Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1855-06-03
DETAILS or THE AMERICAS NEWS.
TIE VIENNA CONFERENCE.

OF the proceedings ofthe Vienna Conference, as pre-
scented to Parliament:
The papers relating to the negotiations at Wen
ma on the Eastern question, which were presented |
to the British Parliament, are confined to the Oh
fetal protocols and memoranda Of these celebrated |
conferences but these papers contain full and ar
thentc record Of the propositions mace by the sew
eral powefs on this occasion, OF the arguments by |
which they were eventually defeated. We at once |
sssert that it is impossible 10 rise from the perusal
of these documents without conviction that the |
Russian ministers were throughout playing dis |
honest game that tue acceptance OF the four points
by Russia was a mere pretence, and that the coun-
ter proposition which was at last made on behalf |
of the cabinet Of st. Petersburg was positively In
smiling TO the other powers of Europe from its ab
surdity These opinions, expressed IN more court
" and reserved language are the same with which |
Count Buol terminated the proceedings Of the con- |
ference Without, however, entering at present |
unon full discussion of these proposals, we shall |
first put our readers in possession Ola summary OF
the transactions ss they occurred
The conference was opened at Vienna on the 10th |
Of March by q speech from Count Buol, who was
unanimously placed in the Chair. This address |
>yas an ex.ortaiion 10 peaceful and conciIatory |
sentiments among the peupotentiaries; bntIt con-
tanned the important declaration that THE Emperor
of Austria had made up his mind on the indIspen- |
sable conditions of peace and that nothlng-not |
even the most serious cOnsequenees-woud pre- |
vent his majesty from scrupulously adherlug to the
arrangement which he had contracted with his al |
lies" These conditions are the well known four |
points which had been communicated to the Rus |
sian envoy, who declared that he adhered 10 all
the principles laid down Gncluding the putting an
end 10 the Russian preponderance in the Black
Sea ! and was ready to adopt them az point Of |
departure for the negotiations This definition was
agreed to by France and England, who remarked
that these principles were to be regarded as be-
yond discussion and that the application of them
alone remained TO be determined. The order OF
the discussion was then fixed to tale,-l, the Dan
ubian municipalities; 2 the navigation OF the Dan
nbe. 8 the limitation Of the power Of Russia in the
Rlac Sea and the status of the Christian sui ects
OF the Porte
The Russian ministers iifter an Intellectual at
lot 10 obtain tie admission OF Prussia to the
,;anerence) cons nc to the complete and peima-
The abroeaton Of the treaties formerly existing on
.s.ubect of the principaities between Russia and
fufkey and the future condition OF those provinces
1ss 10 be settled by solemn act of the Porte, pro
yr;,pg for the maintenance ofall the privileges and
liberties of the Moldo Walachians and the Servians
1nder the amicable sanction Of the Great Powers.
All exclusive protection was to be abolished, and
tba Russian Observation-Disclosures showed singular but
lsud8be zeal that the franchises Of the people in
these nrovuces should in nowise be abridged
The definite arrangement Of q scheme for the ad-
minstration of the principaities was referred to
committee, which was to wait for further instruc-
tons from Constantnop!e.
The question of the Danube navigation was 10
like manner settled without much difficulty. Rus
eis protested that she had never contested or op-
rosed the commercial freedom of the river and
that the obstacles which had arisen proceed from
natural causes only: to which remark Baron Pro-
kesch dryly replied that although he IN no respect
questioned the good intentions OF the RUSSIAN gov
eminent on this subject, it unfortunately happened
w ~ var XCItb
her profession. Encouragement eventually agreed
upon, provided that the principles established in
1917 with reference to the other navigable rivers
Of Europe should be applied TO the Danube and
guaranteed by all the powers, and that commits
sion of all the Great Powers should oe appointed
10 take all the necessary steps Tor opening and pro-
tecting the free navigation OF the river. Russia
agreed not TO re-establish her quarantine on the
S1lina mouth and that 10 fortifCations should be
erected between the channels OF Suina and 81
George.
On the 26th CT March, the p'enipotenteries ar
rived at the discussion of the third point upon
which Count Biol proposed that the ministers Of
Russia and of Turkey should in the first Instance
h.. reauested to state respectively to the Confer
ence the means by which they proposed TO give
efiAct to this general proposition. This courteous
y,ronosition was assented to by France and Eng
land but declined by Prince Gortschakoh,i who
s+sted that lie was not in condition To take the
,oant was then agreed upon for the purpose OF al
LOVING time for Ali Pasli to arrive from CONSTANT
,,on!a NJ Drown de L Hugs from Paris and furth-
n distinctions from St Petersburg Austria urged
The ovnediency of proceeding in this interval of
time to the discussion Of the fourth point, and hus-
81. strongly supported this opinion, but The french
aud Enolish envoys were ordered by their respec-
i've Governments to abstain from discussing The
loet noint until the third had been settled.
on the 18th of April. after an interruption o! Is
DAVIS the Conference resumed, IN order to learn
The result of the reference 10 st Ietersonrg-
Prince Gortschskoif at once declined to accept the
offer made to him at the former meeting ana 10
originate any propo'ab but he aoded, thaC husSa
>ras prepared TO take into her serious consideration
anv means that might be proposed, provided they
were not oe a nature TO infringe on the rights oil
savereiontv Of the Emperor OF Russia IN hls own
,lo,ninions'' Upon the announcement, NJ Drcuyn
De L'Huys (who was now present. expressed ms
rarret that after eighteen days delay the l'ass'ah
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS had no better communication TO
make to this Conference; he therefore proposed
that the allied powers should immediately meet 70
,sree upon ar,Foposiliou; ard he ended by asking
whether Russia would consider her right OF sover-
eighty infiuged if she deprived herself OF the no
erty Of building an unlimited number OF ships OF
war on the Black Sea-
To this home question Prince GOrischalof re-
Piled that Russia would rot consentto the strength
OF her navy being restricted to any fixed number
either by treaty or any other means. As this de-
claration virtually settled the main question, and
terminated the negotiation in few days, it is need
less for US in this place to pursue the arguments
which were adduced for and against the principle
of limitation although they well deserve an aten-
five consideration. Ii is OF more immediate IN
terest TO observe the conduct Of Russia to the end
of the transaction.
In addition to the cessation Of the naval prepon-
derancs of Russia IN the Black Sea- the third point
was to provide for closer connection between
the Ottoman empire and the general system OF
Elrope To effect this arrangement, clause was
drawn M by NJ Drouyu de LHuys, which bound
ali the powers to respect the independence
and territorial integrity Of the Ottoman en-