New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-11-26
PTNNELL IND RTNNLt.

The aged statesman VINO shares with I.olu
PalmcrstOn the responsibility of the Crimcan
war does not vet understand what a costly
mistake he made in that brilliant but misera-
bic expedition. Ills attempt to curb the power
of Russia and prop the falling empire OF the
Turk cost Great Britain twenty or thirty thou
sand lives aud probably fl00O00O0. 1t resulted
in a victory which left Russia indeed for the
moment humbled. but the military prestige OF
England seriously shaken and the Eastern
question postponed but still unsOlycd. To-day
Russia is far more powerful than she was in
1853 and the Turkish Empire, for whose 81 in
"tegrty and independence" il was so. long the
cornerstone of Earl Russels foreign policy
that England was bound 20 fight, is weaker
! and more contemplate than ever. The Turk
! sh policy OF the Russell and PalmerStOn party,
! and the prepOslcrouS doctrine Of "the balance
| e of power" upon which that policy rests, have
proved disastrous to England and have not
saved Turkey.
Yet Lord Russell, with that keen instinct for
the drift of popular'fcc and that apprcca-
ton of an Englishmans love for everything
resembling pluck. which have 50 often stood
him in good stead during his long career now
places himself once more at the head of il war
party and demands that England shall subject
herself to all the horrors of bloody and
doubtful conflict, for the sake of the same
miserable cause upon which she has already
wasted so much. The prctenSc that Russia
must BE- forcibly opposed, not because she
sends a fleet to the Black Sea, bat because she
doe. it without the consent of the other
Powers, of course deceives not even the
blindcst RuSsophobist i'll England. In this age
of the world great nations do not go to
war upon matter of form. The restriction
of which the Gar now complains Is "A
burlcnsOmc and humiliatng condition imposed
upon him at the point of the sword, and no.
body seriously believed that he would submit
TO it moment after he became strong enough
to disregard it. The only treaties faithfully
observed are those which are based upon the
mutual interests of the contracting parties
The temporary and unsubstantial character of
such guarantees IA the Allies imposed upon
Russia hy the Treaty of Paris was well ndi-
Gated by John Bright when he reminded the
Ministry that Russia was not ga power which
they could take ito Bow-st., and bind over
before some stipcndary magistrate to keep
" the peace for six mOnths.n The proposal
which Lord Russell makes to the British people
is not that they should punish Russia for
breaking the treaty, hut that they should begin
all over again the work of which they grew
so heartily weary in 1854, with the
prospect that if they succeed now as they sue
ceeded then, they will have to do it over
third time at the end of another fifteen years
II is proposal that Great Britain shall devote
her money, her energies, and the blood of her
people to checking the development of ma
ton which embodics more elements of great
ness and progress than almost any other Power
IN Europe, and to saving a rotten empire
| which has always been curse to civilization,
and has now reached period of decay when
no lhmanipower can save it. Russia is young
and vigorous, and her growth can no more be
stopped by Great Britain than the growth of IA
forest tree can be stopped by ligature of
cord.