The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1878-04-05
THE LION AND THE BEAR.
Russian Diplomacy and English Stupid

| The LlON AND HE DEAR
Russian Diplomacy and English Stupidity
The European tendency for some time,
says the Cincinnati Enquirer, has been
toward ignoring England in the final
settlement of the controversy between
Russia and Turkey. There has been
the Russian denial that any aggressions
upon English interests were contem-
plated by the Gear, but the recollection
of the value of the word of the Russian
on several other occasions has not aided
to command confidence in these profess
sions. The attitude of Germany, the
peculiar obligations of the triple ALI
ance, the objections of Austria to the
advertised settlement, have been among
the elements of the situation creating
uncertainty. 1t is Germany that is real
ly monarch of the situation. Russia,
having conquered in the field, promptly
began to attempt conquests in diplo-
macy. The Gear made an ally of the
Sultan, whom he had conquered. He
appealed to the European Prince for
moral support, for aid, for arbitration,
for any service in harmony with that
triple understanding and in hostility to
England. The great German doubtless
said that he owed equal friendship to
Austria under that understanding. Rus
sia's next move was to pacify Austria,
and it is now reported that Russia 8
ultimatum to Austria has been officially
sent by Ignatief, the diplomatist, and
it is the Russian hope that Austria can
be conciliated. 1t is significant that no
attempt has been made by Russia, or by
anybody else, to please England or to
strengthen friendly relations with that
power. The naughty Briton appears
without an ally. The diplomacy, the
intrigues, the secret understandings, the
little arrangements between the powers
of Europe have all been concocted and
conducted without the knowledge or
consent of England, and, apparently,
in absolute hostility to her interests.
Russia wants no congress of powers to
dictate her terms of peace with Turkey.
She will find some pretext, some method
for preventing or delaying one till the
necessary understandings can be had
with all of Europe, save England
Meanwhile England, without or with a
congress of powers, and without an ally,
must yield to Russia and to the ear
rangement," or fight. Pride and inter-
est of both nations appear to preface
battle. If Rlssia's arrangement"
are completed she will not only be will
ing bat anxious to enter the combat
She will not only court but provoke the
war
The designs of Russia, and the cum
ming diplomacy she has shown, are not
more than half understood, apparently,
in England. The Standard, one of the
most intelligent of the English journals,
stoutly and constantly protests that the
triple alliance is nothing more than a
diplomatic fiction" ignoring the fact
that it is "fiction" which constitutes
England's chief danger in this hour.
The Russian purpose to isolate England
has not, seemingly, been comprehended.
When battle ceased, Russia saw Turkey
helpless, and entered upon a policy of
deceit and delay, called diplomacy. She
marched her armies closer and closer to
the Turkish capital, enlarging her Dor
ders and strengthening her stakes. This,
after the war with the Turk was ended,
was preparing for the next war. She
delayed the congress. The time, or the
place, or the manner didn't suit. She
concealed and still conceals some of the
terms of the peace, letting them into the
light so far as to test the sense of Eu-
rope. She became assured of the abso-
lutte neutrality of Germany. She then
sought the consent of Austria to the
peace she desires, and will, if possible,
coax or beg Austria into an alliance.
She would be glad to obtain command of
Constantinople and the straits, to make
the Ottoman empire hereafter a de-
tendency of st. Petersburg, to make a
Muscovite lake of the Euxine sea, and to
prepare, in the words of an intelligent
Englishman, "by the acquisition of Ar.
menia, and the downfall of British infiu-
ence, for the next AMI final campaign,
which will give her Constantinople and
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