Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1877-05-02

may possibly fail to follow the ar
gument OF the Russian Chancellor,
we will endeavor 10 throw what
light upon 1t we are able. The
historical Importance of the event
Is so great ss to warrant some an
alysis Of the method chosen for the
final rupture.
1t has been evident from the
moment when the popular agitation
in England against Turkey relieved
Russia from any fear Of hostile
action in that direction, that she
had made up her mind to war. Her
first impulse, az expressed by the
Gar, was to act irrespective OF
Europe. Her second, caused by
the commotian which this an
nouncement produced in Europe,
was to secure, If not the active CO.
operation, at least the neutrality OF
the Christian powers. With this
view she abandoned her independ-
ent position aud proposed a con-
ference. Having thus placed herself
in concert with Europe, she found
herself hound henceforward more
or less to act with it, and the fail
ure of the conference and apparent
abandonment of the question by
the Christian powers placed her in
a position of considerable difficult
ty, for the Cars speech had COM
mitted the country too deeply for
him to reduce with dignity.
The task Of preparing a docu-
ment which should commit the
Christian powers in the sense de-
sired by Russia, and Of persuading
the powers to assent to it, fell to
Gen. Ignatieff, and the famous
protocol was the result. The OBJ
ject of Gen. Ignatietf was to obtain
from the powers their cooperation
in our assent to coercive measures
as against Turkey in the event Of
that power refusing the protocol.
In this he signally failed. After
visiting Berlin, Paris, Vienna, and
London, he returned to st. Peters
burg, with the all-important clause
left out. This is alluded to in
Prince Gortchakof's circular "as
the eventuality which was not pro
vided for in the protocol" as
though it had been an oversight.
SO far from being an oversight, 1t
was the one eventuality which
Ignatieff endeavored to persuade
the powers to provide for, and
which they refused, because it
would give Russia precisely the
authority to act for Europe which
she wanted, which Europe refused
to give, and which she is now try
ing to persuade the world that she
has got, though the Gear, with more
candor, says she is acting indepepd-
emily.
There was, however, one provi-
sion contained in the protocol
which Russia has studiously ig-
nored, and this was the stipulation
that in the event of Turkey not
carrying ont her promises Of re-
form, the European powers we're to
concur as to further action +; but so
far from waiting to see whether or
no Turkey attempts to fulfill her
promises, Russia, perceiving that
any such delay would render q war
impossible, makes Of the very
omission which the portocol con-
tanned in the interests Of peace, a
cause of war, and still further
twists the addendum OF disarma-
ment, which Lord Derby inserted
as a necessary preliminary to the
validity Of the protocol, into rea-
son why it should now be consider
ed null and void.
As a form of special pleading,
the whole episode as explained by
these documents would read some
what in this way: First, Russia is
going to war with Turkey indie
pendently; secondly. If she is not
going to war Independently, It is
because she has got the mandate
Of Europe thirdly, If she has not
got the mandate of Europe, it is
because Europe forgot to insert it
in the protocol /; fourthly. il Europe
forgot to insert 1t in the protocol.
that does not matter, rs the proto-
col has become null and void 10
consequence Of Lord Derby's adj
dendum and finally, and this
brings us round to where we start
ed from, "My exalted master has
resolved to undertake that which