Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1855-02-07
THE RUSSIAN MYSTERY.

rate GfSpot consent 10 make pence upon us trIatS
Or eposed By the Allies? Why should the Gar,
whose posi,i,n IS stronger, ard whose enemies
weaker than at sny time during the war, consent
10 ,ecede from sill his demands and retire from the
contest upon ter ms dictated by his enemies? The
late news ia alone susceptible to cur minds Of the
sentc1 which follows:
Let us see what are the "ionr points"
What IL the construction pnt upon them by the
Alies2
What would be tie practical result OF peace
made upon the basis reported According 10 orr
memory, the four points are substantially these:
|. Russia must abandon her protectorste Of the
Danubisn Christians
.. Russia having disturbed the balance Of power
by certain international treaties made since 1911,
shall rescind these treaties so far they may con-
traveue the political equilibrium OF Europe.
g. The navigation Of the Black Sea shall be open
to sill nations, as heretofore, Russia retaining her
proprietary and political rights upon its shores.
A. There shall be council or Joint commission
appointed by the European powers, which shall
prescribe the terms upon which the navigation OF
the Danube shall be conducted
But these guarantees have been qualified by the
construction which follows
The Russian protectorate is to be substituted by
co-protectorate Of religious rights, to be guaran
teed by all the contracting powers. The navigation
Of the best pass of the Danube now under excu-
SlFe cOutTOl Vi Is W Dt Optil W
commercial Europe upon the same terms. The
general agreement Of European nations not enter
the Black Sea- having resulted in the exclusive con-
troll of that sea by Russia and Turkey, the treaty Of
the Dardanelles shall be, 10 that extent repealed
But the most important condition, to our mind,
and the one which bears most distinctly upon the
rumored acceptance of the terms by Russia, is that
which provides that any advantage resulting from
the war to either of the belligerents, shall be held
hot G,rx l-a,,
with which the Russian Minister has accepted the
terms heretofore rejected with such contempt by
Russia. He did not await even the expiration Of
the fourteen days delay demanded by himself
We viii proceed to offer our explanation of this
| acceptance 1t will be based upon nductive rea-
soning, and will show that peace is probable, unless
the Allies shall back out from their own PROPOSE
tons. This their anxiety to make peace will proba-
blypreyent. So we consider that the reasoning is
| decidedly in favor Of peace. Our theory is this
| Russia made this war to add 10 her dominions
substantial acquisition upon the Danube She has
restored the prestige Of her arms furnished by
| ingorions campaign with the Turks. Let Us see if
she will GAIN under our Interpretation of the treaty
the advantages which she proposed to herself at
| the beginning of the war; Our readers will have
noticed that Russia has re-crossed the Danube
repulsed Turkish army, and was in possession of
two or three important points in the contested pro-
vinces. They will have seen also that Sebastopol
still resisted the besegers; and that there very
little probability that the latter could do more than
sustain themselves against the Russian army. If
| these rumors be true, what would be the probable
status of the belligerents if peace shall be made
Russia will have maintained the integrity of her
Empire. She will have occuped-perhsps over
run--the whole of the Danubian provinces She
will be guaranteed in this possession under the
terms prescribed by the Allies When, in the month
Of August last the Allies insisted that each power
should hold on, after peace TO whatsoever advan-
tages it should have acquired during the war-the
Russian army had fallen into universal contempt -
The Russian fleet had been destroyed. The allied
| armies advanced under union Of two powers,
either of which had been considered irresistible
Public sentiment was in favor of vigorous and
| decisive war. Capital unlocked its strong boxes
commerce spread its sails, glory unfurled its ban
ners and emulation waved its incentives. The
spirit OF the Crusaders had revived in Europe
| Certainly" then said the Allies, "we now 60 to
| conquest" If we are required to make peace we
must hold all we have taken as indemnity. But all
| this has chsnged--"snd what change" The ele-
ments have departed from their usual neutrality,
and fought for Russia. Incompetent leaders, insane
councils, and insufficient supplies, have paralysed
the Allies. Instead Of having .the world in a
swing" they would be glad to get away from the
! invaded country. And at this instant or within
any reasonable period hereafter, peace concluded,
would find, not the Allies but Russia, in posses
| sion Of the most valuable advantages, to which,
under the construction Of the triumphant Allies she
| would be entitled
If this news be tfue-and we reason upon it as
either true or false in all its crcumstances-Russia
| will have given up the pseudo protectorate of the
| Greek religion for the guaranteed title to or
| less Of the Danubian Provinces She will have
| opened the navigation of the Danube to her own
| riparian commerce in the conquered provinces She
will have opened the mare clatlSlnq of the Black
Sea- and given the navies of Europe free ticket TO
Ssbastopol, with the right of exercising their sea-
men and testing their transports in the destructive
| storms of that sea of which it has been said
"Theres not q the traveller eer pukes in
Turns up more dangerous breakers than the Euxne."
To recapitulste, Russia will gain
/. The renown ofhaving rePused the best troops
| in the world.
q The guarantee of Europe for the possession Of
the Danubian provinces in whole or in part.
J. Having shown that she guard the Black
Sea- it will be thrown open to all who dare enter it.
4. She can control the Danube by erecting an
other Sebastopol upon its banks
| We ventured the prediction some weeks since,
| that there would be "a peace within two months.
Candor requires US to say, that this prediction was
| based on the belief that the Allies would be COM
| PEELED to reorganize or withdraw their armies We
| still believe them anxious TO make peace. If our
theory be correct that the Gar mas, by coup de
main, seized upon the Danubian principalties
communicated his advantages and purposes to his
Minister at Vienna and authorized the treaty to be
| closed upon the terms prescribed in August last
we shall not only believe the autOcrat in earnest
but give him credit for a skill i'll war aud diplomacy
worthy of Napoleon himself. Assuming, then. the
rumors to he all true anticipate aeace for these
reasons:
l. The Allies want pTetext for peace.
2 Russia will have gained all that she sought by
the war.
s. Both parties having agreed, will, upon the
slightest pretext, pounce upon Turkey and having
torn off the feathers of Gambia and Egypt, will
indemnify themselves for all trouble by iisembow-
cling and dsmembeing her.
The partition of Turkey viii be accomplished
upon the same principle with that of Poland. We
shall see.-Balttmore Patriot
CATHOLIC EMANCIPATION IN ENGLAND.
The Catholic Emancipation movement in Great
Britain has always been considered in this country
as the triumph Of justice and liberal principles over
oppression and bigotry During the long series Of
years it was in progress, it underwent thorough
investigation. No one will suspect that the Estab-