Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1878-02-09

O0Ly dAlu D6lO16 EVEN Ll6 DulSxtIldIb
atrocities We're committed, Her
Majesty's Government had warned !
the Turkish Empire not to look to
them for support. But they were
not satisfied with that. They felt
that reiterated warnings were ne
cessary before old traditions could
be set aside or an ancient policy de-
parted from. Again and again in
the Blue Books you will find warn
ings from Lord Derby, reiterated to
the Ambassador at London, reitera-
ted to the Ambassador at COnstan-
tinople, that the Turks must look
for no assistance from England.
That warning was conveyed in the
strongest terms in the Instructions
with which / was furnished when
| went to C0nstantinOple, and in
the presence of the PIenipotentiaries
of Europe / repeated it on the sol
emn occasion when the negotiations
were broken off. That warning was
again repeated when the Turks in
a moment of extraordinary rashness
neutralized and repudiated and
stutlified the efforts which we had
been making with the rest of Eu-
rope to pass over this crisis without
war. You may repeat insinuations
and innuendoes, and you mag study
leading articles until you really be-
lieve them to be State papers
(laughter); but if you examine
every word that has been uttered
by every individual Minister, | de-
fy you to find one single word
which diminishes in the slightest
degree the effect of the warnings
which were repeatedly given, or
which deviates by single hairs
breadth from the policy laid down
in Lord Derby's dispatch. (Cheers.)
There is no doubt that the very
fact that you are compelled to rely
upon such uncertain grounds of
proof shows how utterly baseless
is the accusation which you are al
ways trying to bring against Her
Maiesty's Government, that they
are seeking or have sought to in
vOlVe this Empire in war in defence
| of Turkish interests. But, my no.
BILE lords, although our opinion
has been undertaking and our Ian
guage distinct upon the subject of
| the Turks, we have nOt-and this is,
/ take it, the point which makes
us differ from our OppOnents-suf-
ferred the figure of Turkey to occu-
py the whole field of our view.
| Whatever may happen to the Tur-
kish Empire the geographical pc
culiarities and conditions and all
| the political results which flow from
them will remain the same; and
| British interests as we had defined
them in Lord Derby's despatch
| must, as we'll as the Turk, occupy
a very considerable position in the
consideration of Her Ma1esty's
Government. The duties of hu-
manity am very far from dispu-
ting. Indeed, I claim for this Gov
eminent that we may have made
the strongest possible eXertiOns to
procure good government and
peace for the Christian populations
of the East but l am not prepared
to accept the new gospel which |
understand is preached, that it is
our business, for the sake of any
populations whatever, to disregard
! the trusts which the people of this
country and our Sovereign have re-
posed in our hands. (Cheers.) The
noble duke spoke good deal about
| the motives of the Emperor of
Russia. Now, l entirely concur
| with him in repudiating the very
! unWiSe accusations which are often
made against the Russian govern
ment and Emperor. / entirely con-
cur with him in thinking that the
! Russian Government is very much
like other Governments, and that
when YOU know the motives which
actuate most humane beings in their
position YOU probably know their
motives also. / dare say there have
been INSCRIPTIONS advisers in Rms
sia-there have been INSCRIPTIONS
advisers in all countries but | GER
tainly must express my opinion
and / do so with a full consciousness
that it may draw upon myself some
of the cepsure to WHICH the noble
duke referred that during the Con-
ference at COnstantinOple the En-
peror Alexander himself was actu-
| ated by a sincere, an anxious, an
almost tOrmenting desire for peace
| (hear), and he accepted conditions
which, from his point of view, |
should have thought would have
been the very extreme conditions
that he could have accepted under
! thepeculiar circumstances of the case
and considering the strong religious
and race feelings around him. When
the Conference had passed away
| the antiquities of race ana tho am
1 tagOnism of creed were aroused, and
! they will drive all Governments, an
autOcratic Government quicker than
others, with a force which no indi-
ViduaI can stop. | have felt it my
duty to say this because [ acquisce
in all that has been said about the
motives Ofthe Russian Government.
l say this in order to indicate that
when we ask Parliament to give us
| the power of taking precautions in
| case our interests are threatened,
we are not doing so because we de-
spair of peace. On the contrary,
we hope that the humane instincts
and the high prudence of the Empe-
rOr OF Russia will overcome int1u-
ences by which he is undoubtedly
surrounded, and that a real peace
may put a stop TO this terrible and
/ desOlating war. (Hear, hear,) 1t is
not in any spirit of despair of peace
! that we ask you, if occasion arise, to
/ help us to take necessary precau-
lions. I am not going to follow the
noble duke into a discussion of each
! individual interest, or to define
more narrowly than we have done
all eady the precise circumstances
upon which those interests depend.
The noble duke knows is well as ]
/ do that / should be departing from
my duty if | did so. But we feel
that the best intentions and the
most powerful will have not always
been able to control the caprice of
armies in the flush of victory. The
noble lOrds opposite know that in
Central Asia some four years ago
the Imperial will was not only
pOWerless to prevent, but pOwerless
to retract, a step which the Imperi-
al Ambassador had undertaken to
avoid. Look again at our own his
tory We know the story about
Nelson perferring to put the tele-
scope to- his blind eye; and there
may be-and | do not doubt that
there are-Nelsons In courage, and
wilfulness too, in the Russian Army.
Into these matters, however, l do