New-York tribune., 1870-12-21
VOL. XXX...No' 9, 269.
THE RUSSIAN QUESTION.
,rr,rrnp OF TuRKFY-THE CoNFERENCE-PUB-
IIC OPINION AT 1T. PETERSBURG
49,. nr.p snECIAL CORRESPONDENT


,om, definite information here of the attitude OF lAy
g., a. ,uostou that has been so suddenly opened, ana
which has thrown Western Europe into such eNctemen
Tho answer OF the Porte has been received anu 'e
couched in very mild terms. From what can io'iH
Turkey - sincerely desirous of keeping the peace, %
secs nothing In the demands OF Russia Nhi." '
cause war. which seriously threatens her
She is aparently willing her part to agree 'ia' '"0
Black sea be hencefoTth open 10 both fo"ere' on" 80
no great advantage at present in its neuIanA'ioA, &
Russian fec is too Insignificant to be feared ana u VIII
be several years before feet can be bult III 'io "ss
ports of the Black Sea- which will at all compare with
the splendid feet now possessed by turkey VI course
II the massage Of the Straits be sti III the hahds OF Iur
kew the purchase Of foreign vessels Tor BLACK sea meet
Of the question Imay remark here, in parenthess,
that il considered by naval men that il is impossible to
.nrn fe steamers OF the Black Sea Company into vessels
~ WAR They are only good for transport but as such,
eould land 10000 men in ConstannOpe in SC hours from
Odessa
In general the Russian circular caused much less eI-
eitement in COnstantinople than II did In western
Europe Its appearance doubtless foreseen, and 1t
has been oOOy considered and calmly answered The
relations between Russia aud Turkey have never been SO
cordial of late and the good feeling between the two
Governments does not have been interrupted by
this incident Rustem Bey, the Turkish Embassador
here, who is very agreeable and able man, has been
exceedingly well received Yesterday he was sent for
by the Emperor and had very long audience ana aiso
long interview with Prince Gortschakoh
II was known here on Sunday that conference at
London had been agreed between Russia, England
and Prussia aud it s said that this was proposed py
Count Bismarck The Porte has not yet gwen its adhesion
proposition, but will probably make no diihces
Austria they say, wishes first TO know what VIII be ue
russed It hardly possible that the Russian GOV
srnmet can have consented to this conference without
she express or implied understanding that what II mas
assumed 60 do shall be ratified and legalzed That' NJ
least the view taken here and the conference con-
ndered as a concession made by the other Powers
ghoud the decentralization Of the Black Sea not De
agreed on aud Russia not be permitted to fortty or
build fleets at her pleasure, she will at once wlthdraw
and have An additional argument for the prcpcy OF
ne course she has already taken She will at least have
gained months time by the negotiations ana IN
modern war that is much. peaceful result ls now
sver confidently expected; but that, as You already
know. has been expected here from the beginning
People il is true breathe somewhat easier and stocks
have taken very decided turn upward to-day
The Exchange Gazette OF this morning says in short
paragraph In the interest of peace Russia ought in
all the subsequent diplomatic communications about the
Treaty Of Paris keep the tone she adopted IL her first
Iolemn declaration. Every concession in this regard
would only harm the interests of peace This II de-
eares to be the general opinion here The leading art
se the subject is interesting as an exposition OF
Russian views, that quote the greater part Of 1t;
Notwithstanding all the protests against the JoD IN
which Russia stated her demands the Jsce O the oe'
mands has been admitted Russia is told that these de
mands would certainly have been allowed n she had
consented 70 present them to conference In th Goi
by Prince Gortschakof For Russia It Is quite the same
whether the abrogOn of the supplenen aruces OF
the Treaty of Paris follows from the initiative OF our
Government, or from the consent Of the dgnatOTy
Powers The nG is to abrogate the conditions but h91
this is quite Indifferent 10 We are even OF the
opinion that the attor way of deciding the question VIII
Ttss % bSpeafteP @ can be avoided II such a Conference
meets at the present time Russia can be assured mat the
in their entirety and that the other Powers will be fully
satisfied with such result But Tor G9nieTe.ce VIG &
harm Russia Seesus9 y preserves p Prince S cre
koh II this declaration had not been maae ao IN Just
this categorical form and in these we nay
question in diplomatic way would have ialled
Through the opposition OF other fG%er sNS fa ana eyeTy
proposal for a Conference would have been re re-
the Conference so often proposed in vain, viii take
place If only because II is the only means Oi ,ue
Of ofaSoidng war without exposing the whole world the
political and military weakness Of the protecting
Powers. Those very Powers Wnl.9ras' Ior e1adhPe,
Engand hitherto most strongly SPRosSed Sedans
nFw wish for 60s m0 SeSorsby eSGe oT Of
diplomatic dilemma which they must now decide
on her her a part Is mas sSned Pnoe
himself already pointed at such an issue at the end
possibility Of calling Conference later and declares the
readiness Of Russia TO take part IN IT. Russia d3e not
retreat one step her programme because what she
did done with fOrethought and with CONSCIOUSNESS
Of her strength d Ihe ts STGeT
II the affair ties in war ASsta & ny W o Sse Of a. o19 neT
Beust which he wrote on this subject viii probably DC
LAST Black Sea question: ana tns ltst We can
prize at its worth. "Serlous words are ule Oniy
weapons which remain 70 Count Beust he viii use
,e eo 6e % f bIsse WncR Prince Gortschako has built
FOR he diplomatic retreat Of Austria and England IN
the Austrian Imperial Chancellor we sla soon, III az
probability have very active agent in the matter OF
calling conference TO decide this kn0tty questions
which Russia gladly agrees TO- PROVIDED only
ts entirety accomplished fact Qit, the fact accom-
pshiDg telp which arose from the note OF Prlnce oF @
present diplomatic difference, after which, we hope,
there will follow continuous period OF peace.
One uewspaper-the MOscoso GaSee-praises the circu
Lar OF Prince GortschakoG in lukewarm way. lts
editor Mr. KatkoG the same who has been 30 much
smsed for years by the whole foreign press because he
had committed of Deing national in spirit and
ideas has some odfashOned views as 10 the saeredness
of treaty thinks at least that they should
he broken In the way consecrated by timely act OF
open war Though disapproyDg the circular, Nj Kat
bCf believes in maintaining the stand taken in IT, and
not yielding TO the demands of the English press Var-
Gus OF It's articles are however, written with the aim Of
insting peaceful spirit its readers by showing the
difcultes under which Russia would labor n making
at the present time.
Should this difficulty be arranged by conference 40
not but what the world ought TO De gradeiu 10
this method of breaking treaties 1feaes
hitherto only been broken by actual WaI an0 Hnch
shed tits very hard 10 part the conDatas
pouring of ink alone Hereafter when nation feels az
lrieved instead OF fighting IL can say break sueh anu
such treaty" aud ts opponents VIII cdreluy StcuaN
their material and moral resources before resolving on
Its maintenance, and VIII hand over tne question: Io s
world Really Russia has done more ior thePeaatcS,imd
srTangement OF such questions thar WI De = ,
Utopia Of the Red Republicans.
DEC. 2-The Official Journal publishes this morning
the dispatches OF Prince GOrschakOd TO the representa-
tives Of the Imperial Government at London, Vienna,
COnstantnope Florence and Tours explanatory OF the
circular addressed to them the day before, oct 1s-
-. W