The daily republic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1853-1853, 1853-08-13
THE REPUBLIC.
The Present Attitude q the AIlies.

The Present Attitude Il the Allies.
la an assscie PshaisAsd ia The Republic the
gth Of July ca the Tarcs- Russian question, we
expressed The eriaica that the existence of the
oa'eman empire would be preserved for the
present, thai sAsss would be war, and that
The Cas BY skilfal diplomacy, and through
the fcan al Turkey and her allies, would come
oas Of the dispute gamer, would advance
nearer the goal Of his ambi:ion--the ultimate
suhiagasion of the Eastern empire The last
arrivals from Europe tend to confirm this opn-
ION. The astute government of ST.. Peters
burgh put forth its pretensons in the most posi-
tive and peremptory manner in order to try
the metal Of its opponents and of the neutral
powers. Its boldness brought the fleets Of
England and France to Besika bay, which
afforded pretence for its armies to enter the
principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia; its
temerity showed the neutral position of Prussia
and the subserviency and cupdity Of Austria.
1t could not break the French and English al
lance, but it exhibited the nature of contest
which made the allies recol England and
France declared that the occupation Of the prin-
u U ~.
and yet the modern Cesar crossed the Rubicon.
Eighty Thousand Russian troops have passed
the Pruth and now hold possession of the for
hidden territory. And where are the mighty
fleets that threatened to enter the Euxine to
annihiate the Russian navy and to destroy
Odessa, Sebastepol, and all the ports and cities
of the Gear in that sea? They could have
done it. Nothing could resist such combined
force. The Emperor Nicholas himself knew
this. Still he crossed the Pruth; and the ma
vies Of England and France have not entered
the Dardanelles! They ride in Besika bay,
or cruise in the Levant, while the Autocrat is
fast Russianizing Moldava and Wallachia,
and firmly establishing his power there. Rus
STA has advanced, and the allies have receded
The press Of Europe abuses the Gar, while
the French and British governments remon-
strate and negotiate. In the face of SO much
outrageous assumption and aggression, and in
defiance of the public opinion and power of the
world, Russia is suffered to temporize and to
march nearer and nearer her object. Under
this humiliating state of things we are told, as
we believed from the first, that there will be
no war. The Gar can afford to take time and
negotiate, and show his moderation; delay is
strength to him and weakness to his enemies
The allies are willing, probably, to concede
some Of the demands, something to the ambi-
ton and power of the Autocrat, though not
justly due to him. rather than enter upon an
uncertain, expensive, and protracted war.
But here questions arise Of the grayest i'm
portance. Ought England and France to re-
cede from the ground they had taken2 Is it
good policy to yield? Or are they able to
maintain their position The hereditary policy
of the Cars and the answering purpose Of
every successive government of Russia is to
extend the empire to Constantinople. This is
we'll known to the cabinets and statesmen of
Europe. Every step towards the south is taken
with that Interior view, and almost every year
as Russia grows she approaches nearer the OBJ
ject 1t is equally as well understood that her
late and present demands upon Turkey were
and are made to the same end. "The integ-
rity Of the Ottoman empire" has been a ia
miliar phrase in the diplomatic language of
Europe for more than half a century, and pre-
supposes a threatened state of dissolution
Hence all the diplomatic notes and replies, and
all the arguments of journalists on the questions
raised and apparently at issue, are like tn
pleadlngs OF case on abstract technicalities
against ocular proof. The Gar talks of the
''Holy Places" and the "Greek Christians
when he means the possession of Byzantium;
and the governments of Great Britain and
France gravely argue these questions, which
they care nothing about, while they are alarm
ed at the real purpose and dangerous power of
Russia.
In whatever point of view we look at this
question we see it full of difficulties. Yet it
is of such vast importance that to delay meet
ing these difficulties-to "put off the evil day.
is to make the danger greater and more immi-
nent. Suppose. for the sake of peace, the pre-
tensions of Russia be allowed, and that she
continue to hold or exercise power over the ter
ritories on the left bank of the Danube, how
long will it be before she cross that river and
seize the countries on the right bank? If this
be permitted, the process of dismembering the
Ottoman empire has commenced, and its Gin
tegrity" is a fiction. If the advance of the |
Gar be not effectually resisted now, how can
it be when his power is extended, and when
Europe will be in less favorable state to offer
resistance2 The allies have already exhib-
TIED weakness in that they did not make
in reality the Pruth the rubicon to the EN-
peror Nicholas. They had threatened to
do so, and the occasion demanded firmness.