The daily gazette., 1878-07-25
Beaconsfield Diplomacy.
rom The New York Herald

m-n who treasure the tradition that the
spirit of far play and plain dealing are in
some way always associated with the
policy of British tatesmen-Englishme
who sympathize with the conception of
Lord Derby that success in certain trans
actions is not of such supreme conse-
quence that great nation should stoop
to gain 1t by unbecoming conduct. Conse-
quently there were murmurs against his
ac's that were hot confined to political
opponents. But If men objected to the
story as Beaconsfield himself presented
1t, what will they say when they are
forced to extract its palmer truths from
the documents which tell the whole
story? Mr.. Gladstone calls the Angle
Turkish treaty an "Gnsane covenani-a
convention of absurdity and dupicity."
Mr.. Forster is evidently of the same
opinion, and he declares that the Liberal
leaders Will give the country an oppor-
tunity to ponder over the acts of the
government during a long and exhaus-
tive debate. When the nation realizes
how little has been achieved that is hon.
orable for England either at b. Rim or
Constantinople Mr.. Gladstone's thought,
perhaps in stronger terms, will Ultimate
ly rule public opinion.
In the text of the Anglo-Turkish treaty
there are peculiar revelations, and in
the respective dates of tat document
and the Anglo-Russian agreements it is
demonstrated how shamefully the repre-
sentatives of honest John Bull played
falsely with poor Turkey. One who is
swindled at thImble-rig or cheated at
cards by a gambler with his sleeve full of
aces is not used worse than the Sultan was
used by Mr.. Layard, under the instruc-
tions, no doubt, of his superiors at home.
Cyprus was ceded to England by the
Sultan June 4, as the consideration for a
certain service. What was that service /?
1t is stated in these words of the treaty:
off Batoum, Ardahan, Kars or any of
them shall be retained by Russia, aud if
any attempt shall BE- made at any future
time by Russia to take possession of any
further territories of His Imperial Ma
je>ty the Sultan in Asia, as fixed blythe
detinitive treaty of peace, England en-
cages TO join His Imperial Majesty the
Sultan in def nding them by force of
arms. BY this it appears that England
accepted Cyprus az the price of her agree
ment to AID the Sultan in defending
against the Russians. This engagement
she made June 4 of the current year.
But five days prev ously she had made an
agreement with Russia by which she
consented not to contest the desire of
the Emperor of Russia to occupy the
port of Batoum and keep his conquests
in Armenia"
England agreed with Russia on Thurs
day that the latter might keep the terri
tory conquered from the Sultan in Ar
menia, aud on the following Tuesday she
pledged herself to Turkey to Join that
Power in arms to regain that territory,
and she not only made that pledge but
has taken the pay. England, in order to
obtain possion of Cyprus, made repre-
sentations to Turkey which she could
not fulfil and did not intend to fulfil.
She gave the Sultan draft on bank in
| which she had no money and in which
| she did not intend to deposit any money,
fully intending when she gave the draft
that it should be dishonored if ever pre-
sented. but Indifference to the dishonor
provided she should in the meantime se-
| cure possession of the coveted property.
That is the nature of the act by which
she obtained Cyprus. In the case of in
dividuals this would be called swindling
In the present case it is called brilliant
diplomacy, and 1t is not so far out OF
character with a great deal of British
diplomacy that it need excite wonder on
that account.
1t should be remembered that this false
pledge constitutes in itself the whole
substance of the convention with Tur-
key. His Majesty the Sultan assigns
the island of Cyprus to be occupied and
administered by England" and promises
to introduce certain reforms in the gov
ernment of Asia Minor Gin return" for
England's pledge to '.join his Imperial
Majesty in defending by force of arms
the places named in Asia Minor, which
places England has agreed, by another
secret treaty, Russia shall hold in pace
so far as relates to any act of British
forces against them. Here is a covenant
that may be safely commended as a case
in point to any one who believes that it
is impossible to run with the hounds and
will ha ~ a 6irlln =
ist who, if not on equally good terms
with the hunters and the game, manages
at all events to get deeply enough into
the confidence of each to cheat both with
beautiful impartiality. This covenant
was sigued June 4, which was nine days
before the plenipotentlaries had theiI
meeting at Berlin.
In the days which preceded the assem-.
bly, of the plenipotentiaries at the Ger
man capital, it was not certain from day
to day, nor even from hour to hour, but
what, through some late discovered OBJ
stacle, the whole project of the Congress
! would still fall through. There was nc
certainty that the Congress would sit
until it actually did sit. England felt
that uncertainty, and Turkey felt it also;
and each of these Powers, therefore,
deemed itself under an especial necessity
to provide for the contingency of fail
ure of the project of a Congress. They
had to contemplate what course they
would pursue if the Treaty of San Stefa-
no were not formally revised or set aside
by the action of the assembled Powers
In that situation England made this
agreement with the Sultan. Her agree.
ment was to obtain for her some equiva-
lent for what Russia had conquered in
Europe, and was to guarantee the Sultan
/ in Asia by the support of British force
1t was a clear alliance for the contingen-
cy of the failure to set aside San StefaDo
Treaty. But the Congress did meet, the
Treaty of San Stefano was revised, and
the admirers of the Beaconsfield policy
are ready to declare even that 1t was
practically set aside. 1t would seem to
follow, therefore, that a compact like
that with Turkey made for a case
which did not actually arise-dropped
into nulhty from the very nature of
things. And SO it did as to the advant-
age to Turkey 4; but as to the advantage
to England it is held to be in full force.
England agreed with the Turk to make
war against Russia in consideration of a
cession of territory. She subsequently
saw reason for not going to war, but she
occupied the territory nevertheless.