The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-02-15

| twepty-fOur hours, out the unes are little
more distinctly marked. 1t appears that
the Sultan. when applied to for frman.
responded by requesting Queen Victoria not
to send the British feet to the Dardanelles,
and simultaneously despatched message
to the Gar soliciting him to defer the entry
of the Russian troops into Constantinople
until the Queens reply had been received.
But the Car Enthusiastically answered by
confirming Gortschakoffs last military
necessity" declaration to the Powers. while
the Queens reply was that the mission OF
the fleet was one of peace. The military
necessity" however, has impelled the adj
vance Of large Russian forces to Tchataldja
about twenty-five miles from Constantine
pie, on the direct line of railroad from
Adrianople, while the ''pacifc objects" OF
the British feet have been. demonstrated
by leaving two iron-clads at sGallipoli
to protect the outlet, taking four to Princes
Islands and stationing the Flamingo inthe
Bosphorus to maintain communications be-
tween Mr.. Layard and Admiral Horribly.
Meanwhile the Sultan has sgnifed his APP
probation of these peaceful preparations by
dissolving the Turkish Parliament, which
might have been an obstacle in the way of
any sudden negotiations with the Russians
TO add to the placid serenity of the
outlook Bismarck arrives in Berlin; the
English conservatives find it ''inadmissi-
BILE" to demonstrate against Lord Derby and
grow hopeful in the belief that Russia is
about to give way the liberal members of
the British Parliament are on the lookout
to prevent the government from drifting
into war;" and Germany tenderly urges"
prudence and caution on Austrla-a civil
piece Of advice which the latter will hardly
feel at liberty to reject.
Russia is now practically the sovereign
Power at Constan tinople AS a conqueror
constrained to moderate measures ny the
pledges and good faith Of his government
the Russian commander had halted in front
of the city, and would have remained there
in observation of the cnemy's capital until
the conditions Of peace had been formally
determined by treaty. Russia's obligation
on that point was too clear to leave it in
doubt that she would have fully respected
it. 1t was not an obligation to England
merely. It was an obligation taken, as it
were, in the presence of Europe, and it
could not be ignored. Austria, one of
the Powers which joined with Germany
and Russia in 1876 in those demands
for reforms in Turkey which the war
is effectively to enforce, was interested
in that pledge quite as vitality as England.
But that pledge was made contingently.
1t was good only in case events did not
occur which might endanger the standing
Of Russia at Constantinople rs an absolute
conqueror in a position to dictate and exact
his terms without let or hindrance. Any
event which constituted ''a military neces-
sity" tended to lessen the obligation of the
pledge. Therefore a Power ostensibly
neutral, yet known to be inimical to Rus
STA Power whose traditional policy it has
! been to come between her and her now
PROSTATE foe-having declared its purpose
to send its fleets into the territorial waters
OF Turkey changed entirely the conditions
in which Russia had made it's pledge and
presented the occasion which required that
she should protect herself, as others were
taking steps to protect themselves
England has now sent her squadron into
sea where no squadron can go save by the
consent of the sovereign, unless, Of course,
on warlike errand. Indeed, the exclusion
OF men-of-war from the Dardanelles was
part of the Turkish policy which would
have been relinquished generation since
but that the sutans were stimulated to
sustain it by the policy of the English gov
eminent. And the continuance of this
policy was inserted in the Treaty of Paris
in the form in which it exists there in .pur-
suance of the purposes of English diplo-
macy, which not only deemed it necessary
to maintain the exclusion, but partially
deprived the Sultan of the power to
remit the rule And as England re-
iected the Berlin memorandum in 1876
because its terms were IN contravention
maintained at all stages of the present war
that the relations of the Powers to one
another were to be regarded always as exist
ing in accordance with the provisions of
that treaty, it must be deemed she regards
its principles as still in operation. As the
English government applied to the Sultan
for firman admitting it's ships to pass the
Dardnnelles, and only sent them in forcibly
when that frman was refused, the fact, in
deed, seems to be that it still respects the
right of the sovereign of Turkey to close
those waters to foreign men-of-war But
who is it that now possesses that sovereign
right of which this exclusion of men-of-war
was small part? Not the Sultan of Iur-
key, certainly. for he is under the hand of
dominant Power He is subject to the will
of the conqueror, and though he exercises
the ordinary attributes of sovereignty
in the regular administration of the
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