New-York tribune., 1876-11-21
THE ETROPL1N CONFERENCE.

The tuning point has Deen paSSeu, anu Ihe
probability of immediate war is mt an emu.
Turkey has yielded 10 the tremendous pressure
brought to bear upon her by Russia, and In
Welding has carried England with her. For
Turley's acceptance of the basis of confer
cnce naturally includes England's. if, indeed,
that acceptance was not privately suggested
by the latter Power The article published IN
The London Times, just week ago. seems To
have indicated the sober second thought
of the Beaconsficld Government, and the
pupnacous utterances of the Tory journals oil
England. based upon the indiscrcet after dinner
speech of the new Earl, meant nothing,
or even less than nothing. Now the warllke
preparatlons are denied or explained away {:
the Marquis of Salisbury is already on his way
10 Constantnope as England's representative
in the Conference; and, to balance these
pociiic manifestations. the RothSchlds, doubt
less at the suggestion of the Russian Govern
ment deny tire report Of "A loan to that Power
AZ this distance, the complications of the
,liplomatic machine may well appear more in
tellipible than To nearer observers, and it
is quite evident to us that England heartily
desires to avoid war, while Russia will be just
as well satisfied TO score decided advantage
without 1t.
Russia NAV be quite satisfied with the pres
cnt result. She has imposed upon Turkey the
demands which were refused to England; her
policy has been more vigorous and effective,
simply because it was more frankly declared.
In the coming Conference she will have the
chief voice, for the reasOn-if for no other
that il is entirely her work. There Is no other
Great Power to ncutralize her influence
England, cunnngly caught i'll her own tolls,
can only watch and schemc,-can only inter-
ferc vigorously in case her rejected PROPOSE
tions are exceeded. France is too cautious
and Austria too weak to take any proml-
nent part and rs for Germany, 1t Is enough
to say that the German Journals have invented
n new word to describe Blsmarcks policy.
"Hc sphnres,r they say-that is, walls himself
in mystery. Ii is not difficult, however, to
defect n leading motive in this seeming indlner-
encc. Peace would leave matters so far as Ger
many il concerned, virtually in the same condition
as now: war, no matter how it might result,
would exhaust the keen aggressive strength of
Russia for a number of years to come, and
allow Germany to prepare for any emergency
that may arrive when the Czareyitch shall be
Emperor. III Is u very pIctly Sit"''ioh, an
aronnd and we, who have only the univer-
sal human interest in the issue OF the struggle,
may watch it with oil the more interest, be-
cause we hold no stakes.
OF course, the Conference does not neccssa-
rily mean peace. There are still five or SIX
weeks of the armistice remaining, but it is very
doubtful whether all the tangled interests can
be woven into anything like harmony within
that time Then, if need be, the armlstice may
be extended. 1t is not easy to come to prac-
tical agreement where there is so much recip-
rocal suspicion and jealousy every form
of fnesse will be employed; and it will
hardly surprise the world if there should be
catastrophe somewhat resembling that in Bret
IIarte's ballad of the "IIeathen Cbinee." The
menace of war has by no means passed away;
only. as a storm will sometimes do, the rising
clouds sink a little, the heat-lightnings cease,
and there is space of doubt during which
even the barometer cannot tell us whether
/" change or settled fair" is to be the Or
der for the following day.