New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-01-11
THE MYSTERIES OF BRITISH DIPLOMACY.


cedo the conclusion of an annistce.
THE MYSTERIES OF BRITISH DIPLOMACY.
TIE CABINET DIVIDED on THE RUsso-TUnFisu
QUEsnON-A COMPROMISE ADOPIED-TUEKEYS
APPEAL FOR MEDIATION PROBABLY MADE AT
TIE INSTANCE OF ESGLtND-EFFORTs 10 TIRE
THE BRITISH HEART-JOHN BRIGHTs OPINION.
frRoM TIE RrGULiE CORRESPONDENT OF TuE rRIBryE.l
LONDON. Dee. 29.-All the London papers of this
morning contain the announcement that the sultan
has solicited her Maesty's Government 20 approach
the Emperor Of Russia, with the view Of bringing
about negotiations for peace, and that her Maiostys
Government have agreed to comply with tins re-
oucst." This is carefully wordcd, the terms are
identical in all the papers, and were in fact, settled
by the Cabinet. They are not rs yet accoDpancd
by any gloss or cuc.dation sufficient 10 cleanup their
Intentional ambiguity. No two Ofthc journals which
comment upon them take quite the same Wow Of
their meaning. or of the purpose that lies hid under
this mysterious phraseoloGy. The word mediation
has been carefully excluded from the formula.
Mediation wond signify the intention OF England to
accept sincerely impartial mission; which she
will never DO 50 long rs Lord Bcacon'iied remains
AT the head of her Government. Mediation and
Warning" says the personal organ of the Prime
Minister. care the subjects which have latNy alb
sorbcd the attention of her Maiestys Ministers. But
that also is erigmatical. Mediation is a friendly
act: warning is not word commonly employed by
writer's familiar with the discussion of International
questions and the cautious terms of diplomacy, but
may be presumed to have had in the mild of the
person using il a hostile meaning. Translated out
of the peculiar dialect of Peterborough Court into
English the sentence would signify that one section
Of the Cabinet has been urging Mediation. and that
another section has been urging Intervention. The
result seems 10 have been. as usual, a compromise
the adoption OF a policy which is neither mediation
nor intervention bur an attempt at both; with the
not improbable result of mourning the Disadvantages
of both and securing the advantages of neither
1t is elsewhere minated that the step now taken
is simply the acceptance by England of diplomat
lie agency in behalf of Turkey. ave have" re-
marks tho leading Tory journal, AS agents, to ex-
ercse much dclicacy toward our principal" But
this theory must be regarded purely speculative
and individual. There is nothing i'll the article to
indicate that the writer's really III possession of any
more information than the rest of tho world. Still
less can enlightenment DO found in tho Lib
eral Journals. All that can be expected in
their columns is q statement OF their own con-
lectures as to the real purport of tho
announcement flung out with all tho suddenness
and all the vagueness of form IN which Lord Bea-
consfeld above all other in public life delights.
rather as an offer which ought to be offer of mcdi
alton and must be- if any good is to come ont of 1t.
Another considers that the Government has taken
upon itself the character of an intcrceSSor for
unfortunate bcligerent, while also acting ofciously
for Europc. Both agree that, in the midst of
all this. there are English interests that cannot
he lost sight Of and both are keenly alive to
the fact that, if mediation be honestly at
tempted 1t can only be by distinct
Remuneration of the policy implied by certain too
well known acts and declarations of tho Govern
ment or of some of its members, III the recent past.
To-day, therefore, we are left to dwell in an at
mosphere of conjecture; which is doubtless what the
Government intended when they put forth this new
riddle But we have to guess not only what tho
meaning of the riddle may be, but wheherit really
had q meaning; whether, in other words, any real
decision has been taken. In these painful clrcum-
stances one guess is as good as another and will
offer mine.
What seems TO me fair inference from recent
history is this that il is the Sultan who has, in
the first instance solicited Her Majesty's Govern
ment to approach the Emperor of Russia, but Lord
Beaconsiicld, who through his too-ready ally, Mr..
Layard, has urged the Sultan TO apply in this way
TO England IL England stood in a position to offer
her services as mediator in the true sense OF that
word there would be nothing to complain Of in this,
and il would not much matter whether the initia-
tive came from the Porte from Whitehall. But
il such proposal is made to Russia in the hope and
with the expectation that she will refuse it, and