The true Democrat., 1854-06-13
The Russian and French Alliance of 1908 for the Dismemberment of Turkey.

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 The governments of France and England are now united in an alliance almost for the first time in eight centuries, with the avowed design of preserving the national integrity of Turkey unimpaired, which is threatened by the ambi- tlous and aggrandlzlng power of Russia with annlhilation. How uncertain and huctuatng is the action of political cabinets founded, as they are, upon temporary interest rather than any sense of right or justice It is only forty six years ago that France was leagued with Russia in plan to partition Turkey between them- The uncle of the present French Emperor and the brother of the Russian Czar agreed upon project for that end at Tilsit, in the year 1908. NAPOLEON was then the lord of the entire cas- tern part of Europe, from the Pyrennes to the river Nemen. He was in the night of his power, and exercised a political control more universal than the world had seen since the fall of the Roman empre
 The strength of Austria had been broken at Ulm and Austerlitz-that of Prussia at J ena, nent that could offer any effectual resistance to the ambitious designs of the French ruler. Her legions were also routed and overthrown by NAPOLEON at Friedland, after which battle, ALEXANDER, then the able Czar of Russia pro-
 
 dation. Peace was concluded at Tilst, where the two monarchs had several interviews, in the course of which they agreed upon apetition of Turkey, and drew up written agreement to attain this end. It is interesting now to look at that historical document, which illustrates so forcby the changing nature of European di- plomacy. In the first place, it was agreed that the Turks should be driven out of Europe en- tirely, into Asia The French were to have the provinces of Albania Morea, the Island of Ca- nal ia and all the islands in the Archipelago Cypress, Rhodes, and whatever was left of the seaports of the Levant, Syria, and Egypt The province of Servia was to be given to Aus tria, and the greater part of Macedonia. Crotia was to belong to France or Austria, as NAPo- LEON pleased.
 The principalities of Wallachia and Moldo- via, the invasion of which by NICHOLAS led to the present war; were in the Tilsit alliance con- ceded by France to Russia, and also the province of Bulgaria, giving the Dauube to Russia as its southern boundary, the city of Constantinople, with radius of a few leagues in Asia and part of Roumelia. France was to have that part of the Dardanelles which lies on the Asatic side. The Czar of Russia agreed to send an army to unite with French forces for the conquest of British India. These were the main stipulations in the Russian and French alliance of 1908, having reference to the parti- tion of Turkey between the two countries.- Such was then the enti-cordiM that prevailed between the Cabinets of Paris and St. Peters, burg, that the latter agreed NAPOLEON might conquer and annex the adjoining kingdoms of Spain and Portugal to his dominions.
 The spirited resistance made by the latter to the French inVaCiOp occicto0 thoxy bxy England, probably alone saved this programme from being carried out faithfully to the letter. Russia, in accordance with it, immediately con- menced war upon t6e Tark s,knd had she haa the assistance of the FfS os, s,-sis 3s,i,.sss, had employment enough in the Spanish Peninsula. they wonld undoubtedly have been driven out of Europe. The struggle in Spain was pro- tracted, and during its continuance coolness spaang up between NAPOLEON asA ALExAN DER. The slight the former gaveet the 1affaAAAa marrying daughter of the House of Austria, MARIA LOUISA, after negotiations had been en- tered into for the hand of Russian Princess, was one cause of misunderstanding, and the reluctance ofNAPoLEoN, as he maturely thought of the matter, to concede Constantnople to Russia, was another The treaty of Tilsit was finally broken off in 1912, and war was declared between France and Russia, followed by the disastrous invasion of NAPOLEON into the latter country in that memorable year.
 The cloud which hung so darkly over the Turkish empire thus passed away, and the dan ger which existed of French and Russian par tition of it's dominions, was averted. As the present French Emperor has, in almost all his political moves, carried out the policy of his uncle, it is not strange that NICHOLAS should have renewed to him the propositions of Tilsit, as he has done recently. They were declined, however, that monarch preferring, at present, an English alliance to Russian one. But isit not significant of strange historical changes and