The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-07-20

hast. have been executed to the letter. and the
equilibrium of Europe has been fairly overturn-
ed. Nicholas has once more placed before ia
rope the issue of peace or war.
Readers of the HERALD will not haze been
taken by surprise by the Franklins news. On
I'd July instant we showed how the occupation
Of Noldavia and Walachia by the Gear was
mere compromise between defeat and aggres-
sion, and how. under the treaty of Balta-Liman,
the movement was SO far authorized that the
Western powers could hardly view it as casus
6eHi We then stated that we entertained no
doubt Of the Russian troops advancing into the
PriRcipalities and we added that while France,
whose interest is all on the side of war, might
probably refuse to allow the same latitude to
the Balta-Liman treaty as Great Britain. whose
only desire is peace, still the general aspect of
European affairs was decidedly pacific. We
see no reason to alter these views. Events have
| fulfilled our predictions. and the designs we
| then imputed to the various courts Of Europe
| have since been openly avowed by. their or
gans.
In the first place, the Russian troops are, as
we said. on the southern bank of the Pruth
Not a shot has been fred or a sword drawn.
| The passage of the river was as quiet and as
| undisturbed as an evolution at review. Pea
SAINTS saw without surprise the return OF the
| same men who had garrisoned Bucharest and
| Jassy three years before, and who notwitb-
/ standing their exactons had never beer re-
garded as invaders by the Moldawans or
! Wallachians. Even the Turks, wbo mad pro-
tested so loudly against the infrsctlon OF their
| treaties and rights suffered the Cossacks TO
| approach their quarters without challenge and
without resistance. That similar line of tao
| tics would he pursued If the Russians advanced
| southwark and attempted to cross the Danube
| is of course toe improbable for belief; but we
| cannot regoyd such movement as being itself
more likely to occur. Difficult as it is to elicit
| from me past policy of Russia any evidence Of
| their present designs. we are adventuring much
when we predict that they will be content with
what they have done already; but such is,
nevertheless our firm belief, and for its adop-
| ton we have substantial reasons. Russian am
bition may be very potent at st. Petersburg
but the sceptre of sagacity has not passed away
| from the Gar, and we are loath to entertain
any theory which would take for granted his will
lingness to engage singly in war with all
! the powers of Europe. The possible gain
| of such an enterprise would not compare for a
| moment with the probable loss. Prosperous as
| Russia now is, the Gar could not undertake to
defend his empire against the combined attacks
! of France, England and Austria. or to hold
any new conquests in spite of these foes, with
out ruinous interruption of the trade of the
Baltic and the Black Sea and a clear prospect
of internal discussions. The Nesselrode party
would take adv ontago of the discomfort to TO
ment disaffection at home; and nearly balanced
as the two rival factions are, it is very doubt
full whether the influence of Nicholas and Con-
stantine could retain the preponderance in
favor of the court. Nor is Turkey foe to be
! utterly despised Greeks and Albanians would
| be found in her army. fighting under the Mus
| selman standard, to protect their Independent
| church from the thraldom of the Gear. Cauca-
| SLAMS and Georgians would pour in upon Russia
| from the West, and all the hopes Of Russian
| ACKNOWLEDGMENT in Asia would fall to the
ground. Poland would rise from her ashes
and, the dust of the last forty years swept off
10y the whirlwind of war, the live embers
would glow into flame which alone would
| require all Muscovy to quench. Tribes
of Tartars now heplessly despoiled of their ter
| ritory by Russian invaders, would imbibe fresh
| vigor from the prospect. and commence scene
of retribution that is frightful to contemplate.
All these contingencies are fully foreseen at ST.
| Petersburg. Russia has been once invaded dur
| ing this century and. though the foe was but
| one nation out of the host which would now rise
| against her, her safety was only purchased by
| the sacrifice of her capital and ruinous
campaign. A second Moscow would be but
an insignificant check to an invading army
of French, Austrians, Turks, English and
Poles. We cannot bring ourselves to expect
a war;
France and England have acted precisely as
we anticipated. The former is eager for hos
tilities The .Noniteur has not yet spoken
but the public is being prepared for rupture
by articles in other journals, which, though not
directly official, are yet known to speak the
sentiments of the French Emperor. Paris cor
respondents do not hesitate to attribute the pa
ternity of the article in the Constitutional,
which we publish in another column, to the En-
peror himself We need hardly draw the
attention OF our readers to this performance
it speaks for itself When the head Of the
French government tells us that the entry of
the Russians into Moldavia constitutes. what
ever may be said of it, most manifest and
fragrant casus JeiH''-when all the Paris press,
of whatever color and party, unite in this view
of the event. and announce that France will
be ready to take her part in the conflict" we
may fairly regard our predictions as verified.
The idea of appealing to the people on the
question Of peace or war, and taking their
sense by Pif5iscete. is well worthy Of the
originality of Napoleon III. Whether he suc-
ceeds or not however, in arousing the martial