mountains con-
tains sixteen times the surface of the British
Islands, vast empire, with a population OF
sixty millions and every variety of produc-
ton, from the stunted birch-tree of its
Northern extremities, to the corn and fruits
of the centre of the empire, the vine and
apricot ON the slopes of the Crimea, and the
myriads of flowers which bloom in beauty
on the shores of the Danube. The Asiatic
| portion of the empire amounts to above an
| eighth of the whole surface of the globe
| Yet, immense as is this power, profound and
| superstitious as is the devotion of her peas
antry to her throne and church, deep and
pervading as is the military current which
| bears along all classes of her people, prodi-
gious as is her army of million of men, we do
not believe for moment that she could
| come off victor over the combined powers of
| Turkey, Russia and England. For a century
| she has been scheming European conquest,
| and the Turks and Poles are the only two
! powers whom she has beaten. We do not
| count the Hungarians, for the forces of Rus
| STA and Austria had to be united for their
overthrow, and even then, but for the treason
of Georgey, we have not doubt the North
ern bear would have been compelled to re-
turn, sulky and disappointed to his native
wilds. Even i'll the seven years war, with
the Amazonian Catharine at her head, and
Maria Theresa to aid, she could not conquer
a single province of Prussia, the smallest of
European kingdoms, while Poland she subu-
gated by partition which was accomplished
by conspiracy The truth is, she has gain
ed more at this moment in her purposes to-
wards Turkey, by delay, by temporizing, and
by craft, than she could have accomplished
in ten years of war, if England and France
had nobly and decisively thrown the gaunt-
let at her feet and bid her decide the contest
| by the wager of battle