Weekly national intelligencer., 1853-03-26
ENGLISH INTERESTS IN TURKEY.

Il
Among the indirect consequences Of the repeal Of the
Corn Laws must be reckoned the rapid Of
our commercial intercourse with countries which baa
before that event. comparatively little produce to send 10
our markets, and the increased political interest with
which we naturally regard States and Territories that
are henceorth to supply large portion of the food Of
the English people. We have heretofore perused with
interest and instruction report on the trade in corn
rom the Mediterranean and Black seas in the year 1852
from the pen OF Mr. Mongredien, respectable broker i'm
ne CITY, ior although this document merely intended
:" convey mercantile information to that gentemans
customers, 1t throws light some topics Of far more
general interest 1t proved by the returns Of the for
egn corn trade in the last few wears that ebanoe ia
taking place in the principal sources of the sunnlv ~
1000 The United States and the Baltic are no longer
py any MEANS our largest producers Their yearly
plus falls short Of yearly wants and it is from the
fertile districts and fine rivers Of Eastern Eurone fiat
We now draw our greatest and most snnnl
In lS4l, when the total imports Of wheat into this
kingdom were 400 600 quarters only 280 900 quarters
or about one-tenth came from Russia, Turkey or the
Mediterranean In 1862 the total import Of wheat (er
elusive of four about 600 quarters Of which
100000 quarters from those countries; and tak
ing the whole import Of corn at 900 quarters the
supply from the East 335O,OO0 quarters OF this
quantity large proportion is shipped at Galatz and
lbraa and other Turkish ports which are the natural
channels for the abundant produce of Hungary and Of
the fertile provinces south Of the Danube Egypt also
sent u.s. in 1852 less than 2760O0 quarters in l48
vessels M. Mongredien points that this large and
increasing trade is almost exclusively in the hands Of
Greek merchants established in England, with branch
houses in the Levant and that the Ingenuity and perse
of the Greeks displayed to an extraordinary
degree by the in which they have contriyed IN
about thirty years. to found and retain this extensive
commerce The Greek firms in England amount to
about two hundred, and the yearly amount Of their
transactions in the grain trade alone is computed at no
less than four millions. Their business is conducted
with the utmost diligence and exactness and even in
this country the Greeks successfully compete with the
traders in corn from all parts of the world
These facts, to which cursoriy advert suffice to
show that this country has the Levan interests Of
far direct and serious Importance than an abstract
desire to proong the existence of barbarous system Of
government which is called the Tarksh Empire or than
the mere dread of the dissolution of that unwedy BODY
With the utmost political caducty, with total want of
ability and integrity in the who are still its rulers
wtha declining Mussuman population and exhausted
treasury the Porte unites if by way Of dersory con-
rast, dominion of the most fertile regions
the finest ports and the most enterprsng and ingenious
people of Southern Europe Indeed the signs of vitality
still percepble in its ports and cities mainly attr
butable to the commercial energy Of the mercantile po
pulaon in their transactions with other countries But
whenever as is every day probable the feeble re-
way before any shock from within from without It is
of essential consequence to interests that the
connexon which has gradually been formed by the
change of the produce of the East for our manufactures
should not be impaired This point, and the mainte-
nance of free communication by the present overland
route to India, two considerations upon which this
country will continue, under all circumstances and at
all hazards, to lay the greatest stress
1t scarcely necessary to add that if change
favorable to civilization and good should be
brought about in the East both these points suscep
nf hla
and although the present generation may it. we
have doubt that trade and traffic win one day over
throw the military despotsm of the Turkish INVASION and
restore to faith and those territories which
the finest provinces Of the Roman Empire and the first
sources Of Christianity itself Mahometan barbarsm has
hung them for centuries like curse, though
der the yoke Of Turkish Pashas the native population has
retained to large extent its faith and its energy is
hard TO comprehapd how great positive evil can
have been long defended by politicians relative
good and, though not nsensible TO the difficult
ties attending any change in the territories Of huge
empire disposed u view with satisfaction rather
than alarm the approach Of period when 1t viii be i'm
possible TO prolong the domination of such GGernmen
as that Of the Porte such country th ich is
now subject to its authority. Perhaps that pc less
distant than is commonly supposed and it mS the
part Of wise statesmen 10 provide against such juno
ture, which it is beyond their power indefnitel post
pone.
We do not believe and we do not mean to inn y that
combination of Russia and Austria hostile the
rtoral claims Of the Ottoman Empire now in existence
is likely to be formed without the knowedge other
European Powers Neither Of course, is any ght TO
be attached TO the rumor that treaty, any sort
of engagement has been entered into by this with
France to defend Turkey against the possibility yggres
son The Court Of Austria has, the contrary, given
positive that its views pacific, and its
policy towards the Turkish empire unchanged. But, at
the time, Count LEISISoESs mission to CONSTANT
nople has not yet been crowned with success and the
active operations of 0MER PAcHA against the Montenegns
are unhappy, resumed The French papers state that
the Prince MESscHKorF has just left St. Peersburgh
important mission, accompanied by Of the prin
cpa Minister for Foreign Affairs but they profess their
ignorance Of the object Of this mission conded 10 great
parsonage. We have strong ground to believe that
Prince MESscKoFF is sent from st. Petersburgh TO Con-
stantinope upon special embassy for the express pur
pose Of declaring in the Of the Emperor Nicholas
allow the Eastern Church submit to the condition Of
the rman recently obtained by the French Ambassador
with reference TO the Holy Shrines in the Holy Land and
II this be the case il would that the negotiations
opened between Russia and France this subject have
led TO result
But the OF these extraordinary missions,
these movements Of troops the frontiers and these
iterated demands the Divan show state Of uneasi
rhich not deroid cf peril There is growing opn
ion that the present Of Turkey be pepetua
ted, much prolonged. The Empire exists in
fact only by the forbearance and mutual eslousies of
the great European Powers, and its dissolution would
not be the overthrow Of independent State much
the emancipation Of whole nations and OF oppressed
and tributary subjects Yet, by strange paradox il
would IL those politicians who profess all
other occasions the greatest eagerness for the ndepen
dence and progress of nations less free than
selves reconcled to consgn the provinces and pos
sessions Of the Ottoman Empire perpetual serytude In
this doubtful state Of affairs in the East would to
~ boat dutv of