New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1854-05-13
NUMBER6o.


that the cessation Of the mutual relations ex
isting between them and the Imperial Cabinet
became matter of course.
4 The latter result was shortly followed bya
communication in which the two Cabinets
through the medium of their respective consuls
invited the Imperial Government to evacnate
the Danubian Prineipalities within given
term, which England fixed at the Both et
april, and France still more peremptorily a.
the 10Th Of that month. 15
by what right did the two Powers thus pre-.
tend to exact everything from one Of the two
oeiiigerent parties, without demanding thing
from the other This is what they have not
thought mt to explain to the Imperial Cabinet
To evacuate the Principalities, without even the
shadow of fulillment by the Ottoman Govern.
ment Of the conditions to which the Empero,
made the cessation Of that temporary oceupa
ton subordinate--to eyacuate them froIs, the
fear of a war which the latter was the first ia
declare, while tits actively carrying on offensive
operations, when its own troops occupy forti
fed point of Russian territory-was in itself "a
condition inadmissible in substance. The tw,
Powers placed the condition in such shapt
that it became still more unacceptable. They
fixed a term of six days for the adhesion of til.
Imperial Cabinet, at the expiration of which a
refusal, or the absence Of any reply whatever
was to be by them regarded as equivalent to q
declaration of war. ..ss 5@.4s
The summons so partial in its tenor, as practi-
caly inexcusable as it was insulting in its terms
silence was the only reply compatible with tie
dignity of the Emperor
The consequence, however, is, that the two
governments have just publicly made it known
that Russia, by her refusal to aceede to theil
demand, has constituted herself towards them
in state Of war, the entire responsibility OF
which Will rest upon her.
In the presence of such declaration, it only
remains for the Emperor to accept the position
which has been assigned to him, reserying to
himself to employ all the means which Provi.
dence has placed in his hands to defend with en-
ergy and constancy the honor, the independence
and the security Of his empire.
independently of the message by which the
Cabinet of London announces its resolution to
the two houses of Parliament, it has in a supple.
mentary declaration explained the motives
which induce it to take up arms, and has recapi
tulated the origin and the incidents of the ques
ton. The Imperial Government thinks it So
perfuous to return to discussion on this sub
ject. All preceding documents seem to it to
have exhausted the question. The recent mem
orandum Of the 18th of February, published OIL
the occasion of the rupture of diplomatic rela
tons, and which contains up to chat point the
whole historical exposition Of the question will
have sufhced to demonstrate to whom--Whether
to Russia or to the two maratina Powers-be
longs the initiative of the provocations, and bJ
what fatal chain Of circumstances the false posi-
ton in which their first steps placed the two
Cabinets, led them on, step by step, to take
others still more provoking. Unprecedented minds
will have been able to discover there all the sue.
cessions made by Russia for the maintenance oi
peace, before as well as after the Vienna note
while the increasing exactions of the two Courts
engaged them daily more and more still furthe,
in the path Of war with us.
Inc occupation of the Principalities, whichsis
taken now, after the fact, as pretext for this
war, did not prevent the renewed of negotiations
Nor wouldit any more have prevented their con-
tlnuation, or rather these negotiations would
have led to some result long since, If the Powers
had not suddenly, without any good reason.
completely changed the basis which they them
selves had laid down in the first note concerted
at Vienna. The objections made by the Porte
to certain passages of that note were not suffi
cent to nullify the rest. The essential substance
remained intact, and the Imperial Government
had the right to regard all the points which the
Ottoman Porte had not contested as agreed Il,
| previously to any Interior proposition Suci
was not the case. An attempt was made to i'm
pose entirely new conditions upon us what haG
hitherto been admitted was declared inadmissi
BILE; the complaints of Russia were ignored, as
as also any clam on its part to an equitable sena.
ration; and all its counter propositions rejected
without discussion. At the same time measures
contrary to its rights as belligerent Power co
incident in the Black Sea with the conditions
transmitted from Vienna were adopted, as if to
impress character of compulsion to any adhe
sion on its part Finally, all honorable retreat
was peramptorily cut off from it by an imperious
summons, such as Russia never before received
within the whole period of its history, even at
the time when conqueror, at the head of armed
Europe, invaded its territory. 4a55
Not being able to blind themselves to the in.
suffciency of the motives for disastrous war,
and upon the want of proportion which exist
between its effects and its cause, the two Power,
are obliged to exaggerate its object by bringing
the most vague accusations against Russia.
They allege that their honor and material in.
terests have been attacked ); projects, on ou,
side, of aggrandizement and conquest in Tur,
key the independence of the Porte, and ever
that of other States finally, the balance d
power in Europe, which, according to them is
threatened by our excessive preponderance.
All these general imputations rest upon nc
foundation whatever. .
We have never attacked the honor of the two
Courts. If that honor has been endangered i,
has been done by themselves From the yer,
onset they adopted system of Intimidation
which failed as a matter of course. They mad,
it point of honor to oblge Russia to bend t,
them and because Russia would not consent tt
her own humiliation, they say that they ART
hurt in their moral dignity.
Materially, their interests have not been at.
tackled by us either. They can only be so by
the war which they wish gratuitously to war,
against us. On the contrary, il is they w6c
endanger our interests much more seriously by
attacking us in the North and in the South, in
our ports, and on different points of our coasts
The policy of aggrandizement and conoues,
which they attribute to Russia has been retuted
by all her acts since 1916. OF her neighbors in
Germany and in the North is there one who
during the last forty years, has had to com.
plain of an attack, or even of an attempt at nm
attack, upon the integrity of his possessions
With respect to Turkey, although we have
been at war with her, the peace of Adrianople
exists to attest the moderate use we have made
of our success and since then, at two intervals,
the Ottoman Empire has been saved by us from
imminent ruin
The des re of possessing Constantinople. if
that Empire should fall, and the intention OF
forming permanent establishment there, have
been too publicly, too solemnly disavowed, for
any doubts to be entertained on that subject
that do not originate in distrust which nothing
can cure.
The results will shortly show whether the
Powers or Russia have struck the most fatal
blow, not only against the independence, but
against the very existence of Turkey As a
price for the interested services given to her, she
has already renounced hv trentu tho d;e+;.,