, 1877-08-25

or Clu6I CUuulIIeSI tu6 ulUIS GSPtCidlIY as IL is
strengthened by the varied. often conflicting,
character Of the advice given BY different dip.
lomats, each with a policy of his own 20 serve.
It would require a man of more culightenmant
and disco rnment than the Sultan t. compare
these conflicting counsels and strike the right
balance between them. In the multitude Of
connsellorS he MAY find not safety but confu-
sion, and turn in despair firm Fo-Dic!ans aud
statesmen as such to those whom be knows
apart from politics in a strictly private and per
sonal capacity. thinking he can put confidence
in them as relatives Or intimate fiends, whose
interests are identical with his own. 1t is, IF
course, further to their great sdvauta 90 that
they are also Turks. After all, what fair ~.
aver, likely Q ~infusnOe a T0J5.sh Sovereign
Of average capacity, can r. "al tathe II -
tiOn that the councils Of Ambassadors whose
countries have left Turkey r. .s mercy % =
mcrciless aud powerful eItny. sbop'l lie Zee
ceiYsd at the very outset VI l!stgust 2 This
specially applies to Eue'aLl. vlosl dcsqrt:ou, IS
that OF an "a friend and a y fau rloG bcttar
things had been hoped s-'st hpe, up 20
the very last mon: nj, Is asitd oT He ave.
rage Tu,ks with not ne 8 tltee rsseLtm vt
bar vita even & sense Of r~el i~uja.:a3 o~I
undeservtGi ill treatment. @. Hhlc, il IS not ccsy
to give an adequate notion 10 rss@.rs at home,
o0mpnsediy ooncicuS Of TaY6lh ltoGHy and
obStinacy and Of British rectu0ds. Ii does not
much matter whether The Turkish aitw he
based on q CO. rect or Incorrect ss,Imst II tie
actual facts-it is strongly al English al ~
eama. I had a long c%onver'ai IN tGa u;aer
day with an Armenian Who has been for 20 ye2rs
connected with Turkish journalism, and IS still
ON the STAFF Of enc Of the principal Turkish pa
pers. lie protested with greai bitterness, and, as
it seemed to me, with perfect sincerity. that
England was responsible Tor the war hat hut
for English policy Turkey would not have
stood out against the wishes IF Europe. 1t
was the arrival Of tho Ri ish Fleet at Besika
Bay that first encouraged Turkey te reject
the Berlin Memorandum il WIS b. the advice
not, indeed the sVOTrI, ? cjet al
vice of England-Ihat ! m '-s.u rrisGed
the proposals of The Cote re ~ he lass
moment she would hay, acytp1e1 tGe Protocol
If she had been made clearly misunderstanding
understand that England really intended TO
adopt a policy Of neutrality Ihe pr0clama-
ton of this policy had created quite as much
surprise as Indignation among ne Turks, aad
their indignation was increased by the open,
undisguiSsd way in Which EHglard had shown
that she cared nothing for the impending miSfor-
tunes of an old friend ard ally, e1csrt so fax
as they affected British in sre>ts. Ilis selfish
regard for British interests had I'D her even h3.
you'd her own s%elf.imp0sed links OF absolute
neutrality, making her ~in;eGfere unduy with
the Sutz Canal, which & . alter all Turkish
properly and she was row again h%uryiug
up her Fleet to Besi6a Bay. because t1o $50
with which the Eusejans had passed ne
Danube made her think that tie divmenbet.
msnt of the Turkish Empire was at hand, ana
that she must be 10 q position to assert Ler
claim to share of the spoil. 1 merely give
this as a Turkish view. Without coalo,,Lt,
for whatever 1t may r. worth. TIE aOt
unnatural conclusio n vas .batf Tx = were
beaten, the WY in which she couId beSt pun.
ish England, and also serva her own interests.
was to make peace directly viii Russia, as
at least an open enemy, without the i%nterven.
tiou vi false friends.
A corresponding conclusion was tlat, / .-y
attempt were made to bring the British Fleet
through the Da.dacelles, under prelext Of pro-
teoting Constanfioople, England ought to be
distinctly told that the G0rle did not require
her protection OIL her terms, aud that rbe
could enter the Straits only as the ayOwed
ably of Turkey, and consequently tho avOwed
enemy of Russia. 1t is believed here even in
circles usually weljiGformed, that though 10
direct proposal may have been made, %negotia'
tions have been going on to feel the Turkish
pulse and see what would be thought of The
arrival nDder certain, not improbable, cOniin-
gencies, of British fee: of ConstanliDople.
You will know at home more than l know
about these negotiations lat least, on the