The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-10-17
The Great Eastern @ Observation-Disclosures NJ
War--TremeEdous Issues Involved-Grand
Opening for the Prosr cssive Policy OF the
United States.

The complicated and perplexlng negotiations
among the great powers o Euro upon TUG
Turkish question have, according 60 our al
vices by the Atlantic, been brought to close,
by a Dc claraton Of war from he Cabinet OF tue
Sultan against Russia The chain oil military
movements and polit cal revolutions involved
in this act of sublime moral courage, simply
comprehends the substantial interests OF the
civilized world. 1t is an act which will mark a
new epoch in the worlds history. general,
protracted and complicated struggle between
nations and the despots and the people the most
tremendous and fearful tat the world has ever
seen and the grandest and most decisive and
radical in its great results.
Notwithstanding there We're some doubts in
Liverpool regarding the despatch from Vienna,
that the Sultan had signed the declaration vo-
ted by his cabinet, the news is given by the
entire London press as authentic and reliable,
and in this view we shall treat it. There have
been some singular condolences in the late
movements Of the parties concerned in this mo-
mentous controversy. While yet the Emperors
of Russia and Austria, and the King of Prussia,
were fraternizing at Olmutz. in the presence Of
an Austrian army of fifty thousand men, the
Turkish Divan. embracing one hundred and
forty magnates of the empire. were gravely
deciding that war was the only resource of safe
ty and of honor. And on the 81 Of October, the
date of the Vienna despatch announcing the
Sultan's confirmation Of war, the British cabi-
net were sitting in extraordinary council upon
some previous information The Importance
this last intelligence cannot be exaggerated
assuming it to be entir ely reliable The Sui
tan having put an end to the sophstries Of Rus
STA, and having, at all hazards, resolved to
risk his empire in the scale of war, we
repeat that this bold and courageous act in
wolves chain of consequences the most ire
mendous and comprehensive in the history Of
the world.
The first result will be general European
war; and the first division of parties in the
struggle will probably be Russia, Austria and
Prussia on the one side, and Turkey, England
France, Denmark, Sweden, Holland, Belgium
Switzerland. and some of the small States of
Germany and Of Italy on the other side.
Spain and Portugal, too from their state of de-
tendency upon England and France, may, per-
haps, be drawn into an active participation in
the general melee. The Car will move some
two or three hundred thousand men into Tur-
key, from the North, while Austria will be COM
PEELED to pour in her auXiliaries from the east
ward Prussia, from her evident fear Of Mich
olas, we may expect to see driven to the dan
Int of ri psf bo
movements Of Louis Napoleon. On the other
hand, the combined English and French fleets
will not only give such defence to Constantinople
as may be required, but will sweep the Rus
slams from the Black Sea- and with means and
munitions Of war. will rouse again the Circas-
slams to the field. Nor is it yet too late in the
season to detail feet of steamers to the special
duty of the bombardment of st. Petersburg, and
the destruction Of the Russian naval forces 10
the Baltic, in which work the Dutch the Swedes,
and the Danes would doubtless cooperate most
heartily. simultaneously with these operations
upon the seas, we may reasonably count upon
the march of French army across the Alps in
to the Austrian States of Italy; and of another
French column, with it's Dutch and German con-
tingents, across the Rhine, on the high road to
Vienna. This schedule of military movements
from the state of the parties in Europe, we pre-
sumo will most probably follow close upon the
heels of the first battle or two in the Turkish
territories.
What next? The revolutionary elements OF
Germany, Hungary, and Italy, the debris of the
of 1s4S-'49, will spring up, and
play their terrible part in the bloody drama.
The high prices Of bread and other necessaries
of life will only tend to swell their numbers,
and exasperate them to the fierce alternative OF
revolution. Thus we shall have the awful
of a series of instructions against
the continental despots, combined with all the
perils and disasters Of general war among
themselves. Nor is it likely that the socialists
and red republicans, when they rise again, will
limit their warfare against the political dogmas
and civil and military usurpations of despotism.
The antagonistic religious systems of the CONT
nent may be drawn into the general strife, and
the safety Of the Holy Father, and his spiritual
as well as his temporal government at Rome,
may soon become prominent exigency in this
and sweeping CONFUSION. The
end ofthis universal war, ard its closing results,
are beyond the limited scope of human percep-
tion. We can only see that the volcano'is firing
up, that the great eruption has probably COM
menced, which is to shake to its political and
religious foundations the continent of Europe,
and which is to change from Mahometanism to
Christianity the Turkish empire, and its depen-
denotes in Asia in any event
The real policy Of England and France in
reference to Turkey is, not so much to preserve
the integrity of that empire as to put per-
manent check upon the eastern aggressons of
Russia, in the establishment upon the ruins of
Islamism of an independent Christian nation or
confederacy in the East, comprehending Turkey
in Europe and in ASIA and her provinces in
Asia Minor including the Holy Land and the
Holy city of Jerusalem. This policy does not