Weekly national intelligencer., 1854-04-01

followers of the faith of Christ with one accord let all
Russia exclaiu o Lord, Redeemer whom shall we
fear? May God be gorfed and His enemies be scattered
REPLY OF THE EMPEROR OF RUSSIA TO THE LET
/ TER OF THE EMPEROR OF FRANCE
| "ST PETERsBURGH, JAM rs, (FEB. 81 1854.
"STRE: cannot better reply to your Majesty than by
repeating, since they are my own, the expressions by
which your letter concludes: Our relations should be
sincerely friendly and repose the same intentions
maintenance of order love Of peace respect Of treaties
and reciprocal good feelings In accepting says the let
ter this programme, such as had myself traced out
you affirm that you have remained faithful to it. dare
believe it, and my conscience tells that have not de-
parted from il for in the affair which divides u.s. and
the origin Of which did not come from me, have always
sought to maintain friendly relations with France have
avoided with the greatest to interfere this ground
with the interests of the religion which your Majesty
esses have made for the maintenance of peace every
concession which my honor rendered possible, and in
claiming for my corelgioniss in Turkey the confirmation
of the rights and privileges which had been long since
acquired to them at the price of Russian blood, de-
manded nothing but what was secured BY treaties. If
the Porte had been left to herself the differences which
hold Europe in suspense would have been long since
ranged fatal influence and thwarted it. In pro-
voking gratutous suspicious in raising the anatcism
of the Turks, in misleading their Government to my
intentions and the real meaning OF nay demands it has
caused the question to such exaggerated proper
tions that war has arisen out of it.
Your Majesty will permit me not to enter too much
into detail the train of ferth your
actsnot in my opinion properly appreciated and more
than fact perverted-woud in order to their being
re-estabshed necessitate such at least conceive,
long developments which scarcely proper enter into
the correspondence Of sovereign with another 1t is
thus that your Majesty attributes to the occupation Of
the prncpaties the wrong of having suddenly removed
the question from the domain of discussion into that Of
facts But lose sight of the fact that this occupation
still purely eventual anticipated and in o great
caused by very serious anterior fact that of
the appearance OF the combined fleets in the neghbor
hood of the Dardanelles; besides which, when England
still hesitated to assume comminatory attitude against
Russia, your Majesty had time before sent your
fleet to salamis This demonstration certainly evinced
little confidence in 1t calculated to encourage
the Turks and parayze beforehand the of nego
tions by showing them that France and England were
ready to support their any event. 1t is also thus
that your Majesty attributes to the explanatory
taries of my Cabinet the note Of Vienna the imposs
bhty OF France and Ems recommending the adoption
of it to the Porte But your Majesty may remember that
our comments followed and did not precede the pure and
simple non-accepance of the note: and think that the
Powers if they seriously wished for peace bound
unanimously claim that pure and simple adoption instead
Of permitting the Porte to modify what had adopted
without any change Besides if our comments had given
rise to any difficulties, offered at Omutz solution which
appeared satisfactory to Austria and Prussia Unortu
nately in the interval part of the Anglo French feet
had already entered the Dardanees under pretence of
there protecting the lives and properties of French and
English subjects and in order to the whole of them
to enter without violating the treaty of 1871 it
cessary that should be declared against by the
Ottoman Government. My opinion is that if France and
England had, like me, wished for peace they ought at
price to have prevented that declaration of war; or
when war was once declared to at least cause it to
main within the limits which desired to trace
out to it on the Danube, in order that might not be
driven by force of the purely defensive system that
wished to follow But from the when the Turks
allowed to attack Asatic territory to take one
of frontier posts (even before the time fixed for the
opening Of hostities to blockade Akhaltsykh and to
ravage the province Of Armenia from the moment that
1tph 1aft
ammunition coasts, could it be reasonably hoped
that we should patiently await the result of such an at
tempt? Was it not to be supposed that should do
every thing to prevent it? ..
g The affair Of Snope followed twas the forced con-
sequence Of the attitude adopted BY the two Powers and
the event could not certainly have appeared them u-
expscea had declared that would remain the de-
fensye but before the explosion of the war; long
my honor and my interest would allow me- aud so long
as it should remain within certain bounds. Has every
thing been done that could have been done to prevent
those bounds being passed? If the character of specta
tor that Of mediator did not suffice for your Ma
esy and you wished to make yourself the armed aux
iary Of my enemies hen SIRE it would have been
loyal aud more dgnihed of you frankly to inform of
it by declaring Each of would then have known
his part But is it equitable proceeding attribute
to us crime after thing has taken place which nothing
was done to prevent? If the of the cannon of ST.
nope has painfully reechoed in the hearts of all those
who inFrance and England have lively of national
dignity does your Majesty think that the threatened pre-
sence at the entrance of the Bophorus of the three thou
sand pieces of of which you speak and the noise
of their entrance into the Black Sea- which re-
main without echo in the hearts Of the nation whose
honor have to defend? learn from you, for the first
tme for the verbal declarations which have been made
to me have told nothing of it, that while protecting
the reinforcement of the Turkish troops their
ritory, the Powers have resolved intrdct US
the navigation Of The Black Sea that is to say, appa
renty the right of reinforcing coasts. leave
it your Majesty to think whether this you say
facilitate the conclusion of peace and whether, in the al
ternatiSe which is given me, i. is allowed to discuss
or even for moment to examine your propositions of
armisce, of the immediate evacuation of tho principa
ties and of the negotiation with the Porte of
ton which would be submitted conference of the four
Courts. Would YOU SIRE if you in my place. accept
such position? Would your national feeling allow you
to do so? will boldly reply that it would not Grant
me therefore, in turn, the right of thinking you do
Whatever your Majesty decides on it will not be before
threat that shall finch My confidence is in God and
in my right; and Russia guarantee will show her
self in 1854 what she III 1872. If your Majesty
less indifferent to my honor return frankly pro-
gramme; II you extend to me cordial hand offer
to you at this moment, will willingly forget what
there is offensive towards in the past. Then sire
but only hen we may discuss, and perhaps come to on
understanding Let your fleet conne itself to preventing
the Turks from carrying fresh forces the theatre Of war
willingly promise that they shall have nothing to fear
from my attempts. Let them send me a necotiator: |
viii receive him in a suitable manner. My conditions are
known at Vienna, and they the only bases on which
t is allowed Inc to discuss.
81 beg your Majesty believe in the sincerity of the
sentiments with which am, sire, of your Majesty the
good friend NICHOLAS"
THE FRENCH MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS TO
TIE DIPLOMATIC AGENTS OF FRANCE.
"PARIs, March 5, 1854.
"SlR: You are now acquainted with the reply of the