, 1877-12-30
ENGLAND AND THE WAR;

|
ENGLAND AND THE WAR;
Pending active military operations il
Bulgaria, another important chapter j
reached in the diplomatic progress of thu
contest between Russia and Turkey. TIL
Note Of the Porte to the various Powers
Immediately after the fall of Plevna, it vi!
be remembered, invited mediation and ex
pressed II willingness 10 consider the propo
sails made by the Constantiuople Confer
ence, the willy Turk declnring that, as tht
war began owing to Turkeys refusal to ad
here to those propositions, it might be ternli
mated on the snmo basis, but ut the same
time explaining that Turkey did not cx:
tend the invitation as q yanQuishcd State,
| since she still had two lines of defense which
sho believed she could hold. The Note did
not meet with u favorable reply from any OF
the Powers, except Italy, for two sabstan-
| tial reasons: First, the request could not
even be considered, since, under the provis-
! ions Of international law, mediation can
! only be undertaken when both belligerents
have solicited it. If granted ut the instauco
Of only one, it is tantamount to an interyen-
ton. 1n the second place, the very action
Of Turkey in rejecting the propositions of
the Powers ut tho Constantinople Conference
shut the door against nil mediation on their
part. So far as the reforms that constituted
the basis of the propositions We're concerned,
Turkey WIS left in Russias bands, or, rather,
Russia was left free TO secure those reforms,
or guarantees for their enforcement, with
the sword, and SO long as she aahcres to that
mission, and does not ovorstep the limits or
antagonize the interests Of the other Powers,
there is no possible way by which they can
interfere, except by actual declaration of
war. The Note therefore having been thrown
into the waste-basket by the various Powers,
another chapter is now unfolded, and one of
a somewhat remarkable character. Having
failed with the Powers collectively, the
Porte, evidently encouraged to believe By
ment aud the frequent meetings Of the Cab.
met that Turkey is not utterly deserted by
England, has addressed the English Gorerr.
ment Note asking it to act as q mediator. |
and England has consented by sending a |
Note to Russla asking her confidentially for
information regarding the terms Of pence
with which, US the victor, she would be salts
led To this. as might have been ex-
pected, no official reply has been sent.
although IL fortnight has elapsed since
he Note was sent. The remark Of the Car
made to The delegation which waited upon
''m on his return to st. Petersburg, aud
af'de while he was in possession Of the En-
'llsh Note, expresses tile nature Of the reply.
owevcr, which Russia would make. s.Fn.
land will apparently exercise pressure upon
1e liberty OF our action, but ne 1ciY not con-
nc 10 mediation, aud are armed against in
says the Gear. In other words
"ssia will not ask for mediation. II En- I
land undertakes to act rs n uetliator.
10 lnterveues in behalf Of Turkey. and
,ainst such IN Intervention Kussiu is i J.
med Does tho Car mean that agaiust 5
ch an Intervention the Triple Alliance $
i'll oppose Itself? This may be thu t
'dermeaning of this significant docla- b
ton, and it lends probability to
suggestion that the course Of Euslaud in S
lberately separating herself from the rest #
Europe, and doing alone what the Poweys o. o.
the aggregate had just refused to do ;s :,
'clous i'll Tho extreme, and must tend to n,
n1ent still stronger The alliance between n, n
rtnauy, Austria, and Kussia. III
BY this action England has placed herself 50
Il position where she must e;tbar fo cr
alght ahead or buck squarely out aud leave 81
inrSs to their fate. There does mn, ~
IN to be any middle course Sue can mr.. W oe
!, if, IN the spring or as soon Us the wentbrr ~, M
m1ts' the Nussians enter koumc!ia and O..
eaten Adr1anop]c. aud Coustautiuople. 81 tlt
as the limits OF the present caulpaipn arc fnr
cerneq tho iiuc of the Balkans, ,,os the
cause Tor complaint. That Austria ix eq'
1g TO take Bosnia is shown BY her deter t''e
alton to Keep tho ssrvians out of it, and toi, n
lh1s England has no objection, That oro
'aa will reoccupy Old Servia, montenegro con
rip OF territory on the south, Greece OK. to :
her frontier to the limits Of Old f;recco Of t
50 probable, and England would offer M Fir:
ctlon to this. That 1srssia hollis H,1 t4rt
!, with tho exception Of the Quadrilatera, nls
esses' which nro now in process md md
Investment, is also clcar, aud to | tl,at
a.os'aoo oaefs no objection. The II.
lent, however, that tie Russian Of tt
s cross tho Ballxans and rom tho
co occupying Roume1ia, then England it ct
back down or mike war. There Is nn that
le ground, and the revulsion Of feelno lahd
'sland fnyoring war seems to indicate s,;'1 s,;n
!he latter alternative may be adopted Gl,ar, %
ca should be the case, there is no doubt that.
M make formidable resistance to t1a supc
ans and eventually prevent then, from the S
ying any territory south Of tho Bal nom
She has, first, unlimited financial ro- noolc
IS. She has, second, n gigantic fleet eap;c ;
can not onl1y furnish complete and tho ,4, -.
transportation Of men and material lv for ~
44t'n.t.o t' 'ne osack Sea and its ap- affect
'es' what are her resources in troons r For,
~ nrst, the Turkish army. what thara noble!
OF 1t, clad with new hope, and snct, miser'
: leyies as Gun ba dro., f.s-. necess
, and Asiatic Tnrla~r -.1 l IssP'' the pt
atm' clothe, and feed. She pofe 4ou -