Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1877-04-28

pefOf OF 16JlSSla, ntlu uecldFSu War /
against Turkey, son account of mat
tiers affecting the internal affairs of
the Russian empire, :" and he claim
ed that the treaty of Adrianople, |
only affected the arrangements for
the independenceof Greece and did
not terminate the war in which he
was engaged with Turkey on the
banks of the Pruth, with which the
other contracting powers had no
concern. That war continued for a
year longer and at its termination
the treaty of Unkiar Skelessi was
signed between Russia and Turkey,
by which those two powers agreed
in future to discuss and settle all
matters of policy confidentially
without the Intervention of any
other power. This of course rem
der the treaty of Adrianople of no
more value than waste paper.
Ii was about this time that Lord
Palmerston began to attain pre-
ponderating influence in English af-
fairs, at least in the Foreign Depart
ment, and it was the leading pur-
pose of his diplomacy for many
years to set aside the treaty of I'm
kiar Sllelessi.
Many things had TO transpire be-
g., l. oD,,TI 10 ID,n aud aIpan,lps
others a further weakening of the
Turkish empire by the successful re-
volt of the Pacha of Egypt.
The Pacha, Mehemet Ali, was by
far the most powerful satrap of the
Ottoman empire in the year 1888,
which was that ofthe signing of the
/ treaty of Unkiar Skelessi. His pa
CHALK included not only Egypt but
SYRIA region of indefinite eX-
tent including Palestine, Damascus,
Aleppo a large portion of Ara
bia and a back country, as we should
call it, extending eastward to MesO-
potania. Outside of European Tur-
key he ruled over largely more than
one half the Sultan's possessions.
He was not satisfied with this, but
announced his intention Ofdeclaring
himself independent ; and so little
! power had the Sultan unaided to re-
sist this revolt, that instead of his
/ being able to attack Alexandria, the
Pacha was in 1887 threatening Con-
stantinople and it began to be doubt
| fnl which was to be held sovereign
of the Ottoman empire, the Sultan
Mahmond or the rebelliOus Pacha.
| BY this time almost all the powers
of Europe had come to look upon
/ any further weakening of Turkey as
a dangerous advantage to Russia,
| and when the victorious Pacha
| had not only Overrun Syria with his
| troops, but was threatening Con-
stantinopIe itself, even Nicholas of
Russia took the alarm, fOreseeing a
partition of Turkey in Europe I'M
der which Constantinople might at
! ter all not fall to his share. Lord
Palmerston's diplomacy was now
the nucleus around which all negO-
tiations relating to the independence
and integrity of the Turkish empire
centred, and in a letter, written to
/ the Earl of Granville at Paris in
1888, he expresses great anxiety that
the rebellious Mehemet Ali should
be curbed and the general alarm
throughout Europe inspired him
with the hope of enlisting France in
a convention with England to pro-
tect the Ottoman government in
case of attack either from Mehemet
! Ali or from Russia.
His efforts in this direction were
in every way thwarted, and especi-
ally by the double dealing Of France,
his proposed ally, which power he
| soon discovered to be in secret cor
respondence with Mehemet Ali HIM
self, tempted by that willy potentate
with the promise Of a restoration of
that French influence in Egypt,
which had been so mwillingly re-
linquished in the early days Of Ma
poleon.
We cannot follow out the tangled
web Of diplomacy which followed /;
suffice it to say that, in the end, not
only was Palmerst0n well satisfied
to let the TebeIIious Pacha become
Independent without carrying Syria
rs well as Egypt, but justly prided
himself on the diplomatic ability
which again placed the protectOrate
of the Turkish Christians in the
hands Of the five powers with the
express provision that no one of
them should act without the concur
renee of the others; thus setting
aside the hated treaty of Unkiar
/ Skelessi.
1t has yet to beshown how all this
work had to be all done over again
at the cost Of the sanguinary Cri-
mean war, and how finally uncon-
/ trOllable circumstances have at this
day probably mdone it forever.
But all this must be reserved for
Il future paper.
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