The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-02-02
suspensson or Hostilities-Peaee q
More War.

| ssspensson or Hostilities-Peace or
| More War.
At last the armistice is signed and the
elaboration of treaty on Russias outline
will now take place. BY the English gov
| eminent the Russian terms are interpreted
on hint from Mr.. Layard as "the destruc-
ton of Turkeys Empire in Europe and
the government demands the vote of money
mot us a war measure" but in order to en-
able it to modify these terms of peace SO as
to prevent future wars. All that is said in
the debate in the House Of Commons of this
money vote agrees in presenting the gov
eminent in the feeble attitude of impotent
menace. It wants it as o basis for demon
stration and to influence a conference with
the notion that England is actually prepar-
ing for war. There was time when Eng
lands word in European conference would
hardly have needed support Of this nature
to give it weight; but the government seems
to act on the assumption that that
time. has gone by. Greece appears
disposed to carry its noisy assault
to the extent of an actual initiation
of hostilities. At least o statement Of the
Prime Minister, which is not very clear, is
interpreted in Athens as equivalent to
declaration of war, and call for the enrol
ment of the whole population would hardly
be necessary for the mere defence OF the
frontier from migratory hordes Of hungry
Mussulmans crowded out of Roumelia by
the advancing Russians.
England's dissatisfaction with the peace
negotiations remains the Leading element Of
the situation, however. Turkey is over
whelmed by the conquerer, and is, in fact,
at his feet It is q characteristic of nations
whose views of their relations to others are
barbaric that they are only convinced by the
application of force; but when absolutely con-
WINGED in that way they can get down lower
on their knees than any other kind of hu-
manity. With such foe reduced to his
last extremity what remains, then, but for
the conqueror to declare plainly the condi-
tons on which he will make peace-''to
show his hand" as they put it in London.
That they regard as the course Russia
should obviously take, because it is
the course that would be convenient for
the occasions of English diplomacy; and
they hold that because Russia has not taken
the course which they deem appropriate to
the circumstances that she is acting in an
underhand, furtive and discreditable way
that her intentions must be dishonest, and
that this justiies n policy grounded on
suspicion and based on the theory that out
o. 0f ri &c hN,, ~, in
world. There are some little difficulties but
for which this would be a good enough
justification Of the present attitude of Eng
land. If the caseswere strictly between the
Muscovite and the Moslem then this view
Of utterly conquered Turkey and victorious
Russia would be just; but then who would
care what the terms were, or, except for CON-
mon curiosity, whether they were made
known to-day or tomorrow or next month.
But the anxiety of England on this subject
is not that Of common curiosity and
her present demonstrations made to
force Russia Ito show her hand"
are an evidence that she regards
herself as o silent partner in the Turkish
Empire, and that therefore she will not re-
gard Turkey as hopelessly overwhelmed
while there is British feet and British
army. But if Russia, having whipped Tur-
key may possibly have to be called on to
fight England, is she not right to proceed
circumspectly in her peace negotiations in
order that she may not give any advantage
to Power that has already assumed nm un-
friendly attitude and may presently appear
as an enemy. If Russia were in her nego-
tiations to act as her English critics suggest,
she would, in the very descriptive phrase of
the streets, simply ''give herself away"
England has assumed, with offensive AFRO
gance, an unfriendly attitude. She has
persisted in that attitude despite the Rus
sian effort to satisfy her disquietude.
Russia's explanations have been sufficient
to reassure any Power that believed them,
and England's persistence adds to her other
unpleasant acts the insulting imputation
that she does not credit these explanations.
No other course is left to Russia. therefore,
than to accept England at her own valua-
ton as her enemy in these negotiations
and to conceal every fact that could by any
possibility be used to her disadvantage.
An endeavor to array Austria side by side
with England in q common opposition to
Russia's propositions has been persistently
made in the dispatches to the London
press, especially in those from Vienna.
That attempt has not had a brilliant success
thus far, and o plain explanation from st.
Petersburg disposes of the shreds of this
fiction that are left It would be a sub