The Portland daily press., 1870-11-21
cI1l I5ll11SS
Monday Morning, November III lofo'
peaee or War,

The latest news from Europe up 10 last eve
n;nc vos not unite so warlike as that of the
few DAVIS precedipg There are some things
indicating that the Russian frebrand, which
has Just been hurled with the same effect as
the apple of discord had at the feast of the
gods, will not only fail to excite general Eu-
ropean war but will lead to the speedy cessa-
ton of the hostilities now in progress. It is
possible, and at this moment quite probable,
that Gortschakoff's despatch announcing that
Russia will no longer be bound by the treaty
of 1855, SO far4as that document excludes its
navy from the Black Sea, will lead to Con-
gress of the European powers at which the
eastern question" will be settled once more
and France and Prussia will be induced to
suspend their conflict. 1t is the opinion of
Secretary Fish that this will be the result of
the correspondence now going on among the
great powers, and the government journal at
st. Petersburg announces that Russia is will
ing to submit its case 10 a European Con-
gress. There are many more pacific irdica-
tions of which the following are the more i'm
portant.
-
Vienna state that Austria and Italy have not
yet taken any steps toward becoming parties
to an alliance against Russia. The former is
too much troubled about the safety of its
Danubian dependencies, and the latter is too
much occupied with the perplexities and dam
gers incident to removing the seat of govern
ment from Florence TO Rome to regard war an
agreeable pastime. Besides, both of them are
heavily in debt, and Italy has troublesome
democratic element among its people that is
always ready to take advantage of the difficult
ties of the government.
The warlike reply Of Granville, the English
foreign minister, to the Russian demand has
not met with that approval with either the
government or people of Great Britain which
was at first anticipated. Queen Victoria, so
far as she has any influence, gives it, as usual,
in favor of peace. Among her many negative
virtues she has this positive one,-having
deeply lamented the loss of her own husband,
she has humane sympathy for her country
men who are in danger of losing theirs. Nor
is the Gladstone ministry by any means unan-
imous in desiring to resist Russian en-
croachments by arms. Many of its most in
fuential members, like Mr.. Lowe, Chancellor
of the Exchequer, are for peace at almost any
price. The CrImean war, which was of no
considerable advantage to Great Britain, cost
a hundred thousand men and half a billion
dollars. John Bull can hardly afford to add
anything to national debt already larger
than our own.
Turkey is also in bad condition for war
Besides the Sultan's chronic quarrel with his
uneasy and ambitious vassal, the Viceroy of
Egypt, the former magnate is in great danger
OF having to contend, in the event OF war,
with an instruction against his nominal au-
thority in the Danubian Princir alities, Rou-
mania, Moldavia and Wallachia, now united
under one government at the head of which is
Prince Charles of Hohenzollern, brother of
Prince Leopold who was the immediate cause
of the war now raging between France and
Prussia.
France, of course is in situation to do
nothing more than occupy the attention of
the Prussians in case they should be disposed
to make common cause with Russia.
1t is evident, then, that all the powers that
are commonly spoken Of as likely to unite
against Russia are in situation to find peace
much more desirable than war. Moreover,
second despatch of Gortschakoff to the Rus
sian minister at London reiterates with great
emphasis the statement that the purposes of
his government are entirely peaceful, and that
it has a common interest with England in
maintaining the existence of the Ottoman
Empire. He insists that Russia means no
more than is indicated in the letter of her de-
mand that the treaty of 1856 be annulIed so
far as it shuts the Cars navy out of the
Black Sea. And here the Russian statesman
is very plausible. The Euxine is on the South
ern border of Russia, and the hard contract
wrung from her in the hour of her defeat and
humiliation is like one by which our own
country should bind itself to send no naval
vessel into the Gulf of Mexico. 1t is with
great effect, therefore, that Gortschakoff says,
England would never consent to leave the
security of its coasts to the mercy of an agree
ment that is no longer respected" The in
stances cited by the Russian government of
violations of the treaty by the other powers
that were parties to it are extremely trivial,
but the hardship of the case the Car regards
as his justification in making the most of
them.