New-York tribune., 1877-08-08

n feather-wricl.t is now stlf-po3Scsscd ana
Tranquil Lord Salisbury, who has been h'pt
in check by his colleagues. freed his NINA
Yesterday in the presence OF the ConseFVaii 'eS
of Hatfield, assuring them tha1 biilSl
neutrality is neutrality of speech as Wei' a,
of act, and that the Government IS the iHchu
and ally of both cOntending parties. Ncfiiy'
the Russian defeat has ITS diplomatic
compensation in restoring the balance OF B'it-
ish neutrality and restraining the zeal OF Iuf-
keys natur;' allies in Hungary
When the Russian columns were advancing
upon Erzerum, and Mukhtar's forces were ilee-
ing before them, the eyes Of Britain were
tuned uneaSily toward the valley OF the Eu-
pirates. it was true that Russia had had ior
a century "a shorter and more direct base oi
operations against India from The Caspian sea
than it would have from Batum and Ezernm,
but the panic-strickcn British Conservatives
cared little for logic or geography. The Trans
Continental railroad from Calcutta might one
day pass through Bayazd and EHerum, and
the river Euphrates ran-lleayen only knew
how ar,-toward the Persian Gulf and Cdthay,
and the Romanods always bad been ambitious!
1t was not until the Russians were driven back
I'm disorder To the frontier that these um0r-
Gus Tories had the nerve to lace the map OF
Armenia. and realized that they had been be-
trayed into a senseless panic. But before long
there was another craze. The Russians, after
crossing the Danube unOppo,ed, scaled the
Balkans without firing gun. The imagination
of the Anglo-lurks pictured Ghourkos army
rs a fierce hawk pcrched upon the heights, It's
wings quiverng with impaticnce and It's eye
fastened upon its prey i'll the beautiful vale OF
Adrianople, while beyond lay Constantmople
and the DardanelIes a breach had been made
in the great rampant of European Turkey and
the enemy could march into the Capital at his
leisure Conservative Britain was again swayed
by it's apprchensions. Russian army, en-
trenched on the Dardanelo', would menace
the commercial supremacy Of England, in
tcrcept trade with ASIA and close the
Sucz Canal. 1T was true that the Gar had no
fleet. and it was past finding out how the
British navy could be overwhelmed unless one
of Homtrs storms should wreck in a night the
miehtiest ships IN the world, and the Turkish
sailors, under an English Admiral shOnld en-
list in the Russian service and, moreover,
Prince Gortschakoii, concaalng his amusement
ANA cyniclsm, denied III the most emphatic
upon Egypt or the Canal but the An
gIo-Tmks croaked and chattered none
the less. That Urans-COntinental railroad
from Calcutta might have its terminus at
Constantiuople. and in any event. the Black
sea must never be converted into Russian
docl like the Caspian. \ British fleet must
anchor in the roadstcad Of Gallpoh and Brit
iSh sodicrs must throw mp entertainments for
the defence of the Dardanelles. If Russia
should make the freedom of the Bosphorus
and the Dardanellcs one of the conditions of
peaca. British so liers and sailors must be on
the ground to resist 50 audaclous demand.
But Why should not Russia demand just
thai2 Why should she not have free access to
the Mediterranean and the world John
DriAnt does not know why sne should not
have this natural right. If st. Petersburg is
the window which Peter the Great framed so
ihat Russia could look out on Europe and
see what was going on in London and
Paris. Constantn0ple is the door of her house
by which she can find her way out to the
world. Why should the door be closed upon
Russia aone2 The British panic-mongers
knew why, John Bright did not. British in
tereSts wOuld be menacedl
But the panic has subsidcG. The battle of
Plevna has checked the advance of the Rus
SLAMS. The Turks are keeping their foes at
bav. The British Government now plays upon
a harp of a single string-the monotone - a"so-
lutte neutrality.