The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-07-08
7 n e w A r I.
The Reply or Russia TO Count Waiewski's



The Reply or Rassia TO Count Waie~skrs
Cl,cuiar.
from the Journal &c st Petersburg, June IL,
Count Wslevski having been calej, by tne conf
dsnce of his sovereign, 10 che direction OF the Mi
nistry Of Foreign Affairs, has recently addressed TO
the Ministers OF France abroad, IN ter date Of May
Is, o circular oesp Itch. giving an account Of the
result of the labors of the Conference of Vienna
The Monifeur, 10 puhlis ing this diolomltic docu
mtpt informs US t1at IL serves as reply TO cir.
cular Of April %,
We appreciate ths advantage Of an exchange OF
ideas between Cabinets whose direct relations are
interrupted by war. To arrve at an understanding,
1t 10 useful thst they should explain tnsir notions As
to the objects Of ta.if difference and on The
Of aoust Ms Is. This end cannot be attained except
by searching discussion, by calm language. aud by
mutual desire Of explaining opinions without irri.
tation.
In this spirit We shall examine TIE circular of May
%, taking into account ths facts on whc the 20
Cabinets are OF accord, and lastly, pointing out
without equivocation those on which they differ Ia
opinion.
In the first place We are obliged to Count walew.
SKI for having "rscslifd the circumstances which
decided England aud France to lend thsmsalve, to
negotiations at ment when it appear ed that the
active pursuit Of The war ought to be the principal
object of their attention ana care"
At that very period che late Emperor, Nicholas T..
was dsvotiDg bis Efforts to the rses,ablishment OF
peace. The deep feeling of venera.ion which the
memory OF that great monarch inspirea in us, com.
manos TO claim tor him the glory OF having con-
secrated the last scts Of MS reign to laying the
bases Of general pscdca.ion, wnIlst France aad
England apps AIRED to he wholly engsgea as the des
patch Of May 70 tells US, Ia the care OF actively
carry ing on the war.
We accept this fact. II explains to us how II
happens that the deliberations OF Vienna, instead Of
opening at the comm ncement OK this yea, were
retarded to the 10Th OF March, period when the
return of spring about TO Impress ON the mill.
tsry opsratioos more decided activity. Under the
influence Of this absorbing idea, toe Penipotentla
ries Of France and Englsnd, It must be admitted,
boz at m 70 frrf Of
actively carrying on the wer must have been found
III manifest coatr adiction with the duty OF arriving
speedily at the conclusi IA OF reacs.y
Accordingly, we have had occasion to remark the
hesitation, not to say the extIe rep Ign wth
which Baron de B1ufqueney and Lofd Westmore-
land took part Ia the preliminary negodatio Is
which preceded the opening Of the formal Con-
feTences. One was tempted to believe that they
were negot a'jng in spite of themselves. We
regret that mo protocol was kept OF their pre-.
liminsry meetings. TIE represe natives Of France
and England toyk care to stamp them WITH the
Character Of purely verbal explanation. So
tue Is this that they believed IL incumbent on them
to c0nfne tbemselves to the mere reading of the
statement OF the four questions TO be taken into
elaboration. Baron de B0urqueney has given that
statement the name of aide vsemore (msmorandum).
The Minister of Russia adopted the same plan in
specifying on his side, the Four Points such as hs
accepted them, In the name Of his Court, a. lses
Of negotiation, reservipg the coming TO an under
standing upon their Interpretation until the official
opening Of the conference %.
These explanAtis ms having been deprived OF the
oatensible evidence Of written proof, the Cabinets
must rely on the good faith Of words verbally
exchanged between tnetr representatives. We grant
this confidence, and we demsnd it. Without calling
into doubt the CORE ctness OF the account made to
the French Cabinet by its representative, we, on
our part, must insist on the &C .uracy with which
the Minister Of Russia established his point OF
departure, BY declaring, at the outset Of the nsgo
tiation, that he would not consent to conditions
incompatible with the honor Of Russia.
The tact of this declaration of pPjnctoleR Ia n
matter of dispute. II vas repeated in writing at
the formal opening of the Conferences This act Of
political openness Indicated beforehand the imita a.
which the Russian plenipo.entiary must stop. We
need not apply to this declaration tine term o.
reservation" Such term applies to rights which
are liable to be Disputed. Those OF the Emperor are
not 80. On the contrary, the pleui potentiaries Of
France and EngIspd-we ere glad TO render them
this lDstics-were the frs. TO declare the intention
OF thcr Courts not 10 propose any condition. ipju
rious to the honor and dignity u Russia. We had
the same assurance repeated In the circular OF May
% il such IL the disposition OF the French cabinet
We feel some difficulty In explaining to ourselves
the aldor with winch II eudeavors 10 contrast its
views with TO thu Interpretation, in our be-
lief circulating ard equitable, given by our pisni.
pottn:isies 70 the fonr guarantees which form the
object OF the negotiations Of Vienna.
Court Walevski, passing them In review, begins
by placing doubt on the advantages which Moi.
davia and Waliachia ose 10 the intervention Of
Russia. "The system OF administrative indepeud-
cnce Of these Pructpaites, II has beSn too far for
gotten, In his opipion, ~ss not recent conquest,
but the result OF an agreement freely concluded
centuries sgo, and only altered since tas day when
the Hospodars, during the wars Of the eighteenth
century began TO bod more with Russia than with
tie Sublime Porte y
To appreciate the correctness of this statement
II will sufficient sketch the picture of tue con-
oition to which the Danubian Provinces were
reduced under the rule OF the agreement freely
concluded with the Porte centu lies ago. IN virtue
OF their ancient conventions. IL was the agreement
which subsists between the oppressor and tue op.
pressed. And this was the result the Hospodlrs
had ceased 70 be taken from the Aolda-
visn and Wallschian nobility; the Porte
selected them fson among the Greek families
OF ConstsntiDople, Distinguished for t1eir
merit, but even more illustrous still from
their misfortunes. At time exile a. another the
axe brought their career TO close. Under the con.
slant terror OF disgrace the princes Of Holdavia and
Wsllachia purchase precarious existence by the
uncessing ransom they paid to the cupldsy Of the
egents OF rower at Co5stan.inople. The buftnen OF
those sacrifices ultDately rested wholly on the
county The riches OF its coil no lolger belonged
to IL. They were A. the mercy OF the Ouom IN trea
tnry. The Porte provided Tor the supply Of tho
makets Of ito capital q. the Princ.pslties. The
Turkish merchants purchased grain, cattle and tim
Der at fixed price, arbitrarily established At Con.
staninople, below the va.ue Of the articles demAod
ed The Pacbas Of TIE Danube fortress also exsoted
provisions, labor and services Of all kinds. Com.
merce vas not tree in any part OF tne interior and
external trade was sill less tree; for the Porte In
order TO augment the ab1sdance OF the resources
winch IL dleW EIUm tBe DshHDihh pfUVihccs
prohibited the expectation Of grsia. Toe Turks
sarrisoned at Brasla and Gurgevo had
forciby expelled the ascispt psopriesors
and stripped them OF their property. Toese
Beschs, tbe guard Of honor Of ths Princes were the
matters OF Bucharest and Js&y. Toe Ho,oodas,
degraded from their rank, had descended 10 the
humilisting pert Of farmers Of the rnvenue exh&us
ing the country for the profit Of the Ottoman
treasury. Under this deplorable administratios,
the venafty Of the public Offices. systematically
pfactised, completed the aemorAiisstion and
wretchecness Of the people There Wa left but one
ecourre more for the Turkish rule 10 introduce.
That was tne plsTue. II has frequently preyailedin
the Prncipsltes, and remarkably 80 a. the
ertraace Of our troops a. The ctrmercsuAni Qf The