Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1878-01-26

ICY DAJ SEPOSNAA Il
Ny LORDS AND GENTLEMEN: /
have thought fit to assemble you be-
fore the usual period of your meet
ing, in order that you might become
acquainted with the efforts / have
made to terminate the war now de-
Eastern Europe and Ar
menia, and that l might have the
advice and assistance of my Parlia-
ment in the present state of public
affairs. You are aware that after
having unSuccessfully striven to
avert that war, l declared my inten-
ton to observe neutrality in the
contest which / lamented, but had
failed to prevent SO long as the in
terests of my Empire, as defined by
my Government, were not threat
ened. l expressed, at the same
time, my earnest desire to avail my
self Of any opportunity which might
present itself for the peaceful settle
ment of the questions at issue be-
tween the belligerent Powers. The
successes obtained by Russian arms
in Europe and Asia convinced the
Porte il should endeaVor to bring to
q close hOstilities which were caus-
ing immense sufferings to its sub
iects. The Government of the Sui
tan accordingly addressed to neutral
Powers, parties to the treaties relat-
ing to the Turkish Empire, an APP
peal for their good offices: 1t did
not, however, appear to a majority
of the Powers thus addressed that
they could usefully comply with
+I,o ,o,,,o1f aud 4ho1- anro mimi aafa6
this opinion to the Porte. The
Porte then determined on making
a separate appeal to my Govern
ment, and / at once agreed TO make
enquiry Of the Emperor of Russia
whether His Imperial Majesty
would entertain overtures for peace.
The Emperor expressed, in reply,
his earnest desire for peace, and.
stated at the same time his opinion
as to the course which should be
pursued for its attainment. Upon
this subject communications have
taken place between the Govern
ments of Russiaand Turkey through
my good offices, and | earnestly
trust they may lead to a pacific So
luton of the points at issue, and to
a termination of the war. No efforts
on my part will be wanting to pro-
mote that result.
Hitherto, so far as the war has
proceeded, neither of the bellige-
rents have infringed on any cOndi-
tons on which my neutrality is
founded, and | willingly believe
that both parties are DESTROYS to re-
spect them so far as it may be in
their power. So long as these con-
ditiOns are not infringed, my atti-
tude will continue the same.
But / cannot conceal from myself
that should hostilities be unfOrtu-
nately prolonged, some unexpected
occurrence may render it incumbent
on me to adopt measures of precau-
ton. Such measures could not be
effectively taken without an ade-
quatc preparation, and I trust to the
liberality Of my Parliament to sup
ply the means which may be re-
quired for that purpose. Papers on
these affairs will be forthwith laid
before you.
My relations with all foreign
Powers continue friendly.
1t IS evident that this speech does
not answer the question 'What will
England do?" nor, in the nature of
things, did we anticipate it would.
The action of England must so en-
tirely depend upon the terms pro-
posed by Russia to Turkey, that I'M
til these terms are officially known
it was evidently impossible for the
Queen Cor rather the Queens Cabi-
nett to say what the policy OF Eng
land il to be. The interests Of Eng
land so far as they can be affected by
the settlement of the Eastern war,
lie i'm the DardanelleS and the 18TH
mus Of SueZ; she will certainly not
intervene to save the Turkish En-
pire in Europe from the destruction
now impending. 4 good deal of
misunderstanding has existed in this
country as regards England's obi
cations in this matter. 1t has been
urged that England. having led
Turkey into the war, was bound in
honor to eXtTicate her from the con-
sequences of her engaging in it..
But England did not lead her into
the war; She did the reverse; she
advised her to accept the terms pro-
posed by the Congress OF European
powers at ConstantinOple, and most
distinctly intimated that in case of
her refusal she was not to expect
Fngland's alliance in the war that
might ensue.
That Turkey was encouraged in
prolonging the war by the conVic-
ton that England m,sSt intervene in
the end is no doubt true, but this
conviction arose not from any as
surances of the English Government,
but from a most erroneous estimate
put by the Turkish statesmen upon
the views and feelings Of the English
people. An armed Intervention in
the Russo-Turkish war was never a
possibility on the part Of England :;
her people were lmostunanimously
in opposition to it.
There have been many curious
parallels between this war and that
between the Northern and Southern
States on this continent, and this is
one of them, that the Southern pee
pie throughout the struggle cher
i5hed the hope, always baseIess
one, that England would be COM
PEELED to intervene in it by her need
of cotton; and the anger of the South
when it became manifest that she
would not was as natural and as I'M
reasonable as that of Turkey at her
present immOvable attitude.
zAlsaz1lz1szaEazza
PETITION.