The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1854-04-17
THE DECLARATION OF WAR.

II IL with deep regretthat Her Majesty announces
the failure OF her Hnxous and protracted endeavors
70 preserve for her people and Tor Europe the
The nnprovoled aggression OF the Emperor OF
Russia against the Sublime Porte has been persist
ed In with such disregard OF consequences that al.
ter the rejection by the Emperor OF Russia of terms
which the Emperor OF Austria, the Emperor OF the
French, and the King of Prussia, as well as Her
Majesty, considered just and equitable, Her Majes-
~ is compelled by sense OF what is due to the hon
or OF her Crown, TO the interests of her people, and
to the independence of tho States of Europe, to
come forward in defence of an ally whose territory
Is invaded, and whose dignity and independence
are assailed
Her Majesty, in justification of the course che Is
about to pursue refers to the transactionsin which
Her Maj esty has been engaged. ~
The Emperor of Russia had some cause OF com
plant against the Sultan with reference to the set
tleneut, which His Highness had sanctioned, oil the
conflicting claims of the Greek and Latin Churches
to portion OF the Holy Places of Jerusalem and its
neighborhood Tothe complaint ofthe Emperor OF
Russia ON this head justice was done, and Her Ma
jestys Ambassador at Consantinople had the salts
faction OF promoting an arrangement to which no
exception was taken by the Russian Government.
But while the Russian Government repeatedly
assured the Government of Her Majesty that the
mission of Prince Menschkoh to Constantinope
was exclusively directed to the settlement of the
question of the Holy Place at Jerusalem, Prince
Menscikoff himself pressed upon the Porte other
demands of far more serious and important char.
acer the nature of which he in the first instance
endeavored far possible, to conceal from Her
Majesty's Ambassador. And these demands, thus
etudiously concealed affected not the privileges of
the Greek Church at jerusalem but the position OF
many millions of Turkish subjects in their relations
to their Sovereign the Sultan.
These demands were rejected by the spontaneous
decision of the Sublime Porte.
The assurances had been given to Her Majesty
one that the mission OF Prince Menschikoff only
regarded the Holy Places the other, that his mis-
sion would be of eonciliatory character.
In both respects, Her Majestys just expectations
were disappointed. .-.H
Demands were made which, in the opinion of the
Sultan, extended to the substitution OF the Emper
of Russas authority for his own over alarge por
ton Of his subjects, and those demands were en-
forced by threat; and when Her Majesty learnt
that, announcing the termination of his mission,
Prince Menschikotf declared that the refusal of his
demands would impose upon the Imperial Govern
ment the necessity of seeking guarantee by its
own power, Her Majesty thought proper that her
fleet should leave Malta and, in cooperation with
that OF His Majesty the Emperor the French take
up its station in the neighborhood of the Dardan
elles.
So long as the negotiation bore amicable char
acter Her Majesty refrained from any demonstra-
ton of force But when in addition to the assem-
blage OF large military forces the frontier OF Tur
key, the Ambassador of Russia intimated that Sc
rious consequences would ensue from the refusal of
the Sultan to comply with unwarrantable demands
Her Majesty deemed 1t right, in conjunction with
Bile proof of her determination to support the
reign rights of the Sultan.
The Russian Government has maintained that the
determination of the Emperor to occupy the Princi
plaites was taken in consequence ettne advance OF
the fleets OF England and France. But the menace
of invasion of the Turkish territory conveyed
in Count Nesserode's Note to Redschid Pasha of
the 10Th (2ls) OF May and re-sated in his despatch
to Brunow OF the goth of May Qst of June,) which
announced the determination of the Emperor of
Russia to order his troops to occupy the Principal
ties if the Porte did not within week comply with
the demands of Russia. .- -
The despatch to Her Majesty's Ambassador at
COnstantnople, authorizing him in certain specified
contingencies to send for the British feet was dated
3lst OF May, and the order sent direct from Eng
land to Her Majesty's Admiral to proceed to the
neighborhood of the Dardanelles, was dated I'd of
June.
The determination to occupy the Pricpalities
was therefore taken before the orders for the ad-
vance of the combined squadrons were given.
The Sutans Minister was informed that unless he
signed within week, and without the change of a
word, the Note proposed TO the Porte by Prince
Menschikotf on the eve of his departure from Con-
stantinople the Prncipalties of Modavia and w al
| iachia would be occupied by Russian troops. The
| Sultan could not accede to so insulting demand ;
but when the actual occupation OF the Principali-
ties took place, the Sultan did not he might have
done in the exercise of his undoubted right declare
| war, but addressed aprotest to hisallies.
Her Majesty in conjunction with the Sovereigns
attempts to meet any just demands of the Emperor
of Russia without affecting the dignity and indepen.
dence OF the Sultan and, bad ii been the sole OBJ
ect OF Russia to obtain security for the enjoyment
by the Christian subjects Of the Porte of the priv
leges and immunities, she would have found it it
the offers that have been made by the Sultan. But
| as that security not offered in the shape of
special and separate stipulation with Russia it was
| rejected.
Twice has this offer been made by the Sultan and
| recommended Powers Inv Note
| originally prepared at Vienna, and subsequently
modified by the Porte, by the proposal of bases
ofnegotiatons agreed upon at Constantinopleon the
| 3lst of December, and approved at Vienna on the
18th OF January, offering to the two parties the
means of arriving at understanding in becon,.
| ing and honorable manner.
1t is thus manifest that right Tor Russia to inter
fere in the ordinary relations of Turkish subjects
to their Sovereign and not the happiness of Chris
tian communitiesin Turkey, was the object sought
1 for by the Russian Government; to such demand
the Sultan would not submit, and His Highness. in
1 seltdefence, declared war upon Russia but He,
| Majesty, nevertheless, In conjunction with her al
lfes has not ceased her endeavors restore peace
| between the contending parties
| The time has, however, now arrived when, the
| advice and circumstances of the Four Powers hav
| ing proved wholly Intellectual, and the military pre-
| parations OF Russia becoming daily more extended
1t Is but too obvious that the Emperor of Russia
has entered upon a course of policy which, If un
checked, must lead to the destruction of the Otto
man empire.
In this conjecture Her Majesty feels called upor
by regard for an ally, the integrity and indepen
dence OF whose empire have been recognized as es
sentlal TO the peace of Europe, by the sympathie,
OK hef people with right against wrong, by desire
to avert from her dominions most iniurions conse
quences and to save Europe from the preponder
| ance of Power which has violated the fai,h OF
treaties, aud de6es the opinion of the civilized
world to take up arms, in conjunction with the EN-
peror ofthe French for the defence the Sultan
| Her Majesty Is Dersuaded that in actip,, sh-