The New York herald., 1875-08-31
The Eastern Question.

England in the guarantee of the integrity OF
Turkish territory, as those guarantees were
framed in the Treaty of Paris? 1t is tolera-
bly, evident that England cannot move a
finger in the case that she would be as help
less in the contingency of any striking event
on the Austro-Turk frontier rs she was
when Russia in the face of Europe an
nounced that she no longer regarded herself
as bound by the stipulations of that treaty
with regard to the Black Sea. At that time
there was war France was n victim to Ger
man might but was not hopelessly crushed
and if England had ventured war for the
Treaty of Paris she must have placed herself
side by side with her ally in the conflict
closed by this treaty and Russia, of course,
would have joined forces with Germany. 1t
might not have been ultimately an unequal
conflict, for Austria and Italy would have
come in behind France and England, and
these allies would have sustained the throne
and the credit of any Spanish ruler who
would have supplied contingent of hun
dred thousand soldiers. Altogether, there
fore, England might have seen Europe di-
vided for the determination of q dispute
purely her own, for the support of COM
mercial policy that checks the growth of
great Christian Power which is her rival and
keeps alive a barbaric Empire merely be-
cause it is her convenience.
England, however did not venture in
that emergency to tempt fortune. Her gov
ernment was not in the hands of the party
- 4, Of fha Epf ri c1
people all over the world for the benefit of
few privileged classes, and it accordingly
took the rational view that there are some
things in the world which are proceeding in
virtue of forces greater than any the British
government can marshal against them. How
will the present British government view this
case when it comes before it as it soon must
Will it also give over the policy of balancing
Turkey in the interest of England against
Russia in the interest of humanity and CIV
iization or will it venture another of those
struggles that have crushed the English peo-
ple to the earth under the burden of taxa
ton at the imminent risk of finding
itself handsomely out of Office on
the first Parliamentary vote that shall
follow the assumption of such an atti-
tude. 1t is true war measures gain sup
port for the Ministry in England, as rule;
for opposition in such case is confounded
with treason by a certain public opinion.
But. pugnacious as he is, John Bull fights
with some sagacity, and never fails to scan
the odds. In this case Germany, Russia and
Austria would be together, and there is no
power on earth that could drive or drag
France into the battle. In view of such a
distribution it is not likely that England
policy of the tories in these late days
to act on the tory policy. They always
adopt the liberal policy, just little shorn of
the proportions the liberals gave it. Mr..
Disraeli does with graceful turn of speech
or q gay epigram the very same act that Mr..
Gladstone would have done with ponder
ously serious declaration; and that is the
precise difference between the parties in
England.
Turkey therefore, must make such bar
gain as she can with her neighbors; for her
time has apparently come Not only the
Treaty of Paris, but, as well, all other treaties
or obligations which contemplated her as
makeweight in the political scale and divided
the Christian nations for the benefit of her
rottenness have lost their force, and, as
Europe has leisure just now, it grows into
the general perception that this is as good a
time as any other for the settlement of this
case But Austria, Germany and Russia will
not drive out Turkey till they have deter
mined what to put in her place. They will
decide this between themselves, and are
doubtless now automatically active over this
problem, and until they reach conclusion
satisfactory to themselves the conflict will
linger much in its present stage, except that
each day will show more clearly the spread
and power of the disaffection.