, 1877-01-24

person would be discouraged if they should
prove in their original form to be quite unao.
ceptable. The Porte, we trust, will ultimately
recognize their prudence of granting in some
form or other the guarantee required by Gu
rope. But it would be lacking in the ordinary
Instinct of Governments, and especially of
Eastern Governments, if it failed to make the
concession appear as slight as possible ard to
protraot the negotiation. No people under
stand bargaining like Orientals, and theirmethod
Is uniform. If you enter a bazaar at Con.
stantinople, and ask the price Of any article
which is for sale, you will be asked some such
utterly a6ulous sum that you will probably
turn away just as the Ambassadors were said,
the other day, however prematurely, to be
thinking Ct leaving C0ustantinople. But the
terms demanded will at once fall TO something
within the limits Of reason, and bit by bit the
article will be- cheapened until the seller will
eventually hand it over to you with the pro.
test that he is making YOU an absolute present
of it, aud that he would be ruined if he were
to transact business on such terms. Some
thing of the same kind may possibly be the
course Of negotiations at the Conference. 1t
Weuld be perfectly natural if the Turkish coun-
ter-proposals-the price they put on their
concession to LurOpe-sh0uld be something
out Of all reason and inexperienced diploma
lists might be tempted TO take the worst view
of the case, But if these proposals are steati-
~ confronted with those Of tue Powers them.
selves, if they are patiently bat firmly discus.
sed, and if the resolution Of the Powers to
obtain adequate guarantees ia never allowed
TO slumber. it may be hoped thet som reason
able agreement will in the end be arrived at.
The Porte, it must be owned, has to act a
somewhat difficult part towards it's own sub
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ultimate concessions under. the form of com.
promise. What will be progressing at Con.
stantinople for a while will perhaps be nothing
more nor less than a kind Of haggling over
the terms en- which the Skyline books are to
be bought. But, if the Plenipotentiaries do
not override this huraour too roughly, while at
the game time remaining firm to be absolutely
necessary demands, We need not despair Of the
result. Al the same time, it must be owned
the moment is critical, and it is possible the
Turkish proposals., when fully explained,
might be f such a character as practically to
preclLde discussion and to indicate the hope.
lessness of q final agreement, There wele
some intimstiOns received to this effect yes
ttrdsy but, for the reasons just explained, a
more favourable Interpretation may in the first
Instance be put upon any adverse appearances.
The greatest ground for hope rests, after
Ill, upon The condition Of The two Powers who
would be the most Immediately and directly
involved in war by a rupture of the negotia-
lions. The dispute may drift into such q
stage that Turkey would prefer to challenge
the arbitrament Of the sword but there are
the best reasons for believing that Russia
would be extremely glad to avoid, il possible,
pushing matters to this extremity. She is not
prepared, in any sense of the word, for the
strain upon her resources and her institutions
with such war, with all bis conting% encies,
would involve. 1t is a small matter that her Ar
my is but imperfectly prepared. 1t is of much
more Importance that she has not the means
of preparing it except at ruinous sacrifices, and
that she wculd not know how TO meet the
~fnancial pressure she would at once encoun-
ter. The task. moreover, which the Emperor
would undertake if he entered upon a war with
Turkey would not be confined to the immedi.
ate struggle. 1t would involve far-reaching
and most anxious consequences, and Russia is
certainly 10 no condition to add The problem Of
another Empire to the problem of her own.
But if this must be the feeling of a wise
Russian statesman, what ought to be that Of q
Minister of the Porte Turkey is bankrupt
already, her institutions are in decay, some of
her most valuable Provinces are in actual
revolt, and she has proved wholly incapable Of
pacfying them. What must be the result if
to all these endorsements she added that Of Q
deadly war With one of the greater Powers Of
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