The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-06-14

that have since appeared, representing the
Car as q sort of demigod, sitting apart, in in
accessible recesses, invulnerabe, unconuuera-
BILE, looking down defanty upon the puny eff.
forts of the Allies, the result of all whose pres
emit efforts, it says, "can be nothing else but to
destroy Turkey, but not to cripple Russia"
We do not impute the extraordinary change
in the position and tone of the Tribune to the
wiles of that Diplomacy, which it had just ex-
posed so clearly The habit which some jour
nalsts have of assigning every Inconsistency
to corrupt motive, is an eXecrable one.
There is nothing in the character or the cir
cumstances of the Tribune to excuse such an
imputation. But, we do say, frankly, that all
the Russian Ministers and Consuls in this
country put together, could not have done so
much to embitter the Public Mind against
England and France, SO much to disafect it to
their side of the pending struggle, so much to
propitiate it in favor of Russia, and reconcile
it to the triumph of Russian Despotism, as the
| Tribune has done since the 23d of May, 1854.
Before closing this review of the course of
that influential paper, we cannot forbear point
ing out characteristic inconsistency, perhaps
attributable to the fact that, while it claims to
| be regarded as an impersonal unit, score of
persons contribute to its editorial columns
For example; February 24th, 1854, in a brief
article on the Regeneration of Turkey speak
ing of the treaty with England for the admis-
sion of her products at three per cent. duty, it
says:
"This is what has done the most to emascu-
late and overthrow the Turkish Power" X
If the Ottoman Empire is ever to regain
/ truly respectable position, it must be through
a reversal of this fatal policy"
Russia, it says, has gained, because for forty
years she has had the benefit of protective
policy. turkey has sunk in the scale, be-
cause she has pursued an opposite course, and
! has allowed her Manufactures to be annihila-
ted, and surrendered her markets to the prod
ucts of Birmingham and Manchester"
off the Sultan could lay heavy imposts on
| English and French goods, and build up the
! industry of his own country, he might perhaps
save himself
This may be called the Tariff theory of the
| rise and fall of nations. On the 9th of March
! following, the Tribune, ignoring this theory,
! breaches the religious view. The decay of
! Turkey is attributed alone to the Koran and
its influence on character; and the only remedy
! is, not protection, not heavy imposts on French
and English goods-but the "aJrogation ot'Me
! Koran"
"Such is the present state of Turkey-one
of hopeless decay, which can only be reformed
| by an mpossibility-namely by the abroga-
ton Of the Koran, and tie Substitution of
| christianity an ITS place."
| Enough-the Tribune is inconsistent; for it
! is many-headed. The Tribune was against
Russia, Russian aggression, Russian policy,
Russian absorption of Turkey, until May %,
1854. Now, it does not desire the success of
the Allies it does desire the success of Russia ;
it praises the Despotism of Russia, on the
ground that it is meliorating in its conquests !;
and it is for the absorption of Turkey by Rus
STA, measure, it says, which would do good
to itself and its victim, good to Germany, Italy,
France, and England, and promote civilization
generally. Last year, it prayed that the Gar
might receive chastisement; this year, it hopes
that he may be crowned with triumph!
We leave it to reconcile itself with itself.