The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-12-07
Ti7E TRUCE IN THE EAST.

THE TRUCE IN THE EAST.
Many persons regarded the courageous words
Of Earl Granviles first utterances on the
Black Sea question as buster believing that
England would not fight for an idea, even
though that idea involved her suprem acy in
the Indies. 1t is a popular belief, in this
country at least, that the nation of shop
keepers Is nation of towards. This may or
may not be so, according to ones stand
point. The paramount interests of Great
Britain are of such o peculiar character, and
the relations of the home government to
many of the territories which it rules are of
such a delicate and dangerous nature, that a
foreign war involves a degree of peril that
must bo averted, even at the occasional ex-
pense of national dignity. In short, England
cannot afford to fight, and if this be
cowardioe, she is the most arrant of towards
But. happily for her and the peace of the
world, Earl Granville has found loophole
expansive and elastic enough to suffer him
to creep through without entirely drawing in
his horns. In the name of her Majestys
aovernment-snd in this case, for rarity,
her Majesty is supposed to have had SO ne
thing to say about the business-ths noble
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs has mo
objection to accept the invitation which has
been made by Russia to a conference, upon
the understanding that it assemble without
any foregone conclusion as to its result In
suoh case" Earl Granville continues. Cher
Majestys Government will be glad to con-
slider, with perfect fairness and the respect
due to great and friendly power, any pro.
posals which Russia may have to make" The
remainder of his answer to Prince Gortscha-
koff's second note, the full text of which
reached US yesterday, is equally ooncliatory
in tone Earl Granville tenders as a compro-
mise the acknowledgment that Russia has
the right to ''form and state an opinion as
to her own privileges, and simply demands
in return that she shall delay action in con-
formity with this ''opinion" until she has con-
suited the other powers. Constituting Prince
Gortsehakoff's tender of a conference as
equivalent TO such an admission, Earl Gran
vile declares the obstacles to friendly rela-
tons removed, and the preliminary contro-
vsrsy which at one time threatened the peace
of Europe, as far as Europe has any peace, as
practically closed.
And 80 there is to be no appeal to the
sword-at least, not until the representatives
of the great powers have talked the matter
over ia London. 1t is well that it is so; and,
despite the grievances which this country en-
tertains at the hands of Great Britain, no
true American, indeed no true man, will re-
gret the prospect of peaceful solution of
the whole trouble. Taking into consideration
the temper and interests of the English peo-
IL hoo Ja1
the preliminary flourish remarkably we'll. He
has compelled Russia to acknowledge her
obligations to regard and consult the wishes
of the powers which were co-signatary to the
Treaty OF Paris, and on the strength of this
admission he is content, and adroitly ignores
the possibilities of the future. But Russia
has gained rather than lost by this
graceful concession. She has at
last, after submitting for fourteen
years to the humilisting conditions of the
treaty of 1856, had the audacity to Storm and
state her own opinion of her rights, and
Great Britain, as leader and spokesman of
the antagonistio powers, has acknowledged
her right to SO Storm and state such an
opinion, on the sole condition that the course
she has taken be regarded ''as an abrogation
Oh Vn0Of0uCat princlpie Wltnoul lmme meulato
application" II ''the Man of Sedan" were
still upon the throne of France, the ''abroga-
tioR of Theoretical principle, even without
Immediate application, would have
been resented with as much
fury and futility as he resented
the ''check and menace" of Prince Leopold S
eandidature for the throne of Spain. Rus
sia wisely deferred to estate" the opinions
which she doubtless formed years ago, until
the folly of Napoleon made it comparatively
safe for her to de so; and she can now
patiently and proftably await the assembling
Of the conference before insisting on an
Immediate application" of the 'abrogation
of theoretical principle" which has been
obnoxious to her for years. The result OF
the conference is, of course, foregone con
elusion, although Earl Granville insists that
it shall not be so considered. Russia, hAv
ing startled Europe by forming aud sta
ting her own opinion of her rights, will be
suffered TO enforce and enjoy them, aud thai
will loo the end of it.