The New York herald., 1870-11-17

4
utmost importance. They have not been
equalled In their profound Significance to the
peace of the world since the announcement OF
the French ultmatum in the Spanish throne
dispute with Prussia in July last. Indeed,
they take far wider range and involve even
more portentous consequences.
| This time the ''stern alarum" of war comes
from London and st. Petersburg, and the
general European crash foreshadowed in
these columns for some weeks past seems
| at length close at hand. Yesterday the
British Ministry in Cabinet Council resolved
to act promptly and decisively in reference
to the note of the Russian government
announcing its determination to disavow the
further observance Of the treaty of Paris dating
March 80, 1856, as it now stands. AT the
same time orders were issued for the recall of
every British vessel Of war that could be
spared from outlying posts and foreign stations,
at Portsmouth and all the depots In the United
Kingdom ring with "the dreadful note of
preparation a powerful feet is getting ready
to sail with all possible despatch for the
Mediterranean. At the same moment we
learn directly from our special correspondents
in st. Petersburg that unexampled naval and
military activity prevails in all the arsenals
and ports Of Russia. The acquisitions for 81
amount to double the totals for the past year,
and the preliminary work is pushed with
unremitting energy and secrecy. In word,
the ''best informed circles" at London con-
slider war between Great Britain and her
allies whoever they may prove to be, on the
one side, and the Muscovite empire on the
other as unavoidable.
With this startling announcement, backed
by the most positive statements from authori-
tatve and reliable sources before us, it may
be well to consider for an instant the exact
sfipulations of the famous treaty in question,
the revision Of which the Czar specially
demands
Article eleven of that treaty reads as fol-
lows N't
The Black Sea is declared neutral and although ID
remains open to the merchant marine OF all nations
It's waters and Its ports are formally and perpetu-
of rhatt,o
nations whose territory Is bathed by this sea or to
,iher nations.
ARTICLE H. The Black Sea being thus neutralized,
russia and Turkey mutually engage to neither con-
truct nor maintain any arsenal naval or military,
,pon the shores OF that sea.
1t is very evident that these stipulations were
It the very outset hard and humiliating for
russia, because she could neither strengthen
er seriously compromised control in her
outhern provinces bordering on the Black
ga by necessary Notifications and military
epots, nor even rebuild her shattered strong
olds at Sebastopol. Her mercantile feet in
hose waters was but myth, and at the start
he had less than dozen small steamers to
epresent her naval power. However, warned
y the terrible catastrophe of the Cri-
lean war. she has bestirred herself with
sverish energy to repair damages aud
evelop the resources Of the South She has
trengthened and extended her inland and |
larine trade in that direction, and 1t |
) rumored that the number Of her |
teamers there-most of them iron-clad-has
increased to three score. She has cultivated the
most friendly relations with the Persian Shah,
With whom her high official agents had a
ormal and imposing conference last spring on
he banks Of the Caspian, aud she has, in
Inc, taken all possible precautions to avail
herself at the earliest favorable opportunity Of
any chance to abrogate, or at least revise,
that threw all the advantages
against her. This chance comes now at the
when the Powers who guaranteed the
treaty are preoccupied with their own
afIairs-France with overwhelming military
disaster; Austria with political reconstruction
and military recovery from the downfall OF
1866; Italy with Rome and the radical repub-
lcans Turkey with revolt in Syria and the
equivocal attitude of Egypt, aud England
(supposed to be- with the conspiring Fenlans
at home and the threatening phantom Of the
Alabama claims abroad.
But, again, articles twenty and twenty one
of the Paris treaty annexed large tract OF
Russian territory to the principality OF Mol
davia. which article twenty-five placed