Daily national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1854, 1854-03-03
From the New York Tribune, March ,
EUROPE.

No declaration Of war has yet taken place,
and while preparations are going forward ON
great scale, both insFrance and England, the
old story Of renewed negotiations and probable
peace IL again set on foot with as much indus
try as ever. Tho reluctance of all parties TO
take the final step becomes more striking as
the moment when 1t can no longer be post
poned seems rapidly to approach. Many
steamers have been taken up by the British
Government, to transport troops 70 Malta and
Constantinople; among them, are the Niagara
and Cambria, belonging to the Cunard limo,
and hitherto employed between Liverpool and
the United States. The fleet sent with these
transports to the Mediterranean and the Turk
ish waters will be the most powerful ever
equipped by England. The united French and
English armies to DO conveyed 70 Turkey, are
yariously stated at from sixty TO hundred
thousand men. A camp is preparing for them.
near Constantinople From the seat of war on
the Danube the intelligence il not satisfactory.
Tho Russians arc steadily investing kalafat
with large force, and occasional skirmishes
take place with various fortune But OF that
great movement Of Omer Pasha, lower down
the river, which is suggested by the simplest
observation Of the relative positions OF the bel
lgerents, and which, indeed, has once been re.
ported as having taken place, we hear nothing
further. Instead Of fiinging across at Silistria
or Oltenitzs the fifty thousand regulars we
know he has in that vicinity, assailng the Rus
sian flank, marching on Bucharest and cutting
off Gorchakoff from his base of operations the
Turkish General simply sends over 9 small
diminishing party now and then, which, after
little, fighting, makes its way back again.
The failure to execute q movement dictated by
&c
itary science, and justified by all the facts in
the case, ~ they are given in every respectable
journal Of Europe, Is inexplcabe. We trust,
however, that this and the many other myste-
ries connected with the operations Of this war
may soon receive solution, either by way Of
honest fighting or some sort Of definite peace.
In the latter direction, encouragement may
perhaps be derived by the very sanguine, from
the positive statement Of Lord John Russell in
Parliament, that Count Orlof had failed to
obtain from the Austrian Government the
pledge Of neutrality desired by the Gar In
other words, Austria has refused to obey the
dictate Of Russia and to separate herself from
the maritime Powers Such at least is the inn
preston given by the British Minister and lift
is true, it indicates the possibility Of more
speedy settlement than could otherwise be
hoped II is clearly the interest Of Austria
that Russia should be held in check, as it is
that general war should be avoided; and that
end can best be gained by her taking sides
with the Western Powers, and making Eu-
ropean league to resist Muscoyite aggression.
Against such course, the only reason that
can be adduced il the debt Of gratitude for
Russian aid in Hungary. But gratitude is .
consideration unknown in politics, and in Aus
trian politics above ALL Francis Joseph would
assail Nicholas tomorrow, if he thought it sui-
fciently for his own advantage; and it is
quite as likely to prove true that he has re-
jected Orloff 9 proposals as that he has accept
ed them, according to the former report. But
in all this affair it is not easy to tell what il
true from what is not, and till story ID con-
frmed again and again, it is not safe to believe
it. Lying has always passed for the great
staple Of active diplomacy and there never was
On affair in which it Was more actively en-
ploycd than in this very Eastern Question.