Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1878-02-20

among the politicians here that after all
there is no real anticipation that war is to
break out anew or involve new parties. The
British minister had undertaken to bully
Russia as to the cheapest method of protec:.:
ing English ~interests supposed to Be bound
Up with the Ottoman empire. The enub-
bling which England D6voked seriously
wounded British pride, and finally has mad
dened the English masses, who reason from
impulse rather than conviction.
In this condition of affairs the govern
ment found it could keep control of the sit
nation at home only by some bold step
abroad. 1t took that step in dispatching it's
heet to the Sea of Marmora. But the firm
ness Of Console, and the conciliatory, war
d.epreciating tone Of to-day's Times alike
indica c that there is no real intention on
the pa ! of the British government to force
cumstances that would almost Ger
tainly result in renewed British humil.
iation as we'll as serious lose of pres
tige and property, to say nothing of human
lives. True, undoubtedly, brave England
sometimes fights without counting the cost,
but, unless Russia. proves less sagaciously
prudent in the future than in the past, Eng.
land has played her last card prior to the
peace conference. Having herself commit
ted an act of war against Turkey, England's
notice that Russia will be responsible for
the consequences if the latter takes steps
toward Constantinople in order to secure
what she has already won by conquest,
must be regarded as mere brutum ffutmen.
England had advanced by sea to conquer
ed Turkeys seaboard, and 80 Russian arms
will advance to the same point on land.
The very extreme delicacy and danger Of
situation to both parties must render
both cautious and conservative. Thinking
men here see that Russia, with her army
on the spot, is too much for Eng
land upon the land. Should England prac-
tically show a determination to force wal
with Russia by attempting TO follow her
fleet with transport ships and troops, Russia
would be justified in destroying the iron
clads before the troops could be brought into
position. 1t would take but 4 few
hours to make the straits impossible for
British vessels by the use of torpedoes, with.
out resort to artillery from the shore.
Again, England is assailable in her great
commerce, and in India and Egypt. She
stands alone, without an ally. Turkey seeks
shelter now under her %conqueror and foe.
Austria has received that wink from Berlin,
and it is announced accordingly that the
imperial alliance remains intact. Wa for
England, however brave, under such cir
cumstancee, means only defeat, and SO it
will not be accepted. These considerations
are the secret of the profound indifference
with which the London Exchange views the
situation.
1 repeat, that only some sudden accident
diplomacy, will give England no opportu.
nsfv IF tpou~fhonsn r hap nasal ~ vns1starv
influence in controlling the solution to be
reached.
The Strength Of the secret alliance be-
tween Germany, Austria, and Russia is fur
Their indicated by the fact that Russia, al
ways prudent and though without adequate
means of reinforcement BY sea, trusts her
great army near Constantinople, with no
line of supply except that in its rear. 1t is
that the car would take this
risk except under guarantees that his COM
munications shall not be thre atened by any
power. The fact that England
violates fhe treaty OF Paris as against them
all, no less than against the Porte, certainly
gives her no new title to continental sup
port. 1t is not impossible that she may
even be compelled to negotiate for the escape
Of the British fleet from the precarious posi-
lion in: which a vacillating and finally
policy has placed It. Meantime
Russia is practically inaccessible to Eng
land. The latter can inAict upon her no
telling blow, and must fight her, if at all,
at extreme arms length. If she could even
drive her from Co~nstantinople, England
would not be permitted to remain there
herself. After all, the permanent situation
would have to be settled by the conference,
in which Russia would find the allies who
are denied to England herself.
True, all this is not fully understood by
the multitude who make the noise and create
alarms, but it is patent to the British
classes, who hold the issues Of peace
and war in their hands, and so there will be
peace, and not war, and on whatever terms
Russia demands and Germany does not