Thibodaux minerva. [volume] (Thibodaux, La.) 18??-1858, 1854-05-06
The Objects of the War with Russia.

The Objects Of the Wa with Russia.
The designs and purposes of Great Britain,
i'll engaging in the war with Russia, are thus
stated by Lord Clarendon, Secretary for Foreign
Affairs, in his speech in the House of Lords on
che address to the Queen:
In entering on war now, we do so to repel
aggression. l believe therei is not q man in the
dominions Of the Gar who does not expect that
Constaatinople will ultimately belong to Russia.
II viii be our duty, as far as we possibly can,
to prevent the realization of that expectation,
and to take care that q Russian occupation may
never begin there. We're it to succeed, and
were Russia to be in possession of CONSTANT
nople, commanding, as she would do then, the
Black Sea and its shores, being enabled, as she
would, to occupy Circassia and Georgia, and
convert the population Of those frontier countries
into one mighty army, having access to the
Mediterranean and a vast naval feet in the
Baltic, and determined, as she now is, to in
crease her naval power, with all those facilities
which steam and modern invention have afforded
for the transport of troops-with all those adj
vantages, were Russia in possession of Constan-
tinople, it would not be too much to say that
more than one Western Power would have to
undergo the fate of Poland. The wealth and
the intelligence and the civilization Of Europe
would be no more a barrier against encroach-
ments upon the part of Russia than we're the
intelligence and civilization of ancient Rome
against the Entertainments of the Huns and
Vandals. 4
III may explain this question, it is not merely
the protection of Turkey against the agrees
sions of Russia that is concerned in the Eastern
question, as it is commonly called, but it is the
battle Of civilization against barbarism, and the
maintainance Of the independence Of Europe.
Already, even without territorial aggrandize-
ment, the policy pursued by Russia has, in a
great measure, placed the nation of Germany in
. state of dependence. Several foreign Govern
ments, but more particularly those of Germany,
have been acted upon by Russia with a strength
and influence which have been and always will
be exeraised to check education, the free ex-
preston Of opinion, and that progress which is
essential to civilization. The object of the EN-
peror of Russia has been to render other coun-
tries dependent upon him. ~ =
From the papers which have already been
laid upon the table Of the House, your lordships
must have seen at once that the submission of
Austria to the designs of the Emperor Of Russia
upon Turkey was taken for granted, and that,
with respect to Prussia, she was not thought
worthy of mention at all. And even after all
that had passed-even in the course of this very
year, after Austria and Prussia had signed the
protocols c~ondemning the conduct of the En-
peror Of Russia, the Emperor Of Russia sent a
convention for the German Powers to sign for
his advantage, and did not authorize his agent
to give an answer to the Emperor. of Austria
himself, when he asked what the policy of the
Emperor of Russia weuld be IN the event of his
signing that convention. Nor would the En-
peror of Russia even say whether he would cross
the Danube or not. But the conventions and
propositions Of the Emperor Of Russia were re-
jected in a manner well calculated to maintain
the dignity and independence Of Austria and
Prussia.
al trust that at the close Of this struggle, we
shall find them by our side, re-establishing
peace upon . solid and secure foundation; but
that peace, my lords, will be neither solid nor
~immoderate influence Of Russia be efectually
restrained. That peace viii not be q glorious
peace, my lords, if WEI do not secure equal rights
and immunities for the Christian subjects Of
Turkey, not securing them by treaties nor by a
protectorate, nor by acquiring rights fatal to the
very independence which we intend to uphold,
but securing them as the spontaneous act Of the
Sultan-and not less binding on him on that
account-by which he will best consult his own
interests, and by which he will entitle himself
to the gratitude Of Europe, and afford to France
and England the only return they desire for
the exertions which they are now making on
his behalf" s