The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-02-15
foreign 5ffairs.
THE NEGOTIATIONS.


In the Russian note of the 26th of August
Count Nesselrode, after having stated that the
Gar felt bound to refuse his acceptance to the
four conditions of peace offered by the West
ern Powers, because of their being inconsistent
with the dignity and vital interest of Russia,
then adds, "if, however, Russia, by the force
OF unexpected circumstances, should ever be
compelled to accept these conditions, such an
acceptance, on her part, would be far from Sc
curing the peace of Europe, but rather leave it
forever exposed to continual Implications"
Nevertheless, on the 9th instant, Prince Gort-
schakof received from st. Petersburg a tele-
graphic dispatch, ordering him to enter into ne
gotiations upon the basis of those very four
conditions, enter dams la discussion DIES quatre
poants;") and on the following day, in a con-
ference with Count Buol and the Ambassadors
OF France and England, the Russian negotia-
tor accepted those four conditions, as bases of
farther negotiations. 1t would hence appear
that the Gar has found himself compelled to
submit to what he deems incompatible ,cnh the
dignity and interest of Russia, and ready to
conclude peace which his Chancellor has
represented as insecure, because exposed to
new entanglements, probably meant to be pro-
NOTED by Russia herself
Indeed, the proud Nicholas must feel greatly
embarrassed, when submitting to conditions
which he has caused beforehand to be repre-
sented an unbecoming his honor to accept, and
as necessarily leading to the renewal of the
war. An acceptance of the four conditions is
the more humiliating, as the third of these pre-
scribes revision of the treaty Kutschuk Kahn
ardshi of l84l, in order to promote the equilib-
rum of Europe, and with the design of put
ting check to the preponderance of Russia in
the Black Sea. {" Revision du traite de l84I,
dams le sens de requili6re Europien ct auec k
but de meter an frein d Ia preponderance de la
Russie dams le Mer Noire")
But Inundated as Russia is by the defeats of
her armies, and dismayed as she might feel at
seeing her old ally, Austria, about to unite her
forces with those of the Western Powers, she
is, however, not yet in such desperate condi-
ton as to be compelled to submit to peace
imposing upon her the remuneration of her high
aspirations, and attaching to her the disgrace
of having yielded without resistance worthy
of her ancient renown and of her supposed
power and courage.
The acceptance of the four conditions, on the
part of the Gar, is therefore, even if done IN
.torma purissin,a as reported, to be looked upon
only as an attempt at making the Western
Powers responsible before the world for pro-
longation of the war; at sowing the seed of dis
cord between Austria, France, and England :;
and at preventing Prussia and the minor States
of Germany from aiding Austria, should she
resolve to take actual part with the Western
Powers, and thus involve herself in war with
Russia. Indeed, do not hesitate confidently
to predict that the Car will never sign a
peace based upon the four conditions, as inter-
preted by France and England, without being
compelled to do so by a series of the most san.
culinary defeats.
The call which Austria has made upon Prus-
STA and the other members of the German Con-
federation, to hold their contingents ready for
affording her assistance, has already met with
refusal, on the part of Prussia, for the alleged
reason that Austria is threatened with no in
tended invasion of her territory by Russia. 1t
is also reported that Austria has received a
similar answer from Saxony and Wurtemberg,
and a rather evasive, though not positively mega
tive one from Bavaria.
By the alliance which Sardinia has concluded
with France and England, she has bound her.
self to send $4,000 troops to the Crimea, to be
transported thither in French and English
ships, but to be supported at the expense of
Sardinia.
Negotiations are now going On in Stockholm
and Copenhagen, on purpose of inducing the
Scandinavian Powers to abandon their neutral-
ty, and join, at the beginning of the spring, a
certain number of land troops and sea forces,
with those to arrive from France and England
in order to invade the Russian Provinces on the
Baltic, and reduce Sweaborg and Cronstadt.
1t is somewhat difficult, as yet, to predict the
result of those negotiations; but there are many
reasons leading to the conclusion that the
Western Powers will obtain the alliance of the
Scandinavian kingdoms, and thus be enabled to
direct against Russia a blow which might lay
her PROSTATE at their feet. DIoGENEs.
Berlin, Jan. Is, 1855.