The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-04-22


In to-day's HERALD will be found the text
of Prince Gortschakoff's reply to the Mar
quis OF Salisburys note. AS We have hith-
erto said. il is an ample reply to highlands
defiance. and is reply also that astonished
the English by its civility and diplomatic
tone As the English Secretary spoke
somewhat like bully they thought the
Russian would exhibit the same bad taste.
British diplomacy does not make much
happier progress under the slapdash sys-
tenn of the Marquis OF Salisbury than it did
when conducted on the over-cautious plan
of Earl Derby-an evidence, If any were
needed. that it was not SO much its style
that was faulty rs the purposes it aimed at.
These were radically bad, and they have not
changed with the change in the Ministry. TO
have at heart only ones own interest is bad
diplomacy, because no nation can stand
alone in q case Of common interest; and the
surest way to have support is to make 1t
certain that you will support in turn the
cause Of those who are with you. But if it
is bad to have selfish policy, if it is bad to
isolate government by intentions that re-
deal worse to do this blatantly
and to roar it as if through
all the trumpets Of the sky into every COR
ner of Europe If o nation deliberately
proposes to sacrifice to its own interest
everybody that comes in its path the surest
way to fail is to let everybody know this
fact. That is what was done by the
circular of the Marquis of Salisbury, which
pointed out that what England wanted
to substitute for Russian ascendancy
in the East was not q European
equilibrium, but q more absolute
English ascendancy. In order that all
might be safe everything was to be put
in England's hands, because England could
not regard things as safe in any other
hands. That very undiplomatic note-that
official bray-decided against England
negotiations in progress at two important
neutrality-suspicious. whose importance it is
impossible to exaggerate, because they
involved the whole issue between her and
Russia, and to succeed in them was
fail was to make necessary extreme
measures or retreat. These points were
Constantinople and Vienna. At Con-
stantinople England had things her own
way. Vefyk Pacha, the President Of the
Council, was so thoroughly imbued with
English sympathies and so much under the
influence of Mr.. Layard, the British Minis
ter, that it could scarcely have been moro
satisfactory in London if Mr.. Layard him.
self had been the Grand Vizier. There was
strong Russian influence near the Sultan
that endeavored to Gust this friend
Of England; but, the effort was vain until
the English circular demonstrated that
protection in the future as she had expert
enced in the recent past, and admonished
the Sultan to do the best he could with the
vigorous foe whose hand was on his throat.
Hence the change Of Vizier and the declar-
alton that Turkey will act on the San
Stefano treaty as q valid obligation.
The other point of diplomatic in
terest was Vienna, where England's
rough speech was enjoyed SO far rs it dis
tinctly applied to Russia, but not appreci-
ated at all in SO far as it showed that
British statesmen could not contemplate
the case before them from any other than
strictly British standpoint, and were, con-
sequently, as Indifferent to Austria's ideas
as they were hostile to Russias. That drove
Andrassy into the arms Of Ignatief 1t is
now understood in England that the new
Foreign Secretary has conducted q delicate
negotiation with all the address of bull in
china shop.