Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1854-03-28

land to recommend is adoption ny the foftt
but your Majesty may recollect that our coihineh
taries followed, and did not precede'the pure ana
sinpie non aceeptanee Of the Note, anu beiefe
,Lat the Powers were so little seriously DESTROYS
az neaoe tbat they confined themselves to the
claims of the pure and simple adoption OF that
Note. instead of allowing the Porte to modify
what he had previously adopted without change;
Besides, if any point OF our commentaries hao
Owen ri Sc to difficulties, offered satisfactory
solution to them ut Olmutz, and such was IL con
sidered bv Austria and Prussia. Unfortunately
in the interval. a part ofthe Anglo French fleet
had already entered tie Dardanelles, under the
nretext of there protecting the lives and proper
Ties of English and French subjects anu IN or
der TO allow the whole to enter, without violating
the treaty OF 1911, it was necessary that the VI
toman Government should declare war against
us Nv opinion is, that if France and England
had desired peace rs much ], they would at
nnv cost have prevented that declaration OF war,
or when war was once declared, have taken care
that il should have been restrained within the
narrow limits to which wished TO contne II on
the Danube So that might not be compelled by
force to abandon the purely defensive system
VIII ch wished to adopt. But from the moment
when the Turks were allowed to attack our ASIA
tic territory, to carry away one of our frontier
posts (even tefore the term fixed for the com
mencement of hostilites, ITO blockade Akhalttzik,
and to ravage the province of Armenla-from
the moment when the Turkish feet were allowed
to transport troops, arms, and munitions OF war
to our coast, could it be reasonably hoped that
we should wait patiently the result of such an at
tempt 7 Was it not to be supposed that we
should do all we could to prevent it
The affair of Sinope was the result of it. That
affair was the forced consequence of the attitude
adopted by the two powers, and the result Ger.
tainly could not hive been unexpected. l had
declared my wish to remain upon the defensive,
before war broke out, far as my honor
and my interests could permit me to do so, and
20 long the war was restrained within certain
limits has all been done which ought to have
been done to prevent these limits being exceeded!
If the character of spectator, even that of me-
dator, was not sufficient for your Majesty, and
if your Majesty wished to become the armed
auxiliary of my enemies, then, Sire, 1t would
have been more honorable and more worthy of
you to have told me SO frankly beforehand by de-
clarng war against me. Each of US would then
have known the part he had to play. But is it
an equitable proceeding for those to make a crime
of that event after it has happened, which they
did nothing to prevent! If the cannon shot of
Snope reverberated painfully on the hearts of ali
those who in France and in England appreciate
the national dignity, does your Majesty think
that the menacing presence at the entrance OF
the BospLorus of the three thousand pieces OF
cannon of which you speak, and the report of
echo in the hearts of the nation whose honor
have to defend
/ learn from your Majesty for the first time
(for the verbal declarations made to up to
this period have made no such a44uslons) that
while protecting the reinforcement of Turkish
troops upon their own territory. the two powers
have resolved to prohibit to US the navigation of
the Black Sea-that is to say, apparently, to
take from the right of Strengthening our own
| RI tn
if that be, as you say. the way to facilitate the
conclusion of peace, d if in the alternative which
is placed before me am permitted to discuss, or
even to examine for a moment, your proposals
for armistiee, the immediate evacuation of the
Principaties, and the negotiation with the
Porte of convention to be submitted to con-
ference of the four Powers! Wonld you, your
SELF Sire, if you were in my place, accept such
Il position! Would your national feelings al
low you to do so! boldly answer, No. Allow
me then, in my turn, the right of thinking as
you would think yourself. Whatever your Ma
jesty may decide, menaces will not induce me to
recede
My confidence is in God and my right, and
Russia, as can guarantee, will prove herself in
1854 what she was in 1872. If, however, your
Majesty, less Indifferent to my honor, should
frankly return to my program-it you should
proffer me a cordial hand, as | now offer it to
you at this last moment will willingly forget
whatever has wounded my feelings in the past.
Then, Sire but then only, we may discuss, and
perhaps we may come 10 an understanding. Let
your fleet limit itself to preventing the Turks
from sending additional forces to the theatre of
war. willingly promise that they shall have
nothing to fear from my attempts. Let them
send II negotiator. | will receive him in suita-
bic manner. My conditions are known at Wen
ma. That is the only basis upon which | can al
! low discussion
beg your Majesty to believe in the sincerity
ofthe sentiments with which | am. Sire, your
Majestys good friend, NICHOLAS.
rANDrD rrc. TOD Or,uTcr