New-York tribune., 1870-11-17
THE RUSSIAN DEMAND.
FULL TEXT OF PRINCE GoRTsCHAKoff's
NOTE.

FULL TEXT OF PRINCE GORTsCHAhofr
NOTE.
, rusrorY OF THE TREATY OF PARls-lNfhAO'
rIoNs Ry OTHER PowERs-wHY 1T SHOULD
re ABRoGATED BY RUSSIA.
nY TELEGRAPH TO THB TRBUNEI
LONDON, wednesday, Nov le, 1870
-, .,no,v;,, ia the fll text of Gortschakofi's
~ 2lar:
co,sehokoT 10 Baron B,anRow. communicated 70 o'""-
-Ue by BrRnR0ig. Nor. @
'"' " "TzarsKoB sEIo, Oct. 10, 1870
.,n.-. ,rbo s,ccessive alterations which the
corpromises considered TO be the tounua'ion oA 'n'
.,;',lrinm of Europe have in these last years un-
- hove OBLIGED the Imperial Cabinet
- ova,,;ne the influence upon the political
..;t;o, of Russia resulting therefrom. Among these
,,r,r,ises that which interests uS most directly,
;. r,o +rs.ty of the lsth-Shh March, 1856. The
,-.ciol convention between the two Powers border
IN the Black sea annexed 10 This treaty. contains
-, o,oaycr,eut on the part of Russia to limit her
,oval forces to inconsiderable dimensions In re-
t,o this treaty oaerad her the principle of the neu-
tralizatiou OF that sea.
In ne view of the signatory Powers this prin-
,irle was to remove all possibility of conflict,
~rhetber between the Powers bordering the Black
Sea or between them and the Maritime Powers. 1t
os 70 increase the number Of territories called by
,be unanimous agreement of Europe 10 enjoy the
benefits OF neutrality, and go to protect Russia her
self from al danger Of aggressioDs.
The experience Of fifteen years has proved that
This principle, upon which depends the security OF
10 whole cAtcnt Of the frontiers Of the RusSan
1,ure in .lis direction rests only on theory. In
faoi while Russia, disaTmed in the Black Sea, has
even lv declaration recorded in the protocols Of
Ior dom
oft-',nq efficient measures of maritime defense in
ii.e adjacent seas and ports, Turkey preserved the
night of keeping up unlimited naval forces IN the
lr,Liael1go and the Strata, France and England
.served the power If concentrating their squadrons
il tle Mediterranean.
Moreover. hy the terms Of the treaty, the en-
trance 70 the BLACK Sea is formally and forever pro-
hiitsd 10 n e faC Of war, whether of the Riparian
Powers or any other Power. But by virtue OF The
Ccpv,uticn called the Straits Convention, the pas
s,ge through these Straits is closed TO flags OF war
only in time of peace II results from this contra
dctior that the coasts OF the Russian Empire remain
oxr,-,6 TO al agC~essons even the part ot less
raiycrl States a. they possess naval forces
10 -v,Ch Russia gould he able 20 oppose Only IL"
vessels Of small dimensions.
"Ths treaty of 1Stb-3'.h March, 1856, moreover
basun cscaped the attractions TO which most Of the
presence Of which il would be difficult to affirm that
written law founded upOn respect for treaties as
base Of public law aud rule for the relations bo,weeI
States has preserved the same moral sanction WhlcL
il Nay have Lad in other times.
We have SCI the Principalities Of Moidavia and
Nailachia. the fate Of which had been fixed by the
treaty. o. peace and by the subsequent protocols
rrlar he guarantee Of the Great Powers, effect a
rarc Of revolutions contrary 10 the spirit as TO
r.. letter of these compromises and which led them
f-y. 70 union then TO the spmmon;ng Of foreign
u,i-ee. These events occurred with the consent OF
DE Porte and tie acgUirscence of the Great Powers,
e. least " ithout The latter having thought IT
nre.ssary to make their DEGREES respected.
The representative Of Russia was the only one
o iae his voice TO point cut TO the Cabinets that
l this liberation they would put themselves IN con-
rradcton 10 the explicit stipulations Of the treaty
Beycnd doubt If these concessions, granted TO one
of the Christian nationalites of the East, had re-
srlted from a g1ial understanding between
tse Cabinets and the Porte, by virtue
If prnciple applicable to the whole of the Chris
tian populations Of Turkey the Imperial Cabinet
would have had r.ilng to do bat applaud. But
they were exclusive.
The ILrerial Cabinet then could not but
bc struck with the fact that it had been posi-
be 20 infringe with iripuIity the treaty OF
1875 bat fev years after its concln
sion. in no # il essential clauses, IL
the face p, tle .7eat mhlod in conference
p .qris and Iepreecrt a - Whole. the high col
y-...e q.tho,ity upon Which rested the peace o.
..- East This Infraction was no5 the only
ere. At several intervals and unde
various rrctexts, the entrance to The stritI
has bee oorcd to foreign Slips of war, and that
the Black Sea 70 whole squadrons the presence O
With was violation Of the character OF absolute
peutraIitv ascribcd TO these waters"
se dsr dpstcA had res'l Us at tie tine o. son
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