Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1878-09-10
RUSSIA's RIGHTS.
STATEMENT OF THE EASTERN ouEs-
TIoN FkOM A RUSSIAN POINT
OF VIEW
Prom the Lon1on Truth.

From the LONDON Truth.
received last week the following
letter from a Russian friend, which
is interesting as looking at matters
from Russian paint Of view
We Russians are quite satisfied
with the Berlin Treaty. That nego-
tiated by Ignatieff at San Srefano
has really been carried into effect
You are welcome to the Island of
Cyprus, and if you like to send Eng>
lish capital to Asia Minor we do not
object. With BatOum and Kars in
our hands in Asia We are masters of
the situation, and, if ever it pleases.
us, we can pour our armies into Asia
Minor. In Europe we have got back
the territory that we had to cede
after the Crimean war; Servia'S as
piratiOns remain ungratiiel. and the
same may be said of Bulgaria. Both
must be orr allies. In Eastern Rou-
melia. as it has amused our pienipO-
tentiaries TO call Southern Bulgaria.
the authority Of the Sultan is nomi-
nal. and the inhabitants will look to
US as their only protectors. Our
great difficulty has always been the
Greeks. They are now aIienated
from you. If ever war should take
place between Russia and England
we should not attack Turkey, and
you would not be able to blockade
our Black Sea ports. We are there
fore. much Oblige to you for having
maintained the neutrality of the
Black Sea- We are nov advancing
toward your Indian frontiers, and if
ever, as | have said, a war takes
place between our two countries, you
will find it necessary to send troops
to India instead of strengthening |
your European armies with Indian !
troops. We shall, | think in tie |
end form an alliance with Persia,
which will be similar to that which |
you have formed with Turkey
Have we, then, designs upon India ?
Are we anxious to go to war with
you? Neither. Bat we cannot ad-
nit inferiority. Look at the map
You will see that our empire stretch>
es along the centre of Europe and of
Asia. You insist that we should be
debarred from any outlet on our
Southern frontier, and you think that
we shall forever submit to such a
as though we we're some
oaltry principality. Should your
If peace with you means that we
may not have access to the Indian
seas and that our war vessels may
lot visit our Southern ports, then
such a peace will not be lasting
But whose is the fault? Yours -
OIL strive after the impossible. We
cannot forever be expected to admit
Is a principle of civilization that we
ire to be cut of from the ocean be {
;ause you wish to reign alone in the
ndIan seas. You might as well
ave tried to cut off the United
states from all access to the seas.
kept by ports 50 far north that they
re frozen up in winter.
PLAIN TRUTHS.
There is some sense in this letter.
nd from d Russian standpoint good
cal of sense. We complain Of the
of Russia because she
ANTS a southern outlet, ard we re
ard every attempt on her part to
ct one as a covert attack upon H. :
ia. Bnt can we legitimateIy shut =
ut an Empire that possesses all
'orthern Asia from every port in the
eas of Asia open to ships in water? {
his policy seems to be hardly in ac> I
ordnance with the spirit of the age
nd rather a repetition Of that OF
le Spaniards, who hold that the seas
South America belonged to her
: Of the Portuguese, who tried to
-event any flag except their own
'unding the Cape of Good Hope. -
is war against nature, an endeav, =
: indeed to prevent the stream of ~
yer from flowing into the ocean.